Page 26 of King of Deception

I turn back toward the bar, closing my eyes and trying to collect myself.

“You all right?” the bartender asks.

My eyes pop open. “Fine. Thank you.”

The bartender eyes Gris as he slides into the chair next to me. I clench the glass of water, needing something to hang onto.

“Princess.”

“Asshole.”

I see his lips curl into a smile. “I see you’re still wearing your ring.”

I turn toward him, tossing him a healthy glare. “What are you doing here?”

“I need to speak with you.”

“Well, I don’t need to speak with you. You should leave.”

“I’m not leaving until I’ve said?—”

“I’m done listening to you. I heard what you had to say already.” I’d leave, but Luke should be here any second. I pick up my phone and call his number.

“If you’re calling Luke, don’t bother. He isn’t coming.”

The phone slides away from my ear as I stare at Gris. How would he know Luke’s plans. By slow degrees, the truth sinks in. “I’m going to kill him.”

“Hey, babe,” the bartender leans over the bar. “You good? You sure you don’t need some help?”

Calmly, I set my phone down on the bar and I draw in a deep breath. “I don’t need help. Like I said. I’m fine.” I’m not fine. Luke, the brother I love most in this world, is part of this scheme against me. What in the world is happening?

“Luke sent you tonight, didn’t he?”

Gris doesn’t answer, but his grimace tells me all I need to know.

Slipping from the stool, I start for the door. I won’t cry. I’m not going to yell. Yet.

Gris falls in step behind me as I dial my phone again. Luke doesn’t pick up. I charge out of the bar, the cooler night air filling my lungs as my call goes to voicemail.

I’ve been a victim this whole time.

It’s my fault. I take responsibility. I accepted Preston. I let Mason make all these plans. I trusted Luke when I shouldn’t have. Okay, that last one was not my fault.

I get his voicemail. “Luke Kincaid, you call me back in the next five minutes or I will never speak to you again.” I hang up.

Gris is behind me, I can feel him. Spinning, I give his chest a hard push. These emotions I can’t control are welling up inside me. What is happening? Mason is trapping me, Luke is double-crossing me. No wonder all the Kincaid men want to kill each other. “Go away, Gris.”

“We’re not done.”

“We’re done.” And then I pull up the Uber app on my phone, tears making it difficult to read.

Frustrated and just wanting to escape, I spin blindly away, stepping out into the crosswalk. I barely see the flash of headlights before sick dread freezes my limbs.

I see the car, feel it baring down on me, but I just…

Strong hands yank me back and suddenly I’m against Gris’s hard chest as the car whizzes by, the wind blowing my hair across my back. I grip his biceps, my held tilting back to look up into the dark depths of his eyes. “Gris?”

He wraps his arms tighter around me, his nose dropping into my hair. “You’re all right. I’ve got you.”

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