The Treble With Men (Scorned Women's Society #2) - Piper Sheldon Page 0,15

sounded slurred even to my own ears. I was a lightweight. I shouldn’t have drank at all. I knew better than that. Why did I let myself get talked into doing things I knew I would regret for the sake of other people’s comfort? My eyes wanted to stay closed.

Roddy didn’t answer. I startled when arms wrapped around me; one under my neck and the other behind my knees. He scooped me up with no problem.

“I can walk. I’m fine.” I nuzzled into his shoulder, putting no feeling behind the words. My cheek brushed the starchy fabric of his suit coat. The flexed muscles were tense with the effort to hold me. Talk about a real-life glow-up.

It was nice to have Roddy back in my life. I hadn’t been looking for change, but maybe I wouldn’t have to feel so alone having somebody who knew the dark truth of what happened at camp. I stopped trying to fight the drowsiness, and let the darkness take over.

The last thing I heard was, “Kim,” in a deep rumble. My real name. I didn’t even realize how much I’d missed hearing that name until it was whispered in my ear.

Chapter 7

Pull your shoulders back; you are not a hunchback.

DEVLIN

It wasn’t kidnapping if her health was at risk. It wasn’t kidnapping if I was taking her to a place where she could get some help. That imbecile was pretending to care while plying her with alcohol on an empty stomach. Couldn’t he see how pale she was? How her face was misted with sweat? I saw him watching her like a predator after her performance. When he followed her out of the backstage area, I made it my mission to keep an eye on him.

I waited until he left his parents’ box before walking inside. I didn’t owe him an explanation for my concern. And it appeared I had been right—she was passed out in a chair. Anger thrummed against my skull, battling a wave of fear. Her hand was curled under her chin and her smooth skin was frighteningly colorless. Her chest moved up and down lightly and she let out a soft sigh. The fierce musician of an hour ago seemed so fragile.

I picked up her glass and sniffed it. I didn’t smell anything, but I’ve never seen someone fall asleep so easily either. Maybe she had spread herself too thin. Maybe the solo tonight was too much, too soon.

Roderick Chagny’s sudden appearance back in town was an unfortunate complication. If ever there was a person who could ruins my perfectly laid plans, it was him. He represented every user and abuser in the industry; an agent who saw dollar signs instead of people. I took a steadying breath. I didn’t want to do something I would regret in a moment of anger.

Then I saw the empty bottle of champagne. I took out my phone and shot my brother, Wes, a text. He had already planned to come over after the show. My new plan required his help. He responded immediately, just as I thought he would.

Maybe I was acting impulsively. But I wouldn’t stand around and watch her get taken advantage of. I scooped her into my arms. Holding her settled a feeling of rightness deep in my bones. She needed to be kept safe from toolbags like Chagny. It scared me. She was stronger than this. It was unnerving to see her so defenseless and trusting. Didn’t she know what people were capable of?

“Kim.” I hadn’t meant to say her name, but she seemed so fragile in my arms.

Kim Dae was a creation of curiosity. I had surreptitiously watched her enough to know that her eyebrows would constantly move with all of the questions that flowed through her mind. All that questing for knowledge would crinkle her flawless skin, while intelligence would flash in her dark eyes.

In contrast, her pseudonym, Christine Day, stood back from the crowd and mirrored the cold beauty of an instrument waiting to be directed. Her dark hair was always arranged artfully while she gazed at me during rehearsals. Every muscle would pause as if my slightest wish would move her to the creation of beauty.

But this woman in my arms, she was all of that and more. Her beauty was breathtaking when she was at peace like this. I’d seen her heart-shaped face, a younger version, in my dreams. Now, her long brown hair was twisted in a tight knot that looked painful, with a