Page 28 of Bartered Innocence

“May I have a dance?” the man asks, holding out his elbow. His lips are curled in a faint smirk, and I feel prickling at the back of my neck.

“Do I know you?” I ask cautiously, clutching the flute tighter to my chest.

His tongue rolls against his lips, barely peeking out between them, and his smirk deepens. “No, but I know of your new husband, Isabelle. Congrats on the nuptials, by the way. ”

My stomach starts to churn as a warning goes off in my head, screaming danger is right in front of me, and my body tingles from the adrenaline shooting through me to get away. He drops his elbow to grab my wrist, pulling me a step closer to him.

Champagne splashes over both of us at the abrupt movement, and my throat aches from the scream I swallow. If I send everyone around me into a panic, bullets will start flying before anything can be explained.

As quickly as he grabs me, his hand is ripped away. Rian grabs the front of his jacket, pulling him until they’re face-to-face. “Who the fuck are you to touchmy wife?”

I shiver at the venom in his voice and hate myself for the small thrill I get from the intensity with which he emphasizesmy wife. Aodhan appears next to me, his arm brushing against mine. On any other day, I would be startled that one of Rian’s men is so close, but there’s a comfort to his presence.

“Long time no see, Rian. I’m hurt you don’t recognize me.” The man grins. No fear of the aggression radiating from my husband.

Rian lets go of him with a sneer. “You’re on the wrong side of the pond, Sebastian. Your invite didn’t get lost at sea either.”

Sebastian’s grin deepens. “Who knew you were such a funny guy?”

“What’s going on?” Luca’s calm voice comes up to my left, and the tension increases from all the men standing near me.

I press my hand onto Rian’s back and then slide it down the back of his arm, lacing our fingers together. His gaze turns down to look at our entwined hands, then up at me. Whatever he sees, perhaps the fear of this escalating, has him stepping back and pulling me closer to his side.

“Nothing. My men will handle it,” Rian says, nodding at Luca.

Luca’s calculating gaze bounces between us and then narrows at the man, who is still smirking. “This is your only warning, out of respect for your father,” Luca spits out.

I stare at my brother, who is watching with a fierce expression. His attention turns to me and he forces a smile. It’s not as comforting as he thinks it is.

“What a polite introduction to the city. I can see why no one is crazy enough to visit,” Sebastian jokes.

“Manhattan is neutral for the sake of all our businesses and remaining off government radar. But that does not guarantee immunity for your actions, you are aware of that,” Rian seethes.

Sebastion rolls his eyes. “I’m aware of the rules. I haven’t done anything other than crash a wedding. Perhaps you’ll find me at the after party.” He smirks at Rian before brushing past him. Aodhan leaves my side to follow him to the exit.

I glance back at Rian and raise a brow. “Who was that?”

“Outfit scum.”

The adrenaline still has my heart pumping faster than it should be. “He managed to get past your and Luca’s security.” I rub my wrist where he grabbed me, feeling uneasy about the malice of the stranger’s touch.

Rian steps closer. “He wouldn’t have hurt you, Isabelle. He wanted attention, but he wouldn’t dare start a war on both fronts.”

“And the next man?” I throw out the accusation, but I didn’t even get my wedding day without the violence of this world seeping in. Rian’s jaw tics and his arm wraps around my waist, pulling me into his chest. I hate that I find comfort in his scent, my body relaxing in his hold.

“I’m sure you know the saying honor among thieves. There's an unspoken rule about not disturbing others during celebrations, such as a wedding. It’s why our security might not have alerted us to his presence, assuming he was a guest.”

My fingers twist into his suit jacket. “Are you going to retaliate?”

Rian shrugs. “Depends on the opportunity. He’s shown me great disrespect, and it shouldn’t go unpunished.” He leans back, his fingers touching one of my curls before dropping it. “I’ll always protect you.”

I give him a small smile. “Don’t you see though? I wouldn’t need protection if I wasn’t your wife.”

We stare at each other for a second before one of my cousins comes to interrupt for a dance. I nod, and Rian reluctantly lets me go. As I walk to the dance floor, I catch Luca’s emotionless face and shiver at the anger brewing in his eyes.

It’s not long after that calls for my new husband to bed me ring out, and I try to hide my displeasure. My only solace is the mirroring grimace on Rian’s face.

“It is rather distasteful, now that I’m in the middle of it,” he whispers in my ear. His fingers flit across my rib cage to my lower back and goosebumps skitter across my skin. The reminder of what those fingers did the first night we were together.

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