Page 18 of Wretched Soul
He’s not making it easy for me. Then I remember the bag I’ve been clutching. “I brought you something,” I say, pulling out a pair of rechargeable hand-warmers. “I just thought with it being so cold, you might need these. I got the triple XL for those big paws of yours. Here, you just press this button.”
As I switch on one of the hand-warmers to demonstrate, I swear I can see the corner of Simon’s mouth twitching. “Thank you,” he says, wrapping a fist around the warmers that had seemed much bigger in my hands.
There’s a long pause.
“Please, let us stay,” Kaitlyn says at last. “It’s freezing out there.”
“I have some hand-warmers you could use,” Simon suggests. He looks back to me. “If you’re not on the list, I can’t let you through. No exceptions.”
“But you know who I am.”
“And do you know who my boss is?”
“A friend of a friend of mine?” I try. “Could you not ask someone?”
When Simon releases a sigh, I intensify my look of desperation.
“Let me make a call.”
Rather than using the intercom in his earpiece, Simon takes out his cell phone. The only words I pick up are when Simon describes me as the girl in the gold dress. My mind whirs. Is he talking to Shade? Surely his boss wouldn’t know who I was from that description.
The call ends quickly, and when Simon turns and offers us a shrug, I steel myself for disappointment. To be refused entry would be bad enough, but if my psycho has rejected me, I might just cry.
Simon rolls his eyes when he sees me tearing up. “You’re in,” he says.
Kaitlyn launches herself at Simon and gives him a kiss on his lower jaw, which is as far up as her lips will reach. “You’re my fucking hero,” she squeals.
I’m a little more reserved. “Thank you, Simon.”
He holds out an arm to stop me from following Kaitlyn. “Just be careful who you talk to in there. We don’t want any more trouble.”
It takes only a fraction of a second to make sense of what he means. My suspicions were right. The two men who pounced on me last week are now walking around with their arms in casts. Someone took exception to them touching me.
“Did he tell you that?” I ask, biting my lip.
“That comes from Calder Moncrief,” Simon says. “You don’t need anyone buying you drinks, they’re on the house. He also says he doesn’t want to bar you, but he will if you leave with someone you shouldn’t.”
I glance at Kaitlyn, who’s been waiting for me. Her expression is a picture, but I expect mine is too. The owner ofHeatrush has just told me that I can’t pick up a guy tonight, unless it’s someone he approves of. “Ishehere?” I ask Simon.
“No.”
My heart sinks. If my possessive and overprotective psycho isn’t here, I’m not sure I want to go in after all. “Is he going to be?”
Simon gives me another shrug. “That, I can’t say.”
Before I can debate whether or not to risk waiting for someone who may not even show up, Simon steps away and Kaitlyn pulls me into the club.
Chapter 8
Mace
The charity gala at the Excelsis hotel is full of well-connected people, none of whom I want to see. It would be better if no one could see me either, but every time I glance at my phone, one of my fucking brothers makes a snide comment. It doesn’t help that our host, Rory Moncrief had taken great pleasure in telling the others how I might have caused a bit of a commotion at Calder’s club.
I suppose I should have been more discrete, but at least I’d waited until Lily had left before tracking down the two jerks who’d dared to put their hands on her. They’re not going to put their arms around another woman for at least six weeks with two broken arms. And that’s two broken arms each. My guess is they were too stoned to register what was happening, or feel much pain. They’d just better remember my warning.
I know this level of obsession isn’t sustainable. I can’t stop Lily from seeing other guys when I’m so intent on her not seeing me. She isn’t mine, I repeat over and over in my head as the conversation continues around me. Silverware clatters against plates, but the only appetite I have is for information. Unfortunately, I have the misfortune of sitting next to Maddie,and she leans over to check what I’m looking at every time my phone is in my hand.
I’m tempted to give in and tell my sister-in-law all about the woman with a penchant for road rage. I’ve been surveilling Lily’s apartment to make sure she doesn’t go out tonight, because if she does, I’ll be leaving the gala before anyone can stop me.
