Chapter 35 #2
“You made it!” Rachel jumped off the couch and hurried toward me.
She’d changed out of the gown she’d worn at the White House. Now, she wore a skimpy black dress that could’ve doubled as a cleaning rag. The fabric was purposely shredded down the middle, with one of her tits close to falling out.
Rachel looked happy to see me until she noticed the woman standing at my side. Her smile vanished.
“And you brought someone.” Her mouth puckered as she gave Daphne a slow once-over.
Daphne stiffened beside me but still managed to paste on a smile.
“I did.” I hooked an arm around her waist and wrenched her closer. “This is Cersei.”
Daphne tried to pull away, but I only gripped her tighter.
Rachel’s brows drew together. “Cersei?”
“Like the brother-fucking Lannister?” Some guy wearing a bright yellow polo shirt yelled from the couch, slurring half the sentence.
I cringed.
Shit. I’d forgotten about that part.
During the ride here, I’d come up with a fake name for Daphne. Cersei.
Daphne and I used to watch Game of Thrones together on FaceTime. She’d always claimed Cersei was “batshit crazy but slightly understood.”
It seemed fitting.
The incest part did not.
Daphne slowly turned her head and looked up at me.
I refused to meet her eyes. I’d hear about this shit later.
“Get on over here!” Yellow Polo yelled, waving us toward the couch. “Have a shot. A line. If nothing suits your tastes, I have a great hookup who can get whatever you’re in the mood for.”
Daphne’s fingers curled into my shirt.
“I’m okay.” She forced a smile at him while plastering herself against my side.
Two minutes ago, she’d been fighting to get away from me. Now, with a table full of drugs and strangers around us, she was clinging to me while nervously fussing with the edge of her wig.
I slid my palm over her hip.
She didn’t slap it away.
I fucking loved that.
Yellow Polo wagged a finger at her. “Nope. You hang out, you party. It’s a rule.”
“She said fucking no,” I replied.
He dropped his hand.
Ignoring his idiotic, date-rape-style rule, I claimed a spot on the couch and spread my legs enough to leave Daphne only a sliver of cushion beside me.
No room for anyone else.
She looked at the tiny space, then at me.
“Sit,” I demanded.
Her nostrils flared, but she squeezed herself onto the edge.
Before I could enjoy my victory, Rachel climbed over my legs and wedged herself onto my other side. Daphne’s head snapped in her direction.
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.
There she is.
“I’m so glad you came,” Rachel purred, cozying closer before draping one bare leg across my lap.
Again, I felt nothing.
Daphne, on the other hand, looked ready to rip that leg off Rachel and beat her with it.
That did something for me.
Her glare fell to Rachel’s heel resting near my thigh. She casually lifted two fingers and nudged it. Rachel’s heel slipped off her foot. Rachel didn’t bother picking it up.
I lowered my head, pretending to scratch my jaw so neither woman saw my grin.
This night kept getting more interesting.
“Yeah, we were stoked when Rach told us you were coming,” Polo Shirt said.
“She said you two were getting pretty close,” the redhead beside him commented. “I always knew she’d marry into politics.”
A beefy guy looked up from his phone. “We always knew she’d marry whoever her daddy chose.” He rubbed his hands together. “Money and their image is all they care about.”
Rachel flipped him off.
I dragged a hand over my forehead and shifted my legs, letting Rachel slide completely off my lap.
The guy wasn’t telling me anything new.
That was how marriages worked in my world.
Love was optional.
Money, power, and the right last name weren’t.
I looked between Rachel and the guy who’d made the comment. He had the thick neck and swollen arms of someone who probably had a steroid dealer on speed dial.
He also couldn’t stop looking at Rachel. Rachel kept staring at him too.
There was something between them. I didn’t know what, nor did I particularly give a fuck, but the possibility of Rachel getting involved with me clearly pissed him off.
“Brooks …” Steroid started.
Something in his tone told me I wasn’t going to like whatever came next.
“I saw that interview where you talked about the chick whose dad tried to put a bullet in yours.”
Daphne went rigid beneath my arm. Her fingers slipped from mine. She reached for a bottle of water on the table and twisted off the cap like we were discussing some random woman instead of her.
I kept my expression bored.
Inside, every alarm in my fucking head went off.
“Did you guys fuck?” he asked.
Daphne dropped the cap. It bounced against the floor.
She started to bend for it, but I beat her there, snatching it up without taking my eyes off Steroid.
“What makes you think that?” I asked, sounding as interested as if he’d asked about the weather. I stole Daphne’s water and took a drink.
“Intuition.” He smacked a palm against his chest. “My mom says I have the best intuition she’s ever seen. And as a man who’s fucked aplenty”—his stare slid toward Rachel long enough to tell me she belonged on that list—“I know the look of a guy talking about someone he’s fucked.”
His mother must be so damn proud.
“Nah.” I handed Daphne her water. “She tried, but I never touched her. She was too desperate for my liking.”
Daphne ripped the bottle from my hand. Water splashed straight across my lap.
I looked down at the wet spot spreading over my pants, then sideways at her.
Daphne took the most innocent sip of water I’d ever seen.
“Duuuude,” Polo Shirt said. “You said no to that? She’s hot as fuck! Crazy family or not, I’d still hit it.”
I eyed the drink in his hand.
It’d be so easy to slip something lethal into it.
Rachel pressed closer, trying to link her arm through mine. “He doesn’t need to think about any girl but me. Isn’t that right, Brooks?”
At the White House event, she’d played coy. I was learning that Rachel Beckett plus drugs and alcohol equaled a territorial pain in my ass.
I peeled her fingers off my arm before grabbing Daphne.
She let out a surprised yelp as I pulled her to her feet and moved us to the other end of the couch. I sat first, pulled her down beside me, and stretched my arm across her shoulders.
There. So much better.
Rachel stared at us. Her expression went from possessive, to confused, to downright scorned.
Just the way I wanted it.
Unfazed by her, I looked back at the guy who said he’d hit Daphne. “What’s your name?”
“Graham Hollenfielder.” He puffed out his chest like the name should impress me. “My father owns Hollenfielder Defense.” He shut one eye and pointed a finger gun at me. “Our families do business together, if you know what I mean.”
I knew exactly what he meant. His father had a government contract.
That wasn’t business with my family, but I let the idiot believe whatever made him feel important. Too bad for Graham, he’d stupidly made the mistake of telling me he wanted to fuck Daphne.
That military contract his daddy worked so hard to snag? Gone.
“Nice to meet you, Graham,” I lied, already plotting the Hollenfielder family’s financial demise.
Rachel stood and sauntered over to us.
Persistent little thing. I had to give her that.
I also knew exactly what she was about to do. Before she could squeeze herself between Daphne and me, I wrapped an arm around Daphne’s waist and pulled her onto my lap. Her ass landed directly over my cock.
Ah. So much better.
Rachel stopped short. “What the fuck, Brooks?”
I shrugged and didn’t answer her.
She dropped into Daphne’s old spot anyway and immediately scooted closer. “I invited you here alone,” she said, keeping her voice low enough that only Daphne and I could hear. “Not to bring some chick.” She slid a look toward Daphne. “No offense.”
Daphne gave her a thumbs up.
“I’ve been telling everyone we’re dating,” Rachel continued. “This is embarrassing.”
Daphne tapped Rachel’s arm. “You can have him.”
I glared down at her. The fuck she can.
“What?” Rachel squeaked out.
“He’s not that great in bed, though, so don’t get your hopes up,” Daphne added.
A laugh slipped out of me. Fucking brat.
I rested my chin on Daphne’s shoulder, bringing my mouth close to her ear. “Shush it, babe, or I’ll show everyone how big of a lie that is with your help.” I smiled before raising my voice enough for Rachel to hear. “Don’t lie to the poor girl. You were the one moaning my name on the drive here.”
Rachel’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head.
Daphne elbowed me in the ribs.
Saying things like that in public—hell, even being seen in a place like this—was unlike me.
I never did anything that could tarnish my image.
But tonight, I gave no fucks because before I’d left the White House, my father had put a contract in front of me. One I had no intention of signing.
If ruining a little of the Brooks Byron shine helped me get out of it, I’d gladly smear some dirt on my name.