Page 10 of Reign

Max nods his head at Victoria. “My wife, Victoria.” She reaches a manicured hand toward Cas, her nails done in a French Manicure and she’s sporting a stunning amethyst on her right middle finger. He pumps her hand once and then abruptly lets go and I can see the disappointment at losing his touch so quickly.

I’ll have to keep my eyes on this woman.

She recovers and clears her throat. “Come, let’s get you all a drink and I’ll introduce you to the neighbors.”

Cas, Camila, and I all continue to scan the crowd of faces as Victoria and Max lead us to the outdoor bar where a bartender in khaki pants and a white button-down is preparing drinks. Max comes to stand next to me, causing Cas to draw me in tighter to his side while Victoria leans seductively on the bar, facing us while Max orders drinks.

“Three glasses of champagne for the ladies, and Casandro? What do you prefer?”

“I prefer for the women to order their own drinks.” He gestures for Camila and I to place our order with the bartender.

“Double shot of tequila on the rocks,” Camila says without hesitation, flashing a Cas an appreciative smile.

“Vodka martini, dry and dirty,” I request politely with a strained, forced smile. I almost ordered a lemon drop, but it calls into sharp relief Will and I’s bartending class and I refuse to let him sabotage my night from the grave.

“Well,I’llhave champagne,” Victoria says, like we somehow offended her by not letting her husband’s order stand. I’d be concerned but the fact that we can afford to live in this neighborhood and they know nothing about us means it doesn’t matter what we say, they’ll keep us around until they get all the information they want.

From her perch against the bar, Victoria boldly reaches over to try and touch the lapel of Cas’s suit jacket but his hand darts out to catch her wrist. “With all due respect, no one touches me but my wife.”

I know Cas is trying to win me over but when I hear Camila cover a cough with her hand – calling to my attention that he lethertouch him intimately not so long ago - I need to change my scenery. Picking up my martini, I loop my arm through Victoria’s before she can protest and I lay it on thick. “Excuse him, I think he was given about four times the normal amount of testosterone in the womb. Your place is lovely, could I bother you to show me around?”

“Yes, of course,” she replies, ever the dutiful hostess.

As she turns to walk away, I throw the invite over my shoulder to Camila. “Camila, join us! No doubt the men have golf games or some such nonsense to discuss.” I throw her an innocent smile, but the acidic look I receive in return tells me she knows exactly what I’m doing.

Fine. I wasn’t trying to hide it.

Cas catches my wrist and yanks me back to him before we depart and breathes low in my ear, “You stay within my line of sight at all times. If you can’t see me, then I can’t see you and if I can’t see you, I will lose my fucking shit.”

I can’t ignore the way his words ignite desire in me.

Six

Casper/Dominic/Casandro

I’VE GOT MIXED FEELINGS about Isabel being more independent. About her helping me with this last job. About parading her around, trying to draw out one of the world’s most dangerous men. I’d much rather tuck her somewhere safe until this was all over and I don’t give a damn how sexist that makes me sound. If something happens to her ever again, I’ll be on a warpath like none have ever seen.

She can read the thoughts on my face like always. “I’ll stay where you can see me but focus on the plan,” she whispers back before she leans up to kiss my cheek. I know the kiss is coming though so I turn my head and kiss her square on the lips, my hand flying to the back of her head to hold her in place. I can’t hold back my moan when her lips part and she grants me access to her warm mouth. I’ll never grow tired of her taste.

Somewhere in the background, someone clears their throat and I feel Camila shift uncomfortably at my side. I release Isabel’s head and am pleased when she doesn’t move right away. Victoria grows impatient at Isabel and I’s exchange, fingering her short red hair and adjusting her glasses. “Are you two newlyweds? I haven’t seen passion like that in ten years.” She throws an accusatory glance at Max who sneers at her with ayeah rightkind of look, and then she takes Isabel’s hand to lead her away.

“Women,” Max says. “They’re never happy.”

Maybe not yours.

“Come, let’s get to know each other,” he says, clapping me on the back as he leads me to a different pair of men standing off to the side of the patio in a small patch of grass around a gas firepit.

I pause briefly to watch Isabel and Camila walk away with Victoria, relaxing only slightly when they stop at a group of couches on the other side of the pool and sit to talk to a couple of women already gathered there. Once I’m satisfied that they won’t be leaving the pool deck, I turn my attention to the men in front of me, disappointed because none are Nikita.

“So, Casandro,” a tall man with narrow shoulders on my right starts, “What’s your story? It’s always interesting to find what brings people to this area.”

“Just here for work.” This is mostly true and when your entire existence is a lie, like mine is right now, keeping the lies as close to the truth as possible prevents me from tripping myself up on details.

“And what field are you in?”

“Security.” I don’t smile as I say it and I watch the men in the circle assess my size and try to draw conclusions. After I offer nothing else, they change the subject entirely. I smile into my tequila, understanding that not all men have to look or act like me to be considered amanbut also wondering when the bar forbeinga man got dropped so low. Maybe Isabel was right. Perhaps I got overdosed with testosterone as an infant.

I quickly grow bored with my current company and ten minutes after being separated from Isabel, I hear laughter and look up. She and Camila are still seated in the same place with two women I don’t know and Victoria has disappeared. Isabel’s glass is raised high, there’s a glint in her eyes that’s visible from where I’m standing and a smug smile on her face. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she’s getting pulled in.

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