Page 56 of Protecting Charity

Tapping another card, she flipped it over to reveal a man walking in boots that looked like a woman should wear them.

“DaFool.”

I rolled my eyes as she touched the card and closed her eyes.

“You are indamidst of something new. This may cause you to hold back because you’re afraid of things you cannot control. These new beginnings are good for you, and soon you will be able to use it to move on from your past and help you with your future.” She opened her eyes and bore her gaze straight through me. “Pick your future card.” I reached out, but she stopped me. “Choose with your heart. Where is your soul leading you?”

Okay, I’ll play along. I took a deep breath and let my hand find its way to a card nestled towards the right. She turned it over to reveal a tower like Rapunzel’s prison set on fire and a woman falling to her death. That didn’t look good.

A shiver shook her body as she reared back. A panicked expression flitted across her features. She shot out and grabbed my hand, then flipped it over to look at my palm and ran her finger down the center. Her head shot up with a gaze that fixed me in place with fear, chilling me to the bone.

“DaTower.Discard tells of destruction and chaos in your future. One that will shake you to your core and make you want to destroy everything in your path.” She ran her finger down my palm again, “Someone will die by your hands.”

I swallowed and tried to hide the dread clawing at my throat. “Tell me something I don’t know?”

Her gaze slipped back to my hand and the card. “It will be someone unexpected. Someone you love.”

I ripped my hand from her grasp. Horror seized my lungs as I stood from my chair, knocking it over with a deafening clatter. Luca stopped his conversation, rushed over, and placed his hands on my shoulders to calm me. It was hard to catch my breath, no matter how fast I took in air. “You’re wrong. Who fucking believes in this shit, anyway?” I seethed.

How dare she tell me this. What did she know anyway? It wasn’t real. None of this was real.

“If there is one piece of advice I’d give you when dealing withDaTower, it is to surrender to the destruction no matter how painful. No one comes away fromDaTower without being burned. Just remember to rise fromdaashes and overcome.”

I stared at her, trying to make sense of it all. How could she say these things? I could never kill someone I loved. I did everything for the people I love; taking their life wasn’t one of them. Who? Who did she have in mind?

“Who? Who is it?”

She shook her head. I peered around to see people had stopped their talks to watch the commotion I had caused.

“Dis,I do not know. It is only for you to understand what is coming.”

Luca applied pressure to my shoulder, trying to pull me away as I continued to gawk at her, unable to take my eyes from her intense black gaze. I stumbled away as Luca’s voice broke me from my deep haze and tormented thoughts. I broke eye contact with her and finally found Luca’s. His chocolate eyes held confusion as he tried to understand what had just happened.

“What’s going on?” he asked as he moved me further from the crowd that had accumulated.

“I don’t want to talk about it. She’s wrong anyway.”

I fed him a small smile to convince him it didn’t bother me but failed. His forehead wrinkled with concern that didn’t leave as I hoped, so I took the flute of champagne he held in his hand and downed the entire bit. I knew I needed to stay vigilant and alert, but I couldn’t help but feel rattled. I needed this one, the next one would be wanted.

Luca moved us to the back of the room near a table of appetizers. I popped a cheese cube in my mouth and watched the girl on the cloth rope spin and achieve things I couldn’t even imagine doing, especially being so high from the floor; it was a big, fat hell no from me.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“I’m going to be right over there for a moment,” he said, pointing to a group of men that looked entirely too fancy for life itself. One of those men appeared to be Elias because his show dog was standing back from the swarm, his hands clasped in front of him, looking every bit the obedient dog he was.

I nodded, reassuring him I’d be fine. His lips pressed gently against my cheek as he squeezed my arm with a tenderness I needed. I watched him walk away, and suddenly, the woman’s vile words were but a whisper in the back of my mind. Luca’s broad shoulders and taut ass were now at the forefront of my mind, and it was a heavenly place to be.

“Someone I know has that exact same dress,” a man declared behind me.

I spun on my heel to come face to face with who I can only assume to be Agent Harding. I recognized his annoying voice. My breath hitched in my throat until I reminded myself to breathe. What the hell would he be doing here? “Is that right?” I said, spinning my southern belle accent up to be the best performance of my life.

“Sure is. She looks just like you. But see, she couldn’t be the type of person to be attending these kinds of parties.”

“And what type of person is she?” Curiosity prickled in the back of my mind. How did he see me? Would he be correct? Let’s see just how efficient Agent Harding was at his job.

“Well, she appears to be an innocent, naive girl, but I’m certain that’s just a facade. I bet she knows exactly what everyone tells her.”

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