Page 67 of Lies like Rubies, Part One

My stomach clenched with disappointment in myself.None of it.

As we left the hotel, Dante wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me against him. Fighting not to lean into his sandalwood scent, his strength, I stiffened, hyperconscious of his fingers on my hip.

His driver waited for us, but Dante stopped on the sidewalk outside.

“Sofia,” he began, then stopped. “You look beautiful this evening.”

I cut my eyes up to him, frowning at the uncharacteristic compliment.

“I always look beautiful when Iarriveat this hotel, Dante,” I answered, not bothering to hide the sadness in my tone. “Humiliation, degradation, my tears—those things ruin it.”

Doing my best to ignore the circles his fingers traced on my hip, I waited for him to answer. He stared straight ahead and said, “Kitten, you’re wrong. You’re never more beautiful than when you’re flushed with misery, wishing you weren’t turned on, unable to resist the need my humiliation arouses in you. The fight in you? Absolutely fucking gorgeous.”

He brushed his lips over the crown of my head. “We’re going to have dinner with Adam Zhang tonight. I’m going to offer him a better deal on arms than he’s currently getting.”

“Am I arm candy?”

“In a way,” he answered. “You know the players in Yorkfield far better than I, and they trust you. I’m going to take advantage of that trust tonight to negotiate favorable terms.”

Dante was using me to charm his business partners like my father did. Ignoring the pain of hurt that shot through me, I squared my shoulders and put a small distance between our bodies. “Whatever you need,” I said, pretending that hot tears didn’t pool in my eyes. I don’t know why my feelings were so hurt to discover that he wanted to use me the way my father did.

Dante did nothing to relieve the oppressive silence in the car as we drove to Adam’s restaurant. A faint smile twisted his lips when he looked at me. What game was he playing?

“Adam, it’s so nice to see you,” I said when we entered the restaurant. I smiled genuinely as I kissed the arms dealer on each cheek. Adam did business with my father, of course, but we became friends while I stubbornly earned my degree in Mandarin alongside his younger brother.

“Sofia, lovely as always. How are classes?”

“Finals are coming up,” I answered, smiling.

“Give Mike a call and invite him to study. He misses it more than he likes to admit.” Adam stepped away from me and moved to shake Dante’s hand. “Dante Oscuro, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The two men shook hands. “Likewise,” Dante said. “I didn’t realize you knew Sofia personally.”

Adam chuckled. “She studies—studied—Mandarin with my younger brother. You’re a lucky man to have her on your arm.”

Dante looked at me, and I tried to hide my resentment about being turned into eye candy by yet another man in my life. “I am lucky, but Sofia’s here as a business consultant, not my date.”

Years of training helped me keep my face inscrutable as I hid my surprise. Dante was such an asshole. If he’d bothered to share his plans when he picked me up, I wouldn’t have spent the last twenty minutes seething with resentment.

Adam frowned, taking in my elegant dress, the pearls around my neck, and the high heels I normally eschewed. “I’m sure that’s what her father calls it too.”

Dante didn’t even blink. “If you insult Sofia again, I will import my guns myself and run you the fuck back to New York, where your father is. She’s here because she knows Yorkfield, not because we’re fucking.”

The double whammy of Dante defending me while publicly announcing the nature of our relationship hit me in the gut, and I struggled to keep my face calm. “Adam,” I said softly, “didn’t you invite us to dinner?”

Adam smiled ruefully and sighed. “Sofia’s like a little sister to me, Oscuro.”

Dante nodded, his obsidian eyes inscrutable as he focused on the spot where my hand lay on Adam’s arm, his expression neutral, but his entire body tensed with anger.

Internally, I rolled my eyes at his possessiveness but stepped back so Adam could lead us into a private dining room where his business partners waited for us. My eyes swept over the bar at the back of the room, the bartender and the waitstaff eagerly awaiting us. I’d put money on the fact that every one of them was armed and paying sharp attention to Dante.

Not me, though. Even if Adam knew me well, we’d never discussed business, never expanded our relationship outside of adopting him as an honorary big brother, despite the fact that Mike and I were no longer friends, thanks to Luca. Warm emotion swelled in my chest. Struggling to identify it, I fell silent as Dante pulled a seat out for me.

Pride.

Pridesuffused me. I was useful to Dante as more than a sex toy, more than a pretty object to make men comfortable and ease the discussion.

Dinner was congenial, an opportunity for everyone to drink baijiu and feel one another out before the real business discussions began. Adam didn’t say anything when I demurred and requested tea instead.

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