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My eyes travel between Scarlett and her father. I see the family resemblance, although Scarlett takes after her mother more with all that black hair, pale skin, and delicate features.
“Can you help us?” she asks in a shaky voice.
I plaster on a small frown and hold out my hand to Scarlett. She wordlessly hands me the letter. I don’t open it, merely slide it into my jacket pocket.
Footsteps come up behind me and I suspect it’s the uncle. A quick look over my shoulder confirms my suspicion. I nod at him to close the door and he does.
“Under the circumstances of this engagement, your whole family falls under my protection.”
Grant nods and his shoulders relax the slightest bit.
“James,” Scarlett says, “that letter is a threat against my cousin.”
I look between both men. “Who’d do that?”
“Isn’t that your job to figure out?” her father snaps.
Fuck, I’d like to bury that phone in his skull so badly right now.
The tensions in the room are high and they’re thick to the point of choking us all. I can feel Scarlett’s, but hers aren’t key to this dynamic. No, what’s really important is the tension between the brothers.
What I need from them is fear, respect, and something close to trust, so I look at Scarlett. She’s close, but not close enough, so I continue to hold out my hand, hoping she’ll understand my message.
She gets it.
Quietly, Scarlett crosses the last few steps to me, and I slide a hand about her waist, pulling her back in against my body. I’m judging the mood, the shift in energy my move brings to the room. There’s no shock.
Daddy’s already guessed the cost of my protection. But my goal isn’t to rile them up and make them territorial and defensive; it’s to get in with them. To form a bond of sorts. And both men, in the heavy silence, are remembering why they came to me and what my claim on Scarlett means. Especially now that I’m silently confirming we’re together.
Scarlett might not pick up on the nuance of my action, but they both do. There’s no one else but the four of us in here. There’s no reason for her to continue the ruse. Unless it isn’t a ruse now at all.
And that seems to give me even more power. It’s a perfect muddy ground for me to work my magic in.
They’ll remember when we leave who and what I apparently am.
“I’m going to let that comment slide,” I say to her father. “I’m here to help. You know what I bring to the table and that’s why you came to me in the first place. Remember that.”
Dale glares at my hands where they hug his daughter close, and I’ll bet he’s thinking long and hard about what’s he’s done to get to this place. My gaze slides to the brother. There’s less concern for Scarlett in his expression, which is telling, but then again, the threats are against his daughter.
So I play a card, one I hope she’ll back. “For Scarlett, I’ll go the extra mile. I’m here to do whatever it takes to keep the people Scarlett cares about safe. I’ll make a call, get extra security on your daughter, Grant. And when there’s no party happening just outside the door, we’ll talk next steps. I’ll be in touch.”
Grant looks at me and takes half a step closer. “Mr. Malone?—”
“I’ll look into the threat.” I cut him off and pat my pocket as I lead Scarlett out. “And like I said, I’ll be in touch.”
Scarlett holds her tongue until we’re out in the main room. “What was that?”
“That was your father and uncle selling me your very fine ass in exchange for protection.”
There’s music, so I pull her in close and dance with her. She feels good in my arms, a perfect fit, like she was made to have all that sweet softness pressed in against me.
As we glide across the floor, my mind trips back to all of the devices I have at the penthouse—clamps, ropes, a spider gag, and dildos. My cock twitches as she melts into me.
I’m going to use them on her tonight when we get back. I’ve got some shit to take care of with this new information in my pocket, so having her tied up, blindfolded, dripping with anticipation for when I might come and touch her, is beyond a perfect fucking reward.
The threat doesn’t sit well with me because I didn’t make it. But I can use it. Just like I can use the fear to get in close with the family.
I lean my head against the side of her head and breathe in her floral scent. It’s pure heady magic and I want to bury my face in her throat, suck on her flesh, and?—
