“You’re my wife…you should be spoiled.”
We pulled up to the luxurious three-story estate, and the valets opened the doors for us.
Arwen whistled under her breath. “Talk about fancy…”
I gave her a hand and helped her to her feet. She wore sky-high heels, the kind that didn’t even allow the arch in her foot to touch the bottom of the shoe. I supported her as she righted herself and stood up straight. “It’s been in the family for generations.”
“You only socialize with super-rich people?”
“What other kind of people are there to socialize with?” I took her hand in mine and guided her past the water fountain and toward the entryway of the large home.
“Uh, normal people.”
“Normal people are boring.” I looked down at her, seeing her diamond necklace around her neck and the perfect way she’d applied her makeup. Before I even walked inside, I knew my wife would be the most beautiful woman there. She stole the show every single time—even when she wasn’t in the theater.
“Why don’t you have a party at your place?”
“I don’t like people.”
She chuckled. “You like me.”
I brought her in closer to my side. “Don’t let that go to your head.”
She smiled then hooked her arm through mine, her long lashes bringing out the color of her eyes. Now that Kamikaze was gone and she stopped thinking about that gun pointed to my head, she’d relaxed into a whole new person. She didn’t look over her shoulder or hunch in fear. There were no more monsters waiting in the dark.
That meant she didn’t need to stay married to me anymore—but she never mentioned it.
Neither did I.
I had a feeling we never would.
We entered the party, grabbed champagne, and talked with a few acquaintances. Some of them were people Arwen already knew, but most of them were associates she hadn’t had a chance to talk to.
Nearly every man eye-fucked my wife.
I took it as a compliment.
Mingling lasted for hours as appetizers were carried around by waiters. Our glasses kept getting replaced, and the volume in the room rose as people became chattier. Women wore their best dresses, and men had donned their best suits.
These parties weren’t so boring now that I had a wife.
She did most of the talking—even though she didn’t even know these people.
Fine by me.
I was done with the champagne, so I left her behind to grab a scotch from the bar. I placed my order then felt someone approach me. The piercing gaze they directed at me was hostile. It was something I could sense.
I grabbed my drink and turned to look at the man who wanted to cause trouble.
It was my father.
He never left his house anymore unless it was to kill someone, so it was a surprise to see him at a social event that required a suit. The last time I saw him dressed that way was at my wedding. I took a drink as I looked at him, swallowing the booze as well as my damaged feelings. “Nice to see you get out, Caspian.” I couldn’t call him my father anymore. It was a name too intimate to use at this point. He was an enemy, not an ally. He was a stranger, not a friend. “Surprised to see me? Thought the bullet in the chamber would be for me?”
He kept the same stony expression on his face.
“Looks like I disappointed you…again.” I needed to accept the difficult truth—my father hated me. It didn’t matter how much I hoped otherwise. The truth was difficult to swallow, but I had to get it down my dry throat anyway. “I should get back to my wife now. Try anything, and I’ll watch your brains splatter on the wall—just the way I did with Kamikaze.” With my drink in hand, I left him by the bar and returned to the beautiful woman in the pink dress. She’d just said something to make her admirers laugh.
I came to her side and placed my arm around her waist.
She glanced down at my drink. “No more champagne?”
“Too sweet for me.”
“You mean, it’s not strong enough,” she teased.
The group laughed again.
I shrugged in response.
Lydia, one of the wives of my associates, addressed the one topic I didn’t want to discuss. “I saw your father is here this evening. Seems to be getting better after losing your mother. How’s he doing?”
Arwen immediately dropped her smile.
I wanted to tell the world that my father was a worthless asshole who should be dead instead of my mother. But I kept my mouth shut. “He’s taking it one day at a time.” After a few more exchanges, they walked away and left us alone together.
Arwen turned to me. “What did he say?”
“Nothing.”
“Maverick,” she pressed.
“No, he really said nothing. I blew him off at the bar then came back to you.” I didn’t turn back to where he’d been standing moments ago. I didn’t want to acknowledge his existence at all. I wasn’t the least bit scared of him or what he might do. “Don’t worry about him.”