Page 75 of The Prize

I pushed myself up and turned my back to the stage to prevent the serenity of the dancers from distracting me. “I won’t let you do this.”

“Sit down, please.” He gestured to my seat.

“No.”

He reached for my hand and pulled me into my seat. “Listen to me.”

I felt like he’d let me in at the beginning of the adventure but was now dropping me off when the heat intensified. But my body still buzzed from a sense of pride that I could handle this. “I won’t let you face them alone. You need a witness.”

“Zara, you know what they’re capable of—”

“I can protect you.”

“No one can. Look, you’ll be safer if you stay here. Marshall will take you home.”

I felt my chest constrict. “Marshall’s in New York?”

“Yes. Marshall and Coops have both worked for me for years. I trust them with my life.”

And I’d been through hell and back with him too. “You trust me too, right? I feel like you’re still holding back on telling me things—”

“If anything happens to you—”

“You don’t get it.”

“No,youdon’t,” he snapped. “You are my greatest obsession. There are times when I sense how easy it would be to love you.”

I broke his gaze, not wanting him to see how his words hurt me.

He reached over and grabbed my chin to bring my attention back on him. “Zara, have you no idea how fond of you I am?”

I’d needed to hear him say that helovedme and this was worse than him not saying it at all. I bit back my words to let him see I was handling this.

My family had saved our paintings and they’d not hidden behind anyone. They’d accomplished what had to be done. Placed themselves in the pathway of peril for a greater purpose. I’d come this far with Wilder and I refused to back down. “I’m going with you.”

“Zara—”

“You need me. If they hurt you, then your plan is screwed. So get your butt out of that chair and let’s get this over with.”

“I’m going to regret this.”

Leaning into him, I grabbed his tie and pulled him toward me until our lips almost touched. “Negotiations are over.”

“What have I done to you?” he whispered.

“We have somewhere to be. Personally, I’m eager to find out where we’re going.”

He pushed himself to his feet. “Careful, or I may just throw you over my shoulder and carry you off and punish your feistiness.”

“Mind on the prize, Wilder.” I slapped his butt and turned to make my way along the row of seats. “Mind on the prize.”

He followed me down the aisle. “The prize is even more priceless than you can possibly imagine.”

“Let’s focus on what we can control.”

“Leighton.” He smirked as he pointed to the side. “Back door!”

I rolled my eyes and headed toward the right of the stage. Tobias followed and together we strolled down a dark hallway toward the exit.