AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The doorman nods, marking my name off. “Welcome, Mrs. Copeland,” he says. Then he glances at the guys, looking a bit skeptical.
“They’re with me,” I explain.
For a second, it seems like he’s going to protest, but then he nods, ushering us inside. I’m sure it’s not the first time someone has arrived at one of these kinds of parties with their bodyguards in tow, and it’s not like the doorman knows of any reason not to let them in.
“The elevator is down the hall to the right,” he says. “Head up to the roof.”
“Thank you,” I reply, and we walk down the hall, our shoes echoing on the marbled tile as we make our way to the elevator.
Malice jabs the button for the roof, and the three of them move in to surround me protectively. The odds of us being attacked in the elevator are almost zero, but it does make me feel better to have them so close.
The ride up takes less time than I wish it would, and as we near the top of building, I lift my chin, putting my game face on before the elevator doors slide open.
The rooftop is lavishly decorated with twinkling lights, gold accents and ornate ice sculptures. Waiters weave skillfully between guests, offering little canapés and flutes of champagne.
The guests are the usual set for this kind of thing, the same sort of people who showed up to the engagement party Olivia threw for me and Troy. Most of them were probably at the first disaster of a wedding too, although I wasn’t paying enough attention that day to recognize any of them. They sparkle in their finery, glittering with jewels, expensive watches, and designer clothes.
The occasion is an anniversary party for Troy’s parents—a big, fancy rooftop party for all their friends and people they want to impress or do business with.
Troy told me about the party when I was still in captivity at his house in the middle of nowhere. It was supposed to be our first outing together as a married couple. The first public appearance he was going to make with me as his wife. He took great pleasure in telling me that I would be expected to attend and make a good showing, and I can only be glad that it worked in my favor now.
Because it got me in the door.
My men and I walk across the rooftop, cutting our way through little clusters of mingling guests. I can feel people watching us, their gazes sliding from me to the three brothers. Whispers start up around us as we move, and I can pick up a few of them as we go.
Not everyone recognizes me, especially with my hair a different color, but the guys stand out, even dressed up. They just don’t have the look of people who belong with this crowd, and it shows.
But we came here with a purpose, so we ignore them for the most part.
Olivia is easy to spot, wearing a silver dress and standing near the bar. She’s talking to an older man, a glass in her hand, but once the man drifts away to speak to someone else, she glances to one side—and her eyes lock with mine.
Her head jerks slightly. Several emotions pass over her face, and I can tell she’s surprised to see me. Then her eyes flick toward the guys, and her carefully crafted mask cracks for just a moment.
Disdain and hatred cross her features, showing how truly ugly she is. But then she gets herself together, smoothing her face back into that expression of neutral politeness that seems to disarm people and win them over. She pulls out her phone from a tiny clutch in her hands and raises it to her ear, keeping her locked on us the same way someone might watch a pack of wild dogs.
“Let’s go,” Malice murmurs, and I nod.
We make a beeline toward her, and Olivia returns the phone to her clutch after a moment as her gaze runs over me. If she has an opinion about my outfit, she doesn’t say anything as we reach her. Instead, she glances past the men as if she expects someone else to be there.
“Where is Troy?” she asks. “And what are you doing here?”
“I was invited,” I reply coolly, ignoring the question about Troy for now. We’ll get to that, eventually.
“I know that. But your little band of criminals weren’t.” Olivia’s tone turns icy as she adds, “You’re making a mistake, Willow. You’re a fool to keep dragging them into this. I thought you claimed to care about them.”
“Ido,” I shoot back.
“Then you should let them go. Bringing them here, constantly hanging around them? It could so easily destroy their lives.”
It’s so clearly a threat, and Malice reacts to it, stepping forward a little. Fury radiates from him, and even though he doesn’t make a move to hit Olivia or even get close enough to hurt her, it’s obvious that he wants to.
“Willow didn’t drag us into anything,” he snaps. “We’d stand by her side no matter fucking what.”
Olivia looks at him with a cool expression, her gray hair glinting in the light as she tips her head slightly to one side, her eyes narrowing.
“You should have learned your lesson,” she says. “You were meant to be a lap dog, and dogs who don’t obey get put down.” She never raises her voice, but there’s something in her tone that makes a shiver run down my spine. “I thought someone would’ve taught you that lesson while you were in prison, but clearly it didn’t stick. When you get sent back, I’ll make sure you become someone’s bitch.”
It’s a shockingly crude thing to say, and seems at odds with her refined outfit and the way she’s holding herself. The words lash out like a whip, and protective fury fills me in a rush.
