Two burly armed guards appeared at my sides, reaching for me.
“Did you know you can peel all the skin off a man’s hands with only two cuts?” I threatened quietly, my voice laced with more venom than I knew I was capable of.
With a nod from Samuel, they escorted me to the door, hovering closely behind.
Every single eye in the room was on me, and I doubted it was from the scene I’d just made. They’dallbeen waiting for me. But why exactly, I still couldn’t say.
I left the club as calmly as humanly possible, but inside, I was dying to smash something, and as they shoved me out the door, I locked eyes with Taggart fucking Caldwell, who smirked at me just before the door slammed in my face.
I hit the door. Hard. That fucking prick was lucky I didn’t see him before they locked me out—I was half tempted to break the door down and give him exactly what he deserved. Whatever the hell had happened between him and Sara was her story to tell, buteven if she never confided the details—he was at the very top of my shit list, right next to Richard Sinclair.
I was seething, physically trembling as I climbed into my McLaren, and floored it.
These men were dangerous, and now, the only question was, would they kill to get what they wanted? Because it was entirely possible thatthey already had.
CHAPTER 27
Casanova Takes No Prisoners
SARAFINA
“Who isthat?” Lila, the owner of Basecoat Gallery, asked, as she ogled whoever was coming inside next.
A sleek sports car had pulled up outside, and I stood on my tiptoes trying to see out the front windows. My breath caught when I realized it wasCarter,and he’d driven the yellow Lotus Evija tonight, which meant he was ina moodto show off.
My stomach flipped as I watched Carter hand his keys to the valet, looking angsty and sexy as shit, and then he strolled into the gallery smooth as sin. “Thatis Casa-fucking-Nova.” I breathed suddenly aware of every part of my body.
“Who?” Lila didn’t take her eyes off him, and neither did I.
Carter slipped his hands into his pockets and strolled into the crowded gallery with a smoldering expression painted across his face. Standing an easy head above everyone, the sea of bodies began to part around him as he cut through the crowd with a devil may care attitude.
Quiet wealth rolled off him—the suit he was wearing was no doubt custom, cut to fit every perfect line of muscle on his incredible body. The top two buttons of his crisp dress shirt were undone, and between the clothes and the tousled hair, it wasdifficult to tell if he’d rolled out of bed looking that good, or if he’d just come from an actual romp between the sheets.
A pang of jealousy washed over me, as I hoped it wasn’t the latter.
Carter’s whisky-brown eyes were dark and assessing as he scanned the bustling gallery and then his eyes locked onto one thing.Me.
Every nerve in my body jittered with the realization thatIwas the target thatthisman had locked on to.
Carter’s lips hooked up on one side into a devilishly charming grin that would have any woman dropping her panties,including me, and I steadied myself, heart pounding, as all that sexy, powerful energy finally reached me.
He made no apologies as he dragged his gaze over me, taking his sweet time. My skin seemed to scrape against the silk of my plunging red gown while he took in every single inch of me with lusty adoration.
I was grateful when he stepped into my space and steadied me—surprised when he kept on coming.
Carter leaned in intimately close, his lips brushing the shell of my ear as he murmured. “You look absolutely fucking beautiful, Sarafina, but I’m not going to lie.” My dangly earrings tinkled against my throat as he leaned in even closer. “I might be partial to that little number you were wearing last night.” His fingers tightened around my waist, his breath an igniting caress on my skin as his voice dropped even lower, vibrating against me. “Tell me, did you skip the underwear again tonight?” Carter pulled back and winked at me, but there was no boyish charm in it. It was all raw, confident, powerful man.
Heat rushed to my cheeks and neck, and my plunging gown wasn’t going to do a damn thing to hide it. “You came.” Breathless, it was all I could utter.
He took my chin between his fingers, his eyes dropping to my lips. “Of course I came.” The way he looked into my eyes in that moment, into the deepest parts of my very being, as if he couldread every word written on my soul—I didn’t know if I wanted to jump him or sob with relief. Time seemed to stop completely and then start again when he gave me the most earth-shattering smile.
“Sara?” a voice asked nearby, and just like that, every warm feeling I’d had was vacuumed out of me. Like a jello shot being slurped down by an already drunk frat boy, and speaking of frat boys.
I apparently had a terrible poker face because Carter immediately slid a possessive arm around my waist,like I belonged to him. In fact, it was so effortless, it felt like something he’d done a thousand times.
“And you are?” Carter asked, his gaze sharp, his tone low and assessing.
I shook myself out of my stupor. “Carter, this is Isaac.” I cleared my throat as it closed up involuntarily.
