LOREN
My skin pebbled in goosebumps as he walked through the crowd. Men and women parted for him, many sneering as Darren walked by, not pleased with his presence. Several others regarded him cautiously, understanding the dangerous man in their midst, and probably the most interesting were the few that seemed pleased by his arrival. I filed their faces away to share with Atticus later. It was nice having a job too, helping me stress less about what was at stake.
It also helped me not focus on Darren and the immense urge I had to kick him in the balls for thinking it was okay to use Cami as a bargaining chip.
When I’d met him on the train, I’d thought he was an attractive man. He was tall, probably around forty, and well built. He had eyes that pierced you and cheekbones most would kill for. His dark hair was slicked back now, and the effect only added to the whole evil persona he had going for him. His suit was tailored to his body, providing a menacing ensemble. Assessing him under this new light, I realized how much Darren had held back in our encounters. He’d used charisma to attempt to win me over, shielding the sinister man that was beneath. There were no attempts at hiding who he was now.
Darren was evil incarnate, and genuine fear bubbled up as I looked at him.
He continued to slow clap his way up to the front, and I scanned the crowd to see if the other two had made it yet. The staff had been given their pictures and were told to bring them straight to us, but Brian wasn’t great at following directions and would attempt to find a way around an escort. It appeared, for now, we only had one threat to worry about.
Atticus’ hand brushed my lower back, steadying me, and I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. My whole body had been shaking, and I needed to keep it together, or I’d faint in front of all these people. Slowly, I tilted the flute up to my mouth, pretending to take a sip. Sax had warned me not to eat or drink anything unless someone I knew had handed it to me, but the motion gave me time to collect myself.
I swear I heard a growl behind me at my action, and it made me smile, bolstering me. I wasn’t alone.
Lowering the glass, I leaned in closer to Atticus, feeling his warmth along my side, and slowly turned my gaze to meet Darren’s. As I expected, he was staring right at me with that stupid grin on his face. Gripping the glass, I stilled my hand from tossing it in his face. The urge was strong, but the goal was to keep him here as long as possible to give Nat and Beau ample time to get Cami out. For her sake, I’d rein in my grievances.
Atticus didn’t utter a word as Darren stopped in front of us, leaving this to me. His warm pressure on my back, the slight flex of his fingers, gave me the go-ahead. We hadn’t practiced this, assuming Darren would be by later, but I could roll with it.
“Darren, how nice to see you in the light of day and not surrounded by your goons attempting to kidnap me. What is it, three failed attempts? Pity.” I pouted dramatically as the words left my tongue, and a sense of derealization took over me. Who was this woman? It felt odd to play this part, like an out-of-body experience, but I didn’t appear to be mucking it up too bad yet.
Darren smiled wider, shaking his finger at me. “You,” he started, “you were more difficult than I bargained for, gorgeous. I bet your screams are so beautiful; it’s a pity I won’t get to hear them. Yet.”
The growls behind me rose, and it sounded like we were in a bad werewolf movie with the amount of noise they made. It made me smile, though, as did Atticus’ continued silence and the way his hand flexed on my back at Darren’s implications. He trusted me in front of his whole family, showing me I had what it took, that I was strong enough to stand next to him.
Snorting, I shook my head, sighing. It was kind of fun acting dramatic to get a rise out of him. “That’s where you’re wrong, Darren. You’ll never get to hear them. I only consort with worthy men. And well, from what I hear, you don’t fit into that category. Now, I believe some festivities need to begin, and you’re rudely interrupting. Enjoy the food, though.” I waved him off, hoping I wasn’t screwing up.
Atticus pulled me a little closer, and I caught a smile out of the corner of my eye. “Yes, Darren, please, enjoy some food.” Then he turned his back on him, addressing the men behind us. Nicco stepped closer to me as Darren began to throw a tantrum at Atticus’ dismissal.
“Fuck you, Atticus! I already have one pretty little Mascro pet. What’s to say I don’t add another? Where’s that sister of yours? I was so looking forward to tasting her.”
If he was hoping to get a reaction out of Atticus, he chose wrong, but the family around him, on the other hand, began to stiffen and circled him. Darren was arrogant if he thought walking into the lion’s den by invitation meant he was immune to retaliation.
“Be careful, Darren. You’re not protected here,” Atticus admonished, barely glancing over his shoulder at him.
“Aren’t I, though?” He crossed his arms, a smug look on his face, and I worried he was up to something. A commotion over his head caught my eye, and it seemed the last two guests had arrived.
“Always so fashionably late,” I muttered as Brian and my mother were escorted toward us. It was pretty hilarious watching the two of them be brought forth like naughty children. I didn’t miss the way Topher, one of the guards I’d gotten to know, held Brian’s arm tighter, either. Smiling, I brought the glass up to my lips to hide behind, almost absently forgetting not to take a sip. The next second, the flute I held was pulled from me, and replaced with another.
Sax gave me a pointed look, and I smiled, his caring nature on display as he placed the other one on a tray. At least this way, I could drink without worry. That was one thing we didn’t need with all the balls we juggled.
“Loren! What on earth are you wearing? You look like a common prostitute dressed that way. What’s going on here? We need to talk immediately!”
Rolling my eyes, I pushed my shoulders back at the slurs my mother made. “I can’t work out which bugs you more, that I look like a prostitute or a common one?”
Jacqueline seethed but didn’t respond to my question. My ex-husband stood quietly, but I could see the anger rolling under his skin and the hatred he glared at me with. He was still mad about the garage debacle, no doubt, and the night he had to spend in jail.
Atticus addressed the crowd again, calling the party to begin as the food was brought out and the music started to play louder. It didn’t mean eyes weren’t on us still, but at least they couldn’t hear our every word as they pretended to eat and socialize with the family gathered.
“Darren, I have some business to do first, so please, do eat, and I’ll call for you when I’m ready.”
The two guards who’d brought up Tweedledee and Tweedledum surrounded Darren, forcing him to follow, his big entrance derailed. It was kind of funny when you thought about it.
Once he was out of hearing range, Atticus gestured to the thorns in my side and directed them to a table we’d set up at the front. Walking over, Sax pulled out my chair but stayed standing behind me. Atticus had shared with me that while Sax was his trusted counsel, not everyone knew yet, and for events such as these, Sax liked to keep his role as enforcer and personal guard. It allowed him to watch and hear things better.
Nicco sat on my left, with Atticus on my right, encompassing me in a mafia-brother sandwich. Monroe and Wells sat to Nicco’s left, leaving Brian and Jacqueline to sit closer to Atticus. I watched as Brian made a face before taking his seat, and I smiled, holding in a laugh at his discomfort. Hands landed on my thighs from both directions, and I smiled wider.
“Mother, it seems you and Brian have been busy. I never knew you two to be such pals. I’ve learned so, so much.”