Page 227 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
When Lance smiles and nods, I offer my apologies to the lady next to me by placing my twenty- dollar bill next to her ruined drink. It probably isn’t enough to replace her drink, but it’s the only money I have, so it will have to do.
As he did earlier, Lance places his hand on my back to guide me through the sticky, dense crowd. The hum of activity is invigorating, and it has my pulse fastening. We’re a little over halfway across the packed space when a phone in Lance’s jean pocket rings. After digging it out, he apologizes for the interruption before pushing his cell phone to his ear.
The longer his conversation continues, the more the color in his face drains. He licks his parched lips before handing me his phone. I eye him curiously, stumped. He makes a gesture like me speaking to his caller is detrimental to his livelihood. Although I’m uneased by his request, I press his phone to my ear. My knees meet when the seductive purr of Isaac sounds down the line. It’s been weeks since I’ve heard such an intoxicating voice.
“Do you ever do as requested?” His tone is low and dangerous—as depleted as my morals from how turned on I get from his deep timbre. “This is your last chance, Isabelle. Lose the date. If not, I’ll come remove his hand from your body myself.” I shouldn’t get turned on by his threat, but I do. “And I’ll break every finger of his that has brushed your bare skin.”
The tingles of my traitorous pussy are heard in my reply. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Test me, Isabelle.”
He disconnects our call, stealing my chance to reply. My hand tremors when I hand Lance his phone. It isn’t shuddering in fear. It’s shaking with excitement. An angry Isaac is as sexy-as-sin, but a jealous Isaac is ten times hotter.
Lance’s angst-riddled eyes dance between mine. “I… umm… forgot about a deadline—”
“It’s okay, I understand.” Isaac scares even the brawliest-looking man, so someone with a down-to-earth personality like Lance wouldn’t stand a chance battling against a man with a fierce reputation like Isaac’s. “Thank you for the drink.”
When I lean in to give him a quick, friendly hug, I catch sight of Hugo standing outside the entrance of the VIP section. His face is constricted with anger, and his fists are clenched at his side. He’s pissed, and all of his anger is directed at me.
After expelling a sharp breath, I pace toward him.
“Are you trying to get me fucking fired?”
“I’m sorry.” I skirt past him, hating both the way I’m acting and how I’m being treated. “I only wanted to get a drink.”
For the next hour, I sit like a bona fide misery guts in the booth. Even the latest club hits keeping broad smiles plastered on Harlow and Peta’s faces can’t lessen the weight sitting heavily on my chest. I haven’t had any contact with Isaac for over two weeks, yet he’s still calling me his. Weeks ago, I would have given anything for him to declare that I was his. Now, now I don’t know what the hell I want. I love Isaac. I love him with every fiber of my being, but I can’t get past his betrayal. I can’t forgive him for that. It’s unforgivable.
With a huff, Harlow slides into our booth. Her face is misted with sweat, and her hair is damp at the ends. “It’s crazy out there.”
I smile. She’s been dancing with hot, sweaty men for hours, and Cormack hasn’t said a peep. I, on the other hand, had my alcohol cut off, and a man was threatened harm by one I’m not even dating.
Harlow takes a sip out of her cocktail to calm the redness on her cheeks before devoting her attention to me. “What happened?”
When I shrug, her brow cocks, calling bullshit on my halfhearted response.
Giving in, I spend the next five minutes updating her on what happened an hour ago. Her mouth gapes during some parts and firms in others, but for the most part, she remains quiet.
Once I finish telling her all the juicy details, she takes a few minutes to contemplate before her eyes drift lift to Hugo. “Shoo.” She waves him away like he’s a fly.
Hugo arches his brow before he crosses his arms in front of his broad chest.
Harlow smiles, not deterred by his determination. “We’re about to talk about periods, tampons, Viagra, vaginal cups—”
“All right, all right!” Hugo sounds mortified. “I’ll be right over there.” He points to a spare booth two spots up from us. “Please don’t go anywhere, Izzy.”
When I nod, he reluctantly strolls to the booth he pointed to. Harlow coughs to clear her throat before starting our conversation in a battlefield I never saw coming. “Don’t shoot me, just listen. He made a mistake, but that doesn’t mean you can’t forgive him if you want to.” Her glossed-over eyes flick between mine as she gathers my hand in hers. “Clara caught him during an extremely vulnerable moment. He was hurting, Izzy, way more than you probably realize.”
“You’re defending him?”
She shakes her head. “No. I’m not. I’m helping my best friend through a terrible phase of her life.” My heart warms from her referring to me as her best friend, but it does little to ease the pain in my chest. “You look so broken, Izzy. I hate seeing you like this, so I want you to open your eyes and look at the whole picture. You know what Clara is like. Can you truly trust anything she says?”
“Isaac didn’t deny sleeping with her. That’s all the proof I need.”
“He didn’t confirm it either.”
I glare at her in disbelief. “I can’t believe you’re defending him. Do you think I should sweep it under the rug and forgive him?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. Whether you choose to forgive him or not is only a decision you can make, but I think you should talk to him. Find out whatreallyhappened. Get thewholestory before formulating an opinion. You can’t act on something when you don’t have all the facts.”
