Page 35 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 2

I watched with a bit of feminine pride as he closed his eyes, bit his bottom lip and breathed slowly, clearly in need of a minute to pull himself together. I took that time to dart to the couch where my pants were pooled on the floor. I slid them on and turned to face him.

“So, what’s next?” I asked.

“Next?” He fumbled toward the coffee and finished pouring two cups. He added milk and sugar before setting one up on the counter for me to take.

I moseyed back over, this time on the opposite side of the counter in order to put some much-needed space between me and his very beautiful, very naked underneath that towel body.

“I spoke with Alana this morning. She also received a threatening message before they left for France yesterday.”

“What!” I gasped.

His jaw firmed, and he braced his hands against the top of the counter. “Apparently, she received a note, passed to her by courier through the hotel. Christophe called ahead and made sure their home hadn’t been infiltrated, and the authorities in both countries were notified. I shared what happened with your place and the message you received. They are both connected. However, your message was a little different. Yours said,She ruined my life.”

“Okay, and what did hers say?” I asked then took a calming sip of my coffee.

“Hers said,You ruined my life.Which, to me, means the person doing this wants to hurt Alana. They likely threatened you to get to her. To scare you both.”

“Well, it sure as hell worked. I’m definitely scared,” I admitted.

Rhodes sighed and then drank from his cup. “I need to get to Emily,” he announced.

I nodded. That made total sense. “But, Emily is in France. Isn’t that the safest place for her if the threats are happening here in Las Vegas?”

“We don’t know how far these people are willing to go to scare or hurt either of you. I cannot have my daughter caughtup in this, and me not there to protect her. You understand that, right?” His tone brooked no argument.

“Yes, of course. I know Emily is the most important thing in the world to you.” Emotion tightened my chest. I’d never had a parent that cared that much. To want to protect me and keep me safe above anything else. Mom tried in her own way, I guess, but she had her own problems.

Suddenly, Rhodes was in front of me, his warm hand around my nape. “You’re important to me, too, Maia. I’m going to protect you both.”

My bottom lip started to tremble, and I hated my stupid traitorous body for all of these unchecked feelings flooding my system. Before Rhodes, before Alana, before all of this, my focus was entirely on making ends meet and looking for ways to help my family back in Colorado. I had been on my own for years. No one to answer to, no one to really care. Then Sam and his club became part of my world. And Alana too. Now I felt like I had precious things to lose. People outside of my mom, brother, and sister were at risk to a new danger, one I didn’t recognize or understand, and I had no clue how to handle it.

I nodded, not sure my voice would even work at the sincerity filling his tone. Rhodes was proving to be a man of strength, honor, and follow-through. When he said he’d keep me safe, I believed him.

“So what do we do now?” I swallowed down the fear chilling my very bones.

“I can’t be thousands of miles away from Em. We have to go to France. As soon as possible.”

“Okay, I understand if you have to go. I can stay here with Sam.”

Rhodes huffed and shook his head. “Maia, I’m not leaving you behind. You’re my fiancée. We’re getting married. You’re coming with me.”

My eyes widened so large they stung as I took in the repercussions of that decision. “But…Emily,” I whispered.

“Is going to have to meet my fiancée a bit sooner than expected. It’s not how we wanted to do it, but there really is no other option.”

I licked my lips, and he tightened his grip on the back of my neck, his thumb swiping over my cheek in soothing strokes.

“But…I need to get to Colorado. There are things I need to see to there. Important things.” My voice cracked.

“Your family lives there. That’s where you were born.” It was a statement more than a question.

I nodded but didn’t offer anything more.

He waited patiently for me to continue but I clamped my lips shut, not knowing how to go into all that was my upbringing, what happened to me, or even how my mom suffered daily. And then there was the unrelenting bone-quaking fear of what my siblings might be experiencing at the hands of monsters.

“Sweetheart, I can’t help you or your family if you aren’t willing to share. Right now, we have a very real concern. Both you and Alana have been threatened by someone who could, right this very minute, have their eyes on my daughter, all the way in France where I can’t get to her. Do you understand how pressing this is to me?”

“Yes, I do. And you’re right. I just need to, um, get in touch with my mom. Check in on her and my siblings.”

---