"I hope I meet some Adonis on the beach. I need cheering up," Kiki mumbles, following me as I head over to Declan.
He reaches for me, but I step back, not wanting him to touch me.
He frowns, and guilt eats at me as I give him a reassuring smile.
"All sorted at the office?" I ask brightly, my eyes moving to Crane, who is sitting back, twisting the neck of his beer bottle between his forefinger and thumb.
"Yeah. I've turned my phone off now—vacay mode and all that. Where're your diamonds, baby?" Declan reaches out to cup my neck, his eyes boring into mine.
"I didn't want to lose them," I lie, maintaining eye contact with him as his grip tightens.
Just slightly.
"That's a shame," Declan murmurs, releasing me.
It's over in seconds, and I'm left wondering if I imagined him squeezing my neck.
"Sierra!"
I excuse myself to head to Lorena, who glares at Declan.
"Why was he holding your throat like that?"
"Oh, it wasn't like that!"
Except it was.
"You sure? It looked like he was being a dick, Sierra."
I can’t—this isn’t the time or place.
"Do you think he'd ever do that to me?" I laugh, rolling my eyes. "As if."
Lorena nods, narrowing her eyes as she pulls me down beside her.
"Stay with the girls and me anyway."
"It's your party, girl."
I turn to see Declan has disappeared again, and I sigh with irritation.
I can only hope Kai and Crane didn't pick up on it.
There would be hell to pay, and this is about Lorena and Kai.
Wait—what if Declan saw me with Crane?
My stomach twists with anxiety as I close my eyes, forcing the feeling away.
I need to stop overthinking.
THIRTY-THREE
CRANE
Time stands still as I watch that cunt wrap his fingers around Sierra’s slender throat, the tips of his fingers whitening as he applies pressure.
Her eyes widen with confusion, but then they swirl with fear.
