Page 51 of His Kingdom

Sammie:

Boss, your girl is coming down. You might wanna take a look.

Take a look? What the fuck is he talking about?

I made sure Charlotte had a table with full service at one of our quieter bars for her to spend time with her friend. Another reason I’ve been avoiding her is the fact that I don’t want to smother her. Actually, scratch that. I do. I just don’t want her to think I’m smothering her.

I pick up the remote to my left and flick through the CCTV until I see her. And fuck, do I see her. A lot of her. “What the fuck is she wearing?”

I’m standing and heading to the door before I realize what I’m doing. I’ve been holed up in my office all day alone, working through shit that has been piling up since I met Charlotte. Walking through the Casino floor, I don’t stop. That is until I see her. Again. This time, in person. I wait for her to look up before making a beeline in her direction.

Her eyes widen, and by the time I reach her, I have my jacket off. “Sweetheart, you look… cold,” I tell her, wrapping the fabric around her shoulders as I kiss the middle of her forehead. I look to my friend. He’s getting way too much entertainment from me right now. “Carlo is looking for you,” I say. He’s not. But Sammie doesn’t need to know that.

“Right. On it, boss.” Sammie shakes his head and walks away.

“Ah, nope, I’m good. Thanks.” Charlotte shrugs the jacket off her shoulders and smiles up at me. “Louie, this is Evie. Evie, Louie.”

I nod politely at the girl while extending a hand. “Hi, thanks for coming out here to see Charlotte.”

Evie takes my palm in hers. “Um, yeah, I’ve known Charlotte practically my whole life. I think I should be the one thanking you for looking out for her.”

“It’s not a hardship,” I say as I turn back to Charlotte. My eyes take her in. She’s wearing a white dress—or is it a shirt? Because I’m pretty sure dresses are supposed to be longer than what she’s got on. Sparkly sequins cover the top half of the material, which is hugging her breasts the way my hands ache to. “You look beautiful. Sure you’re not cold, though? There isn’t a lot of fabric on that shirt.”

“It’s a dress. And I’m sure. Are you coming to the bar with us?” she asks me.

“I wasn’t planning on it, but if you’re going out looking like that, I have to come with you to ward off all the assholes who are going to hit on you.”

“No one is hitting on me.” Charlotte laughs.

“They can hit on me, though, especially that one.” Evie nods to her left, and my gaze falls on fucking Emmanuel.

“You don’t want to go nearthat one,” I reply, while wrapping a possessive arm around Charlotte’s waist.

It’s not that I think Emanuel would hurt my girl. It’s that I don’t thinkhe wouldn’t. If I ever give him a reason to come after me, I know the first thing he’ll attack won’t be me. It’ll be her. That’s how his cartel has always worked. He’s his father’s son after all. I’d be fucking stupid to think otherwise, just because we share a history.

“You okay?” Charlotte looks up at me again, concern written all over her face.

I lean forward and press against the side of her head. “I’m good,” I tell her. “Come on, let’s get that drink.”

“Okay,” she says.

“Louie, are you going to introduce me to your friends?” Emmanuel approaches us as we walk towards the bar.

“Emmanuel, this is Charlotte, my girlfriend. And this is Evie,” I tell him.

“Well, Charlotte, it’s a pleasure to meet the woman who’s captured this old bastard’s heart,” Emmanuel says. He then turns his attention to Evie.

Shit. I know that look.I’ve seen it on my friend once before. When we were sixteen and he became fixated on a girl named Laura. A girl who looks like she could be sisters with Evie. His obsession lasted a full year until one day the girl disappeared. No one ever saw her again.

“Charlotte, take Evie over to the bar. I’ll meet you in there,” I say, letting go of her.

“Sure. It was nice to meet you,” she says to Emmanuel.

“You too.” He nods politely in Charlotte’s direction.

I wait until the girls are out of earshot before turning my glare on Emmanuel. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” he asks with amusement in his tone.

---