Page 28 of Bitter Desire
“We need protection, Honey. You know that.”
I shook my head at his words. I did not know that, because why did we need security at an event like this? No one even knew we were here and even if they did, who would want to hurt us?
“But from what?” I pressed. “This is a ball. It’s safe and-”
“We don’t know that” Law said, and his voice was gruff and curt. He was not listening to a damn thing I had to say.
I pressed my lips into a thin line and sighed. There was no use arguing with Law when he was like this. I could tell from the set of his shoulders and the familiar clench of his jaw that the man was set on this. If I pressed this he was going to up the ante in some way that I wasn’t going to like. I had to drop this now.
“Fine,” I replied, looking away and off to the side. Law said nothing and we continued to dance, though it was with a stiffness that was unmistakable. We were both stubborn and we circled the dance floor for another cool fifteen minutes before I finally broke.
“I need a break.”
Almost immediately Law led me off the dance floor. I might have expected him to put up a fight but even if the man was stubborn as hell, he knew when to leave something alone. We both knew when to let up, which made things ebb and flow between us in a way that had us working together, not butting heads—or at least not much. Even so, there were times when I felt like I was up against an immovable object. The security issue was definitely one of them, which brought up the question I had been avoiding since we’d gotten together.
What the hell had Law done before we’d met? Who had he been before he’d founded Law Acquisitions?
And most importantly:Who did he need security from?
Up on the stage, the orchestra stopped playing and an MC took to the stage. A woman with shining blonde hair and a smile so bright and wide it lit up the stage. The woman definitely had chops at commanding a show. She’d easily give my mother, on her best day, a run for her money.
“Hello all of you wonderful people! We are beginning our Dressed to Kill contest! The winners will be crowned our King and Queen of the Masquerade Ball!” The crowd cheered and the woman clapped along with them. “Isn’t that just so fun? Let’s get the show on the road for tonight!”
Law ignored the woman on the stage, and I tore my gaze from her when she began to walk the length of the stage picking partygoers out of the crowd to join her. They all looked so happy and carefree. What I had hoped we would be tonight. What I needed to be tonight, after the stress of the city, after the anonymous texter that had made me scared to reach for my phone.
I looked at Law and saw he was rigid, back straight and body positioned between me and the crowd around us. How had we lost that easy breezy vacation vibe? “Do you want me to get you something to drink?” Law asked, his blue eyes sweeping the room like he expected someone to come charging out at us.
I put a hand on his arm, stopping him in his march forward. “Law, we have to talk.” I had questions. I needed them answered. What the hell was going on?
His blue eyes cut to me with a quickness. “About?”
“This,” I said, pointing a finger at him. “You’re acting like someone is trying to kidnap us or, I don’t know, attack us. It’s scaring me. This isn’t normal, Law.”
He sighed, shoulders rising and falling and he came forward, hands reaching and settling on my waist. “I’m sorry, Honey. But…” His voice trailed off and I shook my head, putting a hand on his chest.
“But what? What is it? I thought you brought us out here to relax?”
“I have a bad feeling, Honey. And in what I used to do, in what I do now, I’ve learned to follow my gut about these things.”
I swallowed hard. “Oh.” I didn’t like that he was talking like this.
He nodded, and reached up, smoothing a hand against my hair. “I don’t want to ruin tonight, but something-”
“Oh, and who is that beautiful woman in red?” The MC’s voice cut through the din of chatter and laughter around us, cut Law right off, and we both turned to look at her. She was pointing at me.
“Fuck,” Law whispered.
“Oh, shit,” I agreed, when she motioned for me to come forward. This was not helping with getting Law to relax. Not one little bit.
“Don’t be shy, princess!” she called out to me, and Law visibly went stiff. He moved, sweeping me behind him when she waved to me again. “Oh, come on big guy, don’t be like that. You can’t keep her all to yourself all night. We all want a looksee, isn’t that right, folks?” she asked the crowd and a deafening roar from the audience confirmed that they did want a look at me.
“You’re not going up there,” Law bit out.
“Law, come one, it’s just a contest.”
“Honey.”
The MC sighed into the microphone and put a hand on her hip. “Oh, honey, is he bossing you around? You cannot let a man like that spoil your fun. Now come on up here and strut your stuff!”
