5

“Thank you, but I’m all danced out.” My palm pressed lightly to his shoulder, trying to create distance, though his arm still held me secure at the waist.

“Already?” Alonzo’s smile curved with amusement. His voice slid smooth as velvet, carrying just enough heat to make my chest tighten. “We’ve barely made it through one song.”

“I need air.” My throat tightened. “Or a bathroom.” The words tumbled out fast, brittle, like glass cracking.

“Dinner with me on Sunday.” He pivoted us effortlessly, guiding me through the tide of sequined gowns and black tuxedos, steering me to the far edge of the dance floor. His body didn’t let mine go, warmth radiating into me.

“We’re having dinner now.” I tugged my hand from his, my fingers trembling in his grip.

His gaze locked onto mine, unreadable, sharp as polished obsidian. “I doubt you’ll make it to the main course.”

Before I could react, his fingertip skimmed a whisper-light line up my spine. Not even a real touch—barely pressure, only a brush. But when it bumped against the clasp of my necklace, my body betrayed me. Goosebumps shot up my arms, shivers racing down to the pit of my stomach.

Damn skin. Damn traitor skin.

I exhaled hard, forcing myself to break free. “Thank you for the dance.” My voice cracked, part relief, part regret. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

Gathering the heavy folds of my skirt in both fists, I turned sharply and hurried away. Each step off that dance floor felt like I’d stolen something and was running before he caught me.

Alonzo

“The girl showed up just long enough to be photographed with you and then bolted?”

Julius’s voice rang sharp, clipped, the irritation etched deep into the wrinkles at his temples. He rubbed them hard, as though pressing the headache back into his skull. Sunlight spilled across his oversized office, bouncing off polished wood, catching the silver in his hair.

“That’s the gist.” I dropped into the leather chair across from him, crossing one leg casually.

“What kind of play is that?” He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “Did she at least talk to Demarco?”

“No.” My head tilted against the chair back. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think it was Allieiberate. Panic got the better of her.”

Julius let out a sharp laugh, humorless. “She should’ve panicked after securing zoning rights for the M Elements.”

I smirked faintly, recalling Blondie—hair loose around her face like a curtain, eyes darting, hands clenched under the table when Sutton pushed too far. The girl had nerve enough to slice Reagan Sutton with a sugar-and-dairy insult, but zoning law debates? That would’ve gutted her. “That conversation with Winston Demarco can wait. She’s not ready. Not my priority.”

Julius dropped his hands, glaring. “Then what is?”

“Keeping her visible,” I answered easily. “She slips away too often. I haven’t seen announcements about her schedule. If she disappears again, we need leverage.”

“Send flowers.” He waved a hand dismissively. “Women swoon over that. That girl from the Roxy wouldn’t shut up about roses in a damn bucket. Apparently, buckets are chic now.”

A low chuckle rumbled in my throat. “You? Advising me on romance?”

His jaw clenched, lips thinning. “Don’t start.”

I lifted both palms. “Relax. If she runs, I already made sure there’s an opening to pull her back out.”

“Good.” Julius’s voice hardened. “We can’t afford to lose this. Gregory Montana may be rotting underground, but he’s still screwing us from the grave. That empire is locked down tight. Unless we find a way in.”

I let out a dry laugh, shaking my head. “Gregory Montana is the last person I’d ever want to screw.”

Julius’s mouth twitched, though the steel in his eyes didn’t soften. “Then screw his daughter. Figuratively. Or literally. Whatever it takes.”

I stood, restless, crossing the room toward the massive windows. From here, Boston sprawled beneath us—glass and steel thrusting upward, traffic buzzing below like a hive. Across the skyline, I could make out the old Montana hotel, its rooftop distinctive against the horizon.

Julius watched me. “You’re taking this personally.”

“I’m taking it seriously.” My reflection in the glass looked colder than I felt. “Their empire’s lasted a century because Gregory was ruthless enough to stitch it into the bloodline. Contracts, trusts, clauses—airtight. He’d rather watch billions rot than let an outsider get a piece. He built a fortress and left his daughter inside it.”

Julius leaned back, folding his arms. “And you think you can breach it?”

“Family can be infiltrated.” My smile was slow, Allieiberate.

His brows rose. “You’re suggesting marriage.”

“Suggesting?” I turned, spreading my arms. “It’s the cleanest route. No contracts in the world can block a husband.”

Julius studied me, expression unreadable. Then, softer: “I’ve been meaning to ask. Do you want mother’s ring?”

A startled laugh burst out of me. “Jesus Christ, no.” I shook my head, grinning at the thought. “If you want the merger cursed from day one, sure. That ring’s toxic.”

He didn’t smile. His gaze flicked toward the framed photo of our mother on the bookshelf, stern as ever even in stillness.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “A ring, though… something will be necessary.”

Julius’s eyes narrowed. “So you’re serious.”

“Dead serious.” My voice dropped, weight behind it now. “Once Constance says yes, once she wears my ring, the Montana empire is ours. Their history, their hotels, their name—it bleeds into Xenos . Modern expansion tied to old-world prestige. It’s unstoppable.”

Julius tapped a finger on the desk. “And until then?”

“Until then,” I said, turning back to the window, “we keep her close. Too close to run. Keep the vultures from spooking her.”

“Alonzo.” Julius’s voice carried warning, low and sharp. “Don’t get sloppy. Don’t get sentimental. This isn’t about lips and goosebumps and dance floors. This is business.”

I smiled faintly, thinking of Blondie’s flushed cheeks when she’d jerked away, of the tremor in her voice when she lied about needing the bathroom. Sentimental? No. Calculated.

“Relax, brother.” My eyes followed the horizon, the sun bleeding gold across the skyline. “I’ll have her. At the altar. Before she ruins what her father left behind.”