insist.” Daniel’s grip tightened on her arm.
Bree scanned the still-busy club and saw all the deep-pocketed people who’d paid a lot of money to support her favorite project. It certainly wouldn’t help if they got into a knock-down, drag-out fight. “Fine.” She gave him what she liked to think of as her glacial look and then stared at his hand on her arm. He released his grip, and his calm and collected mask slipped back into place.
Bree made her way to the door, making sure the doorman got them a cab, as the last thing she wanted was to be alone with Daniel. When she alighted from the cab, she was surprised to see Daniel get out behind her. “I’m going to check on the bar, and then I’m going home. Alone.”
“I’ll just come in for a nightcap.”
“I’d really rather you didn’t. I’m tired.” She ignored him, or at least tried to as she stepped into the bar.
As if he had some kind of weird radar, Storm caught her eye when Daniel put a possessive arm around her. She rolled her eyes before turning to Daniel. “Thanks for seeing me in. I’m just going to check on a few things in the back and then head upstairs. I appreciate your letting me pal around with you tonight.”
“Come on, Bree.”
Daniel was doing the arm-holding thing again, and she seriously considered saying to hell with their working relationship, and breaking his arm. Of course, she’d have to break his nose first to surprise him, and she really hated blood. She planted her feet, ready to do battle. “Daniel, if you don’t let me go right now, I’m going to embarrass you, hurt you, and probably ruin that Zegna suit you’re wearing. Bloodstains are always so difficult to get out.”
“Bree, we’re over here.” Francis hurried toward her.
Daniel dropped her arm when he saw a tank in human form striding toward them.
“Francis, I’m so glad you and Patrice are still here. Daniel was just leaving. Weren’t you, Daniel?”
Daniel threw his shoulders back and smiled. “Actually, I think you talked me into a nightcap. Francis, Bree and I would love to join you and Patrice.”
“And Storm.” Francis shrugged. “I don’t know if you were around much before Storm Decker left.”
“I know him only by reputation.”
Francis shook his head. “You can’t believe everything you hear, unless it’s good; then you kind of have to give him the benefit of the doubt.” Francis let out one of his shotgun laughs and pulled Bree into a hug and away from Daniel. He gave Daniel a friendly slap on the back, which sent him reeling ahead of them.
“Thanks, buddy,” Bree whispered. “I was trying to get rid of him.”
“Don’t worry about it. Storm sent me over. He’ll take care of Daniel, and I’ll make sure no one ends up in jail. I have a feeling Storm will have no problem with the likes of Knickerbocker.”
“Great, that’s all I need.”
“Bree, you should have thought of that before parading Knickerbocker in front of Storm. Next time, you might want to make sure the guy’s not such a big dick.”
“I can handle him.”
“Sure, but when you have friends like me and Storm, you don’t have to—it’s a good thing Storm spotted you. Just make sure you don’t do this again. There’s a reason Patty doesn’t have a good feeling about this guy. I don’t like the way he was touching you.”
That made two of them. She planned to give Daniel a wide berth from now on. All she needed was a way to get rid of him—that didn’t involve Storm Decker, blood, or the police.
* * *
Rocki finished up the fourth set with her band and watched the air crackle in an electric arc between Storm and Bree. Man, if she had that much chemistry with anyone, she wouldn’t be blasting him with visual darts or dangling another man in front of him, that was for sure.
At the piano, she adjusted the mic while the band broke down the stage, and she let the two people she’d watched with growing curiosity and annoyance inspire her
Bree scanned the still-busy club and saw all the deep-pocketed people who’d paid a lot of money to support her favorite project. It certainly wouldn’t help if they got into a knock-down, drag-out fight. “Fine.” She gave him what she liked to think of as her glacial look and then stared at his hand on her arm. He released his grip, and his calm and collected mask slipped back into place.
Bree made her way to the door, making sure the doorman got them a cab, as the last thing she wanted was to be alone with Daniel. When she alighted from the cab, she was surprised to see Daniel get out behind her. “I’m going to check on the bar, and then I’m going home. Alone.”
“I’ll just come in for a nightcap.”
“I’d really rather you didn’t. I’m tired.” She ignored him, or at least tried to as she stepped into the bar.
As if he had some kind of weird radar, Storm caught her eye when Daniel put a possessive arm around her. She rolled her eyes before turning to Daniel. “Thanks for seeing me in. I’m just going to check on a few things in the back and then head upstairs. I appreciate your letting me pal around with you tonight.”
“Come on, Bree.”
Daniel was doing the arm-holding thing again, and she seriously considered saying to hell with their working relationship, and breaking his arm. Of course, she’d have to break his nose first to surprise him, and she really hated blood. She planted her feet, ready to do battle. “Daniel, if you don’t let me go right now, I’m going to embarrass you, hurt you, and probably ruin that Zegna suit you’re wearing. Bloodstains are always so difficult to get out.”
“Bree, we’re over here.” Francis hurried toward her.
Daniel dropped her arm when he saw a tank in human form striding toward them.
“Francis, I’m so glad you and Patrice are still here. Daniel was just leaving. Weren’t you, Daniel?”
Daniel threw his shoulders back and smiled. “Actually, I think you talked me into a nightcap. Francis, Bree and I would love to join you and Patrice.”
“And Storm.” Francis shrugged. “I don’t know if you were around much before Storm Decker left.”
“I know him only by reputation.”
Francis shook his head. “You can’t believe everything you hear, unless it’s good; then you kind of have to give him the benefit of the doubt.” Francis let out one of his shotgun laughs and pulled Bree into a hug and away from Daniel. He gave Daniel a friendly slap on the back, which sent him reeling ahead of them.
“Thanks, buddy,” Bree whispered. “I was trying to get rid of him.”
“Don’t worry about it. Storm sent me over. He’ll take care of Daniel, and I’ll make sure no one ends up in jail. I have a feeling Storm will have no problem with the likes of Knickerbocker.”
“Great, that’s all I need.”
“Bree, you should have thought of that before parading Knickerbocker in front of Storm. Next time, you might want to make sure the guy’s not such a big dick.”
“I can handle him.”
“Sure, but when you have friends like me and Storm, you don’t have to—it’s a good thing Storm spotted you. Just make sure you don’t do this again. There’s a reason Patty doesn’t have a good feeling about this guy. I don’t like the way he was touching you.”
That made two of them. She planned to give Daniel a wide berth from now on. All she needed was a way to get rid of him—that didn’t involve Storm Decker, blood, or the police.
* * *
Rocki finished up the fourth set with her band and watched the air crackle in an electric arc between Storm and Bree. Man, if she had that much chemistry with anyone, she wouldn’t be blasting him with visual darts or dangling another man in front of him, that was for sure.
At the piano, she adjusted the mic while the band broke down the stage, and she let the two people she’d watched with growing curiosity and annoyance inspire her
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