Page 76 of We The Depraved

“As if she didn’t hear that headboard last night.”

“Gross,” I shake my head but I smile anyway.

“Well, since you won’t let me have it, I suppose we had better finish getting ready.”

He grumbles and moves away from me, reluctance corded throughout his being. He was for sure sporting an erection.

Forty-five minutes later, I’m dressed in an emerald green ball gown that dips off the shoulders. Niki is dressed to the nines in a nice ass Armani suit and we actually look like we belong together. Hints of the owl tattoo on his throat peak out.

This man really doesn’t give two fucks about what the worlds thinks. He commanded that it bow before him and it did.

Rain starts to smack the windshield of the car, just as we arrive in a crowded parking lot.

“My hair…” I murmur. “We’d better get inside quick.”

“Yes,” he says as a valet opens the door.

We race inside and come face to face with the big wigs of Texas society. The Governor’s ball is the place to be tonight.

A waiter moves by with a glass of champagne, and I take one and so does Niki.

“This is like watching Bridgerton,” I mention.

“Very much. It’s all about the mucky mucks of Texas.”

Laughter is filling our ears and then a short balding man comes over and behind him is a trail of others.

“I thought that was you,” the man says. “Nikita Safaryan, in the flesh. What brings you out to deal with us lowly Texans?”

Niki goes kind of stiff and I turn on the charm for him.

“He wanted to show off his new bride,” I wink at the short man who takes me in and I extend my hand for a shake.

“Damn, how did you land this one?” Shorty looks me up and down before kissing my hand. Instantly, I want to peel the flesh from my hand and vomit, my stomach feels tight and queasy.

Niki lets a low growl out, “Clarence if you value your hand, you’d get it off my wife.”

Clarence lets go and joking says, “Didn’t answer the question.”

“Want the secret?” I wink.

“Of course.”

“Well….he kidnapped me and gave me a black card with a five million dollar limit.”

The men standing around us choke, while Niki toasts with his champagne and drinks.

“She’s off by a few million but yeah something like that,” my husband agrees.

“Later yawl,” I let that Texas accent hang.

We move away from them and go towards a table full of food. There are shrimp puffs calling my name. My dress is starting to feel stuffy.

“How long do we need to be here?”

Niki sighs and kisses my bare shoulder. “Long enough that I tend to my business here. Then we can go home and I can get you out of this dress.”

The sensation of being watched hits me. The moment the shrimp puff touches my lips I understand why. The Governor of Texas has me in her crosshairs. Niki must feel her gaze too because his fingers have been nonchalantly tracing my shoulder blades. His heads swings in that direction and I see her smile then.