“No,” I say, my heart racing. “Why would he? He didn’t study at Columbia.”
“So?” she says, picking up her second hot dog. “He’s rich. Money talks. No doors are locked for men like Chris Collins.”
“He’d probably just kick it open,” I mumble. “What the hell am I supposed to do if he shows up? What are you smiling at?”
“Secret weapon!” Wiping her palm across her mouth, Maria claps her hands and giggles as she runs to the door. “Wait right there.”
Standing from the beanbag, I head over to the window.
The black SUV is parked three doors down on the opposite side of the street. Rolling down his window, the henchman driver doesn’t even try to hide as he stares up at me through his binoculars.
“Pervert!” I shout, pulling the curtains closed.
“Close your eyes!” Maria yells through her door.
I don’t have the energy to argue. “Okay! Done!”
Laughing as she steps into her room, my best friend calms herself.
“Right,” she says. “Now we’ve decided it’s almost a certainty that the silver sex fiend fox will show his face tonight, we needto take drastic action. This is a break glass kind of emergency measure. He’s doomed. Look…”
Peeling open one eye, I gasp at the red sequin gown twinkling in her hands.
“It’s beautiful,” I tell her.
“No. You’rebeautiful,” she counters, making me blush. “This right here isbeguiling. And you know what that means?” Maria winks at me. “Operation Seduction is back on, baby!”
I can’t swallow the smile that rises from my stomach.
Maybe tonight won’t be so bad after all…
The campus auditorium is filled with alumni dressed to the nines. The only people who don’t look like movie stars in this whole room are the two tall guys standing by the bar.
“You would think they’d at least try to fit in,” I whisper to Maria, nudging her arm.
She follows my eyes and snickers. “Who? Dumb and dumber over there. Yeah. Your security detail is way too obvious.”
Maria grabs a tray of savory canapes from the table we’re standing next to.
“Look at this tiny expensive crap,” she huffs. “Don’t they serve adult food in here?”
I shake my head. “Youcan’t be hungry? You ate like four hot dogs five hours ago.”
“Don’t know what to tell you,” she says, stuffing three into her mouth. “Maybe I’m pregnant. Eating for two.”
She washes down the snacks with a gulp of her cocktail, and I fiddle with the stunning ball gown.
“Stop messing with that!” Maria says. “Or you’re going to flash a ninety-year-old alumnus and give him a heart attack. You don’t want that on your conscience, girl. Trust me…”
I don’t know what to do with my hands. “I’ve never worn anything like this before. Everyone is looking at me.”
“Yeah. There’s a reason for that, Harps. The guys are staring and the girls are scowling. That means the gown is a winner. Never fails. How else are you going to woo your man?”
“He’s notmy man,” I mumble.
“You’d like him to be,” she teases. “Just relax, girl. He’ll be putty in your hands when he sees you.”
“I hope you’re not talking about me?” That cold, familiar voice sends an icy chill racing up my spine. I freeze when he places his hand on the small of my back and Bryan Stanfield leans close to my ear. “Don’t draw any attention to us or I’ll fucking kill you right here.”
“Bryan!” Maria shouts and I spot the two guys by the bar straighten their shoulders. “She doesn’t want to talk to you, so just leave while you have the chance.”
Bryan grabs the back of my neck. “You still letting this loser make your decisions for you, Harps?”
“W-what do you want?” I stammer.
“You,” he whispers. “And revenge for what that old man did to my guys.”
“What are you talking about? I have no-” Bryan squeezes my neck and pulls me back away from the table. “Please. Just stop.”
Trying to avoid detection as a girl walks past us, he buries his forehead into my hair and kisses my neck. “Five minutes. That’s all I want. You owe me that much.”
“I don’t owe you anything,” I say, waving my free hand at the two guys by the bar. One of them nods and pulls out his phone, but they don’t seem to be coming to my rescue as Bryan drags me away from the table.
“You want me to call for help?” Maria asks.
“I have a knife,” Bryan whispers. “Say no or it won’t end well for you.”
“N-no,” I tell her “It’s fine. You just stay there, okay?”
Bryan pushes me into the darkest corner of the auditorium and pins me to the wall.
Why the hell haven’t those guards come to save me?
“I have people here,” I tell Bryan, turning my face away as he grazes a finger across my cheek.
“We had a good time together, baby. You know we did.” He pulls on my bottom lip. “Kiss me, Harps. Kiss me like you used to.”
“Get off me,” I hiss, knocking his hand away. “We were good for about a week. Then you started acting like a total possessive psycho! So, no, Bryan. I won’t kiss you, and you need to get the hell out of here.”
“I want you to take me back,” he snarls. “Youhave to take me back.” He grabs my throat and pushes my head back into the wall. “And that’s not a request.”
“You cheated on me. I deserve better, and it’s not going to be withyou
!”
Bryan reaches around me and grabs my ass. “Hmmm,” he purrs. “This feels just as good as always. You know you want me, Harps. That’s why you dressed like that, isn’t it?” He slaps my butt. “Unless it’s forhim?”
“You’re crazy,” I say, gasping for air. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Just leave me alone.”
Bryan releases my throat and slams his fist into the wall behind me.
A sudden rage tears through my stomach, and I stamp my heel into his foot. Bryan squeals and grits his teeth, but he’s still grabbing my throat.
“I’m done being scared of men like you!” I hiss. “I’ve moved on, and you need to move on too. Now let go of me and move or I’ll scream this whole place down! Then I’ll file charges against you!”
A flicker of reality flashes in his green eyes and he lowers his hand.
“Fine,” he mumbles.
As the crowd parts, I flatten my dress and step forward, but Bryan presses his hand to my mouth and forces me back to the wall.
“You didn’t really think it would be that easy, did you?” My lips are smothered by his sweaty palm, and I can barely breathe. “You onlythink you’ve moved on because you’re fucking that old man.”
My eyes grow wide and he smirks.
“Yeah. That’s right, Harper. I know all about your fucked up little affair. And I came here tonight to give you a second chance. I hoped you’d see the mistake you’ve made, but maybe I need to make it a little more clear for you.”
Bryan pulls a knife from his pocket, and I stop breathing when he presses the tip against my stomach.
He’s a total psycho. Why the hell is no one coming to help me?
My body freezes as his icy voice blows across my skin.
“We’re either leaving here together tonight, or you’re not leaving at all…”
TWENTY-ONE
Chris
Waving away the greetings of the alumni gala guests, I march to the bar and grab Gary’s arm. “Where the fuck is he?”
“Over there,” he says. “We backed off, just like you said.”
Sliding my aviator sunglasses down my nose, I follow his finger. I can see the back of a guy in the corner of a room. The little punk has been in hiding for three days.
“Good,” I say. “I want this bastard all to myself. This could get messy. Make sure no one leaves before I’m finished with him. Last thing we need is police reports and witnesses.”
“Understood, Boss.”
I glance around the bustling room. “Where’s Harper?”
“He’s with her, Boss. Bryan is with her.”
“What?” I snap, turning back to him. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
He gulps. “No, Boss. You told us to leave him alone until you got here.”
“Not if he waswith her!” I yell. “For fuck’s sake, Gaz! Just make sure no one leaves. Think you can do that? Good.”
Straightening the cuffs on my pale blue tailored suit, I fix my tie in place and march through the crowd.
“If it isn’t the most handsome man at the gala,” someone says, grabbing my wrist. “I was hoping you’d show up. This place is boring without you. Drink?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.