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No!
The shock and horror of his warning made her forget the need to scream for help or fight like she had practiced. All she wanted to do was run and hide in her little home, but she had to appear brave because every detail of this interaction would be reported back to Treven.
“Oh, you won’t?” His grip tightened on her chin.
Every cell in her body screamed for her to yank away from his vile touch and punch him in the throat. That was what Cap would tell her to do. She prayed for strength and had the feeling she should hold steady instead of fight. So she forced herself to maintain eye contact and act as if his touch didn’t bother her. Ramone had to know she was serious in her defiance, that she would never back down to Treven or his friends.
Released from prison? No way was that happening. Treven couldn’t get out of the secure prison in the mountains west of Traverse. He couldn’t be coming for her like all those signs at concerts and all those murmurs she used to hear when she was out and about.
Please help me. Please let Ramone be as insane and delusional as Treven, she begged heaven above.
“If you aren’t waiting for him, willing and ready…” He looked her over with a leer in his eyes. “He will kill your mum and your dad and hold your idiotic brother captive to ensure you perform to the best of your ability as his bride and the mother of a new royal line.” He gave her a shark-like grin, then released her and strode off, disappearing into the crowd of dancers.
Livvy wilted against the wall, suddenly chilled. If the Rindlesbachers had no power any longer, why would Ramone make threats? Did he simply enjoy scaring her? Treven was in prison and his parents were gone. None of those disgusting words could come true. Right?
She glanced over to where Jensen was still flirting with the group of women. Shelby was all but in his arms, pressed close and laughing at something he’d said. He grinned as if he’d won the prize of the century.
Jensen was an accomplished, desirable man, but she was nothing special to him as she’d let herself stupidly believe. Treven was more psychotic than ever and was now threatening her parents and sweet brother if she wasn’t ‘willing and ready’ to marry him when he was released from prison.
Livvy prayed that day would never come. She should wait for Jensen, tell him about the threat, but she also had to guard her heart and dump her girlish dreams in the garbage. Jensen would have his men watch out for her and would never release Treven from prison, but he also showed no inclination to break away from the group of women or yearn for Livvy like she’d long done for him.
Shoulders rounded, Livvy stayed in the shadows and made it out of the gate. She crept down the road, hoping with every step that Jensen would appear, chase her down, and beg her to return to the wedding. They’d flirt some more and exchange interested glances. He’d put her fears of Treven ever getting out of prison to rest and talk her into that dance …
Dreams had kept her going for a while now, but every step down the road hurt a little more, and not just because of the steep downhill in killer high heels.
Jensen wasn’t coming for her. Unless it was on police business. She’d built up this event and Jensen much too high in her mind. She was proud of what she’d accomplished tonight, even with the awful threats from Ramone, but she definitely needed to get out of the house more and stop reading so many romance novels.
But with Ramone’s threats lingering, the desire to be social and have a normal life seemed further away than ever. Her knight in shining armor wasn’t a knight at all. He was just a normal guy, a devastatingly handsome, powerful, and enticing police chief who had women begging for his attention. Okay, he wasn’t normal at all. He was exceptional. Except how much he seemed to enjoy all the women’s attention. He hadn’t held himself in reserve for Livvy as she used to dream. Why had she let herself believe she was special to him? That the twinkle in his dark eyes was for her and her alone? Stupid unfulfilled dreams anyway.
She had to go home. She’d be safe there, in her boring prison of a house, and somehow she’d forget about Jensen.
Remembering being in his arms for those brief moments of their dance made her stomach hop higher than the “Ballade Pour Adeline’s” high notes. Forgetting him would be harder than ever.
Curse her pathetic life and Treven Rindlesbacher all to heck and back.
Chapter Three
Jensen’s patience was being stretched as he distracted the American women for long enough to allow Tristan to make a solid escape. He kept discreetly trying to locate Livvy’s position, but he wouldn’t be able to see her if she’d waited outside the gates. She definitely wasn’t dancing with anyone, selecting a refreshment, greeting the bride and groom, or seated at one of the many tables. Would she wait for him? What if some other smart man found her? As a rule, Jensen was fairly low-strung, but not knowing where Livvy was had him panicked.
To his knowledge she had rarely left her home the past couple of years, terrified of that snake Treven Rindlesbacher even though he was in a secure prison now. The Rindlesbachers had hired people all over Europe to play mind games with Livvy, but no one could prove it.
Livvy had been brave to come today, proving she was still the hard-working phenomenon who’d reached the top levels in a highly competitive career. She was musical royalty, a queen among women in his mind. Jensen wanted to be there for her as she put Treven’s persecution behind her. He could show her how fun and exciting leaving her house could be.
Jensen had it bad for her. He loved to watch her performances on YouTube. Sadly he hadn’t known her while she was still performing. He’d even bought a baby grand piano at a charity auction. He reasoned the purchase was for a good cause and the piano looked great in his open living room. He doubted he’d ever tell her he’d bought it hoping she would play it some day.
Throughout the years, since he’d been made aware of the Rindlesbachers weird manipulations of her, Treven’s threat before she got the restraining order, the emails, and the mutilated dove and note Treven had left on her porch during his brief stint out of prison, he’d focused on helping her feel safe and confident.
The thorn in Jensen’s side, Treven Rindlesbacher, and the sadistic jerk’s awful parents William and Naomi, had tried to control her and mess with her mental and emotional well-being, but she was a resilient woman. Seeing her at this wedding—confident, beautiful, and brave—had been the answer to a lot of prayers. It had felt like the green light to finally reveal his interest in her. To forget about being professional around her, at least for tonight.
But now he was being waylaid by these women. They all were over-the-top friendly and beautiful. Tristan had texted that Jensen could have his pick if he rescued him.
The thing Tristan didn’t know was Jensen had already picked Livvy Moser. She was the only one for him. If he didn’t have Livvy filling his every free thought, he would be interested in at least flirting with and dancing with several of these American ladies. Especially the beautiful and flirtatious redhead, Shelby. Not now. Not with Livvy at this wedding.
“If you’ll excuse me,” he said to Shelby, who was pushing closer and closer to him.
“No, I won’t excuse you, Chief Jensen,” she drawled out his title as if he were a hot fudge sundae. “You came to us, remember? Now you get to dance with all of us. But please … me first.” She winked and slowly drew her tongue across her lower lip.
Where was Chad when he needed him? Who had allowed the major to bring a date to the wedding? Chad could handle all these women, flirting and charming them, and easily distract them from Jensen and Tristan. Chad would also enjoy it.
