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Drakos dropped his incensed gaze to mine for a moment before dragging it back to our guest.
“Truly,” I insisted. “I’m fine. And it was I who provoked and then escalated it.”
My husband stopped. Although he was filled with anger, wrath ready to explode, my words had their intended effect on him, because he said nothing further.
“Mr. McKenzie, go outside, and sit directly in the center of the dinner table,” I ordered, pointing over my shoulder to where the French doors spilled onto the back patio.
The fool scrambled to his feet. “I should just go, forget the dinner.”
I spun to face him. “I worked too damn hard on this dinner party. So no, you don’t get to slink away. Go sit your ass down.”
Jason obeyed. Surprisingly. The rest of the guests murmured; many had smiles on their faces. How much they’d overheard, it was hard to tell. Whispers brushed around the room.At least I got an altercation between the butcher and his real estate agent.
Forging ahead, I announced to the room at large, “Dinner is served.”
When others began to follow Jason and take a seat, I made to join them, but Drakos caught my hand. Sliding his fingers into mine, he leaned down to meet my gaze. “I may be a monster and the enemy of your family, but you’ll not come to harm under my roof, Talia. I will protect you.”
That place in the back of my mind that I wouldn’t acknowledge instantly connected with my chest, and my heart constricted with the swell of this new emotion.Is he sincere?I scanned his face, searching for the truth. But as I watched him, that cold mask fell back into place.
“Let’s go to our guests,” Drakos suggested. “And after dinner, I’ll be sure to speak with Jason.”
“All right,” I agreed, sliding my hands from his grasp. “Let me signal the waitstaff.”
I slid back into the hall, but instead of tracking down the butler, I dropped against the wall. Clutching my chest, I breathed hard. What the damn prick had said about my father...it winded me. I couldn’t draw in a proper breath. The worst part was there was no way to disprove it, as I knew precious little about my father’s business. However, I was trying to earn the right.
But what if it really was something dreadful like sex trafficking? Did I really want to join that empire as one of its rulers? My fingers twitched, and I badly wanted a smoke. There was no time to run to my room for a stick of gum. I clenched my teeth, trying to breathe through the shift in my world.Just kill him. Then figure out what’s next.
Chapter 25 – Talia
Drakos had wanted atheme for tonight’s dinner, and I gave him a nod to carnival—the Old World, elegant festival, not the American, small-town grease fest. The meal went off without a hitch. The waitstaff wore jester masks and mottled clothing; a pleasant surprise that captured our guests’ attention and mercifully killed the whispers over Jason’s outburst.
The meal, rich and sumptuous, was a never-ending stream of dishes. Between the heated looks from my husband and the revelation from the drunk’s lips, I could only nibble at my food. For dessert, the elaborate cake was the crown jewel. Sparklers topped the effigy, spewing bolts of lightning into the night. When bellies were full and blood sugars spiked, I rose, hands open in invitation. “If everyone will follow me, there will be fireworks down on the beach.”
As the happy, sated troop rose, I caught a look from my husband. There was something wild about the way he stared at me—ravenous. My breathing turned shallow, and I felt hot all over. I turned away, my stomach clenching tight. The thought of killing him was making me uncomfortable, and I didn’t understand why.
Get it together!It would all be over soon. Tonight was the perfect setup. With all these business associates and their significant others, there would be plenty of witnesses. They’d seen the altercation between the shipping mogul and his real estate agent. I would be exonerated, the grieving widow. This was what I wanted. I still believed that, but as I led the way along the path to the beach, lanterns placed to light the way through the manicured gardens of Drakos’s villa, I marveled that it was no longer a pure, wholehearted mantra. Jason’s accusations had me reeling. They proved I didn’t know my father.
