“I invited her as entertainment.” He scowls into his drink. “You should thank me.”
A hot pit of fire opens up in my gut. “You’re a real asshole.”
He stares at me without a single flicker of regret. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
I lean across him to Ellie. “You’re a saint to spend even a second with this prick.”
She smiles, kindness in her eyes. “He pays well.”
“Fuck,” Hayes mutters and shakes his head.
“He better. You’re earning every dollar.” I decide it’s better to wait for Gabriella outside, or I may end up throat punching my brother and causing a scene.
I slam back the rest of my drink and place my glass on the bar. When I walk away, I purposefully slam his shoulder with my own. “Dick.”
The air outside is warm and muggy, and either the weather or my nerves make my shirt cling to my skin. I find a place to wait against a red brick wall and shuffle my suede Corthay boots. The valet is busy while black executive cars and luxury SUVs mixed with the occasional sports coupe drop off those lucky enough to get a reservation.
When a Honda Accord with a missing hubcap pulls up, my stomach sinks. This has to be her Uber.
The back door opens, and one pale, toned leg emerges, tipped with a black stiletto heel with a thin ankle strap—sexy, classy, timeless. She unfolds from the vehicle wearing an A-line LBD that is whimsical, contemporary, and ultra-feminine. I recognize the signature hemline, puff sleeves, and romantic silhouette as designers Nicky and Simone Zimmerman’s work. Gabriella’s auburn hair is gathered at her ear, the side-swept locks doing what they can to cover up the three silvery white scars that slash from her temple to her neck.
She’s stunning, classy, and dressed to perfection.
“Kingston, hey,” she calls to me while her long, pale legs eat up the distance between us. “I hope I’m not late.”
Goddamn, she looks good enough to eat. “No.” My hands fist tightly from their position deep inside my pockets. “You’re fine.” And I mean that in every sense of the word. She looks incredible.
Her big blue eyes captivate me, pull me deep, and—see, this is why she should not be here tonight! This is why Hayes totally fucked me with his impromptu asshole-invite. This is why I am so screwed.
“All right,” she says soothingly and slips her hand into the crook of my elbow. “I have your back.”
Her words cause a small spasm in my chest, but the feeling doesn’t settle because I’m too focused on what the fuck she’s talking about.
She has my back? I’m leading her into the lion’s den, and she thinks I’m the one who needs protection?
Before I can ask, she’s tugging me gently toward the front door of the restaurant and inside. Hayes and Ellie spot us immediately, so I steer her away from them and to the hostess stand.
“Mr. North.” The pretty brunette’s eyes light up. “Your party is waiting.”
We follow behind her through the crowded restaurant, and Gabriella tugs on my arm. “They know you by name here?” she says softly. “How many times have you been here?”
“A few.”
She mouths the word wow and seems genuinely surprised.
“There he is!” My brother Hudson’s voice calls out from inside the private dining room, and I feel Gabriella tense at my side.
She’s not the only one.
My shoulders hurt, and my neck aches. This is going to be the longest night of my life.
I internally cringe.
I take that back. Second longest.
Six
Gabriella
The private dining room is decorated with dark wood, aged wine barrels, and candlelight. I hold on a little tighter to Kingston’s arm when I spot his brother making his way toward us.
He stops a foot away, his smile aimed at me. His gaze darts to my scars, but he doesn’t stare like he did when I met him the first time. “And who do we have here?” He offers me his hand.
Kingston shifts on his feet in a way that brings him closer to me. “Don’t worry,” he says. “He’s the nice twin.”
Twin. I look back to the man with the offered hand and see him through the new information. “Gabriella,” I shake his hand, and he seems genuinely nice, not a hint of the serpent smile of his identical brother. “Nice to meet you.”
His smile falls a little. “Let me guess, you met Hayes first. You have no idea how hard it is to have to follow up that asshole.” He winks.
“I can imagine.” The tension leaves my muscles, and I settle back into my own skin. “It’s nice to meet you…”
“Hudson.” He motions for us to come inside the space.
Kingston introduces me to a sweet woman named Jordan with kind gray eyes and her husband Alexander, who is big and terrifying but didn’t once look at my scars.
A man with salt and pepper hair that I’m assuming is Kingston’s dad strolls toward us with a rocks glass a quarter full of amber liquid. “Princess! You made it!”
I recoil at his inappropriate nickname for his son and wonder just how much he knows of Kingston’s sexuality.
On the one hand, Kingston doesn’t hide his flamboyant side. His clothes are loud and colorful. Like tonight, he’s wearing pale-blue skinny slacks and a white button-up shirt with colorful birds printed on it. And to top it off, he’s wearing black eyeliner that makes the light yellow in his hazel eyes stand out. He’s breathtakingly beautiful. He’s going to make some man very happy.
“Be nice, August,” Hudson mumbles.
I figure out that the older man is August, and he’s glaring hard at my face.
Kingston stiffens at my side, and a nervous tension bleeds into the air.
“Gabriella,” I say and hold out my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
August blinks, looks at Kingston, then back at me before taking my offered hand. “You’re new.” He releases my hand and smirks at his son. “Hope you got a discount on this one.” He chuckles and eyes my scar.
“Jesus,” Alexander growls.
“Such an asshole,” Jordan says loudly.
Kingston surges forward, but I dig my heels in and hold him back. “She’s not a fucking hooker,” he hisses.
August frowns. “Then why is she here with you?”
Even Hudson looks like he’s about to tear into his dad.
I roll my eyes because, come on, like I haven’t heard the shit that pours from an asshole’s mouth before? “I can see where your son gets his glowing personality.”
The older gentleman looks down his nose at me, confused.
“Oh, I’m referring to Hayes.” I continue through the stifled and snorted laughter of Kingston’s brothers. “You share the same wit and stellar people skills.”
His lips twist in disgust, but a blonde woman interrupts him before he has a chance to respond.
“Everyone is here. We can sit down now,” she says with a slight slur, like she’s had one too many chardonnays. Her eyes lazily fix on me, and she smiles. “Honey, what on earth happened to your face?”
“We’re done here.” Kingston grips my arm tightly to lead me away, but I resist, which is hard considering the foot of height he has on me and the fifty-plus pounds of muscle.