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“A lot,” she replies on a giggle. “Skylar decided to get the party started before we got to the party.”
At the sound of her name, our brunette friend appears, walking over. Something stops me in my tracks. And it’s not Sky’s blatant disregard for the dress code that said formal attire, considering she’s in an extremely short black halter dress and thigh-high boots. She looks like she’s ready to go clubbing, not attending a society function. No, what stops me in my tracks is the man on her arm.
Joshua Hart walks toward me like this isn’t the last place in the world he’s supposed to be. And my blood turns to ice.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I seethe once they’re within hearing distance.
I turn around to take in my mom’s expression at the sight of Josh, but she must have moved away when Zoey appeared and is currently sequestered among a group of older women. Good. My parents never approved of me dating Josh, which is why him walking in here is so fucking stupid on so many counts.
“Nice to see you too, Dany,” Sky says, her gaze narrowed and also unfocused at the same time.
Great, she’s fucking drunk. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be against showing up to a party unable to tell my head from my ass. Under normal circumstances, I would have been right there with them, but I’m not that person anymore. And Christian’s going to kill Josh. My heart thunders in my chest. Oh God. I need to get him out of here.
“You realize walking in here was the worst thing you could have done, right?”
His eyes are clear and he’s not slurring, so I can only assume he’s sober.
“I had to see you, Dany. I had to make sure you were okay.”
My heart warms at the gesture but it’s going to get him in so much trouble.
“And I appreciate it. But I would also really like it if you stayed alive, so please leave,” I beg.
He glares, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re worried your fiancé is going to kill me. And genuinely worried if the look on your face is anything to go by. Don’t you see, Dany? This isn’t a life you should be part of. I let you go once and left you behind when I shouldn’t have. I refuse to do that again. You need to leave him, Dany.”
He’s ballsy, I’ll give him that. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Carlo start toward us, his eyes narrowed in Joshua’s direction. Christian still hasn’t made an appearance and I’m terrified of what will happen when he does. With wide, panicked eyes, I turn to Sky.
“How could you bring him here?” I cry.
She pouts. “In hindsight, it was probably a bad idea. But I was drunk and he practically begged me.”
Joshua rolls his eyes at that. I look at him.
“Josh, I appreciate what you’re doing. But you need to go. Please. There’s a time and place for a conversation like this.”
As soon as I say that, my back tingles and the air in the room drops several degrees. I don’t have to turn around to know he’s standing behind me.
“Enlighten me,tesoro. What time and what place would that be?”
CHAPTER20
Christian
Daniella slowly turns to face me. I take in the small group gathered around her. Her best friends pose no threat to me. But it’s the man that’s openly glaring at me that piques my interest. Joshua Hart is not a coward, I’ll give him that. But he’s also completely stupid. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t think it was a good idea to walk right into my house, at my engagement party, and talk to my fiancée who he’s clearly attracted to.
Tension coils in my gut as I stare at him, Daniella’s last words reverberating in my skull. She was going to set up a meeting with him? Over my dead body.
“Well?” I ask again, my voice calm, although a sharp edge comes through.
“Christian,” Daniella says, stepping in front of me and blocking Hart from my view. “We were just talking.”
I almost smile at her obvious attempt to distract me. “Were you, now? Then you wouldn’t mind if I had a few words of my own with him, would you?”
“Actually, I do mind,” she says.
I take in the stubborn set of her jaw and the fierce look in her eyes. It’s moments like this that I’m attracted to her the most. She never backs down from a fight, ever. And while it’s beyond sexy, that’s the last thing on my mind as I take in her protective stance. In front of him.
“Too bad. Leave us, Daniella,” I order. My throat feels tight as I say the words.
