Page 52 of Reckless Promises

“You’ve been drinking water.”

I glare up at him. Of course I end up with the one man who made a living reading people by noticing every detail in a room. There’s no hiding things from him.

“Who, Odette?” Cillian clenches his jaw.

“I told you, no one.”

I try to step around him, but he grips my chin and tips it up, stepping close. He doesn’t have to hold me hard. He barely has to hold me at all. His body heat does it for him. His closeness. How my body responds to him is unlike anything.

“Who?” This time, he’s lost all casualness in his tone.

“The man who did this.” I lift my hand and brush the scar on my throat. “But it wasn’t. It couldn’t be.”

Cillian releases my chin and stands up tall, fixing his suit jacket. “You’re going to bed.”

“What?” I take a step back. “You can’t just send me to my room.”

“I can, and I will.” Cillian loses all kindness, and the walls around him harden. “You’ve had a long night.”

“I’m not a child, Cillian.” I cross my arms over my chest, taking a step back. “You don’t need to tell me what kind of night I’ve had. I’m sure it was nothing. It’s been a long day, and I have a lot on my mind. But if you’re going to get rid of me, at least be man enough to just say the real reason.”

He looks down at me, cool metal blazing in his eyes. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Cillian waves at Daniel, who stops at my side.

“Take Odette to our room,” Cillian directs him, not taking his eyes off me.

I roll my shoulders back, and I want to battle. But my eyes are burning with the emotions fighting to burst out, and I refuse to let Cillian see me break. So I brush past both of them instead, hearing Daniel on my heels the moment I do.

Every time I gain an inch, Cillian forces me ten steps back, and it’s exhausting. There are many things I’ll let him get away with, but I won’t become my mother.

I refuse to.

19

Cillian

Watching Odette walk awayshould probably make me feel guilty. It doesn’t. Even if I lied to her about why I was sending her to bed. And even if it killed me inside when the night was more bearable with her next to me.

But I couldn’t risk it.

It doesn’t matter whether she was imagining things or not, if there’s any chance the man who hurt her is here, I’m not going to place her in front of him.

Daniel disappears with Odette, and I straighten my suit jacket.

I hate these parties, and with Odette gone, it’s me alone in a sea of vipers, trying to resist the urge to pull my gun out and clean up this mess of filth myself.

Walking back into the room, I set my sights on Brandon Davenport. Cassidy isn’t here tonight, which means he came to talk business. And unlike the conversations I’vebeen entertaining all evening, I’m actually curious what Brandon can offer.

“Cillian, where’s your bride?”

“She got tired.”

Brandon nods, taking a sip of his scotch, before holding his glass out. “You have a moment to talk then?”

“Let’s go somewhere quiet.” I lead us from the room, with security on either side.

Part of me misses being one of them. It was simpler watching other people’s backs than being the one with the target.

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