“Oh,” Oaklynn says brightly while wiggling out of Maxim’s hold, “I’ll go with you.”
“It’s really okay, I’ll just be a moment,” Dove insists.
I have a feeling she just needs to take a breath. This night has been overwhelming but she’s done so well. Her eyes are clear and bright, but there’s an edge of panic there that has me nodding.
Salvatore will shadow her. She’ll be safe.
My gut twists at the thought of Romeo being somewhere around here. I saw a glimpse of him earlier as well, but I didn’t mention it to my woman. There’s no point in freaking her out.
“Of course,”la mia pace,” I murmur and kiss her softly.
When I pull back, her eyes are glazed over, and I can’t help but smirk. I’ve used my remote a few times tonight already. But it’s never been enough.
I don’t want it to be.
All I want to do is keep her on edge. It’s only fair since it’s how she has made me feel since the moment I met her.
As Dove turns away, my eyes dart around the room. Oaklynn opens her mouth and steps toward my woman, but Kirill is there and pulls her back which makes her pout slightly.
He looks at me with a frown on his face. “You’re playing with fire,” he warns.
My heart is pounding in my chest, and I take a deep breath to try and calm it. But it doesn’t help at all.
“She can’t be queen until she claims her crown,” I tell him with a sigh, my eyes locked on Dove. “She has to prove it to herself, not me.”
Even though I know Sal will keep an eye on her, I can’t help but follow behind my woman after sharing a look with the other men.
If anyone understands the primal need I have to be near Dove, they do. They’re the same way with Oaklynn. I can only hope that Romeo does something stupid because I’m tired of him looming over us.
CHAPTER 15
DOVE
I just needed a moment. All to myself. It was so much to take in between all the extra fancy people at the party, the pretty little food, and all the fake smiles.
Oaklynn was so nice. It felt like she opened her arms and accepted me the moment she met me. As nice as it was, it was almost too much.
You can’t live in Seattle, work in a place like Second Circle, and not know who Kirill Volkov is. He’s just as dangerous as Angelo. It’s obvious the men he keeps in his circle shouldn’t be discounted either.
When I first saw the way all four men eyed Oaklynn, I was confused by their whole sharing dynamic. Everything clicked into place fairly quickly. The love they all have for Oaklynn and the way they circle her without even realizing it makes it very obvious. They share her because they all need her and each other.
It’s not for me, but I’m not going to judge them for it.
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly as I finish drying my hands. The cold water on my wrists has helped to calm me down.Knowing I’m going to be stepping back out there, amongst people who would have looked down their noses at me not long ago, makes me want to hide.
But I can’t hide.
Angelo needs someone at his side who can glide through a party like this. He deserves a woman who won’t find the crown too heavy.
I desperately want to be the woman he needs.
He’s already given me so much.
I’m glad Oaklynn didn’t join me in the bathroom. She’s so nice and she would have wanted to keep chatting. As much as I was enjoying myself and feeling, for the first time since I woke up in Angelo’s bed, almost normal, being alone for a moment is what I needed.
As I look at myself in the mirror, I can’t help but smile softly. I look like I belong. Sometimes the only thing you can do is fake it ‘til you make it. I’ve been doing it most of my life.
This isn’t any different.
