Page 36 of The Alpha King's Curse: Part Two

She looked around the lobby, but she didn’t see anyone familiar. Unless she counted Miss Roberts, who had a look of pure hostility on her face. A lot more than she usually had. But she couldn’t be the one who had made Jackson’s heart skip like that.

“Let’s go, ladies. I’m famished,” Jackson said.

And he smiled as if nothing had happened. Another secret. Something else that would shake her world; she knew that for sure.

Chapter 20

There were too many smells in the air, not just from the food but also from everyone in the restaurant.

Layla barely managed to focus her hearing, but trying to stop the overpowering scents was different. She couldn’t pick just one out when they all blended into one horrible smell that made her nose sting and her eyes water.

Jackson led them to a table near the back and helped her and her sister into their seats before he sat down.

“We’ll have something quick. I’ve had a long day,” Jackson said.

She couldn’t help noticing that he had a perfect view of the restaurant entrance while she had her back to the room. Was Jackson being thoughtful about her predicament, or was he trying to keep track of whatever he had seen in the lobby?

“Are you alright, Layla?” Brit whispered.

She gave her a bright smile again and tried to keep her head in the present. Keeping Brit from finding out the truth was her main priority now.

“Of course. This is my first time eating here; I’m just a little nervous,” she lied.

“Yeah, I saw how Andrea looked at us,” Britney said. “She looks at me like that every time I come down to eat. Just ignore her like I do.”

“She watches you every time,” Jackson asked as he picked up the menu.

The question was casual, but she sensed the weight of it in his tone. Why would Andrea be watching her sister that much? Was that the reason Jackson had panicked?

“Sometimes I wonder if she even goes home,” Brit snorted, and then she seemed to remember who she was talking to because she shut down again.

“She won’t bother you again,” Jackson said firmly.

She remembered when he had said that about the three mean girls at the packhouse. She still didn’t know if he had killed them or the men who had tried to rape her. Was that Andrea’s fate?

“Are you ready to order?” Jackson asked.

She sensed the urgency in his tone. He wanted them out of there quickly. She was sure Jackson had seen Andrea many times. He was a VIP guest, so Andrea made it a point to personalise the hotel’s service for people like him. She couldn’t be the reason his heart had raced like that. Was there another threat, then?

“Yes,” she answered as she put her menu down.

Their server appeared straight away and took their orders efficiently with a smile on her face. She had always wondered what it would be like to dine in a five-star restaurant instead of just cleaning it, but the experience was ruined by the threat hanging over her head.

“So, Britney. How are your studies going? Are you doing what we discussed?” Jackson asked as he shook his napkin and placed it on his lap while another server poured their drinks.

“Yes, sir,” Brit whispered.

“What did you discuss?”

Or when? As far as she knew, this was the first time they had met since the night they had made the deal.

“I have to do well in school,” Brit answered.

“And you have to stop worrying about your sister. I told you I was taking care of her,” Jackson added.

And then he kept the conversation going, keeping it casual as if he was trying to make Brit feel comfortable around him. He was a brilliant conversationalist, and despite how intimidating his size was, his smiles and laughs came easily. Britney loosened up even before their meals arrived. She was sure that if she’d managed to tear her eyes from Jackson to look around the room, she would have seen that she wasn’t the only one taken in by his charm.

She was almost done with her meal when she realised she hadn’t once worried about the noise and smells around her. Jackson had kept her calm and focused.

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