Page 32 of Sworn to Defend
“No, thank you,” Collin responded, moving closer to him. Hunter put his arm around the kid’s shoulders as Agatha’s eyes narrowed and Hannah’s father scoffed. Collin smiled at them, missing the social cues in their expressions.
“Shit, I love that kid,” Silver said into his ear.
“This is Hannah’s boyfriend, Donald.”
The man gave a dismissive nod and repositioned the large ring on his finger. “I have one son-in-law who owns a banking firm and is mayor. The other is soon to be CEO of a company. What is it that you do?”
“Just a sailor, sir.” He squeezed Collin’s shoulder. “One who knows when he’s found something precious in Hannah and Collin.” A white-gloved server with a tray of canapés paused and offered them something. Collin turned his head away. He had to second that reaction and politely said no thank you to the gray paste on a toast point.
“You look more like CIA than you do a sailor.” Donald cocked his head, probing him with a long look before motioning for the server to stop. He took his time choosing something from the tray before shoving it in his mouth.
“Well, in that case, let’s hope you have nothing to hide.” He smiled politely. He shouldn’t have baited the man, but he wanted to see his reaction.
Hannah’s father deliberately raised a brow. His arrogant laugh echoed through the room, earning a few glances. But not before hesitation flashed in his narrowed eyes. “Excuse us. Enjoy the evening.” The look he shot to Hunter told him the exact opposite.
Donald and his wife moved through the crowd, offering boisterous waves meant to draw attention. He hadn’t decided if he thought Donald was guilty of anything, but he knew he didn’t like him. He was the kind of man who got to his position of power by crushing those beneath him. It was a miracle to him that Hannah had become someone honest and good. The only other member of Hannah’s family that he didn’t get bad vibes from was Vivienne. The woman just seemed lost.
A group of older women draped in silk and diamonds turned their attention to the stairwell. Vivienne was walking down the steps in a gown of white. He supposed when you had the kind of money the Days did, you could afford multiple wedding dresses for each event. She moved gracefully, nearly floating as she held the eye of everyone in the crowd. Everyone but him. His eyes were locked on Hannah in a barely there dress that looked as though it was made of glass.
Her hair was loose around her shoulders, framing her beautiful face. Whoever had done her hair and makeup recognized her natural beauty and hadn’t tried to cover up her freckles. Hannah was simply stunning whether she was in one of his shirts or in a ball gown. He preferred when she was comfortable, though, because that was when her smile shone the biggest. Plus, that dress looked like it was going to outright shatter when he removed it later. She found him in the crowd and pinned him with her sultry eyes, before sending a small, reassuring wave in their direction. He glanced at Collin, whose brow was furrowed.
“Mom hates dresses,” he muttered.
“Don’t worry. A few hours here tops, then we’ll all get out of here.”
“Promise?” Collin said, grabbing his hand.
“Yes, bud. I promise.”
Hannah stood for several pictures on the stairs before breaking away from the bridal party. The crowd parted as she passed through and more than one bastard looked her up and down. Upon closer inspection, he realized the corset of the dress was sheer. If he looked close enough, he could see the freckles beneath the material. Thankfully, the fabric covering her breasts was too heavily beaded to be see-through. Two barely there jeweled sleeves, if you could even call them that, hit midarm. The dress clung to her waist and hips like a glove and he wanted nothing more than to help her remove it, because she looked so damn uncomfortable.
“What are the chances you have a rain coat or a sweatshirt in your car?” she muttered as she moved in close, putting one arm around Collin and one around him.
“Han, you’re stunning and it has nothing to do with the dress or hair or makeup.”
She smiled at him. “I haven’t quite figured out how to sit down in this without breaking the glass beads on my butt.”
Iron was muttering something about women’s fashion through the communication device. “There’s no way that can be comfortable.”
“It’s not.”
“Start looking for an opening on the sister, so your woman can get out of there.”
He leaned in to Hannah, concealing his response with a kiss to the top of her head. “Received.”
“That’s Scott,” Hannah whispered. He glanced up at the man approaching Vivienne. His hair was slicked back and an air of arrogance seemed to surround him. He wondered why none of the guests raised a brow when the man merely gripped her arm and led her to one of the tables without so much as a smile or a tender touch. Hannah stiffened and glared at her sister’s fiancé. Once Vivienne was seated at a table for two facing the crowd, Scott stood. “Family and friends, thank you for embracing us with love on this joyous occasion. Please take your seats for the first course.”
One of the men made a gagging sound that pierced his ear. He couldn’t agree more. The canned speech was over-the-top. As if waiting for the invitation to begin serving, the waitstaff suddenly appeared and circled through the room, placing salad plates on the golden chargers already laid out on the table. The course was paired with wine as were the second and third. Collin had started to rock back and forth. He could only imagine how he was feeling with all the competing sounds, sights, and smells around them. The murmur of too many voices. The clang of glasses and click of high heels. The strong scent of wine and perfume clouding the air paired with the strong aroma of the lilies on the table.
“Collin,” Hannah whispered around him. “Let’s go for a walk outside.” She stood and Collin followed. His friends had yet to get an opportunity to get Vivienne alone and the entrées had already been served. It would be perfect if they could make their move when Hannah and Collin were outside out of harm’s way.
“We’ll be right back.” Hannah smiled. Collin was up out of his seat and they both headed toward the ballroom doors. He took the opportunity to stand up and walk to the bar. Maybe if he got a bit closer to the table for two, he could make an opening for Vivienne.
“I’m going to the bathroom,” Vivienne said to her fiancé. The man gave her a look that could only be described as disgust.
“Can’t you wait until our guests leave?”
“Not unless you want me to pee my dress and make a scene.”