Page 37 of Vicious Kingdom

Leo’s jaw ticked as his gaze shifted between David and me. The look he gave me demanded to know if this was really happening.

Yep. I was with a man who thought holding the door for a woman somehow was an affront to her existence, instead of a courteous gesture. It wasn’t like I couldn’t hold the fucking door myself. But it was nice to have someone do it.

Hell, when I was being nice, I held the door for others too.

But David was so busy trying to be the perfect non-alpha male that he didn’t realize he stood in the presence of one. “And how do you know my fiancée?”

“She’s your fiancée?” Leo’s voice was a low growl as his gaze flicked to David, then back to me, the word laced with venom.

My heart stuttered. I couldn’t read his expression, but the tension radiating from his body was unmistakable.

“Yes, David’s here early.” I forced a smile, but my stomach plummeted. Everything I’d built with Leo, all those careful moments and stolen glances—it was unraveling before my eyes.

“How fortunate.” Leo’s fingers tightened around the door handle until his knuckles whitened. “I trust you'll be too busy for our…business meetings now.”

David looked between us, oblivious to the undercurrent. “Business meetings? Anna didn’t mention she was working with the locals.”

“Nothing of consequence, it seems.” Leo’s eyes burned into mine, and I saw it. That one word.

Liar.

I wanted to scream at him that this wasn’t real. This was all part of my plan. Have someone to shield against my parents setting me up, so I was free to pursue the object of my obsession!

David wasn’t supposed to be here.

“Have a lovely afternoon, Annaliese.” The mobster dropped his gaze to my ankle. “Hope your foot feels better.”

“Something’s wrong with your foot?” David asked.

Leo walked away, shaking his head.

“Twisted my ankle,” I muttered, watching Leo’s retreating back with a hollow feeling in my chest. “It’s nothing.”

“Ah, well, if it’s nothing, let’s go,” David urged.

***

That night, I found myself sitting at my parents’ favorite restaurant in town, the Crystal Arrow, with its polished wood and chandeliers meant to evoke old money and tradition. My ankle throbbed beneath the table as my mother leaned forward, hanging on David’s every word.

“And then I told the board we needed to restructure the entire marketing strategy,” David explained, gesturing with his wine glass. “It was a risk, but sometimes you have to make bold moves in business.”

My father nodded approvingly. “That’s exactly right. Calculated risks separate the men from the boys in this world.”

I pushed my salmon around the plate, barely tasting it. My thoughts kept drifting to Leo’s face when he’d seen David, the way the light was extinguished in his eyes, the betrayal that flashed across his features before the mask of indifference slammed back into place.

“Annaliese?” My mother’s voice pulled me back. “David asked you a question.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled, looking up to find three pairs of eyes on me. “What was that?”

David’s smile was indulgent, practiced. “I was asking if you’d like to show me around town tomorrow. Maybe hit some of those museums you mentioned?”

The thought of hobbling through the exhibits with David made my ankle throb harder. “I don’t think that is a good idea with my ankle.”

“Oh, nonsense,” my mother interjected. “A little walking will strengthen it. Besides, you can’t keep your boyfriend cooped up all day.”

“Actually….” David chuckled. “Annaliese, should we tell them?”

Please, no.“I don’t think it’s the right time—”