The corner of his mouth moved. “Are we?”
“I feel like we might be.”
He looked at me for a long moment with that steady, unhurried attention of his, and what it was saying right now was entirely clear.
“Shower’s upstairs,” he said.
“I know where the shower is.”
“I’m just saying,” he said, “that there’s one available.”
I looked up at him and smiled. “Lead the way.”
He did.
Chapter twenty
Noah
I’d never been inside The Hargrove. It was the kind of place that hosted five-hundred-dollar-a-plate fundraisers and Galas, and man, I was grateful for the new suit.
From the second Jackson and I walked in, I was in awe. The lobby had gorgeous marble floors and chandeliers that sparkled overhead. The rooms were just as nice. Gator had managed to get us rooms there in the hotel, and the room itself was elegant in a way I thought only existed in the movies.
The plan was for us to be there for as short a time as possible, so we arrived with just enough time to check in and get dressed for the Gala. I’d spent a ridiculous amount of time in the bathroom trying to tame my hair, and when I walked out into the room, Jackson was ready to go. He was wearing a dark suit that lookedlike it had been custom-made for him. I’d known he owned the suit. The day we’d gone to get mine, he’d told me they’d all gotten suits at that shop, but theknowingand theseeingwere different things, because my Daddy was sexy AF.
I froze in the doorway and took him in, and he just stood there and let me look. He always looked good, but there was just something about a man in a well-made suit.
“You look great,” I said.
He let his eyes move over my body before saying, “So do you.”
My cheeks heated, which was ridiculous. This man had seen every single part of me, so him telling me I looked good shouldn’t have made me blush. But it wasn’t what he said; it was the heat in his eyes as he said it.
I drew in a breath and said, “We should probably get downstairs.”
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
“A little.”
“Kat sent something for you.” He walked over to the bed and reached into his bag, pulling out a black box and opening it to reveal a beautiful watch. He took it out and came back over to me. “This watch has a tracker in it. As long as you have it on, Kat will be able to find you. Hold out your wrist.”
I did as he said, and he carefully placed the watch around my wrist. “Listen to me. This is just a precaution. The guys are getting into position right now. No one will hurt you. You just get up there and deliver your message. You don’t have to worry about a thing, we got you.”
I leaned my forehead against his chest and took in a few deep breaths. Then I stood up straight and nodded. “Okay, let’s go.”
The Freedom Forward Gala had taken over the ballroom on the second floor, and the hallway leading to it was full of people in formal wear, standing around talking while they waited for it to start. Thankfully, none of them knew who we were, so we were able to avoid polite small talk and go on into the ballroom.
We walked past Hawk near the main entrance. He just gave us a nod and went back to observing the crowd. Wolfe was sitting at a table talking with a couple wearing clothes that looked like they cost more than I made in a year, and Gator and the twins were there somewhere, but I didn’t know where.
On our way down from our room to the ballroom, Jackson handed me a tiny little earpiece and told me to leave it in for the entirety of the Gala. With the manpower, the watch, and the earpiece, they’d gone to a lot of trouble, especially since we didn’t even know if there was a threat. I was grateful, though. The low hum of the ballroom noise and the occasional check-in from one of the guys was reassuring.
The ballroom was full of round tables with white cloths, with centerpieces that I recognized as ranunculus and eucalyptus.New beginnings and protection. Someone had known what they were doing. There was a low stage at the far end with a podium and a screen showing a loop of the foundation’s work.
I looked around the room until I spotted Dr. Maranda Reyes near the bar.
“I want to go say hi to Maranda first,” I said, and Jackson just nodded and went with me.
She was decked out in an elegant burgundy dress, heels, and some very nice expensive-looking jewelry. She looked sophisticated. Like this crowd of rich people was where she belonged, and nothing like the laid-back woman I’d had counseling sessions with over the last six months.
