“Bring that with you,” Asher says to me, taking my hand, and dragging me away through the crowd. My body jerks from the sudden pull and the champagne spills over the rim of the glass.
“Where are we going? What’s wrong? I thought we needed to stay? What am I going to tell my parents? They are going to worry about me and send the guards to look for me if I don’t tell them something.”
“Good idea. Good. That’s good.” Asher pauses, then frantically spins and twirls as he searches. “I need to find your parents. We need to talk because I think I just figured out who killed Grace. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long. I’m so stupid.”
“We can’t tell them! Are you insane?”
“I am. I am when it comes to protecting you, do you understand that? Do you get that I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe?”
“Asher, you’re scaring me,” I say, a tremble in my voice.
“I don’t want to, but I need to tell your dad the truth.”
“We can’t. Not here. It will be your death wish. We need a plan.”
“I have a plan,” he says, dragging me again, and when I see where he is bringing me to, that’s when I see my father in the corner.
Where the hell are the guys whispering in his ear now? I would hope they would tell him to calm down and think about this rash decision because I don’t even know what Asher is thinking, but whatever it is, it has him scared.
“We should have never come here tonight. I’m an idiot. We should have known better.”
“I don’t know what that means. I have to be here tonight. I don’t have a choice,” I say to him.
Asher better know what the hell he is doing or I’m going to throw this champagne in his face.
Fourteen
Heaven
I have no idea what I’m doing.
I think I have a death wish.
“Ryan, what’s the rush? Is everything okay?” Governor Thomas asks.
“Can we go somewhere else, Governor? I think we have a problem.” I hope this goes well or I’m about to get thrown in another jail cell.
“What’s going on? Heather, is he giving you trouble?” Governor Thomas reaches his hand in the sky and men dressed in black coming from the doorway inch forw
ard.
“I’m fine. You want to talk to him, I promise. I swear, I’m okay,” she says, and I wrap my arm around her waist, not wanting to hide how I feel about her anymore. I have to put it all out there if I have a fucking chance with her father.
I can tell he isn’t happy, but I could care less. “Please,” I beg.
His eyes narrow, measuring me up, but eventually nods. “Give me a moment to grab my wife and we will go to the office in the corner.” Governor Thomas towers over everyone as he prowls through the crowd, searching for his wife, who is talking to my mother.
God, something slimy is going on, I just wish I could connect the pieces and understand how the fuck Grace is in the middle of it.
When Governor Thomas reaches my mom, I give them my back and look down at Heather. I don’t want to take a chance at anyone recognizing me or this entire operation will be for nothing. “You’re sure about this?” she asks, taking a step forward and beaming up at me with those big green eyes that I fucking love.
If we ever have kids, they better have her eyes because it would be a damn shame not to grace this world with more of her beauty.
“Yes.” No. If I’m wrong, the punishment is about to be severe.
“Okay, follow me,” Governor Thomas says over my shoulder.
I take Heather’s hand in mine, keeping her tucked against my side. I do my best to block my father’s view of her because for some reason, he wants her, and if I’m right, he wanted Grace.