Her eyes were locked with mine, full of jealousy and something else I couldn’t quite place. “I thought we were friends, Fallon. Clearly, you used me to get to my man. Alexander is going to be gutted when he finds out.” She made a move to go for her phone.

I stiffened, slapping his hand away, unsure of how to respond to that.

Brent turned to face her, his frame towering over her as she was forced to tilt her head upward. “Sloane, go back to the party. I’m not doing this with you.”

Sloane's lips curled into a tight, horrifying grin as she focused her face back to me. "You have no idea who you're messing with, Montgomery. Brent's been mine long before you ever showed up. You're probably fun and all...” she tapped her finger to her lips, eyeing me up and down, “but you’ll be just another passing phase for him. Isn’t that right, baby?”

Um, ouch?

All I could do was roll my eyes at the ridiculousness that my life had become. At least petty drama felt a bit normal outside of hostile takeovers and illegal activity.

“That’s enough,” he said, body tightening up. He pointed back to the party. “Go play your games somewhere else. I’m tired of you interrupting me and acting like I’m a fucking dog. It’s over. Finished. We’re done.”

For some reason, that gave her a giddy smile. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she said in a sing song tone and skipping away, freaking me the fuck out.

Ripping off his mask, he brought his face close to mine. “I’ll handle this.” And he crashed his lips into mine.

Somewhere, deep down, I knew I couldn't run from the truth forever despite not being able to trust anyone around me. I was simply trapped in a corner, unable to run. Not from the secrets. Not from Brent. And not from the storm that was about to tear my life apart.

​Chapter 32

Brent

Her lips were on mine.

Fuck, if only she knew how much I loved that mouth of hers.

She tasted like a whiskey mix and the scent of her perfume sent me over the edge.

I wanted her, on the wall at this party.

Unfortunately, that would have to wait. No matter how her breath hitching made me want to push even further, to throw her over my shoulder and carry her up those stairs and have my way with her again and again.

Just a kiss would have to hold me over until I could get her all alone again and bury myself inside her.

She pulled away from me, breathless and dazed. With my hands on her waist, I steadied her against the wall as she looked me up and down with those big doe eyes.

“I’m a little buzzed,” she admitted.