Page 52 of Quiet Protector
Hugo works his jaw side to side before straying his eyes to mine. “Henry isn’t a threat to Isabelle.”
What’s behind everyone’s sudden belief a mafia kingpin is a saint? First, Melody, now Hugo. Henry isn’t as bad as his predecessor, but still, he’s far from saintly. You can’t kill without punishment and anticipate a clear ride to heaven. It would take an ocean full of holy water to save that man, and that’s if he wanted to be saved.
My rant ends when Hugo pivots on his heels and races back into the lobby of the hotel. “Go back to yourdate, Blondie. You’re not needed.”
If I were a man who didn’t care about his responsibilities, I’d use his dismissal as an excuse to reignite my conversation with Melody. Since I’m not, I yank my cell phone out of my pocket to call Grayson while making a beeline for the security office in the corner of the foyer. I’m not going to lie, I am running uncomfortably. I was so fucking hard while kissing Melody, I was certain when she broke away, I was about to be arrested for indecent exposure. I could have sworn my dick had busted through the zipper in my pants because it wasn’t just the tip feeling its nasty bite. It gnawed at my shaft as much as my teeth gnawed on Melody’s lips.
Since we’re being honest, I’ll also admit that I’m shocked. I never in a million years would have imagined the outcome of my kiss. I spotted Henry purely by chance. Although his focus was elsewhere, not even men with supermodel wives on their arm couldn’t help but drink in Melody when she floated by. She has a regal, old-Hollywood vibe going on tonight with pinned back hair, red-painted lips, and a dress that had my cock reacting long before the scrumptious taste of her mouth.
With time short, I had to think on the spot. I thought Melody would pull away in anger when I kissed her before reminding me she’s engaged. She did no such thing. She deepened my embrace before wholly ruling it. Her kiss—our kiss—fuck me. It was the best we’ve had, and we had plenty worthy of the hottest romance books. It pulled me under and made me feel like I couldn’t breathe, all the while making it seem as if my life didn’t end along with Joey’s seven years ago. It just paused for a little.
I ignore my once-again hardening cock when Grayson finally connects my call. “Please tell me you have eyes on Henry.”
“Unfortunately not. His driver is as friendly with the gas pedal as you.” Grayson’s voice echoes when he asks, “Why? Did he do a loop around?”
I disconnect our call and slide my phone into my pocket when he breaks through the rotating doors of the hotel’s lobby. “I haven’t seen him, but Isaac just raced out of here with Izzy under his arm like a missile strike had been ordered.”
Grayson slips his phone into the breast pocket of his jacket before twisting his lips. “Isaac wouldn’t see Henry as a threat. They’re more allies than enemies. Someone else must have a bee in his bonnet.” He nudges his head to the security office I was racing to before he returned. “Wanna play good cop or bad cop?”
“How about we play give us want we want, or we’ll have the feds use your hotel lobby as their haunt until your ‘special’ guests find another venue to host their ‘meetings.’” I air quote my last word.
Grayson smiles a blinding grin. “That’ll work.” He curls his arm around my shoulders before spinning me to face the security office. “That kiss changed you, and I’m not just talking about the funky growth in your pants. I feel like I’m standing across from that baby-faced teen who put an admissions officer double his age on his ass with nothing but a few words. I like it. It’s done you good.” He feels my growl more than he hears it when he murmurs, “Let’s just hope her fiancé doesn’t put a tempting bounty on your head, or I might consider cashing it in.”
* * *
Ninety minutes and one turf war later, we’ve identified the man Hugo spent the past hour and a half searching for. It isn’t who I was anticipating. He’s from neither the Castros’ nor the Bobrovs’ crews. He’s a Popov, which means he’s related to Isabelle by blood.
“What are you doing?” Grayson asks when I yank my cell phone out of my pocket.
Whiletskinghis daftness, I swipe my finger across the screen of my phone. “I don’t owe Isaac shit, but I sure as hell do Isabelle. She deserves to know her brother is on the lookout for her.”
After snatching my cell phone out of my hand, Grayson shuts it down, then throws it on the desk we’re camped behind. “Leave it.”
“Leave it? That man is a killer. He wasn’t here for no reason, and if it was for any of the derived thoughts in my head, she deserves to know she’s in danger.”
Grayson scrubs at his jaw before sinking low in his chair. “Are we still talking about Izzy?”
“Don’t turn this onto me, Grayson. I’m too fucking tired to deal with another one of your mind twists.”
He folds his arms in front of his chest while shaking his head. “I’m not playing mind games. I am being straight-up honest. Enrique isn’t a threat to Isabelle any more than Henry is to Melody—”
“Just because they’re family doesn’t give them a free pass from scrutiny.”
“Doesn’t it…” he pauses in a way that would make Joey proud, “… ‘cause it certainly seems to be the case with your family.” He doesn’t let me get over his first hit before he whacks me with another. “You know your dad is as shady as shit. Have you done anything about it?” Stealing my chance to reply that I’m waiting for enough evidence to have him jailed instead of getting a slap on the wrist, he asks, “And what about your brother? You know Hugo didn’t rape that girl, but have you done anything to prove that? And Joey’s death? That’s still classified as a suicide.”
My jaw tightens to the point it feels like it’s about to crack when he adds, “And what about your girl? You tried and convicted her with the weakest evidence, even after seeing the devastation on her face the night she supposedly ‘cheated’ on you.” He air quotes ‘cheated’ while gagging. “If you think that’s normal, you’re more fucked-up than I realized. Girls don’t cheat on the loves of their lives then act defensive. They grovel. They beg. They don’t race out of the house with tears streaming down their face and cracked, broken lips.”
Even with it feeling like my heart is being ripped out of my chest, I can’t hold back my retaliation. “Why say all this now? Why not call me on it when it was happening?”
Grayson sits up straight before flopping his head to the side. “And add more shit to your plate? You were barely holding on.” He gets a sternness in his eyes I’ve never seen before. “Your fuck-up with Olivia was proof of that.” He pushes back from the desk before standing to his full height. “Leave that alone.” He nudges his head to an image of Isabelle and Enrique. “‘Cause you’ve got enough of your own shit to handle.”
After removing the old-style compact disc from the digital recorder, he exits the office, not speaking another word and leaving me in shambles.
21
Melody
My eyes float up from my balled hands to Fetu when he enters the living room of the Presidential suite I’m not enjoying since numerous attempts to reach out to Julian have been thwarted. I’ve been back at our suite for almost two hours, yet I’ve not heard anything from neither Brandon nor Julian. I’m panicked out of my mind. Julian isn’t known for disappearing acts, and Brandon usually finds me the instant the threat has passed.
