Roland cleared his throat, which drew Trenton’s attention to him. Roland stood and extended his hand, introducing himself.
Trenton shook the proffered hand. “Trenton Johnson, Daniella’s brother-in-law.” Trenton’s emphasis on the relationship was unmistakable and made her feel guilty. But she hadn’t done anything wrong. They were simply two friends having dinner.
“Nice to meet you, Trenton,” Roland said.
“I’ll let you get back to your meal.” Trenton was not smiling at all, unusual since he had a gregarious personality, particularly when compared to his oldest sibling. “I’ll let Cyrus know I saw you.”
Their eyes remained on each other. She could tell he knew she wanted to know if Cyrus was with him.
“Do that,” she said with more chutzpah than she felt.
One eyebrow lifted a fraction, but he didn’t say anything else before walking away.
“Daniella,” Roland said, “he can’t hurt you if you don’t let him.”
Easy for you to say, she thought.
Minutes later, she saw the businessmen leaving, still engaged in a vigorous conversation, laughing as they exited. Trenton was among them, but he didn’t turn in her direction, as if he didn’t even know she was there. She drained her glass of champagne, her eyes lingering at the end of their short line of bodies. Despite looking forward to the delicious food earlier, she didn’t know if she could touch the lamb stew and couscous when they arrived. Her stomach had tangled into a knotted bundle. Would Cyrus make an appearance?
A few more minutes passed and still no Cyrus. A puzzling ache filled her chest, which made no sense, since she didn’t actually want to see him…did she?
Finally she accepted he wasn’t there and relaxed. No doubt Trenton would inform him he’d seen her and Roland together, but at least she didn’t have to worry about a confrontation tonight.
She was laughing at one of Roland’s comments when, as if he’d been conjured out of thin air, Cyrus came around the corner. Tall and imposing, he weaved his way through the tables filled with diners, an expression on his face that suggested he wanted to hurt someone. All the muscles in her body seized up.
He had been here.
She held her breath until his long strides brought him beside their table, a look of displeasure on his face.
He looked down at her without acknowledging Roland with even a glance. “Having fun, Dani?”
Chapter Six
Daniella glared up at her husband in defiance. “Yes, I am.”
Roland rose swiftly to his feet. “What a surprise to see you here, Cyrus.” A hint of nervousness colored his voice, but he stuck out his hand, reaching across Daniella to do so.
Cyrus’s gaze flickered to his outstretched hand, making it clear he saw it, and then dipped back to her. “What do you think you’re doing?” He spoke calmly. But didn’t he always?
“Eating dinner,” she replied in a steady tone.
She didn’t want the confrontation to escalate. Beneath Cyrus’s deceptively calm exterior lurked a lion ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. He spoke in a low, neutral voice, but his jaw was tight. Even if Roland didn’t seem to sense the full extent of the danger, she knew it firsthand. She’d seen Cyrus eviscerate opponents for minor infractions, and considering how much he disliked Roland, she wouldn’t be surprised if there was bloodshed.
Their waiter hustled to the table, a ready-to-please expression on his face. “Mr. Johnson, may I get you a chair?”
“That would be nice, thank you. Right here would be fine.” He pointed to the spot on Daniella’s left, which meant she’d be sandwiched between the two men.
The waiter ran off and almost immediately returned with a chair, which he placed in the exact location Cyrus indicated. The young man never even bothered to ask Roland or her if it was okay to have Cyrus join their table. He assumed it would be, which grated on her nerves.