7

“Do you want to cheat on me?”

“Babe, that’s not what I meant⁠—”

“Then speak more eloquently, Ryan. We’ve been together for six months now, and you’ve known my father’s business the entire time. Now it’s a problem all of a sudden.” My eyes shifted back and forth between his.

He was quiet, slipping his hand back into his pocket.

I continued to stare him down. “It wasn’t a problem when we were just having fun.”

I steeled myself for what was coming.

“But when I think about the future and having a family, this isn’t the way I pictured it.”

“I don’t even understand what that means.”

“You still want to run the family business?” Now it was just the two of us, everyone else at the party fading away like there was no one else in the room. His eyes burned into mine, the heaviness of the question apparent.

I refused to lie. “Yes.”

He blinked several times, like he hoped I’d give a different answer. “How are you supposed to have a family, living this kind of life?”

“People do it every day, Ryan.”

“You’re going to push drugs on the street and be a role model to your children?”

“We don’t push drugs on the street. Our business is far classier and more systematic than that⁠—”

“This is the bottom line,” he said. “I want to be with you—but not under these conditions. I hate to put you in this position and give you an ultimatum like this, but I think we should figure this out now before we go any further.”

“And you didn’t think we should have this conversation…I don’t know…not at a dinner party?”

He looked annoyed. “You’re the one who pressed me⁠—”

“Because you were clearly ticked off about something.”

He took a long drink of his champagne and gave a heavy sigh.

We stood there in silence, and I tried not to look angry since so many people were around. If my father looked this way, he would recognize the unease on my face. He was never late to anything so he’d probably been the first person here.

“I’m sorry.” Ryan’s eyes found mine again. “I’ve just been thinking, and we need to figure this out.”

“I’m not going to walk away from the business. And even if I did, I’m still his daughter, and there’s not much I can do about that—unless I cut him out of my life, which I would never do.”

He stared at me, releasing a quiet sigh.

I refused to apologize for it. I had been honest about my ties to the underworld since the night we met. He didn’t seem to care at the time, probably because he just wanted to get laid and didn’t see it going beyond that, but then it turned into something more serious.

“I guess it’s settled, then.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and took a drink. “Guess so.”

“Let’s get through the night…and worry about this later.”

“Get through the night?” I asked in disbelief. “I think you should leave, Ryan.”

“I’m not going to drop you in the middle of the party.”

“You just did.” I felt the rage in my blood. “I would much rather drink alone than pretend to enjoy your company.”

Ryan looked at me, clearly unsure what to do.

“I hope you find what you’re looking for, Ryan.” I walked away so he wouldn’t have to make the move first. I went to the bar, ditched the flute of champagne, and ordered something more substantial—an old-fashioned. The second the orange and bitters hit my tongue, I felt better…but also worse.

A man appeared at my side at the bar. “You alright?” I expected my father, but it was Axel. I recognized him by the sound of his voice, deep like the depths of the ocean, full of mystery and darkness.

“Never better.” I took another drink.

“Want me to take care of him?”

“Why do you assume he did anything wrong?” I stared at the square ice cubes in my glass.

“I can tell he pissed you off.”

I took another drink. “He dumped me.”

I expected Axel to make some smartass comment or try to get me into bed, but he remained as serious as when he’d first walked up to me. “It’s his loss, Scarlett. You know that.”

I pivoted at the bar to look at him.

He was in a tuxedo, his dirty-blond hair combed neatly, looking handsome in his dress attire. There was no smug grin, no playfulness, just his stern stare.

“Told me he didn’t want to be involved with someone like me.”

“Someone like you?” He cocked his head slightly, like he was genuinely caught off guard.

“My criminal ties…my ambitions. When our relationship started, we were just hooking up, but then it became more serious. And now he’s thinking about his future and realizing I’m not what he wants.”

He still didn’t make his usual antagonistic comments. He just listened.

“He asked me to leave all of this… And I told him to fuck off.”

“Good.” He rested his arm on the counter, his eyes so absorbed by my face it was as if there was no one else in the room. “He can have a boring life if he wants. You’re destined for something more—and you need a man who can handle that.”

“A man like you, right?”

His expression didn’t change. “Let’s take a seat.”

I stayed at the bar and downed the entire glass with one go. “Another, please.”

He watched me but didn’t try to stop me.

I got the next glass and took another big drink.

He took the glass out of my hand. “Enough.”

“Don’t tell me what to do⁠—”

“At this rate, you’re going to end up in the hospital.” He set it out of my reach and looked at the bartender. “No more for her.”

“Wow…”

“Don’t let this pussy devastate you like this,” he said coldly. “You’re better than that.”

Just when I thought I couldn’t feel worse, I did. I was actually embarrassed. “Let’s get out of here.” I was the one who’d had doubts about Ryan, but I was still the one who got dumped. I was still the one who wasn’t good enough. Now I wanted to feel wanted by a man infinitely more attractive than he was, like that would somehow even the score.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“The Tuscan Rose is right across the street.”

He stared at me, his blue eyes hard in temptation. “Let’s take a seat.”

“Why?”

“Come on.” His arm moved around my waist, and he guided me across the room to where the tables were placed, tall flowers in beautiful vases in the center of each table. My father was engaged with a group of people, so he didn’t seem to realize my distress. Axel guided me to an unoccupied chair and pulled it out for me to sit.

I sat down, crossing my legs with my hands folded in my lap.

He sat beside me and said nothing. “Getting shit-faced isn’t the answer. And getting fucked isn’t either.”

“Come on.” My hand moved to his thigh, hidden from view by the table, and I slowly moved it up, feeling the muscles in his thigh through the fabric. I propped my elbow on the table, and I watched his face, seeing his reaction to me. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”

He let my hand explore him for a moment before he took a deep breath. Then he forced himself to grab my hand and hold it on his knee. “I’m not a rebound. I’m not second best. I’m not going to fuck a woman while she thinks about another man.”

Another rush of embarrassment flooded through me, and I pulled my hand away. “Then why are you here?” I looked around the room, seeing everyone mingling, so rich that the only problem they had was deciding which piece of art belonged in their mansions.

“Because I’m your friend.”

“You’re the one who said we aren’t friends.”

“Friends don’t want to fuck each other,” he said. “And right now, that’s the last thing I want.”