“We took a contract to watch over you until Dante was able to come and collect you. I was never working with him.” His eyes lock with mine. “That was the idea, until we all worked out he wasn’t the man he was pretending to be.”
“And you fell for me and decided not to give me back. Is that why you hit him? I saw you, that day at The Precinct when he came to get me, you punched him.”
He sighs heavily and runs his hand through his damp hair. “Time for breakfast.” He stands and heads for the door, leaving me staring at the back of his head. Damn him, it’s like one step forward two back, and I can’t do it anymore.
Chapter 21
Lie to Me
IfollowJaggerinthe direction of the kitchen, not done with our conversation even if he is. He can’t keep me locked out, it’s not fair. I deserve to know the truth about what was going on with him and my brother. It’s my life, not club business. “Jagger, get back here.”
He keeps moving, completely ignoring me. Frustration vibrates through me. I move a little faster, hoping to catch him before we run into the others and I know there is no chance of him opening up.
I stop dead when I find a rack full of suits and another with sparkly dresses on it filling the living space. “What’s all this?” I ask Cruz and Asher who are perusing the suit rack.
Cruz grins at me. “Remember when I said I needed a hand picking out a suit for Mal’s engagement party? I still need help, and since we can’t go to the store and we’re running out of time, they have kindly come to us.”
I can’t help but laugh. “How rich are you guys? This is a lot, and it wouldn’t have been easy to get them down that path.”
Asher holds up a dark suit, feeling the fabric. “We’ll send back what we don’t need.”
“But if that shit is important to you, very wealthy, baby. I could buy you a new gown for every day of the week and the diamonds to match.” Cruz motions to the lineup of jewelry boxes on the kitchen counter, a cheeky-as-hell grin on his face.
My eyes bulge. I knew they had a bit of money, it’s obvious in the way people jump when they tell them to, but I guess I thought most of that was out of fear of ending up tortured to death at Jagger’s club. This is the kind of money my late husband enjoyed. It’s mafia money or drug money. Either of those options I don’t like the idea of. “I know it’s tacky to ask, but since I’m marrying into the family, I feel it’s probably best I know what I’m getting into. How exactly do you boys have this kind of money cleaning up the streets or whatever it is you call what you do?”
“You’re right, it’s tacky,” Jagger mutters, looking over one of the racks of dresses. He holds up a ruby-red sparkly number and shoves it in my direction. “This one.”
I throw him a look, stepping out of reach. “What’s tacky is you thinking I will wear what you tell me to,” I sass as I glance through the lineup of shimmering dresses. They’re all stunning, but there’s something in me being dressed up in a fancy dress and paraded around that takes me back to my time with Valentine, and that fills me with sickness. “Maybe I can just wear something I already have.” I sigh. “How can we even go with the threat of my brother hanging over our heads? I thought it was too dangerous.”
“You will wear one of these,” Jagger grumbles, not answering my second question.
Irritation crawls under my skin. He’s really pissing me off now, thinking he can just ignore my questions and then demand I do as I’m told. Ignoring him, I move to the suits and start looking for something that would suit Cruz, thinking it has to be easier than dressing myself and dealing with the hurtful way Jagger is acting.
Cruz places a hand softly on my back. “Security will be tight; you’ll be safe with us. And if your brother and his men show up or any of the fucking Serpents, we’ll deal with them.”
His words don’t fill me with any confidence after what happened yesterday. My family was one step ahead of us, and even though we all came away unscathed, it doesn’t mean we will get so lucky next time. One of the suits catches my eye. It’s a little different, in a navy blue with a pattern through the fabric, and I know instantly it’s the one for him. I hold it up in his direction. “Try this one.”
Cruz’s lips twist, and he drops his pants right here in the living room, followed by his shirt.
I hold the suit for him until he’s ready for it then pass it over, not even pretending not to check him out. Muscles like his shouldn’t be legal. He shimmies into the pants, zipping the fly and doing up the top button. They fit him like they were madefor him, then he buttons the shirt and rolls the sleeves just so. My mouth pops open, enjoying the show a little too much. I never knew it could be so damn sexy to watch a man put clothes on before.
“I can’t wear the jacket. Too restrictive.” He shoves it back in my direction, implying that his arms are too massive to bother. He’s probably right.
I hug it to my chest, still not able to look away. “You don’t need it anyway.” I smirk back. Damn, he looks fine.
He winks back at me. “You’re wet just checking me out in this, aren’t you, baby?”
I bite into my lip, not admitting to anything. “You look nice all dressed up.”
“Nice,” he huffs. “I bet I look better than nice.” He moves down the hall and into the gym, I’m guessing to check himself out in the wall-to-wall mirrors in there.
I glance over my shoulder to find Asher, half-dressed in a dark gray suit and a pale blue shirt. “I think this is the one.” He grins back at me.
“Definitely.” I match his smile, glad I came down in time for this show this morning. How did I get so lucky.
“It’s your turn now,” Jagger growls from behind me. The blow job I gave him clearly didn’t do anything to perk up his bad mood.
“You picking out something as well?” I snip back, not wanting the focus on me. The way I’m feeling toward him right now, I’m ready for a showdown.
