Page 83 of In Too Deep
“Designation rights? So, you’re finally using that thing between your legs for something interesting?” Gideon asks, an almost appreciative chuckle to his words.
“It’s not any of your business what I do with the thing between my legs,” I fire back, though bile rises in the back of my throat.
“If it’s going to impact my bottom line, then you’ll find it very much is my business.”
“This team is doing better than it has in years, so you should actually be thanking me.”
It’s Hunter’s turn to laugh, a deep, warm sound that almost has me crumpling to the floor. “She’s got you there, Gideon. Her pussy must be magic if it can make this money pit turn a profit,” he says, a strong Latinx accent to his words.
“My pussy is the only one you should be thinking about,” Isabella snarls.
I take my chances and glance over at them, nearly choking on my inhale when I see her draped across Hunter’s chest, his hands somewhere beneath her skirt while they share a passionate kiss. I turn away, a hot flush painting the tops of my cheeks and the bridge of my nose. I’m no prude by any measure, but rounding second base and heading toward third in a room full of people who could see isn’t one of my kinks.
“Your bottom line is safe, Mr. St. Clair. Hell, you might even see some improvement to it come next week. And when it does, I’ll be waiting for a formal, written apology for the way I’ve beentreated tonight.” Turning back to Gideon, I try to infuse my words with as much finality as I can.
Gideon cocks an eyebrow, shifting his weight slightly. “What, pray tell, is happening next week, exactly?”
Fuck.
I did not mean to say that.
Fuck.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“Well, it’ll be the end of the homestand, and we’ve got a great game against a rival on Ash Wednesday. And we’ll have a tally of how much this event made—”
He lifts his eyebrow a little more, cutting my rambling short. But I’m not going to give him any more than what I’ve already let slip. For this plan to work, no one can know it’s coming. But we haven’t confirmed anything, or sent out any invitations, or even booked the conference room. There’s nothing he can dig up yet, even if he tried.
So I stay silent, refusing to dig my grave any deeper. And after several long, agonizing heartbeats of silence, Gideon grunts. Then he looks up and nods to Hunter and Delano, who move in unison away from the wall, seamlessly disappearing into the crowd of invited guests, leaving Gideon and I effectively alone.
“It is in your best interest to come clean, Miss Strauss, before you do something to ruin your very successful career with the Mystic organization,” Gideon says, voice deadly serious.
“Is that a threat?” I ask, a little breathless.
“I don’t make threats.”
The four simple words have my shoulders slumping for a moment before I catch them and straighten my spine again. If any other alpha—or any other man, for that matter—said that to me, I’d roll my eyes and laugh in his face. But Gideon has more money than God, and a black hole where his moral compass should be.
When I remain silent, Gideon sighs and shakes his head, though not a strand of his perfectly styled hair moves.
“Fine. If you want to play games, then so be it. But just remember, Victoria...”
Gideon looks up at me from under his brow, taking two quick steps forward, sending me stumbling backwards until I hit the wall. He closes the gap until there’s barely an inch between us. I have to strain my neck to see him, my heart pounding in my throat as adrenaline floods my system, sending me into a freeze response. He leans down until his mouth is level with my ear, his breath hot on the side of my face.
“I. Don’t. Lose.”
If there’s a roomTori could be in and I can’t find her in a crowd, then I haven’t been there. So after the charity dinner, my eyes lock onto her, following her with my eyes as the crowd makes its way into the ballroom. I want to go to her, to be by her side every moment of this event, but I can’t be so obvious about it. I have to make the rounds, pacing a route that will eventually bring me to where she’s posted up along the wall.
That doesn’t mean I take my focus from her face for a singular second, however.
Which is why I notice the three cocky assholes and their girlfriend surrounding her. I’m stuck in a conversation with one of the board members, who hasn’t paused for me to speak once in the last three minutes, but I can’t exactly walk away from him if I want to keep my job.
The emcee starts with the intros, drawing attention toward the front of the room and allowing me to slip away from theconversation without insulting the other parties. I slink around the back of the room, trying to always keep Tori in my line of sight. But I have to occasionally to avoid knocking over tables or other attendees and drawing attention to myself. At some point, two of the assholes and the woman disappear, leaving Tori alone with the likely leader. My alpha instincts are screaming at me to charge up to them, to put myself between them, but I can’t cause a scene. Not if we want our plan to work.
But all logic and rational thought abandons me as the man practically charges Tori, forcing her back and caging her in against the wall.
I cut through the crowd, taking the shortest route to my omega regardless of how many people I shoulder check. Most have the situational awareness to move out of my way, and I can only imagine what they see when I pass by. The man pulls back and walks away before I can grab him and teach him a lesson for getting too close to my omega, so I focus on Tori.