Page 37 of A Vicious Love

A year ago, I would have asked him to dance.

Two years ago, maybe.

I never asked expecting him to say yes. No. I did it, because asking was part of my ritual. My sunshine role, beside Harlan’s monster.

Jamison stared toward the floor, his profile carved in cold lines.

“You always wanted to dance at this one.” he said, after a while.

I turned my head slightly. Why was he talking to me. His eyes stayed on the couples.

I remained silent.

Near midnight, guests began leaving. Women kissed cheeks. Men promised meetings.

Jamison stood.

So did I. Too quickly. My ankle gave a small pulse of pain, and my body tipped before I caught myself on the chair.

Jamison moved.

I recoiled before he could reach me. His hand froze in the air. Everything inside him seemed to lock. I stared at his hand.

He lowered it slowly.

“Can you walk?” he asked.

I nodded.

We walked toward the exit side by side, not touching. The crowd parted for him, as always. People smiled at me, but their eyes were curious. They knew something. Maybe not the words. Harlan always knew when a woman had been humiliated beside a powerful man.

At the entrance, cold air rushed through the open doors.

Jamison’s car waited at the curb.

His guards moved ahead.

For one wild second, I thought about asking for my own car. Then I remembered that leaving separately would be noticed.

Jamison paused beside the open door and looked at me.

I stepped toward it. Got in alone. He followed after a moment, sitting on the far side, leaving more space between us than usual. The door shut, and the car pulled away.

The drive felt longer.

Neither of us spoke.

Finally, we reached my house.

I did not ask for a hug when he walked me to the door.

He stopped at the bottom of the steps, looking up at me with that unreadable. He briefly said goodnight and I nodded in return.

CHAPTER SIX

SIENNA

Idid not go to Jamison’s twenty-eighth birthday. The celebration took over blocks of Harlan’s riverside district and aligned with the launch of the Crows’ new hotel and casino, which meant the whole night became a declaration of ownership.