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He took off, bounding from the kitchen toward the stairs, Victoria’s laughter trailing after him.

“Should we interfere or let him be?” Az smirked.

“I mean… we should at least make sure her leg is supported properly, right?” I grinned. “It’s the only responsible thing to do, really.”

“Right. Responsible.” Az chuckled, standing from his chair. “Gotta be responsible. Though, I guess we’ll have to see who gets there first to decide who gets that job.”

I rubbed the back of my neck and hobbled around the side of the table. “I mean, I’m still pretty uncomfortable from having to squat down like that.”

“That’s fair—” Az started before I pushed him back into his chair and sped out of the kitchen as fast as I could put distance between us. “Oh, you motherfucker!” Az shouted, laughter in his voice.

I can’t say I’d ever imagined racing Az to a foursome, but it felt right in the moment. After everything we’d been through recently, we all needed the moment of levity it brought. I just wished Joey would get his head straight before it was too late.

Chapter Thirty Eight

Victoria

“I feel the need to say again that I don’t like this.” Az said, his hands gripping the steering wheel of the SUV so hard his knuckles were white.

“We talked about this,” I sighed from where I sat in the back seat beside Leighton. Craig was silent in the passenger seat in front of me. “This is a public place, upscale enough we shouldn’t see any Jackals, busy enough for the privacy we need for whatever Uncle Theo has to say. All three of you will be sitting in the hotel restaurant where you can see me and you’ve got men watching the exits. This could be our only chance to end all of this and stop running.”

“I still don’t have to like it,” he muttered under his breath as he turned into the hotel’s parking garage.

Easing to a stop for the valet, the guys quickly checked their weapons before Az unlocked the doors, and we slid out. Moving to my side, he slipped my arm through his and turned us toward the door that led from the garage into the hotel lobby. Craig fell into step behind us, and Leighton kissed my cheek before slipping into the shadows, intent on locating where the valet was parking the car. The guys had all agreed the vehicle would need to be checked over for explosives or other boobie traps before we left, and that required knowing where it was parked.

Once inside, I freed my arm from Az’s hold and smoothed my hands over my dress. It was the same one I wore when the Golden Devils dropped Craig and me off at Rich’s funeral, and the wave of sadness that washed over me when I put it on clung to me. I shoved it down, raising my head as I squared my shoulders and started toward the hotel restaurant. Craig and Az followed behind at a distance, just far enough not to draw attention to the fact I hadn’t come alone. Uncle Theo had insisted they could come when we called him on one of the burners for the details of the meet, but the guys hadn’t wanted to risk it being a trap to snatch all of us at once. Ultimately, they’d decided I would appear to come alone while they stayed close enough to intervene if I needed it.

“Welcome to Nova. Do you have a reservation?” The petite blond behind the hostess stand asked as soon as I pushed through the restaurant’s glass doors.

“It’s under Abrams.” I smiled back.

She tapped something into the tablet in her hand and then smiled brightly. “Chantelle will take you to your table, Miss, you’re the first to arrive.”

Another petite blond stepped forward and motioned for me to follow her. My eyes scanned the place, taking in the sleek design and chic tables full of obviously wealthy patrons. The soft hum of conversation mixed with the clink of champagne glasses followed us to the table, where a dark-haired man in the restaurant uniform pulled out a chair for me before disappearing into the crowd.

“Can I start you with something to drink while you wait for your companion?” The waitress asked.

“Water is fine, thank you,” I replied, shifting to watch Az and Craig be escorted to their own table by yetanotherpetite blond. I started to think it was a requirement for front-end employees.

My waitress said something I missed, but I waved her away, adopting behaviors I had witnessed my entire life. My father hadn’t been a bad man before my mother died, but he did have that arrogant way of ignoring and dismissing the help that seemed to be part and parcel of the upper class. My mother had always scolded him forit while insisting that I always be kind and gracious instead. I was too busy watching my men be escorted to a table that required me to shift my body away from the entrance to see them whiletheirwaitress giggled and pawed at them to give a damn about the lessons my mother had taught me. When Craig smiled back at the woman, I nearly snatched the knife from the prettily wrapped linen and marched over to stab her in the fucking eyeball. The sudden violent urge caused my head to rock back in shock, and I forced myself to turn back to sit in my chair properly and stare at the table while I waited for Theo.

My waitress appeared with my glass of water and I moved a hand from my lap to play with the stem of the crystal glass it was in. I refused to move my eyes from the table in case seeing the guy’s waitress caused me to lose my shit. The sound of the chair across from me scooting back across the carpeted floor allowed me to let out a relieved breath. A hand grabbed mine off the stem of my water glass just as I looked up from the table.

“What are you doing here, Benson?” I demanded, narrowing my eyes at my ex.

He wore a tailored black suit, his dark hair slicked back in a pompadour. His lips were turned down in a sneer, and his hand tightened on mine.

“That’s no way to speak to your fiance.” He scoffed. “I’m here to take you home, where you belong. I’ve let you play house with those thugs so you could get that little rebellious streak out of your system, but I’m done waiting.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you, Benson.” I hissed, attempting to jerk my hand away from his.

His other hand shifted under the table, causing the tablecloth to sway and drawing my attention. “You will or I will use the gun I have in my hand here,” he glanced down at the table to indicate his hidden hand, “to deal with your little boytoys. It’s bad enough I had to go underground and pay for protection when they put out a hit on me, but we’re inmyterritory now and I will not be cowed.”

His hold on my hand tightened painfully, and I turned my head, my eyes instinctively seeking out my men for help. Leighton had arrived at some point, but there were also four strange men I didn’t recognize sitting around the table with them. My guys looked completely enraged to the point I could swear I saw Az’s jaw muscles ticking from where I sat.

Turning back to Benson, my eyes widened as I spotted Theo stepping up behind him. Benson mistook my surprise for shock over the men at the other table, and his lips quirked up in a slimy grin.

“We’re going to leave now. If you go without a struggle I’ll make sure your playthings don’t suffer.”