Page 70 of Devil’s Promise

I can’t seem to stop from touching her, and why should I?

After a second’s hesitation, she slips her hand into mine. I give her fingers a little squeeze because I want her to understand what I’m feeling.

Her other hand comes to mine, her body turning toward me. This is how I want Promise.

I lean over, brushing my lips over her cheek.

In the rearview, I catch Knox watching. Rock gives a little glance over his shoulder.

I’d tell them to mind their business but that’s when my phone rings.

Relief washes through me to see Axel’s name on the screen.

“Hey,” I say as I pick up the phone. “Where the hell have you been?”

“Nowhere good,” he answers even as Knox lets off the gas pedal, his eyes on me in the rearview.

“What’s that mean?” I ask, still keeping my hold on Promise’s hand.

“I’m on my way to the wedding but I decided to follow Winthrop, after that shady as fuck meeting we had yesterday.”

Jesus Christ, I fucking love my brother. “And?”

“He spent most of the night with our favorite cocaine dealer, Vincent Morelli.”

“Fuck,” I spit. I could assume that Don was partying and the reason I haven’t gotten the contract is because he was sleeping off an epic hangover.

But as I look at Promise, I remember her warning. Her father is famous for the double cross.

“What’s your ETA?” Axel asks, and I hear him shift his car. “I’m assuming you’re en route to the wedding.”

“I am. We’ll be there in forty-five minutes.”

“Plan is still the same?” he asks again, and I know what he’s wondering. Is the wedding a trap? Do I still plan to honor the deal I struck with Don?

I look over at Promise, whose hands are tightly clasped around mine, her eyes wide. “Let’s meet at that Sunoco that’s two miles from the venue, arrive together,” I say to Axel. Then I hang up and dial again.

I’m not going to call Gunner. There is too much to say and no time to do it. So instead, I call Rush Smith.

He picks up on the second ring. “Why aren’t you doing groom things?”

“Because,” I let out a long breath, “I think my soon-to-be father-in-law is about to pull a double cross.”

Rush lets out a low whistle. “Should I ask?”

“Later. Right now, I’m wondering if you can be at the Sunoco on Ocean Drive in forty minutes. I need to have the kind of buffer that keeps Promise’s father from doing anything stupid.” I meet her gaze, her mouth open in a little O as she stares at me.

“Are you calling in your favor?”

“Stopping at a gas station?” I ask, knowing that I’m pushing.

“Helping you keep your powerfully connected father-in-law in check,” Rush answers. “I can only assume this might be a multi-step process.”

“Fair,” I answer. “And agreed.”

“Cleaning up this mess is going to require our connection to the biggest business contact we have?” Rock asks with a curl of his lip.

“I made Promise a…promise that I’d protect her. I’m keeping it.”