She looked at Allie again. Her gaze worried, her face fraught with tension. She shook her head and murmured, “No. I won’t do that to her.”
He’s scum, he wanted to shout. Instead, he buried his primal, territorial urges, and said, “He doesn’t deserve her.”
She nodded sagely. “Neither do I, but here we all are.” She sighed and buried her chin in her chest. “Maybe we can come to an agreement.” She chewed her lip again, probably because she knew it was bullshit. But he let her keep her fantasy, for the moment. Because it wouldn’t last. The bubble would burst, and Harden would be there to catch her. He sent a text ordering his security to keep Carl in the lobby. He didn’t want his stench polluting their home.
He scooped Allie up, tickling her tummy until she squirmed and laughed uncontrollably. Jentry fell in line next to him. Wearing a gray cable knit sweater and leggings, just a hint of makeup on her face, her beauty captivated him. It always had.
With Pavel, Leonid, and Bruno trailing, the six of them entered the elevator.
One by one, the floors ticked by as they descended. He placed a possessive hand on her waist, keeping her by his side. She leaned into him and tipped her head up. Their eyes locked. Fear lingered in her brown depths.
“You got this. I got this. Hell, Allie’s got this.”
A fragile smile twisted her lips. “Don’t leave me,” she whispered.
“Never,” he returned, and meant it with every fiber of his being.
He didn’t stop her from edging in front of him as the elevator slowed. The back of her sweater had a sheer insert in a deep V showing off the completed PROPERTY OF CDJ cover-up completed only four days ago. The intricate tribal design transformed the previous hateful ink into something almost as beautiful as the woman it graced.
The elevator opened to find Carl seated in the lounge, legs crossed, next to him a young woman, both were bracketed by two of Harden’s men. Both stood as they approached. Was she his girlfriend, brought to intimidate Jentry? It wasn’t easy to keep his temper locked. Holding Allie helped.
“Jentry Playne?” the woman said and held out her hand.
Harden studied the formal chemistry between the woman and Carl. No. They weren’t a couple, and if that weren’t the case, who was she and why was she here?
“Yeah?” Jentry said.
Slowly, the woman pulled a slip of paper from her coat sleeve and shoved it into Jentry’s palm. “Miss Playne, you’ve been served.”
Harden glared at the paper. He would’ve told her to shove it up her ass, but the woman headed for the exit. One of the guards blocked her escape. Harden signaled to let her leave. Wasting no time, she ran and didn’t stop even when she hit the sidewalk.
Grim, Jentry opened the summons. Harden studied Allie’s biological father. The man was squirrely, his eyes shifting from side to side, his body jumpy as if expecting to be rushed, dragged away and slaughtered. Carl was so close to the truth.
“He’s suing me for visitation. This was all a ploy to get me here to serve me this!” The summons trembled in her hand.
“You think you’ve won? You haven’t won a damn thing. I’m getting a lawyer. The court won’t give you visitation because you’re a felon, a sex trafficker! No one in their right mind would leave you alone with a child.”
Carl pounded his chest. “I’m her father.”
“Whose father, Alice’s?” she snorted. “I could put her in a room full of babies and you wouldn’t be able to pick her out. That’s how much of a father you are.”
His mouth twisted. “Doesn’t matter, she’s still mine. Visitation is just the start of it. I want joint custody, but that won’t be an issue if you come back to me.”
Jentry reared back as if struck. Then she busted out laughing. “Come back to you? For what?”
Carl’s gaze skipped to Harden. “We can be a family,” he said without an ounce of conviction in his voice.
“I will never— You will never,” she sputtered.
Enough. Carl didn’t come to see his daughter. He came to start shit. Someone put him up to this and Harden had a good damn idea who.
Harden spun her away, and with an arm around her shoulder, he guided her to the elevator. The fact that she didn’t struggle for freedom and push him away, the fact that she wrapped her arm around his waist and drew him closer…
They entered the elevator, just the three of them, alone and silent. She hadn’t removed her arm from his waist and her head came to rest on his chest. Allie started babbling and slapping his face to get his attention. He peered into her soft brown eyes. She grabbed his cheek, tugged on his nose and…stabbed him in the heart.
“Da-Da-Da.” The cadence of her voice higher, then lower, then drifting off to barely a whisper at his stunned face.
Harden froze and melted all at the same time. Jentry pulled away. Eyes wide, mouth open, she stared at her daughter and Harden. “Her first words. I knew they’d be Da-Da. I’m glad it was you and not him.” She snarled then quickly calmed and groaned. “That’s okay, right? You’re not weirded out, are you?”
He kissed Allie and nuzzled her neck until she giggled. “God, no!” he said more harshly than intended. This was what he wanted. Everything he desired was in the elevator with him. She didn’t understand, not yet. But she would when the love between them turned into a lifetime. When he put a ring on her finger and another kid in her belly. Two kids, maybe three. He wanted the family he never had, with her.
She sighed, a fraction of a smile ghosted her full lips, then faded. “I need a lawyer.”
“I’ll get you the best.”
Relief erased the worry from her face. “You will, won’t you.”
“I’ll get you everything and anything you need. Both of you.”
Her voice lowered. “And if that’s you?”
He paused, took a deep breath to quell the blood rushing south. “…I’ll get you that too. And if it’s not me…” It damn well better be him because he’d gut the next man she looked at the way she currently looked at him. “I’ll get you that too. Whatever you want. Whatever you need.”
“I have everything I need right here in this elevator.”
She went to her tiptoes for a kiss, and he was only too happy to pull her closer and claim what she willingly gave. Allie in one arm, Jentry in the other, his world narrowed to these two beings. But Jentry was distracted. He felt it in the tight lines of her body and her hands clutching at him.
“Carl’s up to something,” she said upon easing back on her feet. “I don’t know what, but he doesn’t want Allie. He really won’t want her when I sue for child support. And he doesn’t want me. Everything he said in the lobby was bullshit. He’s playing an angle; I just can’t figure it out.”
A lightbulb went off in Harden’s head. “Did he find you by accident?”
She shrugged. “I think so. Why?”
“Any of your people, other than those at Split-Tail, know you’re with me? Friends, acquaintances?”
She shook her head. “Not that I know of. Why, Harden?”
“Of all the clubs in New York, he walks into mine. Interesting.” Very.
They exited the elevator together, hand in hand, as Allie rested her tired head on his pec. From one thousand mph to zero, by the time he reached the nursery, she was done. Like a star burning too brightly and suddenly snuffed, she was fast asleep. Jentry reached for her, but he wanted to smooth the curls from her face, kiss her one last time, and tuck her into bed.
Behind him, someone cleared their throat. “We need to get going,” Bruno said, then left them alone.
“I want to come with you,” she blurted.
“No,” was his automatic reply.
“Yes.” She folded her arms, raised her chin, and didn’t back down. “I won’t stay long but I’m going with you. Allie will be fine with Gerard and Vicki, and the men protecting her.”
He shouldn’t give in, but he couldn’t deny he wanted her with him. For them to work, he couldn’t w
rap her in a bubble and hide her from the world. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t make the world shudder with fear for even thinking about causing one scratch on her precious body. “Alright, but you leave when I say so. No arguing.” He pointed at her.
She bit the tip of his finger. The sting went straight to his cock along with the glide of her tongue over the bruised digit. “I’ll be ready in five minutes.” She ran out of the room.
“More like twenty,” he grumbled, adjusting his cock.
Chapter Fifty-one
The twenty minutes were well spent. The cream-colored knit dress with a plunging neckline and silk belt hugged every curve she possessed. Makeup, patent leather boots, she felt like the bad bitch she was meant to be.
And Harden. Black suit. Black shirt. Black tie. Blond hair and icy blue eyes were the only relief of color. He was the sexiest undertaker she’d ever seen. And he was hers.
Mine.
The word whispered through her being, lodged in her bones. Turned her inside out. Possessive. Obsessive. Carl had never made her feel this way. She should be concerned. She was turning into a person she didn’t know yet enjoyed the process. Maybe this was the woman she was always meant to be. Strong instead of frightened. Self-aware instead of self-doubt. Hopeful instead of despair whittling away at her soul. It’s said the right man brings out the best in a woman. Harden was Mr. Wrong in every way, but Mr. Right for her. Not many would understand, she didn’t. But that was okay. She loved him. He loved her. If that love lasted only for the next hour or a lifetime, she was grateful. What she’d locked up and thrown away the key, he’d found and showed her that she could love and be loved.
“You’re not staying for the meeting.”
Not surprised, she nodded. “Alright. I’ll stay hidden. They’ll never know I was there.”
He captured her hand and brought it to his lips. “You misunderstood. I don’t want you hidden. Not anymore. In this instance, knowing who you are, that you are mine”—he growled the last word, dragging it out into a full sentence—“protects you from men like me. It lets them know I will kill them and every member of their family, all they love if they even think of hurting you. Now do you understand?”
Shocked and feeling all kinds of special, she nodded once.
But he still wasn’t appeased. “You will stand by my side when the Black Dragons arrive. I will introduce you, then you will leave.”
Introduce me as what? she wanted to ask but the car had stopped. They had arrived.
Marilyn met them at the entrance. She was dressed in the Catalyst uniform of a black mini, low-cut white shirt, black bolero jacket, not her usual elegant dresses. She greeted Jentry with a polite nod and Harden a warm, knowing smile, one bestowed on a lover you were happy to see again.
Jealousy was a sharp needle lodged in Jentry’s frontal lobe. That bitch was going to be a problem, a problem Jentry intended on fixing. Purposely, she leaned in and went to her tiptoes. Harden didn’t leave her hanging. He took her mouth in a gentle kiss, cradled her face in his palm until she ended the embrace.
“I’ll make sure everything’s ready. Okay?”
A throaty sigh, a final kiss, and he released her, his hand trailing away, ghosting over her skin until their connection severed. He and his entourage headed for his office. She watched along with Marilyn.
Without a word spoken between them, Jentry followed the hostess down the secured hallway where Harden’s office and the game room were located. Along the way she noticed a few of the kitchen staff were in the kitchen. The chefs. The servers. Why were they here when there wasn’t a menu for tonight’s clandestine meeting?
“Hey.” She caught Marilyn’s attention and pointed toward the kitchen. “What’s up with that?”
“They’re cleaning up. We had a small private service for one of the high-end clients. It ran a little long. The staff will be done in the next fifteen minutes before Harden’s guests arrive.”
Jentry hoped so, but she kept it to herself.
The game room was a misnomer since the games played here were found in casinos not on a console.
The place had been cleaned out, all the tables—craps, blackjack, roulette, baccarat—removed to make room for a large oval table. Eight chairs around the bare, polished surface. She spared a moment to wonder how they got it into the room, then appreciated how beautiful it was against the wine-colored carpet and wood-paneled walls.
“No plates? No silverware? No setting?” Jentry circled the room.
“You haven’t been to one of these before.” Statement, not a question. “A meeting?” Marilyn used air quotes, then grabbed a few bottled waters and placed them at each seat. “They’re not here for dinner. They’re here to talk business instead of killing each other over territory. That means no partaking of anything that can be poisoned, like food. Unopened bottles of water and liquor are not suspected.” She waved a hand at the bar on the left side of the room. “Orders are taken, drinks are served, in silence. Hear nothing. See nothing. Say nothing.”
I see. And she did. This job wouldn’t be filled with chatter. The server needed to be invisible, a piece of animated furniture. Not a difficult job when she’d been invisible much of her entire life. “I’m here to help,” Jentry said.
“Hillary and I can handle everything.”
Dismissive. Don’t take it personal. “Where is Hillary?”
“Wine cellar. I sent her for more of the good stuff.”
“I’ll see if she needs any help.” Jentry headed for the door.
Marilyn’s snicker pulled her up short. “You’re not here to help, Jentry. You’re here to look pretty on his arm. You’re the eye candy. The latest in a long string. Nothing more. He’ll tire of you, like he did all the others. So, enjoy the ride, but don’t get comfortable.”
Hackles raised, she pivoted in her five-inch heels and faced Marilyn. She was a beautiful woman. Polished with porcelain skin, white blond hair in a tight chignon, size two perfectly petite frame. Her eyes were deep blue and her lips cupid and blood red.
“That’s what happened, isn’t it? You got comfortable. How long were you with him, Marilyn?”
Marilyn raised her chin and folded her arms under her breasts. “Six months. You’ve been with him four months. Your time’s almost up.”
“That’s what you’re hoping. How long ago did you have your precious six months together?”
Marilyn pursed her lips and refused to answer. Then finally, she said, “Two years ago.”
Jentry was pleased at the anger flaring in Marilyn’s blue eyes. “I get it. After being with Harden, no one else compares. Believe me, I understand. But what you had is over and not coming back.”
Marilyn smirked. “That’s why he had me in the skybox.”
Doubt niggled at her, wormed its way into Jentry’s heart. He told her nothing happened between him and Marilyn. Did she believe him? Yes. The man had no reason to lie, particularly when the truth was easy to discover. He wanted her, only her, plain Jentry. When he could have any woman in the world, Harden chose her.
“Had you do what?” She waited for Marilyn to answer. After thirty seconds, when nothing was forthcoming, she snorted at the disdain and the so-called grown woman in front of her. The grown woman who chose to lie. “I’ll make sure to ask him when we’re in bed tonight.” A sharp pivot and she headed to the exit for a much needed breath of fresh air.
“I don’t want Harden. I have a man.”
“Good. Stop lusting after mine.” She tossed over her shoulder.
“The staff talks about you,” Marilyn shouted.
“No news there. I’m screwing the boss.” She scoffed at Marilyn’s lame attempt at hurting her.
“They call you a gold digger, a plain, no talent stripper, who’ll be back on the streets, selling her body when her boyfriend gets out of jail.”
Jentry halted. Damn it, she was trying to take the high road, but that bitch was getting steeper by the second.
“You don’t even
know who the father of your kid is. Allie, right?”
The road had just turned into Mount Everest. Jentry crossed the room and shoved Marilyn into the bar. Startled, Marilyn swung wildly, aiming to slap, not punch. She didn’t have an older cousin who gave lessons in how to kick ass and take names. However, regardless of how much Jentry wanted to, this wasn’t the place or time.
She grabbed the hand coming for her, spun Marilyn around while at the same time twisting Marilyn’s arm behind her back. Into the wall she went, face first. Talk trash about her all day. All night. But… “Keep my daughter’s name out of your mouth.” Her mother raised her to be a lady. The lessons didn’t quite take.
The doors opened and Harden plus entourage strolled inside. And paused at the sight of Marilyn’s face planted in the wall and Jentry keeping her there.
Jentry held Marilyn there a moment longer, just because she damn well could, then released and shoved away as if disgusted. She stepped back, giving herself enough room for defense if Marilyn came at her.
Marilyn didn’t. She pulled herself together and rushed out of the room, no eye contact made with anyone. Surprising when Jentry was certain Marilyn would play the victim and cry her way through an explanation.
Harden and his entourage stepped out of Marilyn’s way, their eyes wide, filled with a mix of concern and amusement. “Beating the staff now?”
“When they get mouthy and talk shit about me and mine, hell yeah.” She folded her arms and waited for the reprimand because she didn’t appreciate the humor in his voice.
Mouth curled into a frown, brow furrowed, he asked, “What did she say?”
“Nothing she won’t ever say again.” She moved away, done with the whole thing.
His hand on her arm halted her. Turned to face him, he took her chin and forced her to meet his cold gaze. “What did she say?” No room for deflection, he demanded an answer.
She wouldn’t be bullied, not even by him. “I handled it.”
His frigid gaze bore into her, but instead of leaving her frozen, it slowly roasted her insides. That’s what he did to her.
Plain Jane and Mr. Wrong (Plain Jane Series Book 4) Page 38
