Chapter 46

Glenda’s POV

I drifted away from Matt, feeling a bit silly for winking at him, but Alyssa seemed pleased with his stunned expression. As I reached the table where people were throwing dice, I felt someone coming towards me.

The man wasn’t familiar but he smiled at me. His eyes were open rather than lecherous. It was a bit surprising considering what I was wearing.

“I didn’t realize Matt was in the habit of letting such a lovely woman stray far…” he said, “Would it be a burden to play a round with you?”

He gestured to the table. I looked at the table and smiled back at him, “I promised to stay in sight, but I don’t mind playing a game. How do you play?”

“Place a bet and throw the dice.” He grinned, his eyes twinkling as he slid a stack of coins, “I am incredibly unlucky, but I bet my brother that if I won more than him tonight, he’d relinquish his favorite trophy to me for the evening. I figured that having a Lady Luck of my own couldn’t hurt my chances.”

I laughed, “Well, I’m not opposed to helping a little sibling rivalry along, but what do I get out of it?”

“I’m sure we can come to an agreement about that.” He grinned and offered his hand, “Sean Ashbrook. A pleasure to meet you.”

I took his hand and shook it, realizing that this was Justin’s brother. They didn’t look much alike. Justin’s face was older and harder than the face of this boyish young man. If I had to guess, he was about Matt’s age. Justin’s hair was a deep brown and his eyes were even darker, but Sean had twinkling blue eyes and his hair was a lighter shade of brown.

“Renda, nice to meet you.”

“No last name?”

I smirked, “Luck.”

He laughed and picked up the dice before placing them in my hand, “First roll is all yours, princess.”

I tried not to falter at the nickname. It was a usual term of endearment, but it had such weight in my life. In Fluorite, the pack members would call me princess. Angelia was the duchess. I could guess that it was a typical nickname for any daughter of the pack’s alpha.

I rolled the dice and someone nearby cheered. Sean chuckled.

“You’re pretty lucky.”

The dealer pushed the coins and a few more towards Sean. He placed another bet and let me roll again.

“How’d you get involved with Matt?” Sean asked, “I can’t say I recognize your name from the tabloids.”

I lifted my shoulder, “Luck, I suppose.”

Sean chuckled, “Tight-lipped. You must think I’m a bad man.”

I picked up the dice and stopped as Matt and Grace began to head to the blackjack table. Matt greeted the men at the table grandly. Each of them had a woman that stood beside their chair, shifting every once in a while, in their heels. They looked a bit pained. Matt sat and pulled Grace into his lap. She giggled and I clenched my hand around the dice.

Alyssa growled at the back of my mind, That’s our seat!

My face heated as I turned my gaze away from them. I saw Mordecai watching Matt over the edge of his glass. His fist was clenched at his side and his shoulders were tense. I remembered the plan and tried to calm down through the surge of jealousy was annoying.

I looked at Sean, “I don’t think I know you enough to think much of anything about you. How do you know Matt?”

Sean chuckled, “Well, I’ve never met Matt personally, but lately, my brother has talked non-stop about him. He’s been throwing a bit of a tantrum about Matt purchasing Club Heaven from under his nose… Beating him at poker during a rigged game also didn’t help.”

I rolled the die, “You’re saying he’s a sore loser.”

He leaned close and barely whispered against my ear, but there was oddly nothing sexual about it.

“I’m saying Matt should watch his back in Midnight.” Sean said, “He’s cultivating enemies he can’t see.”

I glanced at him as the dealer started counting out the disks. I faked a giggle as the woman dealing seemed to be trying to listen to what he was saying.

"Oh?”

Sean let out a loud hum and shifted a little closer, “I know.”

He picked up the dice and placed them in my hands, “He’d do well to start cultivating some allies.”

“He’s a Wallber. He has plenty of allies.”

Sean laughed as a shook the dice in my closed hand, “Ben has lackeys and scapegoats… Matt has money. There’s a difference.”

I rolled the dice and another cheer went up.

“And what would you suggest?”

His hand slipped over my bare back as he scooped up his chips and dragged them back towards us. I felt something slipping beneath my dress. It felt square and a bit pointy, but it didn’t move.

“Tell him I’ll be happy to talk to him when we’re out of a den of sharks,” he said and pulled back. “And if not him, then you.”

“Me?”

He smirked and his gaze dropped to my lips. He grazed the back of his hand over my cheek. He waited until a cheer sounded to speak.

“Every princess could use an ally, especially lost ones.”

My blood went cold as he smiled and grinned looking down at his new winnings.

“How about a game with less chance and screaming?”

I looked up at him frozen in place before giving him a tight smile.

“I could meet you there if you tell me where the bathroom is first.”

Sean nodded behind me and pointed to the nearly unnoticeable sign.

“I’ll stay in sight.”

I nodded and drew a tight breath through my teeth before walking as quickly as I could manage to the bathroom. I was lucky in that no one seemed to be inside before I entered the far stall and took a deep breath. The world started to swirl and fade.

He knew. He recognized me somehow. How was that possible? There had been only one photo of me out in the world before I got a Facebook account as Renda. Who was he? I struggled to breathe before pulling the strap of my gown over my shoulder to pull whatever he’d slipped into my dress out.

It was a card and printed on the face of it was his name, his number, and the seal of the Interpack Authorities.

I didn’t know much about them, only hearing about them once or twice in my childhood. From what I remembered, their main job was to organize the packs and make sure all of them were adhering to the Interpack Treaty regarding the treatment of humans and werewolves.

What was he doing in Midnight? Was he investigating something or was he on Mordecai’s side? He was Justin’s brother, but what did that mean? Blood was thicker than water. It was possible that he would try to persuade Matt into selling the club and letting Justin run amok in Midnight.

Why hadn’t Grace known about him? This seemed like something she would have warned us about if she’d known.

Was he really Justin’s brother? Were they estranged?

What had he meant he was making enemies that Matt couldn’t see?

None of it made sense, exactly, but it was a warning of some sort. I didn’t know if it was a friendly one or not, but I tucked the card in my purse. Maybe, he was using princess as a general term of endearment.

Maybe he just knew I had been bought from Larry’s, but his eyes were screaming that he knew more about me than I was guessing.

Did he know about Angelia? Was there a chance he knew where she was? The door opened and heels clicked into it. I heard a commotion outside.

“We have to use the restroom too!”

“Miss Chloe is entering.”

My heart lurched and I pulled my feet up, barely balancing on the back of the toilet as I heard her heels clicking across the floor. I pulled the lock free of the door as she grew closer and the other doors were shoved open.

The door opened, exposing me. Our eyes met and she said nothing, entering the stall alone and closing it behind us.

“Are you going to stand in here and listen to me pee too?” She asked wryly. “I don’t think daddy would appreciate you getting off on me.”

“We’ll be waiting outside. Please take your time.”

Her eyes rolled as she opened her clutch and handed me a long, oddly shaped bottle filled with water. Her eyes dropped to the toilet bowl with a pointed look. I took the bottle as she let out a loud sigh of relief and I angled the bottle into the bowl, opening the cap silently until the liquid began to drip into the bowl, imitating the right sound.

It was genius honestly. I looked up at her, wondering what to do next.