Page 45 of Their Property
We started a walk toward the banquet room that felt too stiff, too formal. In the quietness echoing up to the high ceilings, it felt too much like walking down a wedding aisle.
“What was the state dinner like last year?” I asked, mainly just to break the tense atmosphere.
“Oh, it was incredible.” Nathan smiled and covered my hand that rested on his arm. “We didn’t decide until after the fact to make it an annual thing. But it made sense, you know? The first official Sevier holiday, celebrating our independence. Must have been what the founding fathers of the US felt like so long ago.”
“Yes.” I bit my tongue on the rest of what I wanted to say.When they weren’t killing the people who were already here.
“We’ve been looking forward to this all year.” He gave my hand a small squeeze and I resisted the urge to pull it away. “Once you see it, you’ll see why.” He leaned to speak into my ear and I stiffened. “And you’ll never want to go back home.”
T-Bone cleared his throat loudly from a few feet behind us, the rough sound echoing, and I bit back a laugh.
Conversely, Nathan glanced behind him in annoyance. “I do hope your overgrown babysitters keep a bit of distance tonight. It’s hard to get to know someone when there’s always a shadow hovering.”
“It’s hard to kidnap, stab, or poison someone too, which is what I’m banking on,” I said pleasantly.
Nathan let out an indignant scoff. “If there was going to be an assassination or kidnapping attempt on anyone in the ballroom tonight, believe me, the target won’t be some ambassador from Four Corners.”
“Well, you sure know how to make a girl feel special,” I said without thinking.
One of the Sons behind us snorted while Nathan gave me a hard look, one that turned my spine to ice because I recognized it. Malcolm gave me that look a few times. The one that came right before his anger unleashed and sent me into a spiral of confusion and heartache.
I began to pull away from Nathan, releasing his arm, but he clasped my hand firmer. In the next moment, the look was gone. His features smoothed over, brow now pinching either out of concern or like a puppy that had been scolded.
“You know I didn’t mean it like that,” he said. “Please don’t misinterpret my words.”
It took a few breaths for me to calm down and respond. “Please don’t belittle my personal safety.”
“I didn’t. But I’m sorry you saw it that way. Your safety is of utmost importance to me.” He brought my hand to his lips and brushed a kiss over my knuckles, sad puppy eyes still locked onto me. “Can we go in now?”
“Yes,” I said stiffly.
He reached toward my face and I forced myself to stay put instead of flinching away. Thankfully, it was only a stroke of his thumb on my jaw. “You’re a feisty girl. You don’t need as much protection as you think.” His hand dropped and he angled his head toward the ballroom entrance. “Let’s show everyone how good we look together.”
I nodded tightly and resumed hold of his arm, standing even further away than before. He pulled me closer, bringing his mouth to my ear. “And give me that smile again.”
I closed my eyes and counted my breaths.Fuck, this is going to be such a long night.
We had just reached the wide double-doors when T-Bone jumped in front of us. “I need a word with Miss Vance before y’all go in.”
“Seriously?” Nathan huffed. “We need to go in together. With you three far away.”
“It will just be a moment,sir,” T-Bone sneered. “We have some logistical questions, that’s all.”
“I’ll be with the doorman,” Nathan grumbled, stomping ahead to the entrance.
“What is it?” I turned to T-Bone and stepped in close to him. It gave the illusion of wanting privacy, but I really just wantedhim—that scent, those large hands he kept infuriatingly to himself, and the sense of feeling truly safe. He was everything Nathan wasn’t.
“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” A muscle ticked in his jaw, his gaze flickering up and then back down to me. “I don’t like how he’s touching you.”
“I don’t either,” I admitted in a whisper.
That rallied the other two to surround me.
“Do you want us to do anything?” Dyno asked. “We can make up an excuse for you to not go in.”
“Mm-hm.” Grudge nodded emphatically, his expression pleading for me to say yes.
And as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t.
