Miss Deveroux nods and reaches under the counter for a glass. She pours herself a drink and tips it back. “Like I said, this is my home.”
I blow out a breath. “You’re a lot braver than I am.”
“Having second thoughts?”
“No, but I wish I had done more to protect my family. They won’t return my calls, and I can’t go and see them for obvious reasons.”
Miss Deveroux pats my hand. “I’ll reach out to them.”
My shoulders sag with relief, and I swallow past the lump in my throat. “Thank you.”
Miss Deveroux glances over her shoulder at my bodyguard. “I see you’re keeping different company tonight.”
I glance over my shoulder. “Yeah, I don’t know what’s happening. He won’t say a thing.”
Miss Deveroux clears her throat. “I hate to be the one to say this, but you need to have a backup plan, London. In case things go to shit.”
My stomach lurches. “What do you mean?”
“You can tell them he’s been keeping you here against your will,” Miss Deveroux says. “Tell them he threatened your family, and that you owe him money. They’ll go easy on you. He won’t contradict your story.”
I search her face and pause.
It’s not like the thought hasn’t crossed my mind, but betraying Mason and abandoning him when he needs me, even to save myself and my family, doesn’t sit right. The mere thought of it sends a fresh wave of pain through me.
I know it’s the smart choice, and I know Mason would forgive me, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
There will be no turning back if you don’t turn on him. Remember that. You still have a chance.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I respond. “But I—”
“You.” The voice makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I swivel on my stool and easily find the source of the voice. Steven is making a beeline for me, his hair plastered to his forehead, and a murderous gleam in his eyes. My bodyguard steps in front of him and gives him a long look.
“Of course, you hide behind him.” Steven leans sideways to look at me. “Call off your dog or I’ll tell this whole club what you did.”
I jump off the stool and ignore the twinge in my chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Steven’s lips twist into a sneer. “Oh, I bet you don’t, Princess. Is that why you won’t call off your bodyguard?”
I reach Steven. “He’s here to make sure assholes like you don’t step out of line.”
His expression tightens. “I always had a feeling about you, but I never knew what it was. I told Noah that he wouldn’t be able to handle you, and it turns out, I was right.”
At the mention of Noah’s name, my stomach lurches again, and guilt courses through me.
What the hell did Noah tell Steven?
I ignore the blood roaring in my ears. “You’re wasting my time. I’ve got better things to—”
“I know you did something to Noah,” Steven hisses. “Don’t bother denying it. There’s more to the story than what Noah told me. You wouldn’t have just left him like that unless it was someone powerful or important or both. Women like you like to upgrade.”
I offer Steven a blank look. “I never took you for a conspiracy theorist.”
Steven takes a step in my direction, and my bodyguard throws out his arm to stop him. “If you have nothing to hide, why is he here?”
I step closer to the bodyguard. Then I lean in, so my mouth is next to his ear. “I know you have your orders, but I’m pretty sure you don’t want a scene, and that’s exactly what he’s going to cause if you don’t back off.”
A muscle ticks in the bodyguard’s jaw.
