Fury roars through my bloodstream and my fingers dig into the hold I have on her other arm, refusing to let go.
Kasey winces and I bite out a curse before releasing her.
“Can I talk to you?” It takes everything in me to ask, knowing now isn’t the time to approach her with any demands.
“I’m busy.” I don’t miss the way she worries her bottom lip as she says, “You should go back to your date.”
Willing myself not to cause a scene, I step closer until she’s trapped between Deacon and I. Dipping my voice low, I lean in close to whisper into her ear, not giving a shit if he hears me. “What the fuck are you doing here with him?”
It’s Deacon who answers. “I invited her. Does that bother you?” He glances around before tilting his head in the direction I left Tamara. “Why don’t you spend the evening with your date so I can enjoy the evening with mine.”
Over my dead body.
My hand curls into a fist and I glower at him before looking down at Kasey and dismissing him entirely.
“I told you I’d only be here for a few hours.”
Bright blue eyes meet mine and she lifts one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “Cool. I’ll see you around.”
Is she for real? “Kasey—“
“Dominique, what is going on over here?” My mother’s voice cuts through the air. Shit. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath before forcing myself to turn and face her.
“Nothing is going on,” I tell her. “Just talking with friends.”
Deacon snorts behind me, but I ignore it.
My mother’s attention flicks over Roman, Emilio, Allie, and Deacon in disinterest, but when she cranes her neck to see Kasey, her gaze lingers. Eyes narrowed, she tries to get a better look at my girl.
“Friends?” There’s a bite in her voice. “What sort of friend is she?” She gives me an expectant look and I move to my right, exposing Kasey to her gaze. If I didn’t, she’d just walk around me.
Kasey, for what it’s worth, offers my mother a polite smile and introduces herself, ignoring the tension that hangs like a heavy curtain in the room.
“I’m Kasey. It’s nice to meet you.” She holds out her hand and my mother eyes it like you would a bug under a microscope, making it clear she has no intention of shaking it.
Kasey drops her arm to her side, keeping her smile in place, but the light in her eyes dims.
Deacon takes a step closer to her, running his hand up and down her back to comfort her. Kasey swallows hard and leans into his touch.
Fucking hell.
“Did you need something?” My tone is sharp, bordering on disrespectful, but she made Kasey feel like shit for no fucking reason than because she could.
My family would never approve of Kasey, but after meeting with Andres DeAnde I realized when it comes to my parents’ approval, I don’t fucking care.
Why should their opinions matter when they’ve never cared about mine? My whole life they’ve tried to mold me into their perfect image, and in a way, I’ve accepted it.
Not anymore.
“Yes. Your father and I wanted to discuss your engagement—“
Kasey stiffens, blood draining from her face.
“—to Tamara.”
“There is no engagement,” I grind out.
I want to turn to Kasey and tell her there is no engagement. That this is just my mother’s bullshit delusion, but my mother saw Kasey’s reaction, and like the viper she is, she moves in to strike.
