Page 38 of Tangled Lies
“I missed you too, uncle. I was with some friends, as you can see. Why?” She put her hand over her mouth in mock surprise. “Oh, dear. Did me ditching you ruin your night?”
I didn’t miss the way the senator’s fingers were turning more and more white as he gripped his glass.
Jett pushed aside the Reina girl, and in my peripheral I watched her give Margaux a second glance before retreating with a little, “Call me later?”
I didn’t hear Margaux respond, and maybe she knew that her freedom would all depend on us and what we wanted.
“Listen, here. I don’t know who you four are, but I’ll transfer two million to walk away right now.” The vein popping out of his neck was a giveaway at just how much this was getting to him.
She moved around me too quickly for me to pull her completely back.
“Thank you, uncle. Two million sounds great. You know my bank —”
His hand shot out and wrapped around her neck, and Ronan had a knife pressed against his crotch almost a second later.
“Let her go and you can live another day to fuck around and find out. Understand me?” Ronan’s words were whispered.
I looked around. No one noticed or cared. I doubted anyone but me and the dear senator heard what Ronan had said.
Harrington glanced down, and the moment he saw the glint of the knife, well, it was hard to miss the way his eyes stretched open.
I leaned in closer.
“My brother doesn’t lie. I suggest you let her go.”
I was rather good at these games, but I couldn’t deny the swirl of anger in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t like that he thought he could touch what was ours.
Ours? Did that sound right? I wasn’t sure that Ronan viewed her as his or ours or the enemy. All I knew was that whatever Ronan’s plan, I would trust it.
I glared at the good old senator. I knew him even if he didn’t know me. We’d been watching him and, by association, her to get information on who was all in on the land grab pissing off the family. Barone hit red tape too many times bidding on jobs for it to be coincidence.
Someone was cutting into our business, and when that happened, this happened.
A few uncomfortable breaths later he let go, and Ronan made the blade disappear with finesse. No one here was the wiser.
“Give me my niece back and no hard feelings. Let me introduce myself?—”
Jett cut him off.
“We know who you are, Senator. Tell us, why would we let our pretty girl go just for you to lock her away?”
Harrington cleared his throat.
“I apologize, but you have the privilege of knowing me and my niece, but I don’t seem to know her little friends.”
Talon’s hand lifted and rested on Harrington’s shoulder.
“I think we all know that no one’s little friends could make it into this auction. Am I right? Let’s put it this way, I guess you’re going to know who we are by the end of the night. Won’t you?” Talon wasn’t moving his hand, not yet. I’d give the senator credit. He had balls because he wasn’t backing down.
“Margaux, your fiancé is on his way. He expected you to show up with him. I suppose you don’t seem to understand what kind of situation your little,” he paused for a second, “adventure has created.”
I watched my little angel, studying every movement of her chest, the way her eyes shifted, the way her brow didn’t even move. Her lips never trembled, and somehow she remained calm.
“Uncle, perhaps you should have consulted me before telling me I was moving in with a man I have no interest in. Had I some notice, no, wait. I still would have run away. Good thing these nice gentlemen were willing to help a lady out.”
Moving in? Huh. She hadn’t quite explained everything to us last night. Or maybe it was that I hadn't cared to hear her little sob story. But right now she had me intrigued beyond that body of hers.
“Lady? Oh, my sweet niece. A lady doesn’t surround herself with lowlifes and wear a dress that advertises that she’s their whore.”
