• Thirty-One •

I’m just trying to keep the man from going feral on anyone.

Rumor

One would assume a week of being fucked several times a day and treated like the sun rose and set at my feet would give me enough confidence to face the fake engagement party being held tonight. But it was with the man I loved. The father of my child pretending to be engaged to another woman. That was hard. Very, very hard. Perhaps if I didn’t have all these pregnancy hormones racing through my body, I could focus. Be the support he needed to handle the job. Keeping it all in and not making this difficult for him was all I could do.

The knock on the door was a welcome interruption from the thoughts haunting me. I took one last look in the mirror. The dress that Annette had sent to me through Maeme was unlike anything I’d ever worn. The wedding dress that Hill had chosen for me was simple. He’d called it elegant, but I’d thought it was kind of plain. This was elegant. Not to mention expensive. The tag that had still been on it when I opened the hanging bag caused me to rub my eyes and squint to make sure I’d seen that correctly.

I picked up the silver clutch that Maeme had brought with the dress, but all that was inside of it was my phone and some lipstick. Then, I walked over to open the door to the bedroom I’d gotten ready in at Maeme’s. It was no longer called the blue room. She referred to it as my room, and something about having a room that was considered mine warmed my heart. Sure, I missed the cottage, but I also didn’t feel safe being alone. Even if the Insantos had been … wiped out.

Sebastian smiled at me, then let out a low whistle. “Damn, Rumor. He’s gonna fucking kill me.”

Yes. I was afraid of that too. Not because of how I was dressed, but because Maeme had insisted that I not go unattended to the engagement party. Of course she had waited to share this with me until after King left to go to the Kingstons’ house to prepare for the party. They were setting up extra security and planning a course of action if the man who was stalking Scotlin decided to show up. Their hope was he would, and they’d be ready for him. King had told me last night that they believed he was someone on her father’s political campaign.

“You sure you don’t want to change?” Sebastian asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

I shrugged. “I have nothing else. Annette sent this dress for me to wear, and Maeme approved it.”

He simply nodded and let out a nervous, clipped laugh. “Of course they did.”

I waved a hand at him. “You look good in a tux.”

A crooked grin curled his lips. “Thanks.”

It was the truth. He was an attractive man, and I was sure he was well aware of it. Seeing him like this made me anxious about seeing King. He’d be dressed in one too. Remembering how he looked in a tux made my heart flutter. Scotlin would be clinging to him, and that was going to be painful, but I would be the one he came home to.

“You’re ready then?” he asked.

“Yes. Might as well get this over with.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

He stood back so that I could lead the way. Maeme was standing at the bottom of the stairs as we descended, and a big, bright smile lit her face when she saw me. She was dressed in a pale blue satin dress that hung to the floor. Maeme was a beautiful woman, but seeing her like this had me awestruck.

“Good Lord, you are a sight. I knew that green would match your eyes. You are breathtaking.”

I started to thank her when Sebastian spoke up.

“No shit. I thought you loved me, Maeme. King is gonna lose his shit when he sees her, and I’m the one he’s gonna murder when he does.”

Maeme rolled her eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic. If she has to go watch King pretend to be engaged to Scotlin May, then she needs to feel confident, beautiful, and know she’s the one he can’t stop looking at.”

“Tonight, he needs to be looking at Scotlin and be on alert in case the stalker is there.”

Maeme shrugged. “He will do his job. Besides, there is so much security there that no one is going to be stupid enough to make a move.”

“We need them to. This fake shit with Scotlin has to end soon. Especially with Rumor pregnant. King has become more unhinged. He can’t keep this up.”

Maeme nodded. “Yes, I know. I’m going to speak with Stellan about it.”

“Oh, he fucking knows,” Sebastian drawled behind me.

When I reached the bottom step, Maeme hugged me, then took my clutch. “I have something for you.”

She put her hand into her pocket and pulled out a small wand-like thing.

“Maeme, seriously?” Sebastian said beside me.

I glanced up at him, seeing his brows drawn together. He didn’t look like he agreed with whatever that was she’d put in there.

“I can’t give her a gun yet. We gotta teach her how to handle one first.”

“If someone gets close enough that she needs to use that, then King’s gonna gut him anyway.”

She shrugged, handing me my purse back, then patted my cheek. “It’s a Taser. An illegal one. Very effective. It’ll have a grown man three times your size on the ground in less than a second. Use it if needed. At any time you feel threatened or unsure about your safety, get it out and have it ready.”

All I heard was illegal. She’d put something illegal in my purse.

“We should go. Don’t want to be late,” she said, turning for the door.

I followed her with Sebastian coming out last and locking up behind us. The limo that was parked in the driveway shouldn’t have been surprising. A tall man with wide shoulders and an intimidating expression stood beside the vehicle. He opened the door as we approached, and Maeme said something to him that caused a small smile to tug at his lips before she climbed inside. I just hoped tonight went the way they all wanted it to and that I never had to use the illegal Taser in my purse.

The Kingstons’ home was even more lovely at night, all lit up. I felt as if I had stepped back in time and was walking into a party among the elite in the deep South. Maeme turned to us as we approached the steps to the entrance.

“You’re her date,” she scolded Sebastian. “Give her your arm, for goodness’ sake, boy.”

Sebastian glanced down at me and smirked, then held out his arm for me to take. “I’m about to die, and she doesn’t give a shit,” he whispered, causing me to press my lips together to keep from laughing.

We stepped inside the house behind Maeme, and the man standing just inside, greeting people, I had never met in person, but I knew his face. All of Georgia knew his face. Jefferson May. And his wife, Marigold, stood beside him. They were the solid, church-going Republican family of the South. There had never been a tarnish on their name. People adored them. I wondered what all the folks of Georgia would think if they knew he was connected to the Mafia.

“Maeme Salazar.” Jefferson May beamed with a big smile on his face. “It’s been too long.”

Maeme stepped forward and shook his hand, agreeing, then hugged his wife, Marigold. When she stepped back, she held out a hand toward me and Sebastian. “You both know Sebastian,” she said. “The lovely lady at his side is Rumor Beauregard. She’s a close family friend.” The way she said it made it very clear that I was important to her and the rest of the family.

Sebastian stepped forward and shook Jefferson’s hand, but his smile looked less cheerful and more forced as he cut his eyes over to me. There was an odd expression in his perusal. As if he was studying me while trying not to be obvious. Was it because of King? Did he find me a threat to Scotlin? I hoped I was reading this incorrectly. When he shook my hand though, I could see a flicker of unease in his eyes. I wanted away from this man. My internal warning was on high alert, and when we turned to leave them, I took a deep breath, thankful that was over.

It could be that I had made that all up in my head, but I couldn’t get past the way he’d stared at me, as if … he knew me. And he didn’t want to. My thoughts were so focused on the odd encounter that when we walked into the ballroom, I didn’t immediately notice King standing beside Scotlin. Not until Sebastian’s arm flexed underneath my hand as he tensed.

King was everything I had remembered in a tux and more. The flutters in my stomach at the sight of him caused me to suck in a breath. He was beautiful. When our eyes met, I wanted to see him smile. Have that reassurance that he was mine. But there was no smile. No secret exchange of affection. The glower on his face made it very clear he was angry. Perhaps furious was a better word.

“And here we go,” Sebastian muttered.

I slipped my hand from his arm and took a small step toward Maeme, who was speaking to Scotlin. King’s eyes held mine while his entire stance went rigid.

“King, dear, you need to smile. It’s a party,” Maeme said, squeezing his arm tightly, as if to warn him to behave. When he didn’t even acknowledge her, she turned toward me, smiling as if all was well in the world. “Sebastian was kind enough to escort Rumor so she wouldn’t be alone. Isn’t the dress Annette sent perfect on her?”

King cut his eyes toward Sebastian, and the threat was there in his eyes for anyone who was looking to see.

“Honey,” Scotlin cooed at him, touching his arm and leaning into him, “if you want a break from greeting people, we can take one. Just say the word.”

He didn’t budge or respond to her. His eyes shifted back to me. I smiled nervously, not sure what I was supposed to do now. He didn’t want me here, but I hadn’t asked to come. Maeme had insisted. Otherwise, I would be at home with guards I didn’t know.

Right now, that option was looking like a much better idea than this. My eyes stung, and I knew it was silly, but I wasn’t reacting well to the glare from King, directed at me. He never looked at me like that.

“Sebastian, why don’t you take Rumor to meet some people and get her something to drink?” Maeme said with a happy tone, turning from King. She patted my arm as she walked past me with a swish of her long skirt, not saying anything more to King or Scotlin.

I dropped my gaze to the floor, wanting to find somewhere to hide and stay there.

“Of course,” Sebastian replied, giving King one last look before touching my elbow.

“Don’t.” King’s voice was so cold that it caused me to shiver. “Don’t touch her.”

Sebastian’s hand dropped away from me immediately.

“Got it,” he replied with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Then, he nodded at me to come with him. I didn’t look back at King, but I could feel him. His eyes felt like a hot flame, following my every move.

When we reached the bar, Sebastian finally glanced down at me. “Water? Soda?”

“Water is fine,” I replied.

“Still or sparkling?”

“Still.”

He turned to the bartender. “Ice water and four shots of Maker’s.”

My eyes widened as I stared up at him.

He pulled at the collar of his shirt. “I’m gonna fucking need it,” he explained.

“He’s mad,” I whispered.

“You think? We will be lucky if he doesn’t murder someone tonight. Try not to look … well, just … if you can, don’t be any more appealing than you are.”

I frowned. “What does that mean?”

He sighed. “I don’t fucking know. I’m just trying to keep the man from going feral on anyone.”

“Is he mad at me?”

Sebastian shook his head. “No. He’s fucking livid that you look like that and he can’t stake a claim. I don’t know what Maeme was thinking. She should have put you in a muumuu or some shit.”

A small laugh escaped me, and he grinned briefly, then shut his expression down almost instantly.

“Don’t make me smile at you. His ass will be on me in fucking seconds.”

Unable to help myself, I glanced back at him, and his heated glare met mine. Scotlin was speaking to him, but he didn’t look away from me. His eyes slowly traveled down my body, causing me to feel warm all over. When he reached my face again, I smiled softly, wanting to reassure him, but it didn’t help. He didn’t return my smile.

“That’s enough,” Sebastian whispered. “The two of you can’t eye-fuck, or this won’t work. The last thing we need is to have pictures of that all over social media, saying that Scotlin May’s fiancé is having an affair.”

I took the glass he was holding out to me, taking my eyes off King, which was hard to do. All I wanted to do was look at him. No, that wasn’t true. I wanted to be on his arm. As close to him as I could get.

“What happens when the engagement ends?” I asked him.

Sebastian took a drink of his whiskey. “The stalker will be caught then. Because it’s a political thing, we won’t be handling the man. He’ll be handed over to the authorities. Scotlin will break off the engagement because of the trauma and move to Paris for some emotional recovery. Jefferson will be the protective father who stands by her and demands justice. It’ll all turn out nicely for them in the public eye. If her abortion ever becomes public knowledge, the hopes are it will be overshadowed by this. Once he’s in office and the stalker is set free, he will … disappear.”

I took a drink of my water, then asked, “Disappear?”

He nodded once.

“Meaning?”

Sebastian looked down at me. “Meaning we’ll handle him then.”

Oh. Ohhh. “I see.”

I scanned the crowd and the people arriving, using all my restraint not to look at King. It wasn’t an easy task. I was so very tempted.

“Do you think the man is here?” I asked Sebastian.

He started to speak when a smile was suddenly on his face, and his attention was focused on an older gentleman with a black cowboy hat covering most of his white hair. His short, trimmed beard was equally white. He was shorter than Sebastian by several inches, but the way he stood gave an air of authority.

“You’re looking more like your father every day,” the man said, shaking Sebastian’s hand. “More so than that brother of yours.”

Sebastian chuckled. “I’m sure Thatcher would take that as a compliment,” he replied, then turned to me. “Rumor, this is Dawson Woodrow. Dawson, this is Rumor Beauregard. She’s a close friend of the family.”

The older gentleman gave me a nod and tipped his hat at me. “Nice to meet you, Miss Beauregard. I’ve been buying winning racehorses from the Shephards for nigh on thirty years.”

“They do have the best, but please, call me Rumor.”

He gave me an appreciative look, then cut his eyes to Sebastian. “I’d hang on to this one.”

Sebastian laughed, but I could see him glance over in King’s direction. When he responded, he turned the subject around to the Derby, and I only half listened as they discussed the horses that had raced. My eyes scanned the room, finding those I recognized, which were all family members. Ronan Salazar and Jupiter were to the far right of the room, speaking with guests. I could see Ronan casually glancing over in King’s direction, as if he was watching him. Making sure he didn’t leave his post.

As close as I was to Maeme, I barely knew Ronan or Jupiter. I adored their daughter, Birdie, but I wondered if the baby would bring them around more. Would I ever really feel like they were my family? They would be my child’s grandparents. King never spoke of his mother, and I wondered if she would want to know the baby. We hadn’t ever discussed it, but I wanted my baby to have all the family she could. Something I never had. To grow up loved and adored. The more family, the better.