Page 54 of Savage Promises

“What?”

He laughs. “Inside joke. And I meant the Quinlans. But you’re aligned with them now through your sister’s engagement. Which makes you one of them.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” I stroke Hawk’s fur while he purrs away.

“If I had a sister, I’d want her to be under the protection of the Quinlans.” Luke’s walkie-talkie crackles to life and he waves it at me. “Duty calls. Have a good day, Lennox.”

I carry Hawk back inside the villa and close the door.

Nuzzling him against my face, I say, “Yeah, I guess if I could fit, I’d hide out in a piano too instead of hanging out here alone.”

LATER THAT AFTERNOON, I drag myself out of Club Echelon to catch the last few games of Neve’s volleyball match. I would have been here sooner but the architect for the new club dropped off a revised proposal to my office out of the blue. He cut his fees significantly and even gave me an extension to get funding. I spent hours pouring over the revision trying to find the catch. But it all looked correct. Just an across-the-board slashing of costs. He must be desperate to unload the place.

When I walk into the gymnasium, the first thing I see is Shane sitting on the bleachers and my heart goes into a free fall. He looks completely out of place in his tailored suit, surrounded by balding dads with guts wearing jeans and stained team sweatshirts.

Having trouble breathing, I just raise a hand to give a small wave. He nods back but doesn’t move to greet me. God, he can’t even be near me.

I take a seat a few rows down, keeping my distance. It’s easier this way.

Neve plays with such focus and heart, like volleyball will be her life. Like she’ll just go off to some D1 college and win championships. She’s living in a fantasy.

Then again, for all I know, Shane will let her go to college. In fact, it seems likely, since their marriage is symbolic and neither wants anything to do with the other. All I got from Shane was an icy tolerance of Neve.

Meanwhile, Shane and I have a fire between us that can rage out of control. How can the universe be so off?

In between game sets three and four, Shane makes his way to the sidelines where Neve is chatting with her teammates. He pulls her aside, and I watch as they talk. Or, more accurately, as Shane talks and Neve barely listens. Her body language is dismissive, and when he looks away, she rolls her eyes.

Shane’s frustration is palpable, even from a distance. When he runs a hand through his hair, clearly at the end of his patience, I hop off my seat to step in.

“Hey,” I say brightly, slipping between them. “How’s the happy couple?”

“Fine.” Neve yanks my arm. “I have to talk to my sister, Shane.”

Uh oh.

“What’s wrong?” I ask when we’re out of earshot.

“Can you deal with that witch of a mother of his?” Neve’s words shock me.

I want to shake her, tell her she needs to get past this bitterness and grow up. I look around and see what I’m up against. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist. All her teammates, in their cute braids and sparkly headbands, smiling and laughing, have their whole lives ahead of them. Neve is reacting to the crushing weight of a pending marriage that will take away her freedom.

But her attitude is going to get her hurt.

“First of all, do not, and I meanever,disrespect that man’s mother in front of Shane.” I push my face close to hers. “He might look polite, but he is no different from Dad and Garrett. Youwillbe punished.”

“She’s been texting me wedding stuff all week.” Neve folds her arms. “Like she thinks I care.”

What started as casual indifference to her betrothal has turned into a simmering rage she is finding hard to control. And I’m caught in the middle. I see it from all sides. I have to see it more from hers. She didn’t ask for this and it’s not her fault.

It was my stupid brother’s fault. I wish she’d take it out on him. But he’s in Quinlan custody until the wedding.

Faking a smile, I say, “Please just text her back. Tell her you’re busy. Tell her you love her ideas and you trust her.”

Neve rolls her eyes again. “Yeah, I’ll get to it later.” She struts back to her team, effectively ending the conversation.

No goodbye to Shane, even.

How is Neve not even the least bit affected by him? How handsome he is? How rich and powerful? How he’s making time to show an interest in the very thing that she’s putting between them? Instead of fighting against it.

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