Page 81 of Knights Game

“Yeah, you too,” Katy replies before she squints at me. “Just for the record, I do not like you nor do I trust you.”

“Noted,” I say, bored. “If you’re going to give me the ‘If you hurt a single hair on her head’ speech, let me save you the bother.” I step closer, invading her space, Katy's eyes widen, and she takes a step back. “I will protect her even if it means taking a bullet and ending my miserable existence. Layla is not at risk with me. The exact opposite.”

She pulls back startled, her eyes wide. “But she said—”

“What, what did she say?”

“No, nothing.” She glances over to Layla. “I don’t even recognise her,” she whispers. “She looks so—”

“Beautiful.” I excuse myself and signal Roman with a nod. He rolls his eyes and if we weren’t in a room full of people, he’d tell me to fucking do one.

And I don’t even bother hiding my entertainment, which just makes his scowl deepen.

“There you are,” I kiss the side of her head. “Levi.” I throw my arm around her shoulder and tuck her close to me. She comes without a battle.

“Luca.” He grins at me, and then before we know it Duchess is next to him, and I’ll be damned, his eyes soften.

“You look beautiful, Layla.” Duchess says.

“Thank you.” She smiles tightly and looks down at the floor and I want to fucking slit my cousin’s throat.

“Excuse us,” I say.

She lets me lead her through the mass of people into the large reception area, and I weave us through the corridors of the hotel.

Finding a door labelled conference room two I try the handle, opening it, and we step into the darkened room.

She places her bag down on the desk. Her back’s to me, and she’s taking deep breaths.

“Sunshine.”

She whips round, her hand coming up quicker than I can intercept, and she slaps me in the face with a thwack. My eyes widen in surprise, and I lift my hand up to touch my now burning cheek.

“Don’t you dare leave my side for the rest of the evening.” She points at me aggressively. “You demanded I stay by your side and twice, fucking twice, I’m left on my own.”

She goes to hit me again, her rage rolling through her making the air thick with tension, but I intercept her and grab her wrist, spinning her round with her back to my front.

“That’s the only time you will ever raise your hand to me.” She fights in my arms, but I hold her wrist at an awkward angle that I know hurts like a fucker.

God, she’s stubborn.

“You left me, and that piece of shit—”

“That piece of shit what—?”

“He licked my face. He licked my face!”

What.the.fuck?

Her body squirms against me.

“I’m here now.” I whisper in her ear, her breaths heaving out of her in her wild rage. The only thing stopping me from marching back in and stabbing my cousin is the way that her body starts to soften in my arms. The feel of her arse pressed up against my crotch.

“In front of everyone. He’s making you a laughingstock, Luca. They all saw it. All those people, those so-called leaders. This was supposed to sell us to them, and all it has done is given Levi a chance to turn you into a fool.”

“If I let you go, will you calm down?”

“When in the history of being told to calm down, has someone calmed down!” But even as she gives me her sassy remark, she nods her agreement, and I release my grip.

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