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“It goes with the dress. If you don’t accept it, I’ll be offended. Michael, what happens when I get offended?” I ask, keeping my tone light-hearted, so she knows I’m kidding.
“Oh, you really don’t want to know,” he quips, catching my eye in the rear-view mirror. I take the delicate piece from the box and unfasten the clasp. She leans closer so I can place it around her neck. The crystals go perfectly with the silk grey evening dress that I’d sent over to Piper earlier. With her hair up and just the odd tendril framing her face, she looks amazing. Far from the biker chick I usually see wearing joggers or denim cut-offs.
We arrive at the hotel. Tonight’s event is being hosted by the mayor of London. Rubbing shoulders with politicians is a large part of my job. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to get away with half the underground shit that I do, and without me, they wouldn’t be able to control the crime. I shake hands with various business types as we move through to the main room. I spot Tag and Lucy and, knowing that Piper will feel more comfortable around Lucy, I steer us over to them. Shaking hands with Tag, who reluctantly participates, I lean in towards him. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I know it’s not true.”
“Damn right, it’s not true, Anton. You’re getting paranoid.”
“Let me make it up to you. What are you drinking?”
Tag rolls his eyes. “Shut the hell up, man. I can buy my own drinks. I’ll beat your arse down at the gym tomorrow, bright and early.” I nod in agreement. All our disputes are settled in the gym. Turning to Lucy, I smile, and she scowls. I actually enjoy our love-hate relationship, and I think she feels the same. I lean down and kiss her on each cheek.
“You look amazing, Lucy, as always.”
“Good enough to live up to my reputations as a whiny bitch?” she quips, raising a perfectly plucked brow. I glance at Tag and see him laughing.
“You told her I said that?” I ask, and he laughs harder. “Some things should not be shared.”
Tag and Lucy are distracted by a passing couple, so I turn to Piper and see she still looks upset. It shouldn’t bother me, but it does. The fact that she’s thinking about Hulk while she’s with me pisses me off. “Everything okay?” I ask.
“I’m tired.”
I take two glasses of Champagne from a passing waitress and hand one to Piper. “I’m sure it’s not often you get taken to such lavish events. Make the most of it.”
“Before you get bored and move on to someone else?”
I carefully consider her choice of words before replying. It almost sounds like she thinks we’re a real couple. “Is that what Hulk said, or Lucy?”
“It’s a fact, isn’t it? Why exactly do you want to pretend to date me? What are you getting out of it?”
“Apart from the fact I get to enjoy your excellent company at these events?” I ask dryly. “It’s not your concern. All you need to know is we’re both getting something out of it.”
“Are you using me?” she asks bluntly.
“Yes.” She looks taken aback by my honest answer, but I’m not sure what she expected me to say. We’re using each other, and I made that perfectly clear. Lucy re-joins us. “I’ll let you ladies catch up. I have some business to attend to.” I place a chaste kiss on Piper’s head before heading towards the mayor.
Chapter Six
PIPER
Lucy clinks her glass against mine. “To Mafia husbands,” she says sarcastically.
I sigh. “What’s the big deal, Lucy?” She gave me a strong text lecture earlier when I’d told her that I’d enjoyed my date with Anton. “This is the second date. I’m hardly marching up the aisle with him.” I should tell her that it’s not real, that we’re using one another, but I know it’ll only make her worse.
“Because I know him, Piper. Two dates for a man who never dates is suspicious. If he falls for you, do you think you’ll be able to walk away? Do you think he’ll let you?”
“Yes. He’s hardly going to slit my throat if I decide not to date him anymore.”
“I wouldn’t bet on it. What about Hulk? Last week, you said you loved him, and now, here you are with Anton.”
“That’s unfair. You know how Hulk’s treated me, Lucy. Am I supposed to wait around and hope he falls in love with me too?”
“Hulk doesn’t know how to explain how he feels. We all know he loves you.”
I press my lips together in a hard line. I’ve heard this same bullshit from numerous friends about Hulk, and I’m so fed up with hearing it. “I’d believe that, Lucy, if he wasn’t sleeping with every female who bats her eyelashes in his direction. He’s a womaniser and a possible sex addict. I’m tired of having my heart broken over and over. When Mae and Ace returned, they brought back a woman who helped them. She’s stunning. She had every man staring at her, including your brother. The only man who didn’t pay her an ounce of attention was Anton. Maybe it’s nice to have a man who looks at me like I’m worth it.”
I don’t give Lucy a chance to respond. I lift the hem of my dress slightly and leave the room. It’s been an emotional day and I’m exhausted. I can feel tears threatening to fall, so I follow the signs for the bathroom.
Luckily, it’s empty. I drain my glass of Champagne and place it on the sink unit. Resting my hands against it, I stare at myself in the mirror. I don’t look like myself. My makeup is sophisticated. I made sure to apply it so that I would fit into Anton’s world, yet somehow, I still feel like a fraud. “What am I doing?” I mutter to myself, and then I cry. I let the tears flow freely. For Mae and the things she’s been through, and for me and my aching heart. I’m not sure how long I stand there on my own crying, but when the door opens, I straighten my posture and use my hands to pat my cheeks dry.
