Page 114 of Stronger Than Fate

“Can you stop beating around the bush and get to the point? Focus!” I demanded, because my anxiety was getting the better of me.

“I guess Waylon didn’t know how jealous my brother is of you, but that’s exactly why he shouldn’t have provoked his demons. Waylon thought it was a good idea to tell him that, so you wouldn’t see him in that awful state, he had distracted you by asking you to dance and...”

“He’s gone crazy, that’s not believable,” I interrupted, not because I thought Henry could be jealous, but because it was hardly credible that we would start dancing knowing how drunk he was and having said I accompanied Niky so she wouldn’t be alone.

“Well, let me tell you that Henry not only believed it, he nearly killed his best friend. He lunged at him and said if he laid asingle finger on you, he would kill him. To give you an idea of the situation, I had to separate them and stand between them.”

“This is getting more and more complicated,” I said, defeated.

“But I have something else to tell you...”

“From your voice, I suspect it’s not good either.”

“You suspect correctly. Henry is on his way to the hotel. We couldn’t do anything. Waylon tried to talk some sense into him, but my brother is blinded.”

“Whaaaat?”

“I understand your brothers banned him from entering, that’s what he told me, so I don’t think he’ll make it to your suite.”

“Great! Just what I needed. Niky, this isn’t good.”

“I know, but we couldn’t do anything. Waylon went after him, but I don’t think he’ll listen. Now he thinks his friend is interested in you.”

“Damn Waylon!”

“Men...”

“Niky, I’ll call you if anything happens, or you call me.”

“Alright, we’ll stay in touch.”

Sitting on the living room couch, I stared at the phone not knowing what to do. If Henry was coming to the hotel, I doubted they wouldn’t let him in. Most likely my brothers had lifted that restriction because it didn’t make sense to keep it. The doorman would surely let him in. I could go to the gym and forget about it, but I had no doubt that man would wait for me until he could talk to me. What did he want to talk about? I wasn’t sure. Another option was to stay locked in the suite and not answer his call, but was that the right thing to do? Why did I have to hide? I didn’t have answers to most of the questions I was asking myself. I hadn’t even gotten up from the couch when a knock at the door startled me. I looked up seeking divine help.

Do I really deserve this?, I whispered.

I stood up decisively, better to face it sooner rather than later.

When I opened the door, I found not only Henry but also his clueless friend. Both looked at me with surprise, although I was supposed to be the surprised one. Henry scanned my entire body and lingered longer than necessary on the exposed skin of my midriff that the top revealed. Then he raised his gaze to my eyes and anchored it there. He looked at me with longing. My stomach flipped; those wonderful blue eyes took my breath away.

“Henry, Waylon, what are you doing here?”

“That top you’re wearing shows too much skin, put something over it,” he ordered, then looked at Waylon and added: “And what are you looking at? You can leave, Waylon, don’t make me lose my patience.”

“Hello, Dalina. How are you?”

Henry looked at him again, clenching his jaw so tightly that I could hear the sound and thought he might break all his teeth.

“Are you deaf?!” Henry exclaimed.

“Can someone please tell me once and for all what you’re doing here?”

“I need us to talk and for you to explain some things to me.”

“Henry, I don’t have to explain anything to you. Besides, I was just heading to the gym,” I stated, trying to sound calm, though I was extremely nervous having him in front of me.

“Dalina, let me in.”

“Dalina, do you need me to stay?” Waylon asked, and seeing Henry’s contorted face, I had to agree with Niky—this man didn’t value his life!