“Our dates have arrived,” Mattie squealed, hurrying over to open the door.
“You mean your dates. I have to make an appearance with Ale…”
My words dried up as I got my first look at the two princes in the doorway.
Fuck me sideways and dead.
Rafe and Jordan. Side by side. Both in fancy black suits. Their outfits were clearly custom made to fit their broad shoulders and tapered down to slim hips. Jordan actually wore a tie with his, but Rafe’s was open collar, and as he moved, I caught a tantalizing glimpse of bronze skin.
“Jesus, Violet,” Jordan said as he stalked closer to me, his long-legged strides eating up the distance between us in seconds. “You look unbelievably beautiful.”
He caught and held my gaze, and it was like he’d never seen another chick in his life.
The intensity…
I swallowed hard. “Thanks. I mean, this is all just a fancy designer dress and Mattie’s makeup chick. I didn’t really do anything.”
Rafe’s laugh was low and raspy, and I almost arched my spine as that sound caressed my ears.
“The wrappings have nothing on the present,” he said, finally moving closer. Side by side with Jordan, it was obvious he was a tiny bit taller, a little broader, and a lot darker. But Jordan more than held his own, one of the few men in the world—that I knew of anyway—who could come close to touching the Fallen Angel beauty of Rafe.
His fighting persona was an apt description.
“I already hate tonight,” I whispered, some of my vulnerability appearing. “Watching you two dance with other women, having to touch Alex, that fucking piece of shit.”
Knowing my luck, Brandon would be there too, probably teaming up with Claudette to commit some atrocity toward me.
I mean, I hadn’t seen his pathetic face since the fight, but no doubt he’d had time now to lick his wounds and would be raring for some revenge.
Rafe wrapped his hand around the back of my neck in a sudden, possessive sort of move. Now normally, with anyone else, I would have fought against this type of hold, but with Rafe, I just wanted to step closer. Press against him. Have him strip this fucking dress, which had taken ten minutes just to get on, right off me.
A low rumble filled the space between us, and I realized it was from him. “Tonight is the last night we do this with Alex,” he said softly, but with a deadly undertone. “After this, I don’t care what we have to pay, we are going to end this bullshit.”
Hope. It was a dangerous line to walk because when it was dashed, the pain was beyond devastating. But in that moment with Rafe, I believed what he said. This was the last time I’d have to endure Alex, the last time I’d be forced to touch or kiss someone I detested to keep myself alive.
“Okay,” I whispered. “I can do this. I can do this for one more night.”
Rafe’s grip tightened, not that he was hurting me, but he was forcing me closer and closer. Jordan didn’t move, so I was touching both of them.
“That’s my girl,” Rafe murmured, before he leaned in and kissed me. When he let me go, his hand falling from my neck, I almost groaned at the loss of contact.
Jordan came to the rescue, distracting me with a kiss of his own. “The virus should complete tonight anyway,” he told me when he pulled back. “If it all goes to plan, Alex will be out of your life for at least the few months it’ll take his family to sort that mess out.”
A few months wasn’t much, but I’d take it. Jordan’s idea would at least buy us some more time for a more permanent plan after Alex got himself out of this one.
There was another knock on the door, and I knew it was time for us to get moving.
As I straightened, Mattie hurried forward and fixed up my lip-gloss, and then we were ready to go.
Nolan hurried inside the room. “Sorry!” he called, giving his sister a hug. “I got my underwear stuck in my zipper, and it took me twenty minutes to free myself without breaking my dick. Was a fucking mission with a cock this size, let me tell you.”
Mattie hauled her arm back, but Jordan grabbed her hand before she could land her strike. Jordan was her date for the night, Rafe and Nolan were going solo, and I was on my way to a date with the devil.
My palm reader buzzed, and I knew it was Alex. Fucker had timing, that was for sure.
Alex:Waiting at the front entrance. Do not arrive with those fucking assholes.
Every word chafed at me, and I was having some doubts I would make it through tonight after all. Hurrying back to the mirror, I took a second to look the dress over again, this time with different eyes.
