“You don’t approve, do you?”
I startled, pissed at myself that I had been so lost in thought that I hadn’t heard someone approach. I turned to see the one and only Richard Blakely standing beside me with an amused look on his face.
“I’m sorry, what was that?”
“I said, you don’t approve, do you?” he repeated, nodding toward Jamie and Tessa.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to. Body language says everything, dear. In all my years of business, I’ve found that a person’s body language can tell you everything you need to know about a person’s true intentions.”
“And mine are saying what exactly?”
“That you care about Jamie and you don’t think my daughter is good enough for him.”
I raised an eyebrow, wondering how he read all that just from my body language.
“You must be Florrie,” he said, holding out his hand to me. “She told me all about you after she met you.”
I slipped my hand in his and gave a smile. “I thought the two of you weren’t speaking.”
“Well, she likes to be dramatic.”
“I’m sure.”
“So, what exactly is it that you don’t like about my daughter?”
“You really want to know?”
“Of course.”
I glanced back at Jamie and Tessa. It was so fake. Everyone had to see it. But I wasn’t going to swindle the information I needed out of Richard. It was best I stop beating around the bush and get right to the point. At least then, I should know what his true intentions are.
“I think she’s using him. I think that she wants him for what he can give her. All that bullshit about breaking from you is a lie. She says she doesn’t want your life, but then she shows up here, and she’s perfectly comfortable mingling in with all the people that live in your world.”
“Appearances are everything and nothing,” he stated with a shrug.
“And when she showed up at Jamie’s house looking like the perfect Wall Street wife? Was she putting on an act then too? Because most people that reject this lifestyle do it because they don’t like the aires they have to put on. Yet she was dressed in expensive clothes and had her hair done like she had just come from a salon. She didn’t try to fit in with a more relaxed lifestyle. I think she likes this life, and I think she would do whatever you asked her to do so that she could maintain it.”
HIs face grew stormy and his jaw clenched. He gave a tight smile, “So, you think you have it all figured out.”
“I’ll tell you what I have figured out. Tessa is using Jamie, just like his ex-wife did. I was there for him then, and I’ll be there for him now. There’s no question about whether or not he trusts me because I’ve always been there for him, and I’ll always have his back. I don’t lie to him or manipulate him. I just tell him how it is.”
“And have you told him that you love him?”
I smiled at him, because he had it all wrong. “What you’re mistaking as love is really a devotion to a person I care about. I’m already engaged, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t kick your ass if you attempt in any way to hurt Jamie. You may think you’ve won, but there is no way in this life that I will let Jamie fall for your conniving daughter. He’ll drop her like the dead weight she is, and your opportunity will be lost.”
He smiled cruelly at me and leaned in, whispering in my ear. “My dear, there are other ways, more…permanent ways to get what I want.”
A sliver of anticipation raced down my spine as I took in the meaning of his statement. He backed away ever so slightly and turned to his security that was standing just a few feet from him. He gave a slight nod and the security guard turned on his heel and took off for the exit.
“I always win,” he said as he turned back to me. As soon as he left, I was making my way through the crowd toward Jamie.
“We need an exit now,” I said into my coms. “Richard’s going to take him out.”
“How do you know?” Alec asked.
“Let’s just say I cut to the chase and blew his plan to hell.”
“Does that mean we get to leave?” Craig asked excitedly. “Because I gotta tell ya, if I get cornered by one more rich guy, I might just pull out my gun and shoot so the event will come to an end.”
“Yeah, I’d say the faster we leave, the better it’ll be.”
“How bad are we talking?” Alec asked.
“Um…well, he nodded to his security.”
“Shit,” Alec swore. “You just had to poke the hornet’s nest.”
“Well, what’s the fun in playing it safe?” I tapped Jamie on the shoulder and smiled. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Sure.” He turned back to Tessa and leaned in to whisper in her ear. Tessa turned to me with a wary look, but nodded. “What’s going on?” he asked as we made our way through the crowd.
“It’s time to go.”
“Okay, let me get Tessa.”
I grabbed his arm, preventing him from leaving. “No, Richard has plans for you. We need to get out of here now. Craig, what exit am I taking?”
“Head down the south corridor and take the exit at the end of the hall. I’ll be waiting outside with the limo.”
“I’m coming at you from the west,” Alec informed me.
“See you there.” I grabbed Jamie’s hand and started hurrying down the south corridor toward the exit.
“What’s going on?” Jamie asked.
“You know how I said that I thought Richard wanted to kill you?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I kind of kicked that plan into high gear.”
“You did what?”
“Relax, I totally got this. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”
“Easy for you to say. It’s not you he’s trying to kill.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about
