Page 39 of Heart's Masquerade

Torrian’s normal self-control began to slip. He didn’t have anger issues. In fact, he liked to let life happen as it would while he made decisions based on what he wanted to do. Yet, at that moment, he imagined his hands around his cousin’s throat. “What do you think you know about Jazara?”

Kenny grinned, but then his eyes turned cold. “I know you’re playing in my sandbox.”

Torrian took a step toward him. “First you claim Jaz is sleeping with her brother-in-law, and now you claim she’s yours?”

“Fuck no. I don’t go for girls like her.”

Torrian flexed his fingers.

“I’m saying you don’t belong down here, and I’m tired of seeing your mug. If she wants to fuck—”

Torrian cracked him in the jaw. He dragged his cousin off the ground, and punched him again. In the distance, he heard the limo door open and Niles shouting his name, but he ignored it. He shook Kenny so hard, the man’s head rattled back and forth. Kenny clawed at Torrian’s hand on his jacket front, but Torrian didn’t loosen his hold.

“I never wanted to fight you, Kenny,” he growled and punched him again. “I wanted to help you, but you didn’t want my help. You hate that I’m doing well? You hate me? Well, fuck you! Come near me or Jaz, and I promise you I will use the money I have to send you so far away you forget what Boston looks like.”

Kenny sputtered. “You can’t do that.”

“Try me. I have a lot of power and connections, more than you can dream of. I’ll use every one to never see your face again. You like it around here? This is your sandbox as you say? Shut up and fucking enjoy it!”

Torrian released him and stepped back. His cousin struggled to his feet and left a bloody handprint on the side of the limo. Niles made a noise of protest, but Torrian didn’t care. The vehicle could be washed. He watched his cousin, expecting more lip, and he had every intention of following through with his threat if he needed to. Rather Kenny wiped his mouth and nose on his jacket and shuffled away.

“Sir,” Niles worried, “he could press charges.”

“Let him try,” Torrian shot back.

“This isn’t like you. Coming to this area…”

“This is me, Niles. Or how I was. If I come here, that’s my business. Not yours and definitely not Kenny’s.”

“Of course. I apologize, sir.”

Torrian glanced down at his hand. His knuckles were red. “Let’s go before I’m late for my meeting.”

“Yes, sir.” Niles opened the door for him, and Torrian folded into the dark interior. His driver snapped a pristine white handkerchief from his pocket and polished the spot where Kenny had touched the car. For some reason, relief flooded Torrian’s system, and he smiled. A huge weight had been lifted off him. He had thought before to let Jaz go because he didn’t want Kenny or his friends to hurt her. Now, he knew he wouldn’t give her up no matter what. Stupid gossip wouldn’t change his mind about the sweet beauty either. He had been there to see the disgust in her expression when she learned of her brother-in-law’s feelings, and no one knew better than he did about how people judged others. He would protect his sexy little kitten and allow her personality to sparkle. After all, she was like sunshine for him in a sometimes-dark world.

* * * *

Winter…

“Don’t you think it’s strange she doesn’t push you to know where you live and what you do, sir?”

Torrian shoved the box he held aside and grumbled. “Niles, you are the worst chauffeur in existence!”

“I apologize, sir. I keep saying I’ll stop speaking my mind, and I keep opening my mouth anyway.”

“Yes, and I keep encouraging you by not firing you.” Torrian ran a hand over his face. He glanced out the car window at the snow on the ground and judged if the warm boots would keep his toes from freezing by the time he reached Jaz’s apartment. With bags to carry, maybe he should get Niles to drop him closer. After all, so far he’d been able to slip in and out of the area with no one looking his way twice.

Niles glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “Sir, is that a yes to my question?”

“Maybe it’s because of your age,” Torrian suggested, raising an eyebrow at the man. Or because there’s no one else. “It’s easy to understand. Jaz seems like the freest bird out there, living life the way she chooses. In some ways that view of her would be true. However, there’s a delicate side to her as well.”

He knew because he’d seen it in her over the last few months of dating. She was generally happy, but there was a deeper part, a piece of her heart she kept hidden.

“She wants to trust her judge of character enough to believe I’m not a married man sneaking away from his family. The feeling is not strong enough to push for the truth in case it makes her feel she must leave me.”

Torrian clenched his jaw and stared at the bright red packaging he had wrapped around Jaz’s gifts. He’d done it himself rather than pay someone as he did for the gifts he gave to his employees. Most of them only cared that he offered them their end-of-year bonuses. For Jaz, he had wished to choose her gifts himself and to hand wrap them. He admitted he wasn’t good at it.

“The truth will come out,” Niles said. “It always does.”

---