I see the eyes flare on some of the men at the sight of me with their brother. Blue told me he’d been warned off me, and given his president’s friendship with my father, I can’t help wondering what’s going to happen.
We move through the crowd, and Blue stops to greet a couple of men, then leads me to the bar and sets me on one of the few open stools. He stands next to me, squeezing in between me and a woman on the next stool.
When she turns, I recognize her as the woman who came and found us that night in the pecan grove. The one who warned Blue I was just seventeen at the time.
Her smile fades when she sees me, then her gaze connects with Blue’s.
A look passes between them.
“Blue,” she whispers. “Does Rio know?”
Instead of replying, he introduces us. “Luisa, this is our president’s ol’ lady, Shelby. Shelby, this is Luisa Sanchez.”
She extends her hand. “Luisa.”
“Where is he?” Blue asks Shelby.
“In his office, giving Zig a fifty-year-old bottle of scotch for his birthday. I imagine they’re sharing a drink.”
“Nice.” He motions over one of the guys behind the bar and orders two bottles of beer. After they slide in front of us, he presses a kiss to my head. “I’ll be back in a minute.” Then his eyes shift to Shelby. “Keep her company, will ya?”
“With pleasure,” Shelby says.
“You’re not leaving me, are you?” I snag his hand before he disappears, panic bubbling up.
“I won’t be long. Don’t worry. No one will bother you.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because you walked in with me, and if they do, I’ll kill ‘em.” The way he says it, sounds like he one-hundred percent means it.
“I’ll take care of her, Blue. Don’t worry,” Shelby says, patting my knee.
Blue gives me a wink, then the crowd swallows him up.
In the mirror behind the bar, I see several sets of eyes on me.
“He’s right, you know,” Shelby says. “No one will dare bother you.”
“If you say so,” I murmur, not convinced, and drag my sweaty palms across my jeans. I barely touch the bottle of beer.
“Luisa, may I be blunt with you?”
“Yes.”
“I’m not sure why he’s brought you today, but I—”
“He wants me to see what I’m getting myself into.”
“I see. Have you been seeing him since I caught you together at your sister’s wedding?”
“Not exactly.”
“I take it you’ve been keeping it under wraps?”
“Yes, but don’t blame Blue; I wouldn’t leave him alone.”
She laughs. “Blue’s quite capable of saying no. Don’t worry about trying to protect him. Blue wouldn’t have brought you here if he weren’t ready for it to be out in the open.”
