9. Vince
Vince
“The blonde Malibu model is here. I bet she doesn’t even know anything about guns,” Ellie leaned away from me, speaking to Hazel. “How is it possible to be that happy all the time?”
“Well, she is marrying Noah Voss.” Hazel placed her wineglass down on the bar. “He is a complete dick, but one I would ride.”
“She has every man here lusting over her.” Ellie ordered more drinks, “Vincent, are you going to get off that phone at all tonight?”
Not if I wanted to stay sane. I had nothing but respect for my cousins’ wives. If they called me. I would answer. I took an oath to protect them. But the same could not be said for Vivienne’s sisters. Who were fucking insufferable.
“Sorry about that.” Jamison was back. His wife still nowhere to be seen. The bastard left me with them. He might be apologizing to his wife’s sisters, but it should be directed at me.
“ Vince! ”
Locking my phone, I looked up. Two weeks. The longest we had gone without speaking to each other. Every time I went to call her, I stopped myself.
“Madeline,” I smiled. It almost felt unnatural. She stopped in front of me. I’d missed seeing her smile. “How was your holiday?”
“How did you know about that?”
Because I had a unhealthy addiction to needing to know she was okay.
“I didn’t go. I, um, had a business trip that was more important.” She winked. Gripping my glass tighter. Why hadn’t she told me she was going overseas for a gun deal? She might treat negotiating gun shipments with warlords as normal, but it wasn’t.
All this time, I thought she was on his private island.
Ellie cleared her throat. Seriously, we had been here for an hour, and she had gossiped about Madeline for most of it. Now she wanted an introduction.
“Oh, sorry for being rude. Madeline Thorne.” She turned, giving Ellie a smile she didn’t deserve.
“Ellie.”
“It’s really nice to meet you.”
Ellie looked between us before lifting her head to the side. “Your fiancé is looking for you,”
Noah hadn’t taken his eyes off her since she walked over here.
Madeline touched my arm. “Talk later?”
I nodded, knowing that wouldn’t happen. Noah was still trying to intimidate me from across the room.
Any other man, I’d take away their sight. But I’d rather have him protective of her. It meant he cared.
“So, you can get off your phone for her?”
“For her, I’d take a bullet.” Finishing my drink, I placed the empty glass on the bar. “I need a smoke.”
Nikolai owes me for this. Forced to fucking socialize with those people because he had a reaction to his new medication. One hour in that room, and it made me wish for a heart attack.
Walking out onto the balcony. Five minutes of peace I got before the glass door opened behind me.
“I thought you’d be out here.”
Closing my eyes for a moment. Maybe there was a god.
“I’m so proud of Nik for getting you here tonight. Honestly, I can only imagine how much you complained.” Madeline leaned against the rail next to me.
I glanced at her phone. “Seriously, you’re shopping?”
Rolling her eyes, “Um, it’s called multi-tasking.” She showed me a necklace. “What do you think of this one?”
“Doesn’t look like your style.”
“Awe, I love how you know me,” she touched my arm. “It’s not for me. I’m helping the Huntley’s organize a present for their sister. I owe them.”
“The Huntley’s don’t have a sister.”
“Shit. You can’t tell anyone about her. Okay?” She gasped, her hand holding me tighter. “I’m pretty sure they only told me, because we were going to die.”
And I was sure they had lied to her.
The Huntley brothers were only living because they stayed far away from us. She always insisted on using them for protection overseas. Ex-military or not. Their parents were responsible for half my family being dead.
But the only time she had been in danger was when she hadn’t used them. I gave her my cigarette. Forcing myself to not think about them.
“What a shock you two are together,” Rome walked out the side door. Red wine down the front of his white shirt. “I offended Hazel,” he paused next to Madeline. “Do you have another one of those?”
“Oh, no. I don’t smoke.” Madeline took one drag of it before handing it back to me.
“What?”
“I only ever inhale twice. That’s basically less than secondhand smoke and I have never lit one. So, not a smoker.”
Rome looked at me. “So you wait for Vince to smoke, and you take his?”
“Vince, tell him. I’m not a smoker.”
“She’s not a smoker.” I handed him my packet.
“You do know, you’re setting the bar for her fiancé, incredibly high. Right?”
Madeline huffed, “Why is it when I say it? People want to argue. But when you say it, they listen?”
“Probably so we can keep breathing.” Rome muttered, looking for his lighter. “Have you heard from Nikolai tonight?”
“Yeah. He’s fine.” I couldn’t say the same would be said for me if he didn’t take this social shit back over.
“I better go back to Noah.” She pushed herself away from the balcony. “Sorry about your shirt, Rome. I’m sure Hazel didn’t mean it.” Her eyes flickered to mine. “Night Vince.”
That smile.
“Night Madeline.” I watched her walk away.
“You two are so fucking dysfunctional.” Rome muttered. “We’ve got bets on when you start a fight to take her back. Can you wait until next month?”
I didn’t even warrant his question with a reply.