Page 48 of Sold to Her Enemy

“But you were intent on dragging his name through the mud.” The sorrowful look she gives me pierces my heart.

“Mckenna, you are mine for this weekend. I am going to take care of you. Whatever happened in the past isn’t going to jeopardize me keeping you safe.”

I know there’s a lot of ground between us, but she should know that I take care of my things.

“Remember when I got my first Porsche and how I didn’t let Ava drive it?”

She gives me a half smile. “She was so mad. You hid the keys from her.”

“Damn, straight I did,” I exchange the grin, and for a moment, we are two old friends who are relaxing in the familiarity of shared experiences.

“Why did you do it?” her green eyes suddenly flash with anger I haven’t seen before, and I swallow, realizing that I actually don’t want to harm this woman.

I want her to beg for forgiveness, to ask for my mercy, but I don’t want to damage her.

That’s progress.

The house lights flash, and someone calls my name across the room.

I groan inwardly, recognizing the parents of my sister’s fiancé.

“I was, I had, Mckenna.” It’s a short answer that will have to be enough for now because the Phillips are coming over to us.

“Adrian! What a night,” Rick Phillips slaps me on the back.

“Isn’t this the most magnificent venue? Who is your date?” Jean Phillips asks me.

“This is Mckenna. We go way back.”

“Nice to meet you.” Jean extends her hand. “It’s so nice for Ava to have family here.”

The house lights flash again with a warning for us to take our seats.

“This is so exciting!” Jean says.

“Dear, we are over on that side,” Rick says.

“We’ll see you later!” Jean waves to us.

“Breathe, Mckenna.”

She ducks her head, and I feel how tense she is, and I frown.

I may want to revenge fuck her and make her suffer, but how much I don’t want to harm her is now a pivotal concern.

“Are you okay?” I ask as I guide us to our seats in the center row. Ava had offered me seats on the box level but I wanted to leave those for her supporters, her record label and the celebrity guests she invited.

Mckenna stumbles as we get to our seats. I reach out to steady her.

“I got you. Here’s your seat.”

She gives me a half smile and takes her seat.

I sit next to her and take her hand in mine.

“It’s so elegant here. It’s been forever since I’ve been in a theater,” Mckenna murmurs. This grand place, famous for its superior acoustics, is astounding. It’s not my first visit, but it’s still impressive, and I feel a stirring of brotherly pride for my sister achieving this level of success.

But Mckenna isn’t taking it in. She’s staring down at her hands, frozen again.