Even without looking my skin crawls.
“Gentlemen.” Somehow Patrick interrupts even though Kaine and I aren’t even speaking. “Lovely night, isn’t it.”
Kaine has no control of his face, so he just lifts his drink to me and walks away.
“Thanks, man, I’ll return the favor sometime,” I shout after him, feeling no need to maintain any semblance of civility with Patrick.
I had little respect for him, even before I saw him hit Clarissa. Now that I’ve read about his professional and personal exploits, I wouldn’t dirty my shoe stomping on his slimy face. “What do you want?”
“I just came over to say hello. We’re practically brothers, you know,” he sniffs, and whips his nose on his sleeve. He’s probably ten drinks in, making him stupider than usual.
“I have enough brothers. See you, Patrick.” Just seeing him reminds me of all the things I’d read about, and it wouldn’t take much to reach out and snap his neck. But I’m not interested in a quick death. I want to watch the life drip out of him drop by drop. While I watch. Swilling a glass of Louis XIII in his honor.
“I’m just saying, I see you’re engaged to Clarissa now. First Damien, then me, now you. We might as well be brothers, all sharing that slut.” I grit my teeth.
He’s baiting me.
And if I bite, I’ll have let him win. And I owe it to Clarissa not to let that happen.
“Actually, as I hear it, you were never even in the running. You forget, I saw you, Patrick.” I spit out his name like its rancid wine. “As I recall, you were so desperate that she wouldn’t sleep with you, that you weren’t above trying to force her. That’s not very gentlemanly of you.” I take a sip of my drink, taking a beat to calm down. “At least my brother and I closed the deal you never could. Maybe that’s why our name is on the banner over there”-I point to the sponsors banner with the Baxter logo on it-“and you had to beg for an invitation.”
His face crinkles into an ugly mask. “You asshole. You think you’re so slick-”
“Actually, no. I don’t. I just think I’m not a shit man. I got my woman and took care of her. While your face still carries the shape of my fist. Do yourself a favor, stay the fuck away from the both of us.”
His nostrils flare and steam. “You’re going to regret ever coming here, English scum, you should’ve finished me off when you had the chance.”
I lean in, although he smells like a fucking brewery. “Don’t worry. I’m going to. You just keep drinking. It’s going to take the edge off the hurt you’re about to experience.” I’m about to walk away, but then I decide to deliver the final strike. “Oh, and one more thing, Patrick, you should call that immigration agent you bribed to reject Clarissa’s application for a green card so she’d be forced to marry you. I think you’re both going to need to get your stories straight…”
As I walk away, he’s practically foaming at the mouth. That makes two of us both, but at least I can keep control of my anger.
I scan the room for Clarissa.
She’s standing with Jade and Kaine, waving her arms excitedly in the air as if she’s describing something. It could be anything, the club, the trip to Milan. Hell, it could be her box of Caramello Koalas for fuck’s sake. Whatever it is, she’s holding their attention. Even Kaine is watching her while he rests his hand on his wife’s back. Jade alternates between listening intently to Clarissa, to turning to her husband, giving him a little smile, sometimes reaching up to touch his cheek.
It’s a picture of perfect happiness, and it makes my heart ache in a way that should make me want to run. Instead, I rush over to join them, I have to get Clarissa out of here before she runs into the pond scum. But she also deserves a moment to shine. She worked so hard to get ready for the night, and after everything that happened at Ravel, I wanted her to revel in the attention.
Not a single man, Kaine excluded, walked by without fixing his eyes on her. Every woman watched her with envy.
And, at least in this moment, she is mine.
“Kaine, I’ll be remembering that betrayal,” I say, lifting my glass to my face.
He bites back a smirk and buries it in his wife’s hair.
“What happened?” Jade asks when Clarissa finishes her story, and not a second before.
Kaine and I share a look. “Jade, your husband owes me big, that’s all you need to know. Remind me, okay?”
She just laughs and tugs on Kaine’s arm so that it reaches all the way around her back so that his hand rests on her waist.
“You, okay?” I murmur against her ear, taking a deep breath of skin.
Clarissa beams at me. All the apprehension from when we arrived seemingly gone.
Jade grabs another glass of champagne from a passing tray, and says, “Clarissa was just telling us about your trip to Milan. I adore Milan.”
“It was just a quick trip. We had to pick up this old thing,” I gesture to her dress with a wink We chat for a little longer, but I’m getting antsy.
I excuse us and pull her to the side. “You ready to go?” She seems surprised, but I don’t really want to explain. “I’m just feeling exhausted. You’ve tired me out, hellion.”
She nods, “Of course. I’ll be able to go home and change before I go to the club.”
“No, darling. You’re not changing out of anything. You need to be seen wearing this all night. I’m sorry I’m pulling you away, I just have a throbbing headache.” It’s not a lie.
She frowns, it quickly gives way to a glint in her eye though and takes my hand. “Come with me.” I don’t ask, just let her lead me for once.
We walk down a hall way, past the cloak room and then into the adjoining empty ballroom. It’s dark and the chairs are stacked along the wall. No one’s using it tonight.
Without a word she pushes me against the edge of the raised stage.
Then anchoring my body with hers, she kisses me, grips my head as she crushes my mouth, her lips smearing her lipstick against my mouth.