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I took Molly’s hand, linking our fingers, still standing in front of her.
Remmi’s gaze darted down, zeroing in on the action.
Marco seemed mildly interested, but he went to the bar and poured himself a drink first. “Was that some family business I saw being handled when we drove in?”
I didn’t know what he thought he saw, but Worthing would’ve been taken out of here before they arrived. I ignored his question for now and glanced at Remmi, who seemed captivated by Molly.
Marco saw the look. “I only pulled her blindfolds off once we got into the garage. Secret’s still safe, cousin.”
“Cousin?” Molly squeaked.
I tightened my hold on her hand.
And at the sound, Remmi’s head jerked back up, and Marco’s eyes narrowed. A look flickered in his gaze, but he blinked it away before assuming a cool and casual expression once more. He sipped from his drink before meeting my gaze again. “Thinking we should have a discussion before you leave.”
Remmi glanced his way. “We just got here.”
Marco kept watching me, and he grinned, almost smugly. “My cousin likes to come here when he’s beginning to cook something up, but if he brought his latest flavor, he won’t want us around. I have no doubt that Avery is already packing their vehicle for their departure. Like me, Avery knows our boss.”
I glared at my cousin. “Now is not the time for you to test my boundaries.”
His eyes flickered again—something flared there, but he dimmed it just as fast as it showed. His hand tightened around his glass, and he couldn’t hide that tell. “You’ll have to forgive me. Before getting Remmi’s call, I’d been on the phone with my mother and received a nice earful on behalf of our aunts.”
He was right. We’d not done the second family dinner.
As if sensing my inner turmoil, Molly touched the back of my wrist, sliding her hand down to replace her other hand. Her palm touched mine, and she linked our fingers as she moved beside me, raising her head and giving me a solemn look.
I couldn’t understand what she was trying to express, but she kept moving, and I felt in a trance. Captivated by her.
I wasn’t the only one. The rest of the room fell silent.
She ignored them, touching my chest with her free hand, standing in front of me for a moment before she began walking backward. Toward the door. She tugged me, so I followed her. Once I did, she ducked her head down, leading the way past Remmi and Marco and not making eye contact with them.
Our hands were still linked.
I went with her, soundlessly.
She faltered in the hallway, so I took over, taking her to my room in the north tower.
Once through the door, I whisked her around, my hand going to her hip. She gasped, but I guided her against the door, and I was trapping her. I liked doing this, feeling her right there, in front of me. That need was still there. Burning. It had been banked but wasn’t out, and now. Now, I was done holding back.
My other hand let go of her hand and placed it on the door above her head.
She had some color come to her cheeks, and her mouth parted.
I could feel her pulse. It was so strong, so loud, that I felt the drumbeat even just touching her hip.
“Why’d you do that?” My voice was gruff. I hadn’t meant for it to come out that way.
She didn’t answer right away, biting down on her bottom lip as she searched my face. Then, with a sigh, she seemed to melt in front of me, leaning fully back against the door. “Because no matter what you do, you still lost your grandfather and uncles not that long ago, and I forgot. I think a lot of people forget.”
I frowned. “Forget what?”
She touched my chest, lightly. “That you’re in mourning too.”
I closed my eyes and swallowed tightly. Her words were like a punch to my system, but then I opened them again and found her studying my face. Her eyes scanned all over me, tracing me until she saw I was looking back at her, and hers widened a little. The top of her lip curved up, just slightly. She wasn’t scared of me. Why wasn’t she scared of me?
Her eyes even sparkled a little right now. “I don’t think I like your cousin.”
This woman. I didn’t understand her.
I began to pull away, and as if sensing that, her hand grabbed a handful of my shirt, and she held me in place. “I’m going to be honest a little bit here.”
I was listening.
She went back to searching my eyes. “I don’t know the dynamics of the two in there, or you, or this place, or your men. I don’t understand what’s happening with you or Jess and her man, but I can tell you that I really don’t want to know any of that. I do know when to hide, when to fold, when to run, and when to fight, but right now, I know there’s something else going on between us, and for selfish reasons, I only want to focus on that.” She was pulling me to her, slowly, with each word. And she shifted her stance, spreading her legs as I stepped in between them.
