AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I hadn't meant to pry. I wasn't snooping. The moment his phone lit up he’d looked down. He had facial recognition which immediately unlocked his phone and the message appeared boldly on the screen. "Confirmed for tomorrow."
What the hell was that? What was confirmed? I grinned at him, expecting him to explain something, but he didn't. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed me on the nose.
"It's nothing."
I hated that.
He was so used to holding back. So used to keeping things close to his chest. I just wanted to get to know him, fill in some details about who he was and what we were doing. Be on the inside of his life instead of dangling on the precipice of the wall he created around himself.
Nissa, be happy that you are getting this, I chided myself inwardly.
He probably meant more to his friends than anyone else.
That was obviously true based on the easy way they sat together tonight. Sure, they were ridiculously good-looking. But they all had that same ease of motion, the same ability to adapt to their surroundings like chameleons.
Of course, I knew who Lachlan King was. The heir apparent to King Media. And a billionaire. Westin said they’d met at a club, but Westin didn't really seem like the club-going type to me. We hadn't gone to a club once. And to be fair, Lachlan King hadn’t been in the tabloids for well over a year. Almost as though the moment he’d met his gorgeous fiancée he’d given up that party boy lifestyle.
And as for Jasper Saint, he was a tech mogul. It made sense why he and Lock were friends. But there were moments when it seemed as if he didn't even like Westin. Like now, while Kaya and Westin high-fived each other after she answered one of Westin's clues. Jasper's eyes narrowed just a tad, or enough for me to feel the tension there. Which told me maybe there had been something with Westin and Kaya?
And then there was Saffron. Possibly the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen in my life. Gorgeous dark skin, beautifully done braids. I needed to ask her where she'd gotten them done. I really wanted to change up my look. It had been years since I'd had braids. Julian hadn't liked them.
When I was fourteen and he'd traveled, I begged my nanny to take me to get it done. When he returned, he told me I looked common and made me take them out. He didn't exactly like my natural curls either. He always insisted I needed to straighten my hair to look appropriate for his endless functions and school. That was until I’d turned sixteen and told him that if he didn't want his daughter to look Black, he shouldn’t have slept with a Black woman. If he was embarrassed, I couldn’t tell, as it still didn't stop his commentary on my hair.
Saff was watchful. Oh, but she was fun. Chatty. Amiable. But it was as if she was constantly processing information. She seemed unsure of me, Westin, and our relationship.
Westin wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and I gave him a small smile. Unfortunately, between Saff's inquisitive gaze and Westin lying about the phone call, my easygoing demeanor from earlier had disappeared. I had a lot on my mind, and the distraction seemed to be showing.
When my phone went off, I groaned and looked at it, wishing I had shut it off.
ARSEHOLE: Make sure you're on time tomorrow.
I groaned, and Westin hugged me tighter. "What's wrong?"
"It’s Julian, reminding us that we’ve been summoned to the house tomorrow and we are not to be late."
Westin groaned. "You’ll be okay. You won't be alone."
"I know. But it doesn't stop me from being worried though."
Antonio Igno wanted something bad enough to send people after me. I was afraid of what lengths he would go to get it.
34
Nissa
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
I slid my gaze to Westin. "Do I have a choice?"
He shrugged. "Not really. Your father is adamant that you return for these dinners, so let's do this. Remember, I'm right by your side. Nothing bad is going to happen to you while I'm around, okay?"
I knew I could trust him. I'd always known I could trust him. It was my father I didn't trust. My father was unpredictable, at best.
He lifted a brow, watching me as I took his hand and marched up the stairs to the front door. "No surprises, right?"
"No surprises." The lie felt bitter on my tongue, but I couldn’t tell him. For a start, I wasn’t a hundred percent sure if the plan was going ahead. And even if I was, I couldn’t risk it.
Dennis answered the door with a flourish. He took our coats, leaving Westin looking dashing in his navy-blue pinstripe suit and me in a strapless, sequined rose-gold gown. Then Dennis ushered us to the study.
