Page 33 of Treasured By Them
“I mean, I want to get up there before everyone. I need space. I’ll leave tonight.”
“It’s midnight.” Troy’s voice is a deep rumble. “You shouldn’t be going anywhere.”
She needs space? From me, she means. She didn’t like the violence. Well, too fucking bad. Welcome to our world, princess.
I keep my face expressionless. “You’ll go up on Monday as we originally agreed.”
“Please. Don’t be a dick, Edmund. I’ll hire a car if you don’t want me to drive. We’re getting married in one week, and tonight really freaked me out.” She leans back to look at me. “I need this time away. I need to think.”
“No, absolutely not?—”
“I’ll drive you,” Troy says.
I shoot him a look. What the fuck? He’s going to take her off to the lake, all by herself?
“And we’re sending Caleb,” he adds. “Until your family is there.”
Better, but not by a lot. “Caleb can’t do this,” I say. “You saw what happened tonight.”
“He made a mistake.” Danica huffs out a breath. “For fuck’s sake, Edmund.”
I can see that I’m overruled. I don’t like it, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that getting Danica away from San Esteban and the Vorsongs might be the very best thing for her.
“Fine, whatever. But you’re not at the cabin alone. Caleb’s with you until your family gets there, and then they’re taking care of you. You go nowhere alone. Understand?”
“Yes.”
Fuck, I don’t feel good about this.
12
Danica
Edmund goes straight to his room when we get back to the penthouse, and I go straight to mine.
Troy follows me. “Where did that Vorsong asshole grab you?”
“Just off of the dance floor, close to the stairs.” I’m trying not to think about it.
“No.” He clears his throat. “Where on your body?”
“Oh.” Is he going to get all possessive and annoying about this? Bad enough the guy licked me and I feel disgusting. Speaking of, instead of packing, I should be taking a shower. I walk into the attached bathroom, giving Cackle a quick pet on my way. “On my shoulder. Will you take care of Cackle this week?”
“Sure.” He stays on my heels, following me into the bathroom.
I arch an eyebrow at him and undo the side zipper on my dress before shimmying out of it.
“Let me see.” He takes two giant steps forward. “Which shoulder? Never mind—I can see the bruise. Shit, Dani.”
He caresses my arm and the area I’m assuming around the mark, not touching it.
I look back at him. “Are you going to threaten him with a knife, too?”
“Dani. Edmund didn’t hurt Caleb.”
“He wanted to.”
“So did I.” His tone is so casual, it makes me flinch. He smiles down at me. “We care about you so much, Dani. We want to protect you, and Caleb failed at that. So yeah, we’re pissed.”
