Chapter 27

-Jared-

I was overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions following the events with Alison yesterday. Finding even less solace seeking her out, I spent most of the day drowning my thoughts in alcohol. However, upon waking up, I was greeted with an additional shock: Astrid was in bed with me. The lack of clothing spoke volumes about what had transpired.

Of course, she would seize the opportunity, I mused, before retreating into the longest shower in history. At least I could bury myself in work tonight. So I kept my distance from Astrid, immersing myself in solitary work, delving into every detail I knew about Alison's father in preparation for tonight's encounter.

As the sun began its descent, I dressed in a crisp white shirt and dark dress pants. While putting on a watch, Astrid found me, adorned in everyday attire, yet her hungry gaze in the mirror did not go unnoticed.

"Well, doesn't my husband look handsome," she taunted.

I brushed off her remark, turning to face her. "Pregnant yet?"

She groaned. "No."

"Good."

Her eyes narrowed, shooting daggers at me. "Don't forget it's not just me who's under pressure here."

"Well, at least I can contribute more than just making a baby."

Astrid bristled at my retort, but I refused to indulge her tantrums tonight. I had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Are you going alone?" she inquired as I passed by.

"Well, was anyone else invited?"

"You should collaborate more closely with the family."

"You just keep an eye on your cousins. I don't want them ruining everything."

"I think we both know who's the one distracted here," she snarled.

I turned to her again, closing the distance between us and confronting her face-to-face.

"You don't know anything," I growled. "Just focus on getting pregnant so we never have to touch each other again."

"We're building a family, a large one, that's what's expected of me."

"Then I suggest we explore more artificial methods or find a donor, because after this, I never want to experience being with you again," I informed her.

"You're getting better at it, though. Constantly fantasizing about your slave, I presume?" she mocked.

"It doesn't matter what I think about. Just don't take advantage of me when I'm drunk."

"You finish faster when you're drunk, but I suppose I could do without you calling out another woman's name when you do."

I recoiled, stunned by her admission, a cruel smile stretching across her lips. Yet, her revelation did nothing to calm the turmoil within me. It didn't even incite anger. I stormed out of the room, determined to focus on the upcoming dinner.

Walking to my car, I drove to Alison's parents' house. Greeted by the staff, I was ushered to the gathering in the living room. Callie noticed me immediately, beckoning me over to join her and her friends, but my attention was fixed on speaking with her husband.

However, he was engrossed in conversation with his friends, leaving me to feign interest in the chatter of the women around me. Luckily, Alison soon made her entrance, clad in a long dark gown adorned with diamonds around her neck and ears, her blonde hair swept up into an elegant ponytail with a subtle shimmer. Her arm was linked with her husband's, and from an outsider's perspective, they truly appeared to be the perfect couple.

As the guests exchanged greetings, Alison's eyes found mine and held steady. She didn't look away, and neither did I. However, Alison and Warren arrived last, so a staff member soon announced that dinner was almost ready and we should take our seats. Alison had to avert her gaze from me to navigate the room, but I noticed her stealing glances at me as her mother, figuratively speaking, kept her claws in me, walking beside me and inadvertently keeping me away from my intended target.

We entered the dining room and took our seats. Surprisingly, Callie seated me on Alison's open side, positioning me almost beside her father, with only one of his old friends and his wife between us. Callie herself sat across from me, allowing for conversation.

I felt Alison slipping into her seat, prompting me to turn and look at her. She nervously met my gaze while Warren took his place beside her, oblivious to our silent exchange. Alison scratched the back of her neck, a subtle display of nerves, trying to conceal her unease. Yet she continued to steal glances at me, and I refused to avert my gaze. Despite Vince's advice to simply stay away, Alison's presence continued to haunt me, casting doubt on any hope of escape.

As the server introduced the first course, our attention finally shifted away from each other. The room fell into a hush as the server explained the dish, followed by polite chatter. As the first course was presented, I found myself not particularly hungry, my focus drawn instead to Alison's father and his animated discussion with his friend. They leaned in closely, engrossed in conversation.

Yet out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Alison shifting. She discreetly moved the lime that was meant for our food aside, a reminder of her sensitivity that she had shared with me.

However, her husband seemed oblivious to this, reaching for the lime she had set aside and smiling at her as if she were mistaken. "It tastes much better with it," he insisted.

The fool squeezed the liquid onto the food, and inwardly, I rolled my eyes. Though Alison concealed it well, I noticed the visible strain on her face and the subtle shift in her demeanor, indicating she wouldn't eat it now. Instead, she reached for her wine and took a sip. As she leaned back in her seat and conversation continued around us, I seized the opportunity to swap our plates, placing hers in front of me and mine in front of her, then turned away without a word.

I could feel her eyes on me, but I remained silent, focusing on Alison's father and trying to discern the topic of discussion with Louis, another unsavory character. It came as no surprise that some of them were married, and when Louis's wife noticed my attention on the men, she attempted to strike up a conversation.

"I don't remember you," she teased.

"That's Jared," Callie chimed in. "An old friend of Alison's."

Her mother gestured to Alison, and I glanced over my shoulder to see she had begun eating.

"How nice. Did you recently reconnect?" Louis's wife inquired.

"They did," Callie replied for me. "Jared has really turned his life around."

She made it sound as if I were intentionally destructive, when in reality, I was simply trying to survive with the cards I'd been dealt.

"And what do you do for a living?" Louis's wife pressed. Immediately, I heard coughing behind me, and I saw Alison reach for her water, casting a worried glance in my direction, knowing full well what I did for a living.

She sipped her water as her mother turned to her.

"Is something wrong, Alison?" her mother questioned.

"Just something went down the wrong pipe," Alison meekly excused.

I turned back to the woman beside me, who, if she opened her eyes, could do a thousand times better. She seemed to have a little too much Botox in her face to make an expression, but she wasn't old-looking, and she didn't flaunt her wealth as much as the others, opting for a more subtle style.

"I work in security," I explained. "Online security."

"Oh, we need lots of that," she remarked. "The things people can do online these days. It's horrifying."

I nodded in agreement, though only superficially. Before Louis's wife could pose another question, I felt someone nudge me. I turned back to Alison, who seemed to be chastising me with her eyes. I couldn't discern what I had done wrong. It wasn't like I could confess to these people that I made a living killing others and trafficking drugs.

However, I did notice that Alison had finished her meal rather quickly, which oddly pleased me. Leaning toward me, she whispered, "Jared, you shouldn't be here."

"A bit too late for that."

"They're going to interrogate you tonight."

"Interrogate me?"

"Okay, do you see the woman a little further down from us?" I followed Alison's gaze, spotting a beautiful woman around our age or maybe slightly older. "Yeah?"

"Her name is Victoria. She just lost her husband in a car accident."

"Okay?" I replied, uncertain where she was leading with this, but then Alison gestured beside Victoria.

"And do you see who she's talking to?"

"Yes."

"That's Mira. Recently divorced."

"I'm not sure where this is going," I admitted before Alison cracked a small smile, and I realized what she was trying to convey.

"Are you saying they're trying to play matchmaker?" I whispered.

She nodded.

"I'm married," I hissed quietly, wiggling the finger adorned with the ring.

"There are always cracks somewhere, and these women know it. That's why they'll try to see what they can get out of you. Don't forget, you've shown up twice without a wife. They find that suspicious," she whispered, casting a discreet glance at the women around the table, some openly ogling me while others did so more subtly. Even the married ones seemed to harbor some sort of dark desire in their eyes.

"This is ridiculous," I sighed, realizing that if they were going to interrogate me tonight, it would be harder to get close to Alison's father. I would have to do my best to deflect any advances from these vultures. Therefore, I welcomed the change in courses, as many were now more focused on their food, although the chatter continued. Surprisingly, Alison's father was now engaged in conversation with his wife.

I discreetly kept an eye on him when something else caught my attention. As Warren had a second glass of wine poured, Alison reached out as he took it, leaning toward him and speaking in hushed tones. He appeared annoyed, but then set aside the glass, this time listening to his wife. Alison sighed, leaning back toward me, our arms almost brushing against each other. As she turned to look up at me, her diamond earrings danced around her, accentuating her face in a way that drew even more attention to her.

In that moment, I felt an inexplicable urge to reach out and touch her face, and I believed she noticed the desire in my eyes, almost as if silently urging me to do it. Vince would be so disappointed in me, I thought, using his disapproval to wrench my gaze away from Alison. How long had I managed to stay away? Four days?

More or less, I told myself before shaking my head. I was weak when it came to Alison. Vince was completely right. She was a soft spot, but it wasn't love. It stemmed from the abandonment I experienced as a child, and only my tormentor knew when to show up when it mattered. It was a sobering realization, but Vince was correct in his assessment.

I yearned for the stability that had eluded me as a child, and with Alison, I found it because she was familiar, a constant force that wouldn't yield. But I couldn't lose sight of my objective. I had to remember what tonight was about.