Page 36 of Tempt Me
“Rue, you have that early meeting in the morning. Perhaps you should head up now.”
Her dark eyes shoot to mine, gratitude swimming in them, making me fall even harder for her.
Why is she doing this? Why doesn’t she end this farce? There is more to it, I already knew that, but now I think the stakes are higher than I could’ve imagined.
“Yes, we have to leave at the crack of dawn,” she croaks.
“Where are you going?” Fran asks suspiciously.
“Grove City. I have a meeting with Serena and Logan. I’m not ready to share yet, but it will be huge for Solitaire.”
Her mother purses her lips and nods once before Rue forces herself to give Antonio a quick peck on the cheek before she scurries off, leaving me to follow. I can feel eyes on us the entire way up the stairs, and so can Rue. As soon as she gets to her bedroom door, she flings it open and then breathes out, letting her face fall into a vicious scowl.
Wanting to ask her again why she is doing this, I refrain. It’s really none of my business. “Lock this door as soon as you close it.”
She nods, already way ahead of me. Closing it, I wait until I hear the lock click into place, and only then do I slip into my room, taking my jacket off and slinging it on the armchair in the corner. Opening the laptop on the small table, I flick open the camera app and rewind the footage to see Rue and Antonio outside. He kisses her shoulder but then grabs her. She struggles. He says something to her, and she stops. I can’t make it out as it’s directly in her ear, but it is obvious that he has threatened her with something.
One thing I know for sure, whatever he has on her, is stopping her from reacting the way she usually would under those circumstances. Another thing that is clear to me is that Antonio knows where she keeps her blade. It’s time to switch that up. She needs to move it from her right thigh because this is now the second person this week who actively knows about it.
Slamming the laptop closed, I cross over to the interconnecting door and throw it open.
Rue jumps, but when she sees it’s me, she continues to close the balcony doors and lock them up nice and tight. Wordlessly crossing over to her, I drop to my knees in front of her.
Her breath hitches.
Sliding the dress up her thighs, I bunch it up in one hand, unsnapping the holster with my free hand.
“What are you doing?” she whispers.
Not answering her, I flick the slit in the dress on her left thigh open, clasping the holster snugly around her leg.
Unable to resist trailing my hand over her silky skin, I let out a groan of unfettered arousal, knowing she will be going commando and needing to see it.
“Isaac,” she rasps when I wedge my hand between her thighs.
She hikes her dress up, showing me everything I wanted to see.
Lightly brushing my thumb over her bare pussy, I rise and pull my hand back with every ounce of strength that I have. She drops her hand that was clutching at her arm, letting it fall loosely to her side. My gaze is instantly drawn to the dark mark noticeable on her skin. Holding back the growl of fury that he dared to mark her, I turn my back on her, muttering, “Goodnight, Rue.”
Closing the interconnecting door, keeping control of my temper for the moment, which does nothing to close down my forbidden feelings for the Princess about to be married to someone not worthy of her.
But there again, neither am I.
Drawing in a deep breath, I stride over to my bedroom door and casually open it, shutting it quietly behind me. Clenching my fists, I head downstairs, seeing most of the partygoers leaving now that the Princess has retired. Antonio is still there, talking with Viktor and Francesca.
It doesn’t stop me.
When I reach him, I grab the lapel of his jacket and drag him closer to me, snarling, “You fucking prick.”
“Get your hands off me!” he exclaims, surprised that I dared to make such a bold move in front of Vik and Fran, but he clearly doesn’t know me.
“You’re a fucking coward and an asshole,” I hiss, dragging him outside to the supposed blackspot, knowing I can’t give away that it is now being watched.
“Hands off,” one of his men says steadily, leveling a gun at me, but that won’t stop me even if he fires, I’m showing this dick what a real man is.
Pausing by the fountain that is gushing water out of a cherub’s mouth, I draw back and slam my fist into Antonio’s face. His head snaps back, and blood drips from the corner of his mouth. I can smell the alcohol on his breath as he staggers back, his hand coming up to cover the bruise that is already forming on his cheek. Not stopping there, I slam my fist into his face again, this time breaking his nose. The blood spurts out, and Antonio’s eyes narrow. He grips my hand that still has him by the lapel, taking an arrogant step closer to me.
“I will see you dead for this,” he says menacingly.
