Page 31 of By Invitation Only

CHAPTER SEVEN

Booker

“What did you do?”

The moment I stepped out of the loo, I knew Peyton wasn’t in the room. Carrie was leaning against the wall on her phone, and when our eyes met, she smiled. Usually we’d meet downstairs, but tonight of all nights she decided to come get me.

“What? Her?” she asked, hooking her thumb toward the door.

“Yes,love. Peyton. Where is she?”

“Calling me love? You only use that term ofendearmentwhen you’re being an ass.”

I glared down at her. “Where’s Peyton?”

Carrie shrugged. “I don’t know. She left.”

“What did you say to her?”

“Why do you think I said something? They all leave satisfied, don’t they?”

I started to see red. “Answer my fucking question, or you’re walking home,love.” I growled the last word at her.

Carrie moved to leave the room, and I followed her. It was for the best since security was bound to find us at any minute. “I was next door, so I came over to see if you were ready to leave or if you had already gone downstairs.”

“That doesn’t explain why she left,” I clipped.

“She started to question who I was, so I told her.”

I stopped walking and grabbed her arm. “You told her what?”

“The truth.” She smiled.

My grip tightened on her arm without me realizing it. “Fucking tell me what you told her!” I ordered.

“You know I like it rough.”

I pushed her against the wall, my arm going just below her throat. I was pissed, but Carrie loved hardcore shit, and my dominance wasn’t scaring her. Granted, I’d never laid a hand on her before right now.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” I yelled, spit flying on her face.

She raised her hand and wiped at the saliva. “All right. I told her we were married.”

I no longer saw red. Black clouded my vision, and my head was about to explode. I took a deep breath and then ran down the stairs to try to find Peyton and explain. Yes, Carrie and I were married, but we weren’t married in the traditional sense. It was a friendship—I’ll scratch your back and you’ll scratch minesituation.

I couldn’t find Peyton in the sea of people as I made my way to the front. It was like a concert had ended and everyone was going for the door. However, it was only one hundred and fifty people or so and not thousands. The bad part was that they were all trying to get to their limos and shit. I just wanted to get to my girl.

My… girl.

I stopped walking. What the hell made me think that? Tonight was just that—tonight. I only wanted to explain to Peyton that Carrie was a bitch and wanted to scare her off. I was going to kill mywife.

I started to move around people again, and my eyes found Trent. “Hey,” he said, his arm around a redhead. Right… his divorce.

“Sorry, mate. I don’t have time. I need to find—”Well, I need to find your wife’s attorney because I’ve been fucking her for the past few hours.“Have you seen your wife?” Peyton was Ava’s guest, and therefore, they probably had come together.

“No, I haven’t seen that cunt.”

The redhead slapped his shoulder. “Don’t say that word.”