Ryan
“Shadow?” Kate raised her brows. “What does that mean?”
Dom hummed. “It’s a nickname for someone very important in my life.”
Her petite nose wrinkled. “Quite an unusual one.”
“It’s because he’s my shadow,” Dom said, turning his arm back and forth so the light played over the ink. “The man I love is part of me. I can’t escape him, can’t hide from him. And even during my darkest moments, he’s with me. I might not always see him, but he’s there all the same. The tattoo is a reminder of that.”
Kate smiled, patting the name on his arm. My name. “He sounds like a very special man.”
Dom’s smile was strained now. “He is.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. My tie was no longer knotted, but I still felt as though I were choking. “Excuse me.”
I turned and collided with a broad chest. A hand came up to steady me, and I found myself staring into Rafe’s cold face. “Going somewhere? If Kate were my intended, Iwouldn’t be leaving her side during our engagement party.”
I blinked as Rafe’s fingers tightened on my shoulder. “Excuse me?”
Rafe’s smile was condescending. “Just saying that maybe you should pay more attention to your supposed fiancée.”
What the fuck was that supposed to mean?
A small hiss of air escaped me as Rafe’s grip tightened. I tried to jerk out of his hold but it was too firm. “What the fuck, man?”
Suddenly, Dominic was there, murder in his eyes. “You’re going to want to take your hands off him.”
Rafe tilted his head mockingly as his gaze slid to Dominic. “Or what?”
Max stepped up on my other side, Mimic next to him. Gone was his carefree attitude from earlier, only cool calculation remaining.
“Or this is going to get messy,” Dom said quietly. “Do you really want to cause a scene at Kate’s party?”
I noted that he didn’t include me in said party, but I was too stunned by the fact that the three of them were standing up for me to say anything. Dominic, I expected. But Max? Dom’s date?
“Rafe, stop.” Kate pushed her way between us, laying a hand on Rafe’s chest. When he didn’t let go of me, she touched his chin. “Raphael,stop.”
He blinked, like her words had finally pierced whatever bizarre fog had been clouding him. “Kit?”
“Stop,” she repeated firmly, pushing him backwards a step. Then another. “We need to talk.”
He nodded curtly and turned. Didn’t wait to see if she followed, just expected it.
“Kate.” I reached for her in alarm. “Should you be going with him?”
“He won’t hurt me,” she said distractedly, glancing over her shoulder at where the crowd was parting for her stepbrother. “He’s just upset.”
“I don’t understand why.” I frowned. “I feel like I’m missing something.”
“I just…” Her lips thinned as she glanced over again to see how far away he was. Almost to the doors. “I need to talk to him, okay? I’ll sort everything out. Trust me?”
“Of course.” I gave her a lopsided smile. “Always.”
“Well that was fucking weird,” Mimic said.
“Right?” I watched Kate disappear out of the door Rafe had just gone through. “It’s not just me?”
“Definitely not,” Max said.
