Breaking Her Rules

The woman with the dark hair sitting across the table from Iris didn’t know any of the security team who worked for Thorton and Keibler. Or she hadn’t before tonight. Iris was almost sure of it. Iris didn’t watch her directly, but she was always aware of the woman. Something else about her set Iris on edge and she hated that she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

As the men were talking Fae stood, causing the conversation to taper off. She grimaced self-consciously and pointed to her champagne glass. “I’m just getting a refill, I hope that’s all right. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Her voice was soft, understated in the room that had just been booming with frustrated male voices.

Forest smiled and stood. “Of course, I think we should all take a break. And don’t trouble yourself,” he said to the woman before looking at one of his guards.

Without a word, the guard cleared the table while another started pouring drinks for everyone. He had a good memory, because with the exception of Fae and Iris, everyone at the table had something different. Iris hadn’t touched her champagne, but she’d originally asked for something to be polite.

Iris stood and stretched her legs as Fae did the same. Wyatt turned to Forest and as the two began talking in low tones, Thorton and Keibler stood and talked in even quieter voices as they moved toward the other end of the table. If Keibler looked angry, Thorton’s expression was positively nuclear.

“What are you thinking?” Jay asked. He’d been extremely quiet tonight, standing a few feet behind her and Wyatt the whole time. Normally Iris didn’t like anyone at her back, but she trusted Jay. He viewed Wyatt as not only a boss, but a friend. Loyalty was rare, but she’d heard enough stories from Wyatt to know the man was.

“Just observing.” Iris scanned the room, watching for any sudden moves. As she casually scrutinized everyone, her breath caught as she watched the dark-haired woman take her champagne glass from the man in the suit. She’d done more than just take her glass.

The movement was so damn smooth Iris would have missed it if the woman hadn’t already been on her radar. Somehow Iris forced herself to remain lax, to keep her gaze off the woman who was carelessly sipping champagne. Instead Iris pretended like she was curious about the quietly heated conversation between Thorton and Keibler.

But as the second guard set Wyatt’s coffee mug in front of him—the man and his damn coffee—she snagged it and handed it to Jay. Keeping her gaze laser-focused on Fae, or whatever her name really was, she murmured, “I don’t care how you do it, secure his drink. There’s poison in it.” And they would need it as evidence.

Fae’s gaze narrowed on her as she pushed her chair back a few inches. The movement was slight, but she was ready to bolt. Iris could see it in every taut line of the woman’s body.

Jay took it and she heard him moving around behind her, but she didn’t avert her gaze. At Iris’s words, the rest of the room went deathly silent. Next to her Wyatt stood and actually tried to stand in front of her, but she refused to let him. “Call the police, Wyatt.”

He paused for a moment, but didn’t question her as he slid his cell phone out and dialed.

“What the hell is going on?” Keibler boomed as he and Thorton returned to the table.

Next to her Wyatt was talking quietly on the phone, but Iris could make out the gist of the conversation. Fae hadn’t made any further moves and Iris hadn’t taken her eyes off her. The woman was almost preternaturally still. That was when Iris realized what had been bugging her about the female. She hadn’t fidgeted the entire meeting. Hadn’t acted bored or uninterested. She’d just been waiting for the moment to strike. Like a pro.

“Your date or employee just poisoned my client.” Iris put her left foot slightly in front of the other as she turned her body, ready for a fight she could feel coming.

At her words, the woman jumped up, her expression dark. “I don’t have to put up with that kind of accusation.” She turned, glaring at Keibler, as if expecting him to defend her.

“But you do have to wait for the police to arrive,” Iris said quietly.

She swiveled back around. “You can’t keep me prisoner.”

“I can and I will.” Without drawing attention to herself, Iris slowly slipped off her heels. If she had to move fast, she was going to take every advantage. Luckily she knew her team had heard everything through their earpieces.

“What the fuck is going on, Christiansen? I’m not going to let one of your whores talk to my date like that.” Keibler’s angry voice sliced through the sudden silence.

Before she could blink, Wyatt stopped talking to the police mid-conversation and launched himself at Keibler.

It all happened so fast Iris had barely computed he’d moved when Fae jumped over the table. Lightning fast, she used the table as a springboard and launched herself toward the door.

She might be fast, but Iris was faster. “Don’t let the woman leave the premises!” she shouted into her earpiece, knowing that even if she couldn’t stop her, her team outside would.

Using the tension that had been building inside her from the moment they’d arrived, Iris threw herself at the woman. In her peripheral she could see Wyatt and Keibler fighting and Jay restraining Thorton, but she kept herself focused on the immediate threat.

The woman had dared to try to hurt Wyatt. Iris wasn’t sure what Fae had slipped into his drink, but she doubted it was a date-rape drug.

A punch of adrenaline surged through Iris as she tackled the woman to the ground. The force of the landing almost knocked the breath out of her, but she was so pumped up now, not much could slow her down.

Faster than she’d anticipated, Fae turned underneath her, swiveling with her elbow as she tried to strike Iris in the temple. Jerking back out of pure instinct, Iris barely missed the blow. Iris used the opening to head-butt the woman in the nose. The crunching sound of bone breaking rent the air.

The move was dirty and almost always unexpected. Especially from a female. As the woman cried out in pain, blood gushed from her nose and down her face. Iris had no clue how well trained the woman was and wasn’t going to give her another opening. She slammed her fist across the woman’s jaw before twisting her onto her stomach. She leveled her knee into her back, digging in hard as she held her wrists tight together. Before she even had to ask, Jay was crouched next to her with flex-cuffs in his hands. He bound the woman’s feet as Iris secured her hands behind her back.

Iris looked up to find Forest’s guards all with their weapons drawn, but cautiously giving them a wide berth and thankfully, none of them were pointing their weapons at anyone.

Wyatt was rumpled with a bruise forming on his cheek while Keibler looked ten times worse. They stood on opposite sides of the table, but Wyatt looked ready to murder Keibler at any second.

“What the hell is going on?” Forest finally sputtered.

She ignored him and focused on Wyatt. “The cops on their way?”

“Yeah. You okay?” He looked as if he wanted to say more and he even made a move toward her, but then he looked at Keibler and remained still, watching the other man as if he’d kill him if Keibler made one wrong move.

Before she could say anything, the door opened and her guys along with the rest of Forest’s men spilled into the room. Of course Forest’s security had their weapons drawn. This was one giant clusterfuck and while she hated involving the cops, it was definitely necessary. Everyone started talking at once, but she tuned everyone out and turned to Jay, who hadn’t moved either. “Did you secure that drink?”

“Yep.” His expression grim, he shot the woman on the ground an angry glare.

Fae wasn’t knocked out, but she also wasn’t struggling. Probably because she was in a shitload of pain and realized she’d never escape now.

Still, Iris didn’t move from her position on top of the murderous bitch. The police could sort everything out but until then, Iris was staying put.

Chapter 9

Wyatt wrapped his arm around Iris and pulled her close. She didn’t think of resisting that strong embrace. They were sitting on a bench seat in a quiet office at the police station. Outside noise filtered through the door, but they didn’t have to deal with the full brunt of ringing phones and criminals shouting at the police as they were hauled in to be booked. After spending the last few hours answering questions and filling out reports, her adrenaline surge had long since faded and she was coming down in a bad way. She’d already told Vincent he was temporarily in charge of the team and as of right now, she was simply Wyatt’s wife.

Wife.

God, the word scared the hell out of her. What the hell did she know about being a wife? Especially to a man like Wyatt. He had so much money she could barely comprehend it. The mansion in Miami was enough to make her break out in a cold sweat, but he also had one in Vegas—even if he lived at one of his hotels. That was another thing she could barely get a handle on. The man owned hotels. As in plural. One was crazy enough, but he was so diversified in his businesses, she was sure he owned more property and companies than she could imagine. If they did this marriage thing for real, would she be expected to fit a certain role? No doubt. And she wasn’t sure she could live up to whatever expectations he had in mind.

She closed her eyes and laid her head against his shoulder, trying to banish those insecure thoughts. She was more than tired and freaked out beyond belief that someone had gotten close enough to Wyatt to hurt him. The thought that she might have lost him had shredded up her insides and left her barely hanging on to her control.

Wyatt turned slightly and set his chin on her head. His warm breath teased her hair. “Have you heard anything?” he murmured.

“No.” She still had her earpiece in and while the team was standing outside the office, just she and Wyatt were inside waiting to be told they could go.

Luckily her boss had enough pull here at the station that they’d been afforded a little privacy. Hence the quiet waiting room of some sergeant’s office.