Page 81 of Cold Hard Kisses (London Mafia Kings)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Tam

One of my father’sbusiness partners was talking to me, but I hadn’t heard a single word he’d said. Instead, I’d been locked on the beautiful girl with the red hair in a short silver dress and high heels who was currently talking to my brother and Jodie.

My heart beat harder than it ever had done, even during a meeting where I knew someone was going to get killed.

What the fuck was she doing here?

I recognised the young woman beside her with the dark hair and big doe eyes. That was Layla, Hallie’s best friend. Thank God Hallie hadn’t come here with another man. If she had, I’d have ended up killing someone in front of the whole of London’s press. The thought of Hallie with another man was enough to make me feel like steam was pouring out of my ears. She was mine. She’d always be mine.

I didn’t miss the appreciative glances she received from men around her. Did any of them know who she was? If they did, I doubted they’d be ogling her quite so openly. Everyone had come tonight, from my family and crew—Sly, Murphy, and Damon—to local businessmen and women, to a ton of reporters. But all of them faded into the background now Hallie was here.

I had to do something. If I didn’t, I’d end up standing here, watching another bloke pick her up, and, if I didn’t stop him, going home with her as well. She was hungry in the bedroom, and now it had been days since she’d last had sex. What if she used that desire on someone else? I’d never rest easy again. I’d spend the rest of my life torturing myself with the thought of another man’s cock penetrating her sweet, tight cunt, his hands on her tits, and her tongue pushing into his mouth.

The images, however imaginary, had wound me up enough. I bunched my shoulders and stalked over to her.

“Hallie, what are you doing here?”

She jumped like I’d startled her but quickly recovered, going into her usual sarcastic defence mode.

“Nice to see you, too.”

My brother butted in. “I was just telling Hallie how much you missed her.”

I glared at him. “Don’t you have somewhere else you need to be?”

“Not really.”

Jodie took Leo’s hand. “Come on, you can buy Layla and me a drink.”

“It’s a free bar,” he said, confused.

Jodie widened her eyes at him, and he finally got the point.

I spotted Hallie’s friend exchanging a look and a nod with Hallie. What had they been saying about me? That she needed to stay the hell away from me? That I was no good? That I’d only bring her heartbreak and trouble?

She was probably right.

Even so, Layla went with Jodie and Leo, leaving me standing there with Hallie.

Hallie let out a sigh. “What do you want, Tam?”

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