Devil's Claim: A Dark Mafia Romance (Devil's Syndicate Book 2), page 8
“Touché,” I told her. “Answered as if you know that personally.”
“I’m an excellent observer. As you might imagine, I barely know anyone here. The cake is woefully underdone, but there are pastries to make up for it. I can only imagine how much it cost to cater this party.”
Something told me my sweet companion wasn’t as innocent as I’d believed her to be. What was she hiding?
We walked closer to the open set of doors. The light breeze and scent of the ocean was a welcome change to the insufferable fragrances worn by both the female and male guests alike.
“Thank you for today,” she said as she sipped her champagne. “I’ve enjoyed watching people squirm.”
“I’ll let you in on a secret. So do I. You have an excellent eye. The suit is perfect.”
“But not like the ones you’ve have hand-made for you, right? I see you flying to Italy once every three months so your personal tailor can provide you with the newest fashion statement. Straight off the runways of Milan.”
“You overestimate my life, Christine.”
“I don’t even know what you do. I mean other than the fact you enjoy wielding a weapon and scaring helpless women.”
“You are anything but helpless.”
She laughed and took a deep breath the moment we neared the railing, the water rolling to within fifty yards. “I love the ocean. Digging his little toes into the sand was Maverick’s favorite thing to do. Just watching him put his little feet in the water always made me laugh. He would…”
Her voice trailed off and I instantly bristled as I’d done when she’d told me the story.
“I’m sorry, Kruz. That’s my cross to bear, not yours.”
I bristled from hearing her sadness.
“Christine. You’re here!” A young woman appeared from a crowd, rushing toward us. She acted as if she didn’t see me, throwing her arms around Christine. “The cake is just gorgeous.”
“Ha. You know better than that, but I’m glad you like it.” Christine pulled away and I could tell her smile was genuine.
The girl looked up at me, her eyes opening wide. “You brought a guest. Wow. I’m so glad.”
“I did. Chloe Tempest, this is Kruz Blanco.”
“Lovely to meet you,” I told her. “Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials.”
“Another wow. That accent. Thank you very much, Mr. Blanco. Where in God’s name did you meet him, Chris?”
Christine leaned against me. “That’s a long story and tonight is all about you. Where’s Troy?”
“Oh, he’s around here somewhere. You know him. Always talking business. It doesn’t matter we’re getting married in less than a month.”
“You need to control that man,” Christine sighed. “Don’t look now, but Troy is motioning for you.”
Chloe squeezed her hand. “I do try. Go drink. Dance. This is the part I loathe. Being paraded around like a prized possession.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
“God, I hope not.” Her face clouded. “I need to tell you something. I was going to call you, but I just ran out of time.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Well, not for me. I mean—”
Chloe was interrupted as if on cue by Tonya’s sudden appearance. “Well, there you are. I thought you dropped off the cake and decided to leave without making an appearance. Chloe wouldn’t want that. Now, would you?”
“She’s my maid of honor, Tonya,” Chloe retorted. “I knew she’d come. And I can’t wait to dig into the delicious-looking cake.”
Snorting, Tonya rolled her eyes. “Yes, well, unfortunately the cake is a little underwhelming, but my caterers had a second cake prepared just in case. All is not lost.”
I sensed Christine was close to tossing the champagne in her face. I had to admit, I wouldn’t mind seeing her do that very thing.
“Nonsense,” Chloe spit out, glaring at Tonya.
I took a step forward and Christine shot me a hard look.
“Yes, well, I admit that I was busy last night. The interruption was… Delicious. Well, I’m certain Chloe can understand since she’s marrying one hot man herself.” She peered up at me, offering a bright smile.
I was no one’s hero, but at that moment, I wanted to be one for her. I took her into my arms, capturing her mouth much like I’d done the night before. Christine melted into me, placing her hand on my chest. I sensed Tonya stiffening while Chloe giggled under her breath.
As I swept my tongue inside, ours danced together and at least for a few seconds, there was no one else in the entire house.
When I pulled away, I winked at Tonya. “A wonderful party. A beautiful home. Entertaining guests. I’m right where I want to be.”
“Who are you again?” Tonya demanded. “You look familiar.”
Bingo. As her eyes narrowed, I stared into them, offering a slight smile.
“Kruz is my boyfriend. Or maybe I should say my fuck buddy. He just flew in from Spain last night and we were a little busy. I hope you don’t mind, Chloe.” Christine was a consummate actress. I had to offer her even more credit.
“Kruz Blanco,” I offered, extending my hand.
There was a continued hint of recognition, but Tonya did her best to mask her reaction.
She shook my hand limply, eyeing the two of us. “So good of you to make my party.” Almost immediately, she jerked her fingers from mine. I detected more than a hint of nervousness.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I told her.
Christine suddenly sucked in her breath and Tonya caught her response. Her eyes flashed and a man pushed his way from the crowd, wrapping his arm around Tonya’s back. It was obvious they were a couple.
And I also sensed by Christine’s reaction this was exactly the news Chloe was trying to tell her. That her fucking ex and the father of her child was at the party.
The motherfucker.
I could kill him where he stood.
“I didn’t expect you to show,” he said, obviously gloating.
Christine glared at him.
“You did tell her we were together. Didn’t you, Tonya baby?” he asked.
Tonya shrugged. “I’ve been so busy lately.”
“Why would I miss my best friend’s engagement party, Malcolm?” Christine’s voice was shaking.
It was all I could do not to kill the man where he stood.
He flitted his eyes in my direction. If I wasn’t mistaken, he also recognized me. That was easy to tell by his clenched jaw. Who the hell was Malcolm in relation to Fassi and his men?
“I know this is a party, but we’re face to face and you’re a difficult woman to track down. Waitressing must be a difficult job. Have you received notification from my attorneys?” he asked.
I took a step toward him, but Christine pushed me back.
“What notification?” Her teeth were gritted. “About the final custody hearing?”
“Tonya. Get him out of here,” Chloe hissed.
Tonya pursed her lips. “This is your party. I’m so sorry. Malcolm was supposed to be away on business. I’m so sorry, Christine,” Tonya cooed. “Be nice, Malcolm. This is a celebration.” Her eyes were twinkling. The entire conversation had been rehearsed.
The woman was an even better actress than Malcolm, twisted as fuck.
“My darling, this is a free country and we’re no longer together,” he said, laughing.
That was it. I crowded his space in front of her, fisting my hand, but I stopped myself. “I suggest you let it go.”
“Who the fuck are you?” he hissed.
“No, Kruz. I want to hear this. What else have you done, Malcolm? You’ve already taken everything from me.” Christine moved around me, getting in his face. “But I will fight you in court.”
Several of the guests were paying close attention.
This had all the markings of being a setup at Christine’s expense.
“No, you won’t. You had your chance. As with everything else, you fucked up. You didn’t appear on court on Tuesday, so the judge ruled in my favor. The custody has been finalized. Maverick belongs to me. Now he won’t be forced to grow up with a conniving bitch such as yourself. It’ll be a cold day in hell before I allow you to see your son again.”
Chloe sucked in her breath, reaching to grip her friend’s arm. “You asshole.”
I took a deep breath, unbuttoning my jacket. If he thought he’d be allowed to get away with something so underhanded, he was wrong. Dead wrong.
“What? How could you do that?” Christine whispered, her entire body shaking.
“You bastard,” Chloe snapped. “Get him out of here, Tonya. Right now!”
The shock and horror could be weighed easily.
Christine launched herself at him, grabbing a fistful of his shirt. “No, Chloe. This is my fight.” She turned her full attention and hatred toward Malcolm. “You fucking bastard. You railroaded me. I wasn’t provided with notification of the hearing and you know it. You had that shady attorney of yours bypass justice. You did that on purpose. I will have him disbarred and make certain everyone you do business with knows what kind of lying slug you are.”
“I most certainly did not do anything against the law, and I wouldn’t threaten me if I were you. But it’s just as well. You’re an unfit mother. I thought you were someone else, but here I find out you’re nothing but a tramp.”
She cracked her hand across his face and at that point I’d had enough. “You fucking son of a bitch. You will not take my son.”
When he dared lift his arm as if he was going to strike back, I snapped my hand around his wrist, bending it at an awkward angle.
“I suggest you reconsider your actions, Mr. Worthington. I doubt the guests would enjoy having blood sprayed all over their gaudy clothes. Now, do you? You have three seconds to think about it.”
“Are you threatening me? And just who the fuck do you think you are?” Malcolm snarled.
“The man who’s going to rearrange your face if you don’t leave,” I growled. “You’re running out of time. I won’t count to four.” I bent it back even further until the man was almost blubbering from pain.
Tonya backed away. So did most of the other guests.
“Don’t,” Christine said, doing everything to hold herself together. “He’s not worth it.”
Hissing, I glared him in the eyes. At least I noticed a hint of fear.
“You’re right, but no man talks to my woman that way.” I released the hold, taking several gasping breaths.
Malcolm was surprised, narrowing his eyes. “You can have the whore. I only dated her because of her parents. I learned quickly she’s not good at one goddamn thing.”
That was it.
I threw a brutal punch, catching him in the jaw. After tossing the glass from my hand, I leveled my fist against his cheek, another into his gut. He tumbled backward, smashing into a tray of empty glasses. Both went crashing to the floor.
Screams erupted, guests rushing to avoid the fight.
I jerked him up by his shirt, holding him aloft. “I’m going to give you a strong piece of advice. You’re going to leave this party and you will never bother this lovely young woman again. If you do, I will hunt you down. And I assure you that the custody case is not finished. She will have her day in court. I’ll be right by her side and in the end, her son will never be forced to see or deal with a weasel such as yourself. Now, get the fuck out or I’ll drop you in the bay so the sharks can feast for the night.”
“You fucking asshole,” Malcolm shouted.
Christine was still shaking, staring off into the distance. At least Chloe was trying to comfort her.
“I’m much worse than that.” I laughed in his face and at least he had the good sense to look away.
There was a tremendous silence and I had to admit, that felt damn good.
“What the hell are you doing?” Tonya hissed. “Who the hell do you think you are? This is my house. My party.”
“Technically, it’s your parents’ house, Tonya,” Chloe intervened. “By the way, thank you for the party, but your privileges of being a bridesmaid are revoked. Don’t you dare step foot at my wedding.”
“Chloe!” Tonya wailed.
“You asked what I’m doing,” I growled. “I’m getting rid of the trash, something you obviously don’t know how to do.”
Christine gripped my arm, biting her lower lip. I couldn’t tell by her expression whether she was furious or overjoyed.
“Get the fuck out of my house!” Tonya demanded. “All of you.”
“Kruz is right, Tonya, but I’ll be honest with you. If that’s the kind of man who turns you on, go for it. Sadly, you’ll learn he’s all bark and no bite. Meaning,” Christine said as she turned to face what I knew would be her former friend, pointing her finger at Malcolm. “He has a teensy, tiny dick. But that’s all you can handle. Isn’t it?”
If there was one thing I loved, it was seeing the intense fear in a man’s eyes as he studied me.
“And Malcolm, if it’s the last thing I do on this earth, I won’t allow you to raise my son.” She stood over him, her hands on her hips.
Up to this point, there was no indication Fassi’s men had any intention of interrupting the party or that Fassi would make an appearance. It was potentially another dead end in a sea of them.
However, the evening wasn’t a total loss as far as business was concerned.
It would seem everyone in Miami had something to hide. Including my lovely companion.
Whatever secret she’d swept under the rug, I was furious, mostly because of Malcolm’s intentions on destroying her life.
When Malcolm made the mistake of lunging in my direction again, I couldn’t help myself and issued another even more brutal punch.
This time, he was down for the count.
Satisfaction had never felt so good.
CHAPTER 9
Christine
Sadness.
Hatred.
Anger.
They were all wrapped up inside of me. I was floored. Horrified. Enraged.
And so very sad. Tears threatened to derail the strength I’d just found. I turned away, taking gasping breaths. My son. Malcolm had taken my son away from me. How could he do that? How? Why? Did the man hate me so much he wanted to destroy all my happiness?
“Breathe,” Kruz told me.
I closed my eyes, trying to control my emotions. Forget about breathing. I was just hoping I’d survive. “My baby.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“I should hate you,” I told him with strong conviction in my voice. People were starting to leave. Maybe they’d finally seen Tonya for what she truly was. Why hadn’t I seen through her bullshit before? How had this happened? I knew why. Fury wrapped around me from not seeing it before. Nothing had changed. A new city. A new life. The same ridiculous greed.
“Do you?”
My laugh was stilted, but how could I be angry with him? He’s just honored me more than any single other man had done in my life. “Honestly? No. What does that tell you about me?”
“That you’ve had enough of deceit for which I don’t blame you. However, I do think it’s time for us to leave.”
There was such insistence in his voice, more kindness than I’d experienced from a man in a long time. I didn’t understand him in the least, but I also wasn’t stupid. He’d been waiting for something to happen, an attack maybe. Or someone to show. At least he’d been there when I’d needed him. That was crazy. Laughable. The man had pointed a gun at me a day before and he’d been kinder and more honest with me than Malcolm had during the years we’d dated.
The irony was twisted as fuck.
“Good for you for standing up for yourself,” Chloe whispered. Troy was staring at me as if I was a wounded animal.
“I’m so sorry about your party. I had no intention of destroying everything.”
Chloe laughed. “You didn’t destroy anything. I never liked Tonya.”
“Then why were we friends with her?”
We both looked at each other and laughed. “I don’t know,” Chloe said. “Other than my parents know her parents. Stupid. Just… Are you going to be okay?”
“I’ll be fine. I think.” At least the bitch had disappeared, taking Malcolm with her. How stupid had I been? How long had the two of them been seeing each other?
“We’ll work through everything about Maverick. I promise you. Maybe you should consider an alternative.” She darted a look in Kruz’s direction, purposely not providing any details, which I appreciated. The last thing I wanted was to have any other dirty family business strewn across the floor like the very garbage Kruz had mentioned. What sickened me was that while Tonya had treated me like white trash, she’d likely known about my past all along.
A game player. I should easily be able to pick one out from a crowd. My forced naiveté had stolen everything important from me. No more. That girl was gone.
I felt gutted inside, every piece ready to shatter into a million more pieces. I squeezed her hand. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Kruz is going to take me home.”
She nodded but walked closer to him. “Don’t allow anything to happen to her, Mr. Blanco. She’s special and doesn’t deserve the hand that she’s been dealt. While we don’t know each other, I have a mean right hook myself so don’t fuck with me on this.”
“Trust her,” Troy piped in, trying to smile while still registering the ugly ramifications. He pulled Chloe closer, but it was more about distancing himself from where I stood.
Kruz laughed. “I don’t doubt it. I’ll take care of her.”
Chloe shook her head and squeezed Troy’s arm. I watched them walk to the door and sighed. “What a great party,” I quipped, trying to keep from doubling over. I wasn’t certain if I did if it would be from laughter or retching the bubbly.
At least Kruz had made certain Malcolm had disappeared, but now I felt very much alone. Exhaling, I moved to a quieter spot on the deck just to catch my breath, hopefully away from prying eyes. Maybe we could leave from here instead of being paraded in front of the remaining guests.
