She got the dress on then turned around so I could zip it up the rest of the way.
I dragged the zipper to the base of her neck, making the dress mold to her perfectly. She had the most fascinating curves, a petite woman who had a real ass and impressive tits. Everything about her was perfect. I hadn’t noticed when we first met because I was oblivious to everything around me. I’d decided to hate her before I even met her because of the situation. Maybe if I’d met her in a bar or somewhere else, I would have appreciated her beauty the way everyone else did.
She turned back around, giving me a slight smile even though her eyes were still full of hesitation.
“I confronted my father last night. He’s the one who told Kamikaze our marriage was a lie.”
Her eyes fell as her lips pressed tightly together.
“That was why Kamikaze went after you. He knows about the deal we made. He considers you to be his, the debt your father never repaid. It’s clear that one of us will have to kill each other before we find peace.”
“It’d better be you,” she whispered. “It has to be you…”
“I know.” I wished it were that easy.
She moved into me and pressed her forehead against my chest. Her arms rested on mine, and she closed her eyes, doing her best to stay calm even though it was obvious she was scared. “Let me help you. We can do this together.”
“I don’t want you anywhere near him.”
“But I can be bait. I can lure him out somewhere and—”
“No. I’ll take care of it on my own.”
She pulled away and lifted her gaze again. “You don’t have to. I know you made a promise to my father—”
“That’s not the only reason why. You saved those women because it was the right thing to do. I’m going to save you because it’s the right thing to do. I would never be able to sleep ever again if something happened to you. So, I will handle this.” I wasn’t looking forward to the confrontation. Anytime two armies met on the battlefield, almost all the men died. Bullets were wasted over money, even though both sides were rich. Or they were wasted over women. In some ways, that was worse. I dropped her embrace and pulled away. “We should get going.”
13
Arwen
Knowing Maverick was out there gave me the greatest sense of security I would ever find. He was just one man with one gun, but he made me feel so safe. I preferred his protection over a dozen men who were strangers. At least my husband actually cared about me. He wasn’t holding a gun for a paycheck. He was doing it because my life was invaluable to him.
I finished the performance then returned backstage. The cast and crew moved around like every other night, giving each other hugs and kisses in celebration. My eyes kept drifting to the mirror to see the reflection behind me, to make sure the large man with the frightening smile wasn’t staring at me like last night. The second we’d made eye contact, a warning burned in my stomach. If I had better sense, I wouldn’t have walked to my car by myself in the middle of the night.
I kept looking in the reflection but saw no sign of him. It seemed too obvious to hit me at the opera again, but maybe it was so obvious that it would cause me to drop my guard…making it the perfect opportunity.
I unclasped my earrings then pulled the dozens of pins out of my hair, knowing Maverick would be there any minute.
I’d been struggling with an internal demon for the last few days. All of this happened after I confronted Caspian at the rehab center. Our conversation had to be the trigger that set him off, that made him run to Kamikaze in the first place. That was his punishment for the stunt I pulled.
Seemed harsh to me.
I didn’t want to tell Maverick the truth because it would probably piss him off. He would be livid with me for going behind his back once again. But it seemed wrong to leave him in the dark, to not tell him this vital piece of information. If Caspian told Kamikaze that, what else did he say?
Maybe they were both plotting against us.
Maverick appeared behind me, his hands moving to my shoulders as I sat on my stool.
The second I felt his touch, all the tension left the muscles across my frame. An invisible blanket of protection surrounded me, made me feel invincible. His affection was like a drug to me. He made me feel so many degrees of happy.
I pulled the last pin out of my hair and rose to my feet to greet him. Handsome as always, he wore a well-fitted suit with a dark tie. At over six feet, he was tall, dark, and sexy. When I looked into those brown eyes, I knew I never wanted to look at anyone else again. I didn’t want to take another lover. I didn’t want to meet a man at a bar when I could go home to the man I actually wanted.