"Fuck!" Asher hisses beside me while Sawyer just pulls me in to his side and tucks me under his arm.
"It’s going to be okay," he says, trying to reassure me, but his words fall flat.
I’m not sure how any of this is going to be okay.
* * *
After a stressful week of Travis hauling Bentley in to put up all kinds of security at the house and get an update on the emails, letting him deal with the photos, I am so far from ready for this fucking fundraiser ball tonight.
And yet, here I find myself, in the back of yet another limo. Except this time, there is no joy or excitement around. Not one of us wants to be here.
Even the most beautiful gown I’ve ever seen—a midnight-blue full-length dress, so dark it's almost black, that shimmers in such a way that it looks like I’m wrapped in the night’s sky—that currently adorns my body isn’t enough to elicit a smile from me.
I move to fuss with my hair yet again. I’m not used to it being pinned back from my face like this, and my nervous go-to is tucking it behind my ears, dammit.
"Stop messing with it," Travis murmurs in my ear, squeezing my thigh. "Are you ready for tonight?"
They’ve spent most of the week trying to prep me for tonight. I’ve had pictures and flash cards of who’s who, tests to make sure I know who the fuck these people are, because if I embarrass Chase in front of the wrong people… well, there will be hell to pay.
"I think so," I tell him, chewing on my bottom lip. Honestly, I have no idea if I’m ready, but we’re kind of out of time.
The limo pulls up in front of the fancy building, but my mind is too occupied to really take it all in. I let Travis lead me in, Cole on my other side, and the twins behind us.
Someone hands me a glass of champagne once we’re inside and I gulp it down, trying to calm my nerves.
"Father," Cole says, snapping me from my addled mind, and I find myself face to face with Senator Beckett.
"So glad you could all make it. Briar, you look exquisite. Perfect for my plans for you tonight."
"I’m sorry?" I say, confused, thinking I must have missed something in the conversation.
"Plans?" Cole asks, his shoulders tightening.
Senator Beckett just smiles at him before taking another sip of his drink. "Well, you wouldn’t marry her. There's no point in having breeding stock if you don’t breed it."
I suck in a breath at his callous words while Travis grips my arm so tight I think it might bruise.
"If you’ll excuse us," is all he says before dragging me away from the Becketts while Cole continues to talk with his dad.
"I’m going to look for my dad, find out what the fuck is going on," Travis hisses. I glance at the twins, who both have a mask of cool calm in place, but I can tell by how tight their shoulders are that they’re about as pleased as Travis.
I’m still too confused about what the fuck is going on to be too angry. My mind is so not in the right place right now to be handling this breeding bullshit.
Do these people ever freaking quit?
I spot Chase across the room, speaking to a man and woman, and I let out a small laugh when I recognize the woman.
"What?" Travis asks, pulling me to a stop.
"Your dad," I say quietly. "He’s with the woman we saved a few weeks back. Down the alley."
I point in the direction of Chase, and Travis nods, dragging me in that direction.
"Dad, we need to talk," Travis says as we reach him before glancing at the pair in apology. Chase seems to get his feathers ruffled because his face turns a mottled red and he clenches his jaw as he stares at Travis.
"Do I know you from somewhere?" Sawyer asks as he joins us, and I smirk, just as Cole finally finds us but turns his attention to the man with Chase, a deep frown on his face.
It takes me a second, but I realize who the man with Chase is.