“Clint knows about the marriage?”
“Mm. Philippe Haversham wants me to arrange a fight with you.”
“Good.” I stood up while rage and anticipation warred with the fact that I was married and had agreed to protect Daniela. I sat back down. “Not good. I can’t fight him. Even if I take him out, he’ll mess me up too bad to function afterwards. She needs me healthy. I’m defending her, not getting vengeance. Pity,” I added lightly.
He inhaled sharply. “Really? You’re giving up such an easy way to punch the face off your nemesis?”
I swallowed hard while nausea churned. “Yep. Villains have to prioritize. Vengeance is important, but it can’t trump commitments you make with your spouse.”
“About that…”
I waited for him to continue, but he seemed reluctant. “What about it?”
“What were you thinking? You could protect her without marrying her. It opens you up to her machinations. She has a beautiful soul, which she demonstrated so profoundly last night at the most enjoyable party I’ve ever hosted, but she’s also delicate, precariously perched on the edge of pure madness.”
I shrugged. “I really don’t care what she does to my family business and name. It’s all baggage I don’t want, particularly my mother.”
“And your heart? You don’t mind if she shreds it as well as she shredded Chopin? That concert really was too good for Vegas. Nix is thinking about all the ways he can use her in his show. She’d be the candy that would attract a different kind of clientele. Clint Harrison, for one. He was very upset. Gave me a black eye and cracked a tooth. He’s not on my list of evil, diabolical men who need to be taken down, so I didn’t. And now I can’t chew until I get to the dentist.”
“Phillippe will probably try to mess with someone during the Three-Hundred. Trixie would be a good target, but so would Jezebel. Philippe doesn’t mind going for women.”
He snorted. “He’s an idiot if he thinks that Jezebel and Trixie represent the weaker sex. I’d genuinely like to see Philippe try to take Jezebel.”
“Not Trixie?”
He growled and then turned it into a cough, because he knew better than to be possessive or protective about someone who spent so much time hating him. “Trixie is too straightforward to deal with a snake like him.”
“We’ll keep an eye on her before the Three-Hundred and after.”
“If you can find her. Haversham, Philippe, is moving, but the old man is not. I think he’s waiting to see what sweet Daniela does with you. Don’t let her turn you to their side, or I’ll have to kill you.”
“I thought you were a hero. Heroes don’t kill people.”
“Are you kidding me? Heroes are always killing people, you know, the bad guys. I’d personally just have Jezebel do it. She’s not happy about your marrying her favorite new acolyte.”
I sighed. “I have to go in to work, don’t I? She’ll wake up alone. No, I’ll have Tom here offering her breakfast and a phone she can use to call me. Her phone is terrible. It’s a good thing I married her so that I can protect her from cheap pieces of China trash.”
“Have fun at work. If Trix doesn’t show up, give me a call. She might be in trouble.”
I snorted and hung up. He was dying to rescue her from something. I showered and dressed, then let Tom in on my way out. He’d never been to the house before, and he looked around in wide-eyed wonder. All right, wide-eyed horror, but same difference.
Once I’d gotten to the compound, I went to the office to see Nix.
He wasn’t there. I texted him and, after his short response, headed to the menagerie. I’d meant to avoid Jezebel until after the Three-Hundred and some time had passed between my marriage and her wanting to shoot at me, but I needed to see Nix.
She ignored me as she brushed down Mike the camel, muscling it around when it didn’t respond immediately. She was usually a lot more patient with animals than people, so her impatience with the camel showed that she would definitely shoot me herself after the Three-Hundred if I didn’t clear this up. I walked over to her, taking my life in my hands.
“Her ex came to the concert last night. That’s why she fell off the platform. I happened to catch her, and then after she’d finished panicking, she asked me to marry her, to use my name to protect her. I’m not going to have sex with her until she’s over her issues. This isn’t about that. If she wants an annulment or a divorce once she’s confident about standing on her own, I’ll give her that.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “I had no idea you were so selfless.”
Because I wasn’t. But at the same time, being with Daniela always felt right, no matter what the reasons were. “I’m getting what I want out of it.” She was what I wanted, even more than a chance to hurt Philippe.
Nix came out of nowhere and draped an arm over my shoulder. “I don’t care what you do with her as long as it doesn’t mess with business. If she asked you to marry her, and you said yes, there’s nothing more to say about it. You’re both clearly mad past the point of argument. Jezebel, this girl is going to need to come with us on the Three-Hundred, for the sake of safety. Focus on her security, not Dirk’s suspiciously chivalrous streak. Get to work, both of you.”
“Where’s Trix?” I asked casually.
“She spent the night working on one of her beasties. She would have gone on a drunken rampage, like you, but she worked out her aggression more productively because she needs all her faculties to win this race. I think we’ll put Pinkie in with her on the second day.”
