A hand comes to my hip, with a light squeeze. “Good to see you’re eating,” comes Jagger’s voice over my shoulder. “I was about to cut off your champagne since you haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
I glare over my shoulder at him then refill my glass just to be spiteful. Fuck him. I hate him the most because I know he would have been the boss behind whatever decisions would have been made about me. Probably stands to get the most out of it as well.I guess that’s why he was so disappointed it was Asher who gets to marry me.
His glare narrows, and I know I’m pushing him. Well, good, fucker, you deserved to be pushed. “Your nuptials are all set to go ahead end of next week. Approval came through today.”
That sends my heart into overdrive. I have less than two weeks to find a way out. Or a card game in a moment of weakness is going to determine my life, and I can’t let that happen. Not now that I know the truth. Well, know there’s a truth they’re hiding from me.
The back door opens, and chatter fills the room as Sloane arrives with Onyx, Romeo, Reef, and Orlando. She looks stunning as ever in a silver dress and super-tall stilettos, a massive smile on her peachy lips. “I’m so glad you could all join me tonight.” The scent of vanilla wafts around her as she leans in to hug us one by one. I grip her hand and squeeze, my nails biting into the flesh. Desperate times call for the only thing I can think of to get her attention.
She looks me over, confusion swirling in her pretty eyes. “Give the girl some space, Jagger.” She shoos him off me, not quite what I wanted, but she’s on to me, and thank fuck. Now all I need is a second alone with her. “Romeo, you know all our marketing was done by Daisy here. She’s incredible, isn’t she?” she gushes.
Romeo comes to join her. “Wouldn’t have gotten this many people here without you. Nice work, Daisy.”
“Thanks.” I smile back. “It was nothing, really.”
“I hear you were one of our most profitable dancers as well, in the short time you worked for us. We still have men asking for you. Any chance in coming out of retirement to do a few shifts?”
Asher’s shirt sleeve brushes my arm. “Roster is full for now, Romeo.”
“It’s a shame.”
“Yeah, it is,” I agree. “I loved dancing in your club. As soon as I can, I would like to be back up on that stage.”
“I’m sure Asher can do something to make it happen, or are you trying to keep her all to yourself now that you put a ring on it?” Romeo slaps Asher on the back, and the two of them engage in some sort of silent stare-off. Asher’s face says it all: back the hell off.
“When Daisy is feeling better and gets the all clear from the doc, she can dance to her heart’s content, nothing would make me happier.”
I roll my eyes, his words pissing me off.
Sloane’s lips form a thin line, and she glares at her brother, probably wondering what he’s done now to annoy me so much.
“How the fuck did he get in this place?” Jagger growls from behind us. “Thought you said security was fucking tight, little sis,” he snaps as he stalks for the door of the sky box.
“Silas Vance is about to die.” Cruz pounds his fist into his hand, taking off behind him.
That name. I know that name. My skin goes all cold and clammy. The brother of the man who attacked me. What on earth is he doing here? Fuck.
“Stay here with Sloane and Onyx,” Jagger hisses in my direction before he’s out the door with Cruz, Asher, Reef, Orlando, and Romeo behind him. Their vigilante crew is so insane it would be comical if it wasn’t my life in the balance here. That man was going to do awful things to me, and as much as I don’t think anyone deserves to die, I would certainly sleep better at night knowing he wasn’t lurking out on the streets of Ravens Hollow anymore.
I move over to the window to see the man for myself. Onyx’s hand moves to stop me, and he shakes his head as if to say I can’t get any closer. The man never talks, but his expression is enough to stop me. I back up, turning toward Sloane.
Her eyes flash with something that looks a lot like sympathy. “Are you alright? You damn near made my hand bleed earlier,” Sloane tries to joke with me but even her voice is strained.
I look at Onyx, wondering how much I can trust him. He was there this morning, he knows this situation already. And it’s now or never. “I heard what you said to your brothers this morning.”
Her perfectly shaped brow rises. “Shit. I didn’t want you to find out like that, sis. I was trying to do the right thing, make them fess up themselves.”
My heart sinks because even though I know what I heard, part of me had been hoping I was somehow wrong about it all. “How bad is it? Please tell me the truth.” I push the words through clenched teeth.
She glances at Onyx then back to me. “You need to hear it from them.”
“They don’t tell me shit,” I huff, so exhausted by it all.
“They’re trying to protect you.”
“Bullshit. They’re getting something out of this. Something from Alex, from what I could gather this morning. To do with me and Moretti Media in Italy. Isn’t his share here in America big enough?” I’m trembling all over I’m so angry. I thought of all people, she would help me. She’s a part of this world, she gets it.
Her head drops. “It’s complicated, Daisy, so fucking complicated. But I can promise you my brothers only have your best interest at heart. They just have a fucking stupid way of going about shit.”
