It was time for me to protect him.
Tate wanted to see me, so he would. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about Lucas being attacked from three corners instead of just two.
Wringing the absurdly small purse in my hands, I walked up to the front door. I could hear what sounded like a small orchestra playing Mozart. Freaking Mozart. It sounded as if the party was a hell of a lot like I’d guessed last night, but I’d been joking. I hadn’t really expected ball gowns and caviar, despite Lucas’s alluding to a high-class affair when we’d talked about it last night.
After taking a calming breath that did nothing at all for my nerves, I knocked. The door swung open immediately, and two large men in designer suits stood there.
They looked me up and down, the appreciation in their eyes all too clear.
The one on the left raised his brows. “Are you one of Suzy’s girls? I haven’t seen you around here before.”
“N-no.” So. The prostitutes were already here. Lovely. I forced a smile and stopped strangling my poor purse to death. “I’m with Lucas. Lucas Donahue. I’m his—”
“Girlfriend.” Chris came up behind the two men, looking hotter than ever in his suit. His brown hair was gelled and styled to perfection, and I swore he had the whole five-o’clock shadow thing down to a science. “And he wouldn’t appreciate your insinuation.”
The man on the left flushed and stepped back. “Of course. I apologize.”
“Come in, miss.” The one on the right scowled at the other man. “Ignore Frank here. He’s always been an idiot who doesn’t know how to treat a lady.”
Chris stepped forward, his whole body tense and ready to pounce. “Maybe he needs to be reminded to think before he fucking speaks.”
“It’s fine, really.” I glanced at Chris, then at the pale man to my left. “It was obviously just an honest misunderstanding.”
Chris walked up to me and placed a hand on my lower back. “Make sure it doesn’t happen again. Take her coat and go back to your posts.”
The man who wasn’t Frank helped me slip off my wrap, and they both gave Chris respectful nods before walking away. I returned to strangling my purse. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yeah, I did.” He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “I thought you weren’t coming. Does Lucas know?”
I shook my head. “Nope. As a matter of fact, he made it very clear I wasn’t welcome.”
“Damn, girl.” He whistled through his teeth. “You’ve got balls.”
“Not the last time I checked,” I said dryly.
He snorted and gave me a gentle shove toward the room where the majority of the crowd was gathered. “Come on. I’ll escort you inside and keep you safe when he starts breathing fire.”
My heart thumped loudly in my ears, and I let him guide me to the room’s entryway. As soon as I caught sight of it all, I froze. Stunning jewelry adorned the most beautiful of women, all clad in evening gowns of the latest fashions. All around me in the marble-floored room, men conversed in small groups, most of them with a woman or two on their arms. It all looked so very civil. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think this was a party for the Boston Brahmins.
There was even a cop there. A freaking cop. I recognized him from evening news reports, and he’d recently won an award for cleaning up the streets of Steel Row. I felt like I’d fallen straight down the rabbit hole and landed in Wonderland. Eyes wide, I stared at everyone. I knew all the men were armed with at least one weapon beneath those Gucci suits, and all of them could likely kill a person without batting an eye. Including Lucas. Speaking of which . . .
It didn’t take me long to find him.
He stood in the corner, facing slightly away from us. A gorgeous woman in a silky red dress ran her hand over his arm, but he shrugged her off, ignoring her completely. As he chatted to her escort, he glanced over at Chris, a cocky grin on his face. At least until he saw me.
Then he looked ready to kill. Or breathe fire, like Chris had said earlier. I sucked in a deep breath and stepped back, my heart speeding so fast it hurt. “Oh God.”
Chris chuckled. “Too late to back down now. Tate saw you, too, and is coming this way. If you leave, it’ll look bad, and all of this will be for nothing. Lift that chin, doll. It’s time for a show.”
Forcing my attention off the furious man stalking my way, I scanned the room for signs of this “Tate.” A young, way too hot man walked toward me. But that couldn’t be Tate . . . could it? I’d thought he’d be, you know, older. “That’s not him, is it?”
“Hm?” Chris glanced over at the guy I couldn’t stop staring at. Not because I was attracted to him or anything, but because he was the opposite of what I’d expected him to be. “Yeah. That’s him. Why?”
I swallowed hard. The incredibly attractive man walking toward me oozed danger. Even more so than Lucas . . . which was saying a lot. He had red hair and blue eyes and was clean-shaven. He looked as if he was more comfortable at a charity gala than in a gunfight, but I didn’t let that fool me into thinking he wasn’t a dangerous man. “I thought he’d be older. I mean, he’s in charge, right?”
“Yeah. His father died recently, and he took over.”
I glanced toward the real threat. Lucas. He was almost at my side, and even from across the room, I could feel his stare, as he did his best to glare holes through my black dress. I stepped closer to Chris. I didn’t think I’d ever see the day where I thought he’d be the safer option, considering how we’d met, but tonight he was. “Oh God.”
“You already said that,” Chris muttered. “Smile, doll. He’s a foot away.”
I plastered a smile on.
Chris stepped forward. “Tate, meet Heidi Greene, the now-famous woman that Lucas risked his life to save,” Chris said, his voice practically booming over the crowded room. “You can see why, I’m sure.”
“Indeed.” Tate held his hand out. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Greene. I’ve heard so much about you. Lucas had said you couldn’t make it tonight, so I’m pleased to see he was mistaken. If he was trying to keep you away, I can’t say I blame him. If you were mine, I’d hide you away, too. And I know exactly where I’d keep you.”
My cheeks heated. I threw a fast glance Lucas’s way before sliding my hand into Tate’s. If anything, Lucas looked even more pissed at the contact. “I was busy, but I cleared my schedule for Lucas . . . and you, of course.”
“Excellent.” He gave me a once-over, his eyes lit up with male appreciation. The significance of that wasn’t lost on me. Another man slipped up to us and whispered something in Tate’s ear. Tate turned aside for an inaudible conversation. After a moment, he nodded. “If you’ll excuse me for a second?”
“Of course,” I said in a rush.
Tate walked away, and I let out a quiet, relieved sigh. One down, one to go. As he walked away, he motioned for Lucas to follow him. Lucas shot me a scowl, promising me that my future would include severe punishment, I was sure, but obediently followed Tate out of the room. I’d been granted a reprieve. A small one, but still.
It was better than nothing.
“Shit,” Chris muttered, stepping closer. His gaze was locked on something right behind Tate’s head, and he looked like he’d swallowed a box full of screws. “Shit, fuck, shit.”
“What?” I rose onto my tiptoes. “What’s wrong? And where’s Lucas going?”
“Come on,” Chris said, his voice low. Spinning on his heel, he led me across the room. “I need to hide you until—”
We made it only two steps before a voice stopped us.
“Not so fast, Chris,” an unfamiliar, and yet somehow eerily familiar, voice said from behind us. “I didn’t even get to say hello to the lady on your arm.”
Chris’s arm went stiff under my hand. “Didn’t you? We were just—”
“I know who she is.” The man walked in front of us and stopped. The second he did, I knew who he was. Even if I hadn’t seen his picture on Lucas’s fridge, I
would have known. The eyes were the same, and so was the hair. They even had the same facial structure, the same cocky grin. But that was where the similarities ended. Where Lucas’s eyes were warm whenever he looked at me, Scotty’s were cold as ice. “Ms. Greene, right?”
I wanted to do something violent. Hit him. Shoot him. Something. Anything. He deserved it for trying to kill his brother . . . and me. But instead, I gave him a bright smile and pretended I had no clue who he was. “Yes. And you are . . .?”
“Scott. Scott Donahue.” He cocked his head and caught my hand, raising it to his lips. When he kissed my knuckles, I had to fight the urge to wipe my hand off on my dress. “I’m sure my brother mentioned me once or twice.”
“Oooh . . . right.” I blinked. “Yes, yes. Of course. I’ve heard so much about you . . . and how much you love your big brother.”
The smile faltered a little bit, but not enough. “Right.”
“Well, now you’ve met her.” Chris cleared his throat. “We should go find Lucas. He’ll be waiting for us.”
“What’s the rush?” Scotty asked, still holding on to my hand. I fought the urge to yank it back, because if I did, he’d think he intimidated me. He didn’t. “He’s with Tate, and I want to get to know Ms. Greene here a little bit better. She is dating my brother, after all.”
Chris’s grip on my waist tightened. “You know her well enough, I think.”
I nodded. “It was nice meeting you, though.”
“Not so fast.” Scotty stepped closer and smiled at me. Chris cursed under his breath. “Tell me more about how you and my brother met.”
Chris stepped closer to me, reaching for his gun. “You need to back the—”
“I heard he saved your life, risking his own in the process,” Scotty said, watching me closely. He rubbed his jaw, rotating his shoulders and letting out a small laugh. “Which doesn’t sound like my brother at all, if you ask me.”
I lifted my chin. “Guess you don’t know him as well as you think, then, because it sounds like him to me.”
“It makes me wonder just how much you mean to him.” He tilted his head back, focusing all his unwavering attention on me. I didn’t like how his single look almost made my legs quiver. “And letting such a vital piece of information get out to the general public? He knows better.”
Even though his words sent a shiver down my spine, I refused to show it. Refused to let him get to me. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“I mean that you’re obviously important to him,” Scotty said, scanning his gaze over the crowd. “It was clear from the second he saved you, completely disregarding the ramifications of his actions. In doing so, he revealed his biggest, and perhaps only, weakness. You.”
“He was doing the right thing,” I said quickly, forcing a laugh. “That’s it.”
Scotty flexed his jaw. “If you say so, sweetie.”
Rage, hot and red, flashed in front of my eyes. The fact that he could stand here, idly chatting with me while he plotted to kill the man we spoke of, chilled me to the bone. “Don’t call me sweetie. I’m not your sweetie.”
Chris chuckled. “Like I said. Balls, doll. Balls.”
“Scotty,” Lucas said. I’d sensed him before I heard him. He walked up behind me, and the tension rolled off him in waves. Tidal waves. “Is there a problem here?”
“Nah.” Scotty dropped his hand and ducked his head. “No problems here. We were just chatting.”
I dug my nails into my palm. It was either that or scratch Scotty’s face off. “It was lovely meeting you, Scotty.”
“Yeah.” Scotty flushed at the nickname. “Likewise.”
When Scotty didn’t walk away, Lucas tipped his head. “Was there something else you needed, brother?”
He stared at Lucas, long and hard, and then stepped closer, lowering his voice. I barely heard him, so I knew Chris didn’t, though it looked as if he strained to do so. “You shouldn’t be so obvious about your feelings, you know. You taught me better. You never know who might be watching.”
Lucas slung an arm over my shoulders. He looked relaxed and totally unshakeable. As if nothing affected him, least of all Scotty. But I could feel the tension in his biceps. He was far from unmoved. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Tate walked out, a glass of champagne in his hand. Lifting it high, he came over to Lucas’s side. The cop set his drink down and left the room, as if he knew what was coming and wanted plausible deniability. “Everyone, I’d like to raise a glass to celebrate. As with all loyal members of this organization, Lucas has done his time, kept his mouth shut, and now he will be rewarded. You’re looking at the new head of imports and exports.”
A few low murmurs spread over the room. Lucas’s hand stroked my bare shoulder as if he didn’t have a care in the world, but I knew better. That muscle in his jaw was ticking away like a clock. Scotty watched Lucas, but he had a hard glint in his eyes. It legit sent a cold fist of fear squeezing over my heart. Fear for Lucas. Something was very wrong with Scotty, and he was fixated on Lucas.
He smiled and held his hand out, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Congrats, brother.”
“Thanks.” Lucas smiled back at him and shook his hand. “Just goes to show what a little hard work and time can do.”
“Is that what you’re calling it?” Scotty asked.
Tate watched the two of them, his brow furrowed. “Is there a problem here?”
“Nope,” Lucas said.
“Absolutely not,” Scotty said. “I was just leaving, actually.”
He walked away, his strides long and unhurried. He looked as if he had all the time in the world to kill his brother . . . and didn’t mind the delay in the slightest.
It was terrifying.
“Ignore him,” Lucas said to Tate, still not speaking to me even though his grip was unyielding. “He’s been anxious for his shot at the big leagues.”
Tate nodded. “He might be a little upset, but you earned it. He’ll accept that and move on.” He paused and gripped my shoulder. “You okay, Ms. Greene? You look a little pale.”
I bit my tongue. I wanted to tell Tate so badly that Scotty was trying to kill Lucas. Yet if I did that, I’d be betraying Lucas, and there would be no coming back from that. “Y-yes, of course. I’m just so happy for Lucas.”
“Me, too,” Tate said, smoothing his suit jacket. “Now that the announcement’s out, time to get down to business. If you’ll excuse me?”
“Mind if I cut out early?” Lucas asked. He smirked and ran his hand down my bare arm. “We’ve got some celebrating to do, if you know what I mean.”
Tate laughed. “Of course. But I’ll expect you at the office first thing in the morning. We have lots to go over.”
“Of course,” Lucas murmured.
“It was lovely meeting you, Mr. Daniels,” I said quickly, extending my hand. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
He kissed it. “Anytime, my dear.”
The second he walked away, Lucas dropped his hold on me like I was a hot potato. And his casual nothing bothers me act. “What did he say to you?”
“Nothing,” I answered quickly, crossing my arms in front of me. “It was nothing.”
He looked at me for a moment, studying my features carefully before his eyes turned to stone. He must have seen the lurking fear in my face.
“You shouldn’t have come here,” he growled, dragging his hand through his hair. When he focused on me, I took a step backward before I caught myself. He no longer looked at me with warmth or anything even akin to it. No, he looked . . . he looked like Scotty. Cold. Calculated. Pissed. “You should not have fucking come here.”
CHAPTER 25
LUCAS
It took all my control not to lose my shit, right here, in front of everyone. To not grab her by the elbow and drag her out of the room like she was an errant child. She’d behaved like one when she’d decided to come here, after I’d expressly forbidden her from doing so. If she hadn�
�t come here, she never would have met Scotty. And if she’d never met Scotty, she’d be in significantly less danger.
Heidi didn’t even realize it, but by coming here tonight . . .
She’d signed her own fucking death warrant.
I took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching my fists on the count of five. When it came to her, I wasn’t good at acting the way I was supposed to act. I’d saved her when I should have minded my own business. I’d let her creep by the years and years of defenses I’d built around myself, and now I cared about whether she lived or died.
And to repay me, she’d come here tonight and basically thrown her life away.
I was going to kill her myself, and save Scotty the trouble. Growling, I yanked on my bow tie—which was doing its best to strangle me—and jerked my head toward the exit. “We’re going home. Now. Get your coat.”
Her gaze flitted to the door, then back to me, and she swallowed. “Lucas . . .”
“Now.”
“Look, man,” Chris said, stepping in front of her, as if she needed protection from me. Me. I was the only one keeping her alive, for fuck’s sake. God himself knew she wasn’t. “She didn’t mean any harm. She was just trying to help—”
“Help? This was, in no way, shape, or form a help to me. And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll back the hell off.” I stepped up in his personal space, using all of my extra height on him. “This is none of your goddamn business.”
Chris flushed. “I’m not your employee, dickhead, and neither is she. You can’t boss us around like—”
Us? Since when were the two of them a team? Jealousy, as uncomfortable as it was unfamiliar to me, hit me in the gut. Hard.
“The hell I can’t,” I growled, needing to get my rage out somehow. I needed an escape, and this was it. Chris, my best friend, my real brother, was my outlet for this inner hell I was stuck in. “Watch me.”
I started to swing, completely prepared to beat the shit out of him in the middle of the crowded room, when Heidi threw herself in front of him. “Lucas, no. Not here. Too many people are watching.”
Dare To Run (The Sons of Steel Row #1) Page 23