I never did things on the spur of the moment, especially not in public. I planned every move, every word, every smile.
Tonight, for the first time in my life, I acted on impulse, simply because I wanted to, and kissed Maddox.
I could hear the unison intake of breath and the shocked murmurs that followed, and when I pulled back from Maddox, I could see the open-mouthed shock on many faces.
“I make the rules,” I whispered.
“A queen always does,” Maddox said, and the adoration in his eyes gave me the strength I’d need today and many days to come.
After a moment to gather my courage, I risked a glance toward my family. Dad’s face had become stone, but the look in his eyes was murderous. Mom lightly touched his arm. I knew the gesture. She was trying to keep him in check. Amo was gone, probably disgusted by our kiss.
These were the people whose opinions mattered. I needed them on my side to brave the rough waters of our world. Mom caught my gaze and gave me a small nod.
I could have cried and hugged her from gratefulness but I kept up my public mask and acted as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
“You okay?” Maddox murmured.
“Better than okay,” I said firmly. “I should talk to my parents.” But just in that moment, Mom and Dad headed out onto the roof terrace.
“Maybe you should give your old man a few more minutes to calm himself.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I’ll need to freshen up in the bathroom anyway.”
“Do you want me to accompany you?”
“I know this place, don’t worry.” I gave him a teasing smile. “Don’t let the old ladies scare you away.”
He chuckled but he was still tense, just like me. I strode through the room, making sure I walked slowly lest it looked as if I was fleeing from the scene. Instead, I even forced myself to have a quick chat with the oldest daughter of one of New York’s richest men. She was a party girl and had gone to the same school as me. We weren’t friends, but we weren’t enemies either. The conversation with her was satisfyingly uneventful and she only congratulated me on such a piece of eye candy.
Afterward, I excused myself to the bathroom, glad for a few minutes to myself. When I emerged from the bathroom, two girls waited in front of it. Both of them from our circle, daughters of Captains, and classmates of Amo.
I only remembered Cressida’s name. Her father was responsible for the illegal goods that arrived in shipping containers from all over the world. I gave both girls a pleasant smile, but their faces meant trouble.
Cressida shook her head, her lips pinching. “You dishonored yourself and your family. That was so disgusting. I’d never kiss a dirty biker.”
“Or anyone but my future husband,” the other girl added.
“Yes,” Cressida agreed. “I pity Amo for having such a slut as a sister.”
My eyebrows climbed my forehead. That girl had always blown candy up my ass. Apparently, she now saw her moment to rise above me. Wrong move, little girl. “If you don’t want your father to spend the rest of his life scrubbing the dirt from container floors, you better watch your mouth, Cressida. Maybe you’ll one day be brave enough to be the master of your own life, and not let other people be your master.”
“You are still a sl—”
Maddox stepped into the hallway, causing Cressida to pale and snap her mouth shut. “Don’t let me interrupt you,” he said, in a voice that made Cressida take a step back.
“We should go…”
“Already?” Maddox asked. “Maybe you want to share your opinion about me with me face to face.”
She shook her head then her expression morphed into relief. “Oh Amo,” she crooned, when Amo appeared in the hallway.
Amo barely glanced her way. “What’s going on here?”
“Nothing,” Cressida said quickly. “Do you want to join me on the roof terrace? I need fresh air.”
“The girls just informed Marcella that she’s a slut in their eyes,” Maddox said.
I gave him a look to shut him up. Amo had a tendency to get overprotective and do stupid shit in his little-brother-but-acting-like-a-big-brother-mode.
Amo looked at me for confirmation. I gave a small shrug. “The girls are entitled to their opinion as long as they keep it to themselves in the future, right, Cressida?”
Cressida pressed her lips together and glanced at Amo. I could see how pissed Amo was even if he’d learned to mask his emotions over the years.
“How about we have a word on the terrace?” Amo said to Cressida. She nodded uncertainly, obviously unsure if she was in trouble. Before they left, I grabbed Amo’s arm. “She’s not worth it. Don’t do something stupid.”
“You know me,” Amo said.
“Indeed.”
Amo shook my grip off. “I’ll just make sure people respect our family.”