"What's that?"
"Nothing."
I follow Kase into the square of light that leads back to the main room, tucked carefully beneath his arm as he shields me from the world.
3
Kase
Imust be fucking stupid. Or maybe I just have a death wish. If any of the Spades figure out that Brooklyn Gardel is nearby, it will be all-out anarchy. Some will want to chuck her right back over the territory line. Others will want to keep her and barter with Calamity Gardel for her safe return. No matter what, it will be bad.
I do my best to keep her hidden, tucking her beneath my arm and keeping her facing the wall so that any passersby won't see her clearly. But we come up against a problem soon after exiting the hallway. The crowd around the dance floor has gotten larger, most people congregating for a slow, sensual song meant for pairs of sweethearts. There aren't many ways across without drawing attention to ourselves. If we shove our way through, the gig is up.
"I never thought I'd ask this again, but..." I drew in a deep breath. "Dance with me?"
Brooklyn glances up at me and then toward the bustling crowd. A ghost of a smile plays around the corners of her mouth.
"What a romantic you are, Kase. You don't have to make it sound like you're marching to your death. It's just a dance."
It was more than that, and we both knew it. I'm barely able to keep my hands off her. If we're pressed close on the dance floor, swaying to the beat as we had as teenagers, I'm not sure just how long my control will last. I'll drag her outside and fuck her against the side of the building. It's been so long since I've had her. So long since I told myself I was better off without her.
All of my lies come crumbling down around my ears. No matter how many women I've been with meanwhile, Brooklyn has always been the one. For good or ill, it's the God's-honest-truth.
"Come on," I grunt, yanking her into my arms. She smacks against my chest in a warm press of flesh. The outfit she's got on does little to hide her generously proportioned body. Her curves beg for my touch. I can feel that her nipples are hard and puckered. I know just how she'll sound when I draw one of them into my mouth and roll it between my teeth.
She doesn't resist me, sliding her hand into mine and another around my neck, pressing our foreheads together. She still smells fucking fantastic. I bury my face in her hair, inhaling deeply. It hides her from onlookers and giving me a hit of the thing I've been craving for years.
It takes probably a minute or two to cross the dance floor, but by the time we do, we're both breathing hard. The effort not to touch each other is insane. Her lips part, and I think she's about to say something when a voice calls my name.
"Kase!"
"Fuck. It's Cruz. Get out of here."
Brooklyn doesn't argue. She turns tail and hurries for the front door, narrowly avoiding a milling woman who blocks her path. I watch her go with a mixture of worry and longing. There's a little anger, too, though it's not aimed at her. Trust Cruz to ruin the moment.
When I turn to face him, a sneer twists my face. He doesn't look happy to see me either, but Holly's glued to his side, hand resting lightly on his elbow. At least I know he won't swing with Holly in the vicinity. She's got this notion in her head that if she gets us in the same room often enough, we'll make up. I want to save her time and effort and tell her it's never going to happen. That bridge burned long before she arrived on the scene.
"What do you want?" It comes out short and clipped.
"Just making sure you weren't running off," Cruz says, his frown deepening. "The party's not over yet. You don't get to skip out because you think you're better than all of this."
"I was taking a piss," I lie smoothly. "Is that illegal now?"
I can tell he doesn't believe a word I'm saying. He's learned from years of experience that I rarely tell the truth, especially to him.
"I know you let your dick lead you around Kase, but try to have a little class. I saw you with a woman. Don't fuck her here."
Fear and irritation duke it out in my head. On the one hand, I don't like the thought he caught sight of Brooklyn. Even if he doesn't know its her, he still knows I'm fucking someone or am about to. He'll be more nosy than usual trying to figure out who it is. But on the other, I bristle at the accusation he's lobbing at me. He'll never let me forget that it was my fault that dad died and that Brooklyn had been part of the cause.
I force a smile onto my face. It feels like a horrible, sneering thing.
"Fine. I'll just go then. Fuck her in the backseat of a car, since this place is too damn good for us."
"Kase-" Holly protests. Worry dances in her green eyes and even her blonde hair seems to quiver with her distress. I hate that it gets to me. She's Cruz's woman, not mine. But she worms her way past my defenses with wide-eyed concern.
"Save it, Holly," I say, cutting across her before she can say something conciliatory. "I'm out of here. Let Penny know I'll meet her at the mall later.”
"Kase, get your ass back here," Cruz growls.
