Page 79 of Scoring Grey

“I’m aware.” He hands me a martini.

I told him I was going to order one on the way here. Wine wasn’t going to cut it if I’m to survive the night. Not only will I be sharing artwork I never intended to reveal to the world, but I knew I’d see her. I’ve seen her from a distance at a few of the games. The woman loves to frequent the boxes and rub elbows, but we haven’t had any close contact since I threatened her at lunch. I take a big sip of my drink, anxious for the contents to warm my veins and relieve the tension the sight of her brought upon me. Blair Wyndham is a bully, a title that’s synonymous with fear for most people, but that’s not what this is. I don’t fear Blair, but she does make me feel vulnerable. It doesn’t sit well with me believing she knows something I don’t. I don’t have the upper hand, and the way she’s crossing the room now with no qualms about sidling up to the bar I’m currently standing beside sends a message. It further underscores her, knowing she has something—something big that I don’t.

“Maybe we should go find our table,” Cal says, collecting his drink off the bar.

“Yeah, let’s do that.” My chances of ignoring her are better if there’s more space separating us, but our plan of avoidance is ill-timed because the second we leave the bar, Austin and Blair are there, stepping into our path.

“Callum,” Blair carols his name before flatly greeting me, “Eloiseee,” she draws out my name as she drags her eyes down my dress with a look of disdain. Bitch.

“I see you found your story.” Cal claps back with an underhanded greeting worthy of her scowl, and I try to keep my face in check. After all, he was the one who requested we ignore them tonight. Maybe it’s Austin’s smug look as he stands beside Blair like she’s a trophy after he deceived his team into believing nothing was going on between them, or perhaps it was the look of disgust written across Blair’s face as she sourly greeted me. Whatever his reasons might be, I don’t challenge them. We’ve taken the high road long enough.

“Give it a rest, Balfour. We’re here to support your charity, not to make a scene.”

“Your charity?” Blair’s eyes narrow slightly on Cal’s. “I thought the Hope Foundation was Mr. Bronson’s event.”

I turn my eyes upward. She probably thought there was favor to be gained coming tonight. Finding out Cal is the brains behind this event indeed knocked her ego down a few notches.

“No. Callum is the founder,” Austin answers.

She quirks a perfectly manicured dark brow. “Interesting. I suppose that makes sense, given what happened to your mother.”

I don’t like her tone, and something inside of me snaps. “What is your problem? Are you seriously going to stoop that low?” Out of anyone here, she’s more than well aware of what happened to Cal’s mom. Were she not dead, her aunt wouldn’t be married to Lucas Balfour. There was no need to add that comment. If any words were given, they should have been condolences, not vengeful spite. First, she hit below the belt, commenting on my son at the charity lunch, and now my man. “We both know you didn’t show up here tonight to support a charity of any kind. You came to be a vile bitch and I?—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Cal says, holding his arm out in front of me, making me cognizant of the fact I’ve taken a step toward her. “Leave it. We’re not doing this now or ever. Blair, whatever feud you insist on fueling, you need to let it go. If you’re working with my father, I suggest you stop. You’re nothing more than a tool, one he’ll dispose of when he’s through. There are no secrets between Eloise and me. Go make someone else’s life miserable.”

She chuckles. “Oh, there are always secrets. Even when we think we know everything, we don’t.”

“What do you think you have, Blair? Now’s your chance to share it with the world. Whatever unrevealed truth you have, let’s hear it. Unless, of course, you don’t really have one.”

“That’s your problem. It’s always about you. You think I’ve been out to get you all these years as if I don’t have better shit to do than to carry this torch of hate.”

“How else am I supposed to make sense of the vile shit you do?”

“That’s just it.” She smiles but not in a kind way. It’s contemptuous. “Not everything has to make sense. Some people are just wicked to the core.”

Her perpetual mocking, gossip, and manipulation have reached their breaking point with me.

“I slapped the fuck out of you once. What makes you think I won’t do it again?”

This time, Callum grabs me around the waist before I lunge. “Come on, blondie. She’s not worth it.”

“Toodles.” She waves with her fingers as Cal pulls me away.

“I hate her. I hate her. I hate her,” I chant as Cal guides me through the tent toward one of the tables up front by the stage. “I’m going to kill her.”

“Not tonight, you aren’t,” he says, pulling out a chair for me to sit. Once we’re seated, I down my martini. I’m actually impressed it’s still in my hand and not on her. “When were you planning on telling me you slapped Blair?”

I shrug. “It didn’t seem relevant. Our son’s name came out of her mouth, and I took care of it.” His fist rests heavily on the table, garnering the attention of a few of the guests seated across from us. “Don’t worry. I don’t think she’d actually bring him into this drama. She was trying to get under my skin, and I ensured she knew her place.”

He speaks low, but his tone is firm. “If someone threatens my family, you tell me. Period.” His hand slides down to my thigh and squeezes it hard. “Do you understand?”

My mouth pops open in surprise, and I meet his eyes. He’s pissed, but I know the place his anger is rooted in. It’s the place mine has been for the past six years. He doesn’t want to hurt me. He wants to protect his family. “Yes, I’ll tell you. I’m sorry.”

His mouth finds my ear. “Don’t be sorry. I was already turned on by that little show you put on back there, but finding out you slapped Blair”—he pulls my hand into his lap and places it over his crotch—“has me completely hard.”

The adrenaline coursing through my body quickly morphs from fight or flight to the physiological connection Cal and I share. We faced Blair as a team, and even if we’re no closer to knowing her game, it doesn’t matter because we’re still standing. His lips graze over the shell of my ear, and my skin pebbles with awareness.

“But don’t ever pull that shit again. You have me. I’m your family and I protect what’s mine.” He nips my lobe before placing a kiss on my cheek. “We don’t fight battles alone. We’re a team. If someone comes after you, they come after me.”

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