Page 121 of A Lethal Game of Trust

I showed it to Dom as he handed me the bag.

“Well, we’re telling Mum and Dad first anyway,” he said and gave me his arm to take again. I threaded mine through and we resumed walking up to the large oak doors. A red carpet had been laid out for the occasion, as always.

At the doors, I stopped. Dom tried to snake his hand out of mine, but I gripped him tight. “It’s not that.”

“It’s going to be okay,” he said and kissed my hair. “Everyone in that room loves you, Leo. Being with a dickhead like me won’t change that.”

I bit my lip, thanking god for smudge-proof lipstick and waterproof mascara. “I’m scared.”

He bent to my eye level, which wasn’t as far as normal with my heels. “You can be scared, but know I’m not letting anything happen to you. No one will say anything. No one will hurt you unless they want to die.”

His voice was so grave I knew he was serious. When we were kids, I knew he would kill to protect me. When he said those weeks ago that he would kill Firdman for me, or even Jared, I knew he was capable.

He would kill for me. He already had.

I would kill for him.

Before, I wouldn’t have thought I still had it in me.

“You are breathtaking,” he said, taking my hip to turn me and kiss my forehead.

His black suit always had me drooling, but when he wore a black shirt as well… I was done for.

I was grateful we were telling people tonight. If someone approached him, I would have no choice but to become territorial.

He would struggleto get me off his arm.

“Well, finally,” came a deep voice.

Dom’s arm snaked around me to pull me to his side, for us to spin to Julia and Derek.

They were both glowing.

Julia tried to hide her smile but was wholly unsuccessful, and Derek slapped Dom’s shoulder. “Glad you two are getting that frustration out in another way.”

“Derek!” Julia squeaked and slapped his arm.

“What?” her husband cried, stroking where she had struck.

When she turned to us, she was rolling her eyes. “What he’s trying to say,” she groaned, “is that it’s nice to see you’ve put your differences aside. Your father’s going to be furious.”

“Whah?”

The sound was out of my mouth and in the air before I could try and articulate myself better.

“He bet that you two would be together by Dom’s twenty-eighth. You’re just seven months late.”

My chest immediately loosened and Dom let out a shaky laugh, squeezing my side.

“Tellherthat,” Dom laughed, jerking his chin in my direction. “She was the one stopping us.”

“Me?” I cried, turning to him, but Dom smiled down at me, his two dimples showing, that adoration in his eyes.

But I was being ushered into the building, a glass of champagne suddenly in my hand.

Dom clearly had no intention of telling his mum and dad anymore. He was going to show them.

Hopefully, Issy was going to be really late.