Page 25 of Passion's Wicked Torment

She returned his stare, not knowing what else to do. Finally he walked away and sat down on the plush white sofa. “Sit down,” he ordered Teal, who did as he was told. “So tell me,” Ironman began, “how’s your operation been going?”

They talked for several minutes, making forced small talk. The air was filled with the tension of the unstated, as the subject of his wild jealousy was scrupulously avoided. Then the phone rang. Ironman nodded, and Teal picked it up. He listened for a minute, said a few words, then put it down with great relief visible on his face.

“That was Dallas,” he said. “He can’t make it over right now. He said he’ll give you the betting slips at the party tonight.”

Ironman grunted but said nothing. He understood. Kristin understood too: Even though Teal had been ignorant of Ironman’s insane jealousy, Hunter had not. He had deliberately avoided coming up to the penthouse, where it would be just he, Kristin and Ironman and possibly Teal. He knew his presence under these cirumstances would provoke Ironman. Tonight, Kristin knew, there would be scores of people at the ball Ironman was throwing. Hunter’s presence would be diluted, and he could enter and leave without even exchanging a glance with Kristin.

Kristin was sure he would do just that. She was amazed and frightened then when, during the ball that evening, Hunter came directly up to her and asked her to dance, right before Ironman’s fierce, antagonistic eyes.

***

It was at the Savoy ballroom, and everyone was having a wonderful time. The jazz band was playing, the booze was flowing freely, streamers were flowing down from the ceiling. Ironman was in a jovial mood, shaking hands and raising toasts to all the big shots who had come to pay their respects to him. Many of the guests were politicians who were on Ironman’s bribe sheet.

The party had been going on for about an hour when Dallas Hunter arrived. Kristin saw him walk in, looking very handsome in his formal evening clothes. His lips held their usual insolent, mocking expression. Kristin turned away and moved a few paces off as Hunter came up to Ironman. She did not want to be near enough to risk any sort of provocation. Hunter removed an envelope from his inside coat pocket and handed it to Ironman, who nodded curtly in acknowledgment of it and put it away in his own pocket.

“Join us for a drink?” Ironman invited, gesturing to the small group clustered around him. The others in the group smiled and muttered encouragement. Hunter said no thanks. He knew Ironman was only making the offer to avoid bringing attention to the fact that he did not want Hunter to stay a minute longer than was necessary. Ironman wanted Hunter to leave right away, and Hunter knew it.

That was why it was so shocking to Kristin when Hunter turned to her and put his hand under her arm. “I’ve only got time for one short dance,” he said boldly to Ironman, grinning.

Ironman said nothing. His eyes became inflamed. A hush fell over the small group clustered around him.

Kristin said, “I’m not in the mood to dance, thank you,” as icily as she could manage. From the corner of her eye she could see Ironman’s reaction. He was about to become rough, to tell Hunter that the lady didn’t want to dance. But Hunter made a strategic move that made such a response impossible. Hunter said to Kristin in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, speaking the unspeakable, “Come on. Ironman won’t mind.What do you think, he’s afraid I’ll steal you away from him or something?”

Hunter grinned to defuse the remark, but it was so explosive, Kristin thought Ironman would erupt in rage. Instead, Ironman found himself backed into a corner. He could not react violently without admitting to everyone present that he was afraid of losing her to Hunter.

Everyone watched Ironman tensely, expecting a blowup. Ironman smoldered with fury, glaring at Hunter. Somehow he managed to hold his rage inside him, but Kristin knew this was only for a moment. Later, she knew he would make Hunter pay for this— dearly.

“Sure, go ahead, dance with the man,” he said to Kristin, patting her hand. “I know you don’t feel like it. Everybody knows you don’t feel like it, right?” His eyes challenged everyone around him. There was a chorus of murmured assent. Then Ironman said, “But Dallas here, maybe he don’t get the message. So you go ahead and dance with him.”

Hunter took her arm and guided her onto the dance floor, pretending to be unaware of Ironman’s displeasure. He held Kristin as they danced, maneuvering her toward the center of the floor. Kristin could see Ironman craning his neck to watch them closely. Then other couples came between them, and she and Hunter were surrounded by a jungle of dancers.

“How could you do such a stupid thing?” she raged at him. “Are you crazy? You’re risking your life!”

“I wanted to see you.”

“Well I don’t want to see you. Or talk to you, or dance with you. Or have anything to do with you! Nothing!”

He ventured a tentative grin. “The famous Hunter charm wins the day again.”

“You know how he reacts to our being together. You’re not stupid. Why are you doing this?”

His expression became serious. “This is the first chance I’ve had to talk to you since the arrest.”

“You certainly didn’t want to talk to me then, did you? You left me alone in that jail. I could have rotted there forever for all you cared.”

“I would have got you out sooner or later, if you hadn’t done it yourself.” He saw her skeptical look and added, “I had to leave you there. I had to see who you called for help.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“I had the wrong impression of you from those questions you asked me on the island. I thought you were a spy planted by Ironman to check me out. That’s why I exploded that night on the island. I thought you were working for him.”

“Well . . . what made you change your mind?” “You called him for help to get you out of that lockup. And then you stayed with him as his moll. If you really were his spy, you’d have tried to get back to me so you could have kept spying on me. He’d have forced you to do it.”

Kristin didn’t know whether to believe him. His dark eyes were sincere, but his words sounded too melodramatic. She wanted to believe him, that much she knew. Deep in her heart she wanted to believe t

hat his sudden change of feelings toward her that night had been due to nothing more than some horrible misunderstanding. She had been so terribly hurt by the way he had betrayed her love that night—turning on her without reason—that it was hard to let herself trust him now.

“There’s another reason I know now that you’re not Ironman’s spy,” he said.

“What is it?”

“He’s too damn jealous. I can see now that he’d never deliberately send you over to me, even as a spy. He wouldn’t have done that, knowing he was risking having you fall in love with me.”

“Why, you conceited man! You think every girl who gets to ... be with you falls in love with you?”

“Not everyone. I don’t get along with many women. I get along with you.”

“Well let me put your mind at ease. I’m not in love with you!”

“That’s too bad,” he said, his eyes becoming very earnest. “Because I’m in love with you.”

It stunned her. And then suddenly it overwhelmed her. She became sharply aware of things that a moment ago had been merely unnoticed background: his strong arm about her waist, holding her close ... his handsome face only inches from hers ... the feel of his body now pressing against her as he held her close.

She didn’t know whether to believe him. She distrusted her emotions at the moment. She distrusted his intentions. “If what you say is true,” she began, her voice softer and more vulnerable, “then tell me why Ironman would even want to send a spy to check on you. You’re a gangster just like him, after all.”

“I can’t answer that for you. Not yet. Look, there’s something I want to know from you too. How did you learn about that reporter getting abducted, if not from Ironman?”

“I won’t tell you anything. You’re not answering my question. I don’t think I trust you. I don’t believe you, Dallas Hunter. You say you love me, but—”

Suddenly his head came forward, and he kissed her, passionately. It was so sudden and overwhelming, she felt weak, but excited. When he pulled back, she fearfully looked around to see if they were being watched. Ironman had not seen them. Too many dancers were all around them.

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