“An engagement party? For who?”
“Hattie Covington.”
Rever’s dark eyes narrowed into glittering slits, and his mouth pressed into a firm line. “You’re playing with fire. This game is going to blow up in your face.”
“Don’t you think I know that?”
He groaned under his breath. “Then why are you going?”
“Because I want to see her.”
“That’s a dumb reason.”
“You asked a dumb question.”
Chapter Four
Hattie
“Hattie,” my mom said the minute Evan and I walked into Senator Deveron’s home for our engagement party.
She air-kissed my cheek, a frozen smile on her face. She looked as perfect and as icy as I remembered. Every strand of her blonde hair was immaculately groomedinto an elegant twist, highlighting her sharp cheekbones and the curve of her jaw. She wore an ivory tailored suit with subtle fringed trim, buttoned flap pockets, large jeweled buttons, and princess seams. She looked like the perfect politician’s wife. She was the perfect politician’s wife. Unfortunately, she was far from the perfect mother, or at least my idea of the perfect mother.
Some small portion of me had believed my mom would behave like a normal parent after I returned from Mexico. Less than fifteen minutes into our first conversation, I realized nothing had changed. She truly subscribed to the notion that you shouldn’t let a crisis go to waste. She scolded me for going to Mexico, for breaking up with Evan, and for being abducted.
“Mom. It’s nice to see you,” I said, taking a few anemic steps away from her.
As my eyes drifted over the smiling faces of our family, friends, and business associates, I felt nothing. Not happiness. Not sadness. Just a complete lack of interest in everyone and everything around me.
“Where’s Dad?”
“He and Senator Deveron had a few things to discuss before the party gets into full swing. He should join us any minute.”
I nodded absently as Evan slid his arm around my hips. As irrational as it sounded, I wished he’d stop touching me. Instead of saying anything, I leaned into him, pretending for the moment he meant something to me and I still loved him.
I scanned the white flower arrangements advantageously placed all over the Deverons’ home. I hated white. If my mom or Evan’s mom had consulted me, I would’ve never picked white anything. After spending too many days staring at the white walls and floors at the Vargas Cartel compound, I hated the absence of color.
If I had my choice, I would’ve selected red roses. Red seemed more appropriate given the circumstances of our engagement. Red was the color of blood, the color of anger, the color of sacrifice—and tonight marked the moment when I’d sacrifice everything.
The future I wanted.
My heart.
My soul.
My dreams.
My dignity.
All of it would evaporate into a pile of used up pixy dust the minute Evan announced our engagement, and I couldn’t even be mad at Evan. He wasn’t the one keeping secrets and living a lie. I fell in love with another man, but he didn’t want me enough to fight for me, for us. I may have looked fine on the outside, but on the inside I was bleeding and broken.
Smiling, Evan handed me a glass of champagne from a small round table draped in white fabric. “Here they come now. My dad’s going to give a toast.”
Senator Deveron lifted his glass into the air, and the low murmurs stopped as all eyes focused on him. His trademarked veneered grin slid into place, and he cleared his throat. “When Evan first brought Hattie to our house, my wife and I fell in love with her. She’s smart, beautiful, and kind. We knew she was the right woman for our son. So when Evan told us that Hattie agreed to marry him, we were thrilled. Evan, we are so proud of the adult you have become. With the love of your life at your side, nothing will be impossible. To Evan and Hattie.”
Clapping, cheering, and congratulations floated through the air, and I felt disconnected from the moment. It didn’t seem real. Nobody acknowledged my abduction. Nobody cared about my mental withdrawal. My life kept moving day after day.
My engagement party was planned.
Evan selected my ring.
Invitations were sent.
A therapist was hired.
My parents moved all my belongings into Evan’s house.
Even my dress—an ivorysilk crepe dress with a blouson silhouette—was ordered and delivered to Evan’s townhome by my mom. It didn’t look like something I’d pick, but then again, neither was my life. Not anymore. I’d lost control of everything.
“It’s bad luck not to take a drink,” Evan whispered next to my ear.
Not making eye contact with him, I lifted the glass to my lips as my eyes scanned the room, but I didn’t take a sip. I didn’t know why. It was childish, but I considered it my final symbolic rebellion before I entered a loveless marriage. One I didn’t want. One I wouldn’t want no matter how many days passed.
Suddenly, time froze. My muscles tensed the minute I saw him, Ryker Vargas. Just whispering his name inside the relative safety of my mind caused my heart to knock savagely against my breastbone. For a fraction of a second, I thought I was hallucinating, that my brain was playing vindictive tricks on me. My vision tunneled until all I could see was him, standing across the room—a wicked smile dancing at the corners of his lips, an island all to himself, sucking the energy out of the room. Our eyes locked and nobody existed except the two of us.
I swayed on my feet, and I realized I hadn’t taken a breath in over thirty seconds. The shock of seeing him had sucked every last molecule of air from my lungs. Numb, the champagne glass slipped from my hand, and the bubbly liquid splashed on my legs and the top of my nude-colored heels.
“Are you okay?” Evan whispered next to my ear as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. His mouth swept across the corner of my lips and my stomach churned with acid.
I tugged at the suddenly too tight collar of my dress. “I don’t feel good. I need to sit down for a minute,” I said absently, my eyes anchored to Ryker’s in a silent battle. He looked exactly as I remembered, only better.
A black suit hugged his muscular body, barely containing his broad shoulders. Rough stubble shadowed the rugged angles of his golden skin, and my fingers itched to trace the strong line of his jaw. His gray eyes were hooded, a knowing smirk on his face. With his legs crossed at his ankles, he relaxed against the wall in a way most people would mistake for languid elegance. I knew better. He was a predator ready to attack. Conquer. Take what he wanted.
With his hand on my lower back, Evan guided me out of the room. I followed his cues for a few steps, then I froze mid-stride. “No. You stay here and talk with everyone. Both of us can’t leave the party. I’ll slip to your dad’s study and sit down for a few minutes.”