I stare at him, knowing I can’t announce he’s an uncle or tell him about the Blackwater library and its roaring fire where I fell in love. I can’t tell him the news about The Covenant or how his twin had promised to train me too. I can’t share any of it with him.
“You’re wrong.” I stuff my hand into my purse and take out the phone. “I’ll prove it.”
“Go ahead. Call him. Let’s see if lover boy will show up here… because we sure as fuck know we won’t be invited to his house to drop you off.”
I scowl at him and hit dial. Holding my breath, the ring tone is shrill in my ear until it rings off, unanswered.
“Having trouble reaching the unreachable?” André knocks back the last gulp of his whiskey and smirks. “There’s a surprise.”
Even though tears sting behind my eyes, I won’t let them fall. Not here or now. “I need air,” I mutter and push past him.
“Don’t be long. Your cake will be here soon.”
“Screw your cake.” I scowl at him over my shoulder and watch my bodyguards fall into position now that I’m on the move again.
They aren’t so much protecting me from our enemies, rather they are keeping me from leaving.
When the doors close behind me, I inhale deeply and glare at the black screen in my hand. No messages and no inbound calls. It wouldn’t always be like this. Giovanni would take a step back when the time was right. He’d focus on me. On us. Wouldn’t he?
I growl under my breath and march down the corridor, making a beeline for anywhere that doesn’t have a Souza presence.
Rounding a corner, a body slams into me. The phone drops and skids across the tiles.
Hands circle my waist to steady me, and I freeze, meeting a familiar face.
Fabian Lozano.
“India?” He frowns, his hands still holding me. “Are you okay?”
My guards are beside me in seconds, fingers hovering over their concealed handguns.
“It’s okay,” I mutter to them and plaster a fake smile on my face when I angle back to Fabian. “Hey. Fancy meeting you here.”
He glances at the guards, unhands me, and bends down to grab my phone. Creases line his brow as he studies it. “A satellite phone?”
I clear my throat and pluck it out of his hand. “My boyfriend works all over the place. It means he can reach me wherever he is.”
“Where is he? The Amazon?”
“Nah, he hates spiders,” I laugh lightly, the inside joke mine to enjoy.
Fabian folds his arms and leans against the wall. Even though I’m not into him and we sort of fell out as friends, I have to admit he’s still gorgeous. His dark hair matches his starless eyes and the slight smile he wears is sexy.
He cocks a brow at me. “I didn’t see you at prom. Ana said you were there one minute and gone the next.”
“I was there for ages.” I lie. “It was hard to figure out who was who behind the masks.”
His eyes scoot to the armed men again, taking them in as they linger a few steps away. “You need bodyguards in a hotel? Who are you here with?”
“Family.” I shrug and offer him a thin smile. “You?”
“Family.” He shrugs too, mimicking me.
His gaze drops to the locket hung around my neck, lingering there for a few seconds too long. “How about we blow off the babysitters and get a drink at the bar?”
21
INDIA
