Page 134 of A Convenient Secret

The group breaks into private conversation, and we stare at each other.

Our conversation can’t happen here.

I can sense she is waiting for me to make the move. The laughter, the heat, the crowd all become unbearable, when the only thing we need is to be alone and find each other again. Under these new circumstances.

Yes, fucker, snap out of it and take her home.

“I need to get some water,” Lily announces and turns, shaking her head.

I move to follow her, but stop in my tracks.

“Nice ass on her,” a voice muses beside me, thick with a Britishaccent.

My eyes flick to the offender. “What did you just say?”

But he doesn’t get to answer because I draw my arm back and my knuckles connect with his jaw, sending him backward. I lounge at him, but someone’s arms stop me.

“Declan,” Corm warns.

On the periphery of my blurred vision, I recognize that the party stopped around us, all eyes on us.

“Don’t you fucking so much as look at my wife.”

“Your wife?” The idiot scoffs, wiping blood from his lip.

“Yes, my wife.” I try to shake Corm’s arms from me. “If you value your life—”

“That’s enough.” Corm tries to stop me from making a public threat.

I finally shake my brother off, but I feel the presence of my colleagues ready to interfere.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” I adjust my cuffs to give the illusion I’m composed, but I’m not sure I’m done punching him.

“Her fiancé.”

Chapter 27

Lily

Declan launches at Timothy, who staggers backward. Corm, Cal and Xander grab Declan, trying to pull him away, and other guests in suits intervene.

“Get the fuck out of my sight while you can.” Declan tries to break free.

“You’re gonna pay for this,” Tim snarls, shaking off the other men. He adjusts his jacket and walks away.

Oh my God. I should have insisted on leaving the minute I thought I saw Tim. Just a glimpse on my way to the bathroom. I should have trusted it. But I thought it was just a trick of my imagination from all the pressure.

“Your wife?” Corm asks, and I snap my head to face him.

Declan is shaking his hand, avoiding everyone’seyes. But he must nod, or there is some secret communication that passes between the brothers.

Corm looks at me, then at Saar, who raises her arms in surrender, shaking her head to confirm it’s the first time she’s heard this.

“Why the fuck did we shop for a ring then?” Corm turns back to his brother.

Ring? Declan’s gaze finds me. There is war behind his eyes. A dangerous war that threatens to rebuild the barricades he used to hide behind.

I step closer, unsure where we stand but unwilling to continue this public display. Declan stretches out his hand to stop me, and something inside me dies.