I step closer, getting in his face, ready to swing and save her from the fate he’s so quick to bestow upon her. “You may own the place, but don’t forget who made you who you are. Don’t threaten the very business you depend on to keep operating.”
“Whatever.” He steps back and waves his hand in the air. “You deal with the lyin’ trash. If you’re vouching for her…”
“I’m giving you my word. If that’s not good enough, then let’s end this right here.”
“Take her and go. If I ever catch her where she shouldn’t be, not even you will be able to save her. Keep your bitches on a short leash from now on, Nix.” I don’t move, holding my ground as a shield for her.
Once he walks out, I turn quickly and pull her to her feet by her arms. “What the hell were you thinking?” I ask quietly.
She has mascara streaks on her face. “I had it under control,” she whispers, her eyes narrowing.
“If your plan was to get the shit kicked out of you tonight, you did.” Using my thumbs, I brush away her tears and some of her makeup. “Can you stand?”
She holds my gaze defiantly. “Of course I can.”
I release her from my grip and grab her wig off the floor. “Put this back on,” I tell her, handing it over. “Let’s get out of here. You have a lot of explaining to do.”
“Oh, I do? To you?”
“I just saved your ass.”
“My ass was just fine. You think I’ve never been beaten up before?”
I recoil at the thought. When she starts to speak again, I cut her off. “Do as I say, Kennedy. No lip. No excuses. No arguments. Put the wig on and follow me.” I take a second to call for Crane to meet us out front. We both need to get out of here before Grayson changes his mind. I hadn’t planned on snapping anyone’s neck tonight. I had hoped to get laid.
She keeps her eyes on me as she pulls her wig into place, tucking her dark hair underneath. “Nix.”
“We’ll talk about it when we get back to my place.”
“Who says I want to go to your place?”
She exasperates the fuck out of me. Shaking my head, I lift her into my arms and pull her tightly against my body. “Not another word. Don’t fight me.”
I walk out of the room with Kennedy in my arms, take the stairs to the main level, and stalk toward the front door, ignoring everyone around me. Their eyes are on me, or more likely, on us. They saw Kennedy in here earlier. The outfit and hair unmistakable even crumpled in my arms. Word will be getting back to Hassan, but I’ll deal with him later. Right now, the only thing I need to worry about is getting her out of here and finding out what in the fuck she was doing inside the vault.
Paul opens the front door as soon as he sees me. “Everything okay, Nix?” His eyes are on Kennedy when he speaks.
“We’re fine. You know some women.” I laugh and grip her tighter as a warning as I walk toward the waiting car. “Just can’t hold their liquor.”
“Been there many times myself.” He rushes to the Escalade, opening the back door before Crane can even get out. “You have yourself a good night, Mr. Ash.”
“Thanks, Paul,” I say as I climb in with Kennedy still in my arms. We exchange a curt nod before he closes the door. Even though the windows are blacked out, I whisper in Kennedy’s ear to remain where she is and keep her eyes closed. Her warm lips are touching the skin on my neck. If I weren’t so pissed, I’d lean forward and kiss her.
After Crane pulls away and is well out of view from the club, he glances in the rearview mirror and asks, “What the fuck happened in there?”
“You don’t want to know,” I tell him and finally release my death grip on Kennedy’s body. She stares up at me, defiance still darkening her gaze.
Slowly, she climbs out of my lap into the seat next to me and adjusts her skirt. Crane’s eyes move to her and back to me and narrow, but I shake my head, letting him know that it isn’t the time for questions.
Not another word is spoken as we make our way through the city. When Crane pulls up to my building and puts the Escalade in park, he turns around to face me. “Want me to take her home?”
“No.” I glance over at Kennedy, who’s staring out the window and mashing her hands together nervously in her lap. “She and I need to have a little talk. Head home. We’ll be fine.”
“Whatever you say.” He keeps his eyes on us as I climb out and help Kennedy from the car. “Call if you need me.”
I wave him off, helping her walk on her heels that weren’t built for the crumbling sidewalks. Before I have a chance to open the building doors, she peers up at me with calculating eyes and asks, “What are you going to do to me?”
Turning to her, I grab her by the arms and stop her from walking ahead of me. “If I were going to hurt you, I wouldn’t bring you back to my place. I would’ve left you with Grayson for him to deal with and clean up afterward. I’m not in the business of hurting people, especially women.”
