It had. For a time. But when the shock faded, Claire had sure run fast.
“She can’t keep running from me,” he said. She needed to listen to him. He had a damn fine plan in place.
“She’s not running from you. She just wants to be able to breathe without every reporter in the room watching her.” Skye’s smile was grim. “I know how that feels.”
He sucked in a sharp breath. “You think I screwed up tonight, don’t you?”
“Yes.” Skye didn’t pull her punches.
His gaze hit Trace’s.
His friend nodded. Dammit. They both thought he’d screwed up?
“I am protecting her.” He expected Trace to get that. “She can’t just keep hiding out at the Towers, waiting for that ass**le out there to make a move.” He couldn’t do that. He’d never been the type to wait for an attack to come. “In battle, you always take the offensive if you want to—”
“This isn’t battle,” Skye said softly. “This is her life.”
Shit.
“And do you really think she liked that her first proposal was a fake one?” Skye’s voice sharpened even more. “No woman likes that.”
He schooled his expression. “Who says it was a fake proposal?”
Trace brushed a kiss over Skye’s cheek. “I didn’t see a ring on her finger, just plenty of flash around her wrists. Those bracelets…were they supposed to show everyone that she was chained to you?”
No, the bracelets had been designed to show Claire that she didn’t have to constantly worry about her scars. He hadn’t wanted her to worry about pulling down her sleeves to hide the scars or finding ribbons to bind her wrists. “You don’t understand my relationship with Claire.”
Trace shook his head. “I’m starting to think you don’t, either.”
Noah’s gaze scanned the ballroom. “I need to find her.” He should be talking to Claire, not Trace. He had to make sure she realized that nothing had changed between them. I’m not using her.
Trace motioned toward the exit. “Drake took her upstairs.”
“Then, excuse me, but I have an elevator to catch.” He hurried by Trace.
“And some groveling to do,” he heard his friend mutter.
Noah’s jaw locked as he entered the elevator. There would be no groveling. Claire would realize that an engagement was perfect for them. The attacker had targeted him once, so this would be like waving a red flag in front of the guy’s face. He’d come after Noah again but this time—
I’ll be ready for him.
***
Claire scrambled back even as Drake surged forward. Drake grabbed Austin and slammed the guy into the nearest wall. “What the hell are you doing here?” Drake demanded.
Austin jerked in his grip, but Drake wasn’t letting the guy go. “I-I just needed to see Claire!”
Her heart was about to burst out of her chest. Her hands were shaking, her stomach churning, and Claire couldn’t look away from Austin’s eyes—it’s like I’m seeing Ethan again.
Only Austin…he’d never been like Ethan. Austin had been the good brother. The one who graduated at the top of his class. The one who’d held the door open for her when she used to work at the diner. He’d been the one who—
Came to tell me how sorry he was. When she’d been in the hospital, recovering from the suicide attempt, he’d been there.
“How did you get past security?” Drake’s hold on the guy tightened even more.
“I-I bribed a guy downstairs. I heard about the party tonight and knew this would be my best chance to get in.” Austin’s voice was tight. His gaze was on Claire—pleading? “I just need a few minutes, that’s all.”
“You’re about to get an ass beating, that’s all you’re getting,” Drake snarled right back. “Then the fool who let you up here is getting fired.”
Austin’s gaze narrowed on Drake’s furious face. “I know you. You were at my father’s funeral.”
Drake just glared at him.
Austin’s skin paled. “You were there…and my brother…his car exploded…when you were there!”
“Yeah, and stop looking at me like I did that shit. His death is one that can’t be tied to me.” Drake dropped his hold on the guy. “You’re one dumb bastard to come up here and—”
Austin knocked him back and ran toward Claire. His hands grabbed her shoulders. “I just need a minute!” His hold wasn’t painful. Just desperate. “I have to tell you—”
The elevator dinged behind them. Claire heard the doors open. Awareness shot down her spine. Even though she couldn’t see the occupant in that elevator, she knew who was inside.
“You shouldn’t have come here,” Claire told Austin, and she whirled just in time to see Noah step out of the elevator.
His gaze went first to her. Then to Austin—and the guy had just made the mistake of curling his fingers around her shoulder again.
Rage flashed over Noah’s face, and he attacked.
Chapter Eleven
“No!” Claire yelled. She grabbed Noah’s arms and tried to push him back. It was like trying to move a brick wall. “Noah, I’m okay!” She cast a frantic glance toward Austin. Did the guy realize how close he was to danger?
“I’m not here to hurt her,” Austin said, his voice breaking with what sounded like fear. “I told you…I just—”
Drake locked his hand around the back of the Austin’s neck. “You just need to stay away from her. That’s what you need to do.”
Austin winced, and Claire knew Drake’s grip had to be painful.
“I’m not like them,” Austin bit out.
No, no, he never had been.
Noah was still straining beneath Claire’s hold. If he’d wanted, though, he could have easily broken free. She knew that. He was staying still, for her.
She looked back at Noah, and, staring into his eyes, Claire said, “I want to talk with him.”
Noah shook his head. “Bad idea, baby. Anything he has to say—it’s just gonna hurt you. I don’t want you hurt.”
He couldn’t protect her from everything. “I want to talk with him,” she said again as she eased way from Noah. Claire shook her head. “But not here, in the hallway.” She inclined her head toward the suite. “Let’s go inside, and, um, Drake, do me a favor? Stop choking him.”