the cord that wraps around my robe and try on my shy girl act. It’s only seventy-percent fake. “I’m sorry if my dancing was not—”
“Your dancing was magnifique,” he croons. “The men love you very much.” He crooks a finger, and summons me closer.
I take a step forward, then another. But his finger doesn’t stop until I’m close enough for him to wrap his arm around my hips and tug me in.
Gone is the scent from downstairs, and in its place is Evan’s cologne. No doubt expensive, but it’s an assault on my senses. Too much, too strong.
“Come to dinner with me, Prima.”
My brows wing up in surprise. “Huh?”
“Romance.” He walks his fingers over my chest and up to my shoulder, then pushing my robe aside, he peppers gentle kisses to my skin. “You wanted romance, no? You want a husband, not a casual lover.”
“Um…”
“I don’t usually do this,” he warns in a low, deep growl. “Please be aware of the concessions I am making in an effort to preserve your dignity.”
“Uh…”
“Dinner,” he presses. “Candles, starlight, maybe a little dancing.” He pulls back and smiles. “Romance.”
“Oh…” I draw a deep breath, only to instantly regret it when I remember his cologne. “Um… I’m…” You don’t get a choice, dumbass! “When?”
With a victorious smile, he blindly reaches back and snags the phone from his desk, then he brings it to his ear without dialing. “Ruth. What night is Victoria not dancing next week?”
Wednesday. The answer is Wednesday.
“Wednesday.” He grins. “Perfecto. That is all.” He sets the phone back in the cradle and turns to me. “Wednesday, Prima. I will have a car pick you up from your home.”
“Oh, no, I—”
“No?” His eyes turn to fire within an instant. “No?”
“No, yes! I just meant…” Shit, shit, shit. “Um…” Fuck. “Okay. Sure. I just meant the car is not necessary.”
“Oh, but it is, Prima.” He goes back to making out with my shoulder. “I will have Ivan waiting at your door at seven o’clock. Yes?”
“Um…” I swallow down my nerves, and give a jerky nod. “Sure. Okay. Thank you for understanding my needs. With the…” I clear my throat. “My need for romance. I can’t help who I am, you know? And I wouldn’t feel good about myself if I went to bed with a man before I was wed.”
“I will make all of your dreams come true, Prima.” He slides his tongue along my collarbone and up to my neck. But I take no pleasure in his touch. There are no tingles in my belly, no curling of my toes.
There’s just a swirling in my stomach: disgust, nerves, grief.
“I have information for you also.” He pulls back and smiles. “I have information on Nate Hardy, the fighter.”
“You do?” My voice comes out on a loud squeak. “What did you find?”
Evan’s dark eyes search mine. I’m not sure what he’s looking for, but all I can manage is hope. Genuine hope that he might be the key to our freedom.
“This man you are searching for… he is dead?”
And there goes my hope.
“I don’t know,” I admit on a sigh. “I am told he is dead, but there is no body. I cannot believe he is dead until I see it for myself.”
“And what is your interest in this possibly dead man?”
“My brother is being framed as the killer.”
It’s kind of ironic that I’m so open with my truths, when I would never dare tell anyone else. Lita might feel compelled, in all her innocence, to call the police and turn me in. But Evan’s life is lived in the darker sides of town. In the shadows. On the side of the law that would end up with a man behind bars. I trust him not to snitch on me, just as he trusts me not to snitch on him about the dealings inside his club.
“There is an alleged witness that saw my brother murder this man, but it’s impossible, because in the window of time that Nate was allegedly killed, I was speaking with my brother on the telephone. He was at work, not in a shady area of town, hurting people.”
“And you’re certain you’re not confused on the time?” Evan’s eyes flicker between mine. “Could you be blindly defending someone you love?”
“No, it’s impossible. My brother would not do that, and even if he did, he wouldn’t lie to me about it. But more than that, there is no body. How can there be a murder if there is no body?”
“Trust me,