by Jillian Neal
“I just wish I could go with you,” she finally choked out the thing that she’d been trying desperately not to confess since they’d talked about the trip on their couch the day before.
“I know, baby, and believe me, I wish I could walk in there with you on my arm tonight and let everyone know that I’m the luckiest guy in the entire Realm. And someday I will.” The fire that burned in his gut every time he thought about taking down Wretchkinsides ignited in him again.
I’m buying a ring. He hugged her tighter. And I’m getting down on one knee and begging her to marry me as soon as he draws his last breath. His fervor and determination, in that moment, was so potent Fionna picked up on it. Her brow knitted as she lifted her head to study him.
He gazed deeply into her eyes. “Don’t say anything for a minute, please.”
Fionna nodded and watched him closely. Dan felt his heart pound. His stomach rolled and then clenched tightly. You can do it. Just tell her; don’t be a coward, he ordered himself. She deserves to hear you say it. He felt his hands shake as he held her shoulders.
His mind was suddenly awhirl with images, both beautiful and horrifying. Sunlit days where nothing could go wrong mingled repugnantly with images of that grave. Amelia’s laughter shattered with gunshots. His body twitched and rejected the metallic scent of blood mixed with her favorite floral perfume.
“Dan,” Fionna swallowed harshly, “don’t.”
He shook his head and laid his index finger gently on her lips. She was scared. He had to do it; he had to say it.
Quickly, he let his eyes close in a fervent prayer that nothing that he said would hurt Amelia. He opened them to stare into those soulful, sienna eyes, the ones that brought breath to his lungs, blood to his weary frame, and made life worth living.
Tears were forming on her lashes.
“I….” The words snagged on the boulder in his throat. He chastised himself again. She started to shake her head, but he was determined. “Fionna… I… love you,” he managed in a choked whisper as tears formed on his own eyes.
“Oh, my gosh.” She fell against his chest and clung to him fiercely. “I love you, too.”
Dan tried to blink back the tears that were falling into her hair.
“I know. I don’t know why, but I know.” He was still stunned by all he had when he held her in his arms.
“Because, you’re the most amazing man ever. You know you don’t ever have to tell me. I can feel it.”
“I know, but I wanted to tell you. I needed you to know.”
“I do know,” she managed, while she tried futilely to blink back another round of tears.
“You need to hear it often, because I feel it constantly.” He wiped away a few tears and then realized that was going to be pointless. She began to sob. He offered her sanctuary in his arms and let her ruin his shirt.
Don’t Count Your Cards
They’d ended up reclined on the couch in Fionna’s suite. Dan’s professing his love had built a stronger intimacy than the one they’d shared, with their bodies that morning on the plane.
Garrett called at a quarter to three to ask if Fionna wanted to walk down to the meet and greet with him and Chloe. She’d agreed, so Dan kissed her heatedly and then watched her walk, in full uniform, out of her suite to join Chloe and Garrett.
Drawing a deep breath, Dan moved to the closet, pulled out a polo shirt complete with the Angel’s insignia, and shrugged into it. He paced anxiously in his boredom until three-fifteen. He grabbed his key card, made certain the door between his and Fionna’s suite was closed and locked, and then headed quickly to the elevators.
With the all too familiar twitch of his left shoulder, he moved on instinct, scanning the large room methodically. The Sirens table was situated closest to the entry doors, and he and Marlisa shared a hate-fueled glare.
The Angels were in the center of the room, seated at curtained tables. Memorabilia hung behind them, and fans who were begging for autographs and photos surrounded them.
Dan’s stomach lurched as his eyes fell on Fionna. She was seated between Emily and Sasha, and was being chatted up by a rather well- built guy in a San Antonio Synthesizers’ uniform.
His body waged war with both his brain and his brawn. Overcome with desperate need to march over there and introduce himself forcefully, he ordered himself not to move. The order became much easier to heed with one quick glance back at Marlisa. Dan clenched his jaw and shuffled slowly towards the Angels table.
Fionna looked extremely uncomfortable, and reached for a picture of herself that a little girl in front of her held. The girl stared at her in amazement, but seemed too shy to speak. The guy kept talking as Fionna signed her name on the photo.
Rainer was stationed directly behind Emily, wearing a shirt very similar to Dan’s. He was glaring angrily at the Synthesizers player. Whatever he was saying, Rainer didn’t care for.
Garrett was behind Chloe, hanging back, letting her have her moment. He caught Dan’s eye and quickly made his way through the fans. “Keep it cool, man. Marlisa’s all over you.”
“I’m fine,” Dan lied outright.
“Uh huh, sure you are,” Garrett chided with a knowing chuckle. Dan joined Rainer, who cast him a sympathetic look.
“It was nice seeing you again, but I need to get to all of these,” Fionna gestured toward the line of people awaiting her attention.
“Well, save me a dance tonight, sweet thing,” the guy winked at Fionna and gave her a cocky smile, and then took a minute step towards the Synthesizers’ table.
Fionna sighed. “I’m seeing someone, Trevor. I’ve said that four times.”
Trevor chuckled pompously. “Yeah, but he’s not here, and I am. It’s Vegas, baby. We had a good time last year.”
Dan’s blood boiled. He felt Garrett’s hand grasp his shoulder, and he realized that he’d tensed and leaned towards Trevor.
Ignoring his comment, Fionna stood and posed for a picture with two teenage boys, who seemed woefully unable to get their eyes above her rack.
“It’s gonna be a long damn night,” Dan huffed to Garrett and Rainer, who nodded their agreement.
Making certain that he didn’t spend too much time near Fionna, Dan and Garrett stalked around the room, talking to fans, players, and other teams’ owners.
“Come on, let’s hit the casino for a few,” Garrett urged.
“I don’t want to go to the casino.” Dan was still furious at Trevor and his relentless winking and grinning at Fionna.
“Yeah, it’d be better to hang out in here and watch other guys who she has no interest in, make you furious and themselves look like total douche-nozzles.”
Feeling drowned by defeat, Dan glanced nonchalantly at the Angels table. They were still surrounded by fans, and Fionna seemed to be enjoying talking with the young girls who idolized her.
The Synthesizers table had picked up as well, and Trevor was bragging about his skills to several admiring fans. Bile burned Dan’s throat when he let two girls, of approximately sixteen years of age, squeeze his rather uninspiring bicep.
“Fine.” He certainly wasn’t doing any good in the ballroom, and he was probably making Fionna nervous. “Text her and tell her where we’re going,” his sneering tone was rude, but he didn’t care.
Nodding, Garrett pulled his phone from his pocket and did as he was asked.
They exited the elevators on the ground floor, and entered into the obnoxious whir of one of the many gargantuan casinos in the hotel.
More red-skirted, bikini-clad girls were moving around the casino, taking drink orders and flirting with most anyone. Garrett engaged an attractive brunette for several minutes, until he got a free a beer.
Dan shook his head. He stepped back and let Garrett work his charm. All the while, his heart ached. He missed Fionna.
Taking a sip of beer, Garrett scanned the room. “Well, well, well,” he gestured toward a blackjack table with a ‘gotcha’ grin.
Dan had already seen Victor Roslov
and Gentry Messnick seated at the table. They ran a low-level money laundering ring for Wretchkinsides.
“Shall we?” Garrett was anxious to play.
Already feeling vile repulsion from seeing Wretchkinsides’ men and mutinous from Trevor’s advances, Dan decided that he and Garrett walking away with a take from Wretchkinsides wouldn’t be a bad way to spend an hour or so.
Roslov and Messnick wouldn’t likely recognize either Dan or Garrett, as they weren’t high enough up in the Interfeci to be concerned with national law enforcement. If they recognized Garrett, due to his father’s job in the Realm, they would be excited to try and take the Crown Governor’s son’s money.
Both Dan and Garrett were extremely good at counting cards, especially when they played together. They sauntered to the table.
“You know how to play blackjack, man?” Dan feigned confusion.
“I think so,” Garrett came off as macho and desperate to prove his worth. They’d performed this act before.
Dan discreetly pulled a few bills from his wallet, careful not to let his license show. He handed them to the dealer.
Roslov and Messnick looked excited, having taken Dan and Garrett for newbies in town for the exhibition.
To prove the point, Dan flipped over his first card to reveal a king, as Garrett revealed a jack, then they both asked for a hit.
Dan watched Messnick turn over a two and then a seven. Roslov flipped an ace.
“Hit me?” Dan mocked hesitation, and then asked Garrett the rules of the game again. The dealer laid down another card, an eight.
“Again?” Dan asked quizzically. He drew an ace and then asked Garrett what that meant.
Garrett feigned confusion. “I think it’s worth ten.”
“One or eleven, gentlemen,” the dealer grew impatient quickly. “You’re at nineteen. Do you want another card?”
Dan nodded and hid his grin when he busted badly.
“Try again. You are just learning,” Roslov encouraged in a deep German accent.
Dan shrugged. “I guess.” Roslov and Messnick both kept up their encouragement, and Dan played along.
“See, now, how about a little side bet? Just for fun,” Messnick held up three one-hundred dollar bills.
Dan and Garrett pretended to discuss. The rules were established, and they eventually agreed to the side bet. The dealer discouraged Garrett. They’d play-acted well.
They played several rounds with Garrett, lucking out with twenty-one only once, before he and Dan really began playing. Messnick urged them to lay down more money. He looked like he’d just been named Crown.
Dan and Garrett discussed momentarily and then agreed. An hour later, they left the casino with a thirty-eight hundred dollar gain that they split. They laughed heartily all the way back to the ballroom.
“See, the day wasn’t a total loss,” Garrett chided on the elevator. “No, it’s been a great day. I just hate what I’m doing to her,” Dan admitted. They were alone on the elevator.
“She’s all right. She knows why, and she’s crazy about you.”
“Yeah, well the feeling’s mutual.”
Fionna’s entire face lit in a broad, beautiful grin when they entered the ballroom, but she quickly glanced away.
The crowds had dwindled as the clock approached five, the designated time for the end of the meet and greet.
Trevor approached again as the fans began exiting the ballroom, loaded down with photos, t-shirts, and posters from their favorite teams.
“Let me walk you back to your suite, Angel,” He waggled his eyebrows, and gave Fionna a cocky grin as he laughed at his own joke.
“I’m going to kill that guy,” Dan growled as he made the last few steps towards the Angels table. Garrett halted him forcefully. He shoved Dan to the side and slid into position.
“Hey, I’m Garrett Haydenshire.” He stuck his hand out towards Trevor and narrowed his eyes.
“Oh,” Trevor’s brow furrowed as he took in Garrett’s heavily- tattooed, bulging biceps and his scowl.
“Trevor Sanders. I captain the Synthesizers.”
Garrett chuckled. “That’s rough, man; gotta be tough to captain the worst team in the Realm.” He turned to Fionna, leaving no room for rebuttal. “Hey, Fi, you ready to go, baby?” Relief and jealously splintered Dan’s shield. He wanted her away from Trevor, but damn it, he wanted to be the one to rescue her.
“Yes,” she huffed angrily as she and Chloe stood and moved towards Garrett.
“Well, I’ll see you tonight, Fionna,” Trevor looked somewhat confused by what had just happened.
Dan let the fury permeate his body fully as he watched Fionna leave with Garrett. He took his phone from his pocket and slipped into a small closet off of the ballroom. He phoned Portwood.
“Yeah, just run his name. Find out anything you can. Parking tickets, drunk and disorderlies, hell, jay walking, I want anything you’ve got.
“You got it boss,” Portwood agreed. “Sanders, right?”
“Yeah, he plays for the San Antonio Synthesizers,” Dan concluded as he felt a spiteful smile form on his face. “Just text me with whatever you find.”
“Will do.”
“Thanks, I owe you.”
“It’s fine. I have one of the laptops here, and Julie’s mother is driving me nuts. This way I can hide out for a little while. You know, work and all.”
Dan chuckled. “Glad to be of service and, hey, no names in the text.”
“Come on, give me a little credit. We’ll keep her safe, Dan.”
The Many Moods of a Woman in Love
Dan re-entered his suite and then moved back through the door between his and Fionna’s rooms. He wondered momentarily if he should knock before entering her suite.
She was curled up on the couch, sipping something hot that Dan assumed was a mug of tea. Her uniform was in a crumpled heap on the floor. She’d replaced it with a pair of Angel knit pants and one of his Iodex t-shirts. Her face was drawn in a frown, and she seemed to be trying to take up as little space on the massive couch as she possibly could.
The sight of her in his shirt had his body contented once more. “Can I come in?”
Confusion eased her frown but only slightly. “Of course.”
“Care if I get something to drink?” he asked politely, while still studying her.
She huffed, “Dan, we live together. You can get whatever you want.”
Grabbing a Dr. Pepper from the refrigerator, he lowered the temperature a little more, the way he preferred it, and then moved to sit near her on the couch.
“I’m sorry for all I’m doing to you. I shouldn’t have come. I’m just making you miserable,” the bitter words scorched his lips as they left his mouth.
“Dan, no!” She immediately softened, though he certainly wasn’t trying to make her feel guilty.
“Honey, yes, I am. You deserve a guy who can at least walk up and introduce himself as your boyfriend to pricks who won’t leave you alone.”
“Stop.” She set her almost-empty mug on the table beside her and crawled into his lap. “It would be great to be able to introduce you to Trevor, and I would love to introduce him to these,” she teased as she cupped her hands over his massive biceps, eliciting a smile from Dan. “But I saw the way Marlisa watched you, and I know you’re keeping me safe. That means more to me than anything in the world. You’re going to all of these lengths to keep me safe and to still be here with me. Thank you for all you do for me.
“Besides, I’m not upset with you. I’m upset with me,” she finally admitted in a dejected humph.
“Why, baby?”
“Because it was such a stupid thing to do; he was such a stupid thing to do. I’m an idiot,” she buried her face in his neck.
Not entirely certain how to respond, and not wanting to add to her self-imposed guilt, Dan sighed, “Believe me, honey, I’ve done a whole lot of stupid things in the past few years. You met one of them at the Chinese restaurant last week, rememb
er?”
This at least gained him a slight giggle. She allowed her face to surface.
“And, oh, my gosh, he was horrible in bed! Awful!”
Dan was both extremely pleased to hear this and simultaneously disgusted by the thought.
“He thinks he’s God’s gift to women and, trust me, he isn’t.”
He bit his tongue to keep from ordering her not to tell him about being with other men.
“I just… ugh.” She reburied her face in Dan’s neck and shoulder. This time she completed her customary ball form.
Although he hated that she was upset, especially with herself, Dan loved that she would let him hold her when she was feeling low. He loved that she felt safest curled up in his lap and in his arms.
“Fi,” Dan soothed, “please don’t beat yourself up about Trevor. If we’re going to start punishing ourselves for our pasts, then I should just go ahead and jump off of that balcony,” Dan gestured toward the sliding doors of the suite.
“Dan,” she lifted her head to give him a frustrated glare before she returned it under his chin. “I just don’t want to go tonight. I’d much rather stay curled up here with you, and then maybe curled up with you in that steam-shower tub thing, and then maybe that taking-me-up-against-a-wall thing, because, wow!”
“You like that, did ya, baby?” He was unable to help himself.
“Yum,” she purred fervently, making him hungry all over again. She drew a deep breath and then pulled her head back to study him.
“You really just sort of stepped out of my fantasies.” She always knew how to make him feel like a king.
Dan gazed at her beautiful face and cradled her cheek in his powerful hand. “I could never have even dreamed up something as astonishingly beautiful or as incredibly sweet and wonderful as you are, honey.”
Her energy soared. “I love you.” He could feel the fervent hope quell throughout her.
“I love you, too, baby.” He was extremely impressed with his ability to reply without having to force the words from his mouth.
“I don’t want to go. I want to stay here with you.”
“Honey, I’m going with you. You don’t have to stay long after dinner.”
