“Does she look like an object, you ignorant twit,” I gritted, then glanced down at Mikaela, offering her a comforting smile. “She’s a beautiful woman worthy of adoration, not lust.”
Her breath hitched at my words. She turned fully to face me, her rare smile appearing and almost stopping my heart. God, she was stunning. His disgruntled groan barely made a dent in my focus. The arsehole walked away.
“Thank you for the kind words.”
“They’re not meant to be kind, love. It’s the truth. You’ve been through so much, and one day, someone will look at you and say, here comes the queen, all dressed in strength and ready to own the world.”
“Will they?”
“As long as you believe you are, whether they say so or not, won’t matter much. A woman is only as strong as the weakness she allows to consume her. A queen, on the other hand, only allows her weakness to consume her when she puts her people before her, protecting them with everything she has.”
“Like a lioness.” She laughed. The sound had my body tightening with a need I stopped questioning around her.
“A lioness will kill to protect and love, yet she knows when to submit to her king.” I ran a finger along her jaw.
“Queen indeed.”
I recognized the voice before turning around at the same time Mikaela did. Her startled gasp distracted me, halting my reply.
“Hello, little one.” Andrew Turner, his smile an evil resemblance I knew well, ran gluttonous eyes the length of her body.
Mikaela was shaking now, her beautiful features mutating into that mask of terror I encountered the first time. As if summoned by her panic alone, Wilkes materialized. His stance protective; he sheltered Mikaela between him and me.
Andrew smacking his lips drew my attention. “If I knew the dirty little kitten would transform into a sultry whore, I would’ve kept you for myself.”
Rage flipped my calm switch. In one quick move, my hand wrapped around the man’s throat, squeezing until his eyes bulged and his face puffed crimson, begging for air. “You and I both know I don’t appreciate people touching what doesn’t belong to them, Turner,” I warned, my voice low and deadly. My grip tightened, forcing the man to his knees. “Especially if there’s a Sinclair attached to it.” He scratched at my hand, his eyes pleading for mercy. “You’d be wise to walk away and never look at her again.”
Releasing him, I turned away, not caring that a hundred eyes watched our interaction. “Come.” I offered Mikaela an arm.
“You’re going to regret this, Sinclair,” Andrew choked out, coughing to ease the stiffness my grip left behind. “She’s not yours.”
Pausing, I slowly turned, Mikaela’s grasp tightening on one arm and the other side. Wilkes’ sidearm glared at me as he shifted his jacket back, a silent message passing between us. My bodyguard knew I could flatten Andrew if I wanted to. A quick slip of my hand and I’d have the bastard on his arse and a hole through his heart. Those present, watching us in palpable silence, wouldn’t bat an eyelid. They wouldn’t dare to. Winthrop blood—pure royalty—ran through my veins, yet I rarely, if not never, took advantage of its title.
Still, I was considered a respectable man to most, soft-hearted and generous to others. Cross me, and I became a dangerous one.
But it was Mikaela’s sudden sob that had my fist balling at my side and my gaze dropping to her pained expression. I’d worked hard to suppress that gaunt look of fear, tainting her lovely features like it had never disappeared in the first place. The hard truth bared its teeth in this open arena, taunting my resolve to take her hand and walk away. Andrew didn’t just know her; he’d hurt her. Anger, a pissing contest with my need to calm her, I gritted my teeth.
My gaze jumped from her to him and back. “Ella,” I said softly, asking her to reveal the secrets that haunted her, promising her the safety she needed.
Her eyes found mine, their agony telling a tall tale I needed to hear. “Please,” she whispered, her chin trembling, her fingers biting into my arm as though she sought strength not to break down.
“Let’s go.” I slipped a hand around her waist, and she immediately sagged into me. Leaning down, I scooped her up into my arms, and her face buried into my neck. Before I turned away, I shot Turner a scathing glare. “You’regoing to regret this,” I threw his words back at him in a sharp hiss. Then I looked at Wilkes. He accepted my silent instruction with a subtle dip of his head. Tightening my hold on Mikaela, I walked off, not missing Turner’s indignant sulk not to shove him as Wilkes led him away. Manhandling was the least of his problems.
When I reached the entrance, Ramone was already there with the limo running and the door open. Wilkes probably called him the second Turner stirred the pot. My chaotic insides sparring with my impatience to hear what he’d done to her, I slid into the leather seat, keeping Mikaela in my lap. A second after the vehicle glided away, I felt her body succumb to the tears she’d kept at bay.
With one hand curled around her waist, the other slid her hair back to uncover her tear-soaked face. She lifted watery eyes to meet mine, her body wracked by soft sobs. “You want to talk about it?” I gently coaxed.
She shook her head, then as if she remembered my coaching, a barely audible “no” slipped through her lips, her lids closing again.
Sighing, I chose not to push her. Instead, I wrapped her in a tight embrace, offering her my comfort for now, and stared at the passing scenery that flew by as Ramone stepped on the accelerator.
Some part of me knew Andrew was involved with Kabir, but I chose to believe he hadn’t touched Mikaela. That he’d merely assisted the other man in his horrendous endeavor to sell babies on the black market, nothing more. Only I had no solid proof to do anything about it.
Now, that inkling had festered. Mikaela’s response to him spoke a thousand words her mouth wouldn’t, and why I planned to deal with this the only way I knew how. Under wraps.
I wasn’t an idiot. I knew the men in Turner’s circles well. They wouldn’t hesitate to cover a friend’s arse. Hell, I’d belonged to that exclusive club and tasted the expensive whiskey their sins initiated. But unlike Turner, that was where my association ended. Anything beyond that was not privy to my ears. Simply because I chose not to pay attention. Unless it affected my interests, family, and, more importantly, the woman who’d taken my heart without asking.
I glanced down at Mikaela, disappointed that her thumb had found its way into her mouth again. If she were this affected as to resort to her safety net, Andrew might’ve done something more severe than just leer at her. The discomfort in my taut muscles begged for release. The bastard would pay if it were the last thing I did.
