High Stakes (The Kingdom Book 2) (31 page)

“I know.”

“I just think … I know you don’t want to leave …”

“Denham. I want to leave more than anything in the world. It’s taking every scrap of strength to stop my legs from carrying me as far away from here, as far away from Jonny, as I can be. But, do you know what? If I go, I go for good. I may as well run from the whole world, for the rest of my life.”

“Ari …”

“Please. What’s the worst that’s going to happen? Is he going to beat me in front of a room full of people?”

“Ari,” He scolds, clearly disturbed by the thought. “I don’t … I just don’t want you to have to endure that man any longer than you already have. It’s my instinct to keep you safe and—”

“Then do just that. Be my strength. Be by my side, and let’s show him that he’s messed with the wrong Army. Yes?”

Denham looks at me for long minutes, searching my eyes for any chance that I might change my mind. “You’re crazy,” he mutters.

“I know.”

“And strong.”

I shrug.

“And amazing.”

This makes me look to my feet, which shuffle on the ground beneath me, and Denham places the length of his forefinger under my chin and tilts it gently up until I’m looking directly at him.

“You want to dance?” he asks, smiling but with a hint of sadness.

“Are you askin’?” I look up at him through my lashes with a silent plea to make the best of the situation we have.

He chuckles, a deep throaty laugh and the look in his eyes softens, “I’m askin’.”

“Then I’m dancin’,” I whisper, and kiss his smiling lips.

“Guys.” Lottie’s voice comes from the end of the hall. “Are we leaving or what?”

She’s standing there with her hands on her hips, her face tight and scary, and looks ready for a fight. Spike has his hand at the middle of her back, wearing a serious expression.

I slide my hands down from Denham’s chest, and cross the distance between me and her. Placing my hands on her shoulders I say, “Lottie, babe. I love you. We are not going anywhere, okay?”

“But—”

“No.” I shake my head. “If I were to leave now, I’d never come back. I don’t care if he’s in there. We are getting trashed. We are going to dance. And we are going to have a damn good night. Got it?”

She takes a deep breath and wraps both arms around my waist. “I love you, Ari.”

“I know,” I say, kissing the top of her head. Even with heels on, she only just reaches my chin.

“We’re ready to go back in, then?” she asks.

“Yup,” I reply, taking a deep breath and linking my arm in hers.

“Thank fuck for that. They’re just about to serve dessert, and I woulda been pissed if I had to miss it.” If you didn’t know Lottie, you would miss the little smirk that creases the corners of her eyes. God, I love this girl.

For the next hour, the ballroom is a sea of people mingling. Once the tables and chairs are cleared back to make way for the dance floor, and everyone is standing it’s pretty much impossible to see over the hundreds of heads. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t edgy. I am. It’s the strangest feeling knowing that someone you’ve been running from for so long is in the same room as you. Possibly only two or three people away. But he can’t do a damned thing to me here, and with that thought, each minute that goes past gets easier. Denham doesn’t leave my side, and Lottie and Spike don’t go far either, so I feel safely cocooned in between three of my favorite people in the world.

It takes a while for people to start to dance, but when they do, there’s a little more room to move around on the perimeter.

“Okay, guys. You said we’d dance. So I want to dance. Who’s with me?” I drain the rest of the champagne in the glass I was given on my way back into the ballroom, and place it on the bar just a few feet away.

“Okay!” Lottie answers, doing a little bounce on the balls of her feet. “Sambuca. Then we dance.”

“Yes!” I reply.

“I’m not sure—” Denham starts.

“Look, King,” I say, pointing a finger in his chest “If you’re going to tell me it’s not a good idea to get drunk, then think again. We are doing shots. Then we are dancing. Got it?” I sound fiercer than I feel, and instantly feel bad about being so sharp. But it quickly fades when I see the smirk on his face.

“I was going to say, I’m not sure they will have Sambuca, but I’ll happily go and check for you.”

I narrow my eyes at him, questioning if that was what he was really going to say or if he’s saying it to placate me. “Champagne makes you feisty,” he comments with a grin, and takes my hand to lead us to the bar.

Four clear, potent shots are lined up on the bar top and set alight. Lottie and I start the countdown.

“Three.” Denham raises his eyes to the ceiling and mutters under his breath and I laugh at him. “Two. One. Go!”

His face is a picture. I know he’s not new to doing shots, but I’m guessing it’s been some time since he downed something like Sambuca, and I feel happy that I’m responsible for corrupting this little part of him.

“Now we dance.” I grab his hand, kiss him hard on the lips, and lead him to the dance floor.

We all loosen up a little after the shots. I’m not sure if it’s the alcohol rushing through our systems that helps us relax into the evening, or the fact that we are all good at pretending that everything is fine.

I’ve watched Denham dance. I’ve slow danced with him, when his warm body is pressed against mine. But I’ve never actually danced next to him. It’s true that god gifted these boys with everything. Between him and Spike, they cover every desirable trait you would look for in a man. They’re both sexy, in very different ways. They both wear a suit like a second skin. And, they can both dance like Channing Tatum. They have moves for every song that is played, and Lottie and I have a great time dancing with them, and letting them do their own thing. They feed off of each other when the music is playing, and I notice lots of people watch them too. When the band stops for a break, we stop dancing to grab a drink. Under the circumstances, I didn’t expect to let loose enough to have fun like that, but I’m so pleased we did. It goes a long way in showing us that maybe this is possible.

We grab some more champagne, and find a table. Denham sits and pulls me onto his lap.

“You look fucking edible this evening, Ari,” he growls into my ear.

I place my hand gently on the side of his face and run it around the back his neck, looking deep into his eyes and pulling him in to meet my lips. I move in close, just a whisper away, and let my tongue tease between his partly open lips. He groans, and pulls me in tighter to kiss me hard. He kisses me with such passion that at first I don’t register the voice behind me.

“Oh, aren’t you both cute?”

Amy.

Denham stiffens, and I drop my head into his chest and sigh.

When I turn, I wish I hadn’t. It’s not just Amy. She’s tucked into the arm of … Jonny.

I don’t know whether to laugh, or throw up.

Denham jumps up so fast, I stumble to catch my balance, but Lottie and Spike are at my side quickly so I have enough support to find my feet.

“We’re leaving,” Denham grates out, grabbing my hand and stepping forward, putting his body between Jonny and I.

Jonny holds up a hand in his path. “Mr. King. Isn’t it?” He uses his public voice. The one that’s neutral. Non-threatening.

“I said, we’re leaving,” Denham repeats.

“D. Baby. I think you should at least speak with Mr. Ellis here,” Amy drawls. “I thought it was about time I introduced you to the man behind the money,”

Oh shit.

“I’m sorry,” Jonny offers. “Amy isn’t making herself very clear. I’m your investor, Mr. King. So, I suppose that makes us … business partners?”

It’s like the band knew when to stop playing, and the interim music ceases too.

She sold him out. When she knew she wouldn’t get anywhere with Denham, she sold him out. But not only that. She sold him to the Devil himself.

“You whore!” I screech.

I tear my hand from Denham’s and rush toward her. Momentarily, she looks shocked but as I approach, she sneers. I sink my hand into her peroxide tresses and yank her head backwards forcing a yelp from her. Denham and Spike rush to pull me from her, but just as they pull me free, Lottie dives in. Her little balled up fist lands in the corner of Amy’s mouth and splits her lip open before Spike grabs her and wraps his arms around her body, trying to keep her contained. She’s still kicking and screaming, but Spike whispers in her ear and she quiets, even though her nostrils are still flaring.

“I see nothing changes, Arianna,” Jonny remarks calmly.

“You don’t get to talk to her,” Denham snaps. He pushes me directly behind his body, broadening his shoulders so he’s a wall between Jonny and I.

“Oh no? Well, that’s where you’re wrong. Did she tell you what she did?” he asks, still with his composed façade in place.

Well, this is news to me. I place my arm around Denham’s waist from behind him, hoping he can reign in the anger I can feel bubbling through him. I need him to handle this.

Amy slides her slender hand in the crook of Jonny’s arm, and he gives her a loaded smile.

“Well,” he announces, “I won’t bore you with the details. But, I wouldn’t pin your feelings on this one if I were you.” He nods in my direction and smirks.

“You don’t get to talk to her
or
about her. Do. You. Understand me?” Denham leans right up close into Jonny’s face, spitting the words through his teeth, and barely keeping his composure.

“Hey, man,” Jonny retorts, holding his hands up in between them, “she didn’t tell you? Just letting you know, one guy to another. You got cash, she’s a loose cannon.” He swings his hands out to the sides, then lifts his shirt, “I’ve got the scars to prove it …”

I stare blankly at his stomach. A scar at least four inches long marks the left side of his torso, and he’s crediting me with this?

This is enough to tip Denham over the edge. Lottie screams, and Spike pushes her out of the way while he tries to reach Denham, who lunges forward and catches Jonny by the throat. Even while Denham is pushing him, thrusting him backwards against a stone pillar Jonny is insistent even through Denham’s vice like grip. “You’ll see.” His eyes slide to mine. Perfectly composed. Cold and calculated. “You’ll see.”

THE SCUFFLE THAT ENSUES
is over pretty fast. Security pulls everyone back, and sends us all off. Jonny touches a hand to his mouth, then wipes away the trickle of blood with the back of his hand. That sinister smile hasn’t left his lips from the minute he approached us. It’s a smile I know well, a smile I have been on the receiving end of. Even when it wasn’t followed by a fist, it meant that something bad was to come. Amy is still standing by his side, her botoxed face remains expressionless, apart from her smile which now matches Jonny’s. I wonder how she knows him. How long? How?

“Let’s just go, please, can we just go,” I plead, pressing my hands on Denham’s chest. His heart races beneath my palms and matches the speed of my pulse. Emotions are high. Tempers are wavering on the edge of sanity, and it won’t take much for them to snap.

“Spike,” Denham barks. “Let’s go.”

Spike turns Lottie in the direction of the door, and Denham grabs my hand and turns to leave, too.