It isn’t until the reception that everything falls apart.
48
Riley
The reception is held at the Four Seasons Hotel in a magnificent ballroom. It has floor-to-ceiling windows, grand glittering chandeliers, and expansive views of the lush green Boston Public Gardens.
Every guest has to pass through a metal detector on their way in and also undergo a pat down by hand, performed by glowering Irishmen.
I’m surprised there isn’t a cavity search, these guys are that intense.
Sloane chose to forego a head table of the entire wedding party—another wise move—opting instead for a sweetheart table she and Declan sit at alone.
Marveling that she pulled all this together in a matter of days, I sit at a table with Nat, Kage, and five swarthy Sicilians wearing so much cologne, I can taste it.
Kieran and Spider sit at a table directly across the dance floor.
Every time I happen to glance in their direction, Spider is staring at me.
After everyone is seated, Nat introduces me to her fiancé.
He’s ruggedly handsome. With tousled dark hair, an unshaven jaw, and massive shoulders, he emits the kind of big-dick energy every woman and man in the room can feel.
Though he’s wearing a tux, he seems like he’d be far more comfortable in a leather bomber jacket and combat boots, a handkerchief knotted around his neck. Chunky silver rings decorate the thumb and middle fingers of his right hand. One of them is a skull.
He’s what I picture the swashbuckling pirates of the Caribbean looked like.
“It’s nice to meet you, Kage. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
He has the kind of gaze Mal does, that same penetrating, laser beam intensity that could slice you in two. But his eyes are dark instead of pale green.
“Bet you have,” he drawls, slinging an arm over the back of Nat’s chair. “Must be some interesting conversations that go on in that household.”
I smile at him. “Don’t worry, I didn’t believe a word of it. If Nat likes you, you’re good in my book.”
He tilts his head and considers me. After a moment, he says, “You okay?”
He packs so much into those two words, it’s amazing. My heartbeat ticks up a notch.
I know he’s the one who gave Mal information about Declan when all this started, but I also remember Sloane saying the Russian Bratva and the Bratva in the US aren’t that friendly.
What I don’t know is if Kage and Mal are still talking.
On the off chance they are, I’m not missing the opportunity to send a message.
“If you mean physically, yes. If you mean mentally, spiritually, emotionally…I’m dying.”
He inclines his head. “Yeah. Heard you caught feelings while you were away.”
“It’s much worse than that.”
He looks at me more closely.
“Do you think we could talk after dinner? Somewhere not so…” I glance at the Sicilians. “Loud?”
“You got something you want to pass along?”
I nod, starting to tremble.
“Declan won’t like it.” He glances at Nat. His tone becomes wry. “I’m already in enough trouble as it is.”
Nat squeezes his thigh. “It’s okay, honey. This is different.”
He sends her a look that’s equal parts hot and sour.
“I don’t want to get anyone into trouble. I won’t say anything to Declan, but I doubt he’d mind anyway, considering he tried to get a message to Mal for me, too.”
Kage narrows his eyes. “He tried to send a message from you to the man who wants to kill him?”
“Mal isn’t going to kill Declan.”
“Since when?”
“Since I asked him not to.”
He’s silent with astonishment for a second, then he shakes his head and chuckles. “Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Never mind. It’s just something Malek said to me once. Sure, we’ll talk after dinner.”
“Thank you.”
Then, somehow, I’m conversing with the Sicilians. They’re so eager to know if I’m single, I’m worried they want to sell me on the black market. It becomes apparent after a few minutes, however, that what they’re really after is an alliance with Declan.
One of the men has a son he’d very much like to see married to someone in Declan’s family. The other has a daughter around my age, who he casually mentions is still a virgin and comes from excellent stock.
He says it as if he’s a farmer discussing his breeding mares.