Dom kisses my temple. “Remember the plan. I’m your boyfriend. Ryder and Liam are the couple who happen to share our living arrangement for convenience.”
“Which isn’t entirely untrue,” Liam adds with a smirk.
“It’s nobody’s business what happens behind closed doors,” Dom reminds us.
Ryder hands me my clutch. “Ready to face the wolves?”
My stomach twists, but then Dom’s hand settles on my lower back, Liam gives me a reassuring nod, and Ryder winks. Something settles in me—the realization that for the first time, I’m not walking into one of these events alone and unprotected.
“Yes,” I say, straightening my shoulders. “Let’s show them what we’re made of.”
Dom’s sleek black Bentley waits outside, its engine purring softly. As we slide into the spacious back seat, Ryder pulls me onto his lap instead of letting me take my own seat.
“The dress is too beautiful to wrinkle,” he murmurs, his lips brushing my ear.
I settle against him, watching as Liam takes the middle seat and Dom slides in last, closing the door behind him. The tinted windows seal us into our own private world, and the privacy screen means even the driver can’t see us.
“Twenty-minute drive,” Dom says.
Ryder’s hands immediately find their way to my thighs, tracing circles on the exposed skin where my dress has ridden up. His other arm wraps around Liam, pulling him closer until their shoulders press together.
“Nervous?” Liam asks, reaching over to intertwine his fingers with mine.
“A little,” I admit.
Ryder nips playfully at my neck. “Don’t be. We’ve got you.”
His hand slides up Liam’s thigh now, making him inhale sharply. Dom watches with dark eyes, his jaw tightening with arousal.
“Behave,” Dom warns, though his voice lacks conviction.
Ryder smirks. “That’s rich coming from you.”
Dom’s hand finds my knee, his thumb stroking small circles that send shivers up my spine. The four of us are connected by touch, the air heavy with unspoken desire.
When the car finally rolls to a stop, camera flashes already visible through the tinted windows, Dom straightens his tie and turns to us with a serious expression.
“Remember, Cora and I are together. Ryder and Liam are a couple. We’re friends who live together. No touching beyond what friends would do once we’re in public. Save the rest for home.” His eyes move over each of us purposefully. “Understood?”
“Yes, Daddy,” we respond in unison.
The driver opens the door, and the world outside rushes in—camera flashes, distant murmurs, the soft orchestral music drifting from the venue.
Dom steps out first, extending his hand to help me emerge from the car.
The towering doors of the Regal Hotel ballroom loom before us, gold-trimmed and imposing. My grip on Dom’s arm tightens until my knuckles turn white. Somewhere in that sea of tuxedos and evening gowns, my father waits.
“You’re cutting off my circulation,” Dom murmurs, but his hand covers mine reassuringly.
“Sorry,” I whisper, loosening my grip. “I haven’t seen him since...”
Since he watched me being used as a pawn in a revenge plot, since he stormed out of Purgatory, his face twisted with disgust and rage.
Dom’s jaw tightens. “You don’t owe him anything, Cora.”
We step through the threshold together, Liam and Ryder close behind us. The ballroom is a glittering marvel of crystal chandeliers and champagne towers. Heads turn our way immediately—some curious, some scandalized, all judgmental.
I spot my father across the room, surrounded by his usual entourage. His eyes lock with mine for a split second before he deliberately turns away, whispering something to Senator Hardwick beside him. The rejection stings, but I’m surprised to find it doesn’t devastate me.
