AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Might have occurred.”
Fucking great. “You need to learn to hide your temper. Landry will handle her if she continues to be an issue. Stay inside and make certain the Thibodeaux women are protected, little Gabriel as well.” I didn’t like the fact Raven and Arman’s little boy had been kept here, but Arman had insisted it was safer than any alternative.
“Sure. You got that look, boss. Are we expecting trouble?”
“So I’ve been told but I hope to hell not,” I barked.
“Uh-huh. I’ll keep my weapon nice and close just in case. By the way, nice flowers.”
There was no special reason Tony’s laugh irritated the hell out of me, but it did.
I shoved my nasty thoughts aside, weaving my way through the thick crowd of people, far too many guests in my opinion, but both Arman and Raven enjoyed splashy parties. I grabbed a scotch from one of the six or so bars, already consumed by the music Zoe had selected to play. I wanted to down the entire thing to calm my fucked-up nerves.
I couldn’t remember the number of times I’d been invited to one of her private concerts starting when she was eleven or so. Arman had always been the proud papa, indulging his baby girl,wanting her to feel like a princess. She’d always wanted to play music, becoming a concert pianist. That hadn’t been on Arman’s radar. If the man had his way, she’d remained locked in her room instead of forging her own way. Zoe would never stand for it.
As I neared the music room, I gathered a sense of awe amongst the guests. While I’d been standing in the auditorium in New York during her last solo performance with the school’s orchestra, the music had been selected by her professor. However, that was the moment everything had changed. I’d stopped thinking of her as my boss’ daughter, a freckle-faced teenager, and had started seeing her as a beautiful, vivacious woman.
I’d burn in hell for doing so and Arman would be the one to put me there.
I walked closer, loathing the fact I was fully aroused. I’d never been that much into music, perhaps because I was almost always working, but everything Zoe selected was breathtaking, tonight’s music no different.
However, the piece she was playing was as dark as the night, almost as ominous as the quiet had been outside. The sound was haunting, so melancholy that no one in the room was moving. With her long fingers and expressive actions, almost always playing with her eyes closed, she was mesmerizing to watch. She’d selected a classical piece but one emphasizing the bass chords. She was completely into the music, her body swaying, her long hair shimmering in the LED lighting.
And there wasn’t a single person in the room untouched by the sensuality of the music, the choreography undoubtedlyembellished by the artist playing it. It was easy to fall under Zoe’s spell, wishing the moment wouldn’t end.
At least from where I stood, I was able to catch a clear glimpse of her. Zoe was stunning in a bright red dress, her long dark curls sweeping more than halfway down her back. She’d always had radiant skin, the kind of woman who never needed to wear makeup, but tonight she was glowing. Sighing, I did my best to look away, cognizant that Francois was about to flank my side. His arrival made me tense even more.
He waited to say anything and when he did, his voice was hushed. “Amazing, isn’t she? I know I’m her uncle, but that girl has talent.”
“Yes. Her performance is incredible.”
After swirling his drink in his hand, he chuckled from seeing what I held in my hand. “Roses. Nice touch. From you?” There was a slight admonishing tone in his voice, which wasn’t unusual for the gruff man.
“Not my idea,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Ahh. I should have guessed. Arman’s. Daddy always comes through. He worries about Zoe far too much in my opinion. The girl is brilliant and savvy. She can handle herself in the big bad world.” Francois was close with Arman, his true second in command and Capo, but I was closer in some aspects, the secrets and desires we’d shared over the years entirely different.
“You have a child prodigy yourself, Francois. One day she’ll be old enough for you to worry about her future.”
“Who says I don’t worry about her now? You’ll learn one day, my friend. As soon as you’ve discovered your wife has conceived,your entire world will change, nights of worry just part of the routine.”
“I doubt I’ll find anyone as special as what you and Arman have. That’s fine by me.”
“Never say never.”
“If I hear that phrase again, I’m gonna puke.”
He laughed. “Finding someone will do you some good. In my humble opinion.”
“I doubt that.”
“Said every man before the right woman came along. I know. Shut the hell up,” Francois snorted. “Since you’re here guarding the prodigal daughter fiercely, I’m grabbing another drink.”
All I could do was nod. As with any crime syndicate, wives, lovers, and children were considered weaknesses, protection starting from day one. As I studied her from a distance, a tightness developed in my chest.
I was even more uncomfortable than before, memories of how I’d reacted at the airport sending a dull ache behind my eyes. I’d been gruff with her on purpose, something I wasn’t proud of, but there’d been no other choice. Allowing her to think I was anything other than her protector was akin to a death sentence. There still wasn’t any other choice but to keep her at arm’s length, but this time it was my problem. When she’d refused to come home on more than one occasion, I’d had a feeling it had to do with my crass behavior. Fuck. Now that I had men working under me, I’d assign the duty of protecting her to someone else.
Somehow, I had to get her out of my system.
