She dug her heels in. “I said no.”

He paused. “Why? Damn it, Raven, I can’t allow this sort of behavior. It’s bad enough that she’s said what she has in the past to Daisy. But she grabbed you. She had no fucking right to touch you. It is not acceptable.”

She leaned in close. “I appreciate that more than I can even say. But I’m begging you not to make a scene. Please.”

He stopped, emotion filling his eyes. He turned to face her fully, kissing her right there in front of God and everyone. “I don’t want you to feel like this is how it’s going to be. Being with me, I mean. She can’t get away with this.”

“Can you please just deal with it any time and any place not here? People are looking. I don’t like it.”

Levi had turned a few feet away, watching. Daisy was talking to him, brushing a hand down the front of his lapel.

But on the other side of the room Gwen was giving Mal an earful.

“If we stay, I’m going to have to deal with it. She’s over there with Mal right now.”

He wanted to go punch his brother in the face for having such bad taste. He wanted to slap Gwen hard enough to leave a mark. But he saw the misery on Raven’s face and it cut him deep. The pain in her whispered plea had wrapped around his heart.

“Come on, I have some sushi and ice cream to procure. Levi, why don’t you and Daisy come along?”

“Because you know this needs dealing with.”

“I do. But not here. We can go see him tomorrow.”

Levi looked to Raven and then back to Daisy. “This shit has gone on long enough.”

“It has. I agree.”

“This is a benefit. It’s not about your family.” Jonah heard the anxiety in Raven’s voice.

Levi huffed a sigh and turned Daisy toward the doors. “I need a drink with that sushi.”

They’d made it to the drive of the hotel, waiting for their car when Mal came out, Gwen at his heels. Raven gathered herself up to her full height and Jonah held her close. “I’m going to handle this, all right?”

“Is that your way of telling me not to punch your sister-in-law?”

He grinned a moment and then turned back to Mal. “Be careful now. There’s not a full ballroom here to protect you and your wife.”

“Your fucking date attacked my wife.”

Raven snorted. “Is that what she told you?” She looked at Gwen, who had the good grace to keep her gaze averted.

“Why should I believe the likes of you?”

Jonah stepped forward, bumping his brother with his chest. “You best watch what you say, Mal. Think real carefully about what comes out of that mouth of yours next. And think about what a lying bitch you’re married to before you go tossing accusations around.”

Daisy spoke, breaking the tension. “We were in the ladies’ room when Gwen came in. Before Raven said a single thing she started in. She called me a whore. She insulted Raven, repeatedly. It was Raven who tried to end it by leaving. It was Gwen who grabbed Raven. It was Gwen. It’s always Gwen, Mal. I wish that wasn’t true, but you know it is.”

“You’re lying. You just want me out of the way.” Gwen’s voice carried a mean edge.

“For what? Out of whose way? You speak like you’re important in any sense.” Levi stood next to Jonah, both men keeping Raven and Daisy behind them.

“This is really stupid.” Raven touched Jonah’s arm. “Are you really going to get into a fistfight with your brother over some stupid shit his wife said and did?”

“If my brother doesn’t apologize for the likes of her comment right now, he’s going to find out the answer to that.”

“My god, Gwen, are you really going to let your husband get punched for your lies? Do you care so little about this family you profess to respect so much? What if the papers get wind of this?”

Gwen sighed at Raven’s words, touching Mal’s arm. “It’s not worth it.”

He turned to her. “Did it happen like you said or not?”

“Why would I lie?”

“That’s a good question. This is my family. My brothers and the women they’re with. I need to know the truth.”

“She was out of line in the bathroom.”

Mal scrubbed hands over his face. “Jesus, Gwen. What do you think you’re doing?” He turned back to Jonah. “I apologize for what I said. It was ugly.”

“If your wife comes near Raven ever again, or speaks to her in that manner, there’s going to be a reckoning. Do you understand, Malachi?”

“Same goes with Daisy. Gwen has done enough damage.”

“I understand.” Mal turned and walked away, Gwen hurrying in his wake. 

They’d gone out to sushi and it actually hadn’t been bad. Levi was growing on her and it was impossible not to like Daisy.

She knew Jonah had been holding back all he wanted to say for hours, so it wasn’t a surprise that when the car pulled up in front of her building he paused, his hand on her arm. “Can I come in?”

“I don’t know. It’s late.”

“I don’t have to be up early. Do you?”

“I . . . I really don’t want to talk about it anymore. I just want to go to sleep.”

He tipped her chin to look into her face. “Baby, I want to talk. Alone. Lots of stuff happened tonight. Please?”

She blew out a breath and nodded. The driver opened the door and Jonah got out first to give her a hand.

She was so tired. Emotionally and physically. She just wanted to pull the covers up over her head and sleep for twelve hours.

He put an arm around her, taking her keys and opening her door when they got to her floor.

“I need to change.”

“No, you don’t. You’re perfect just the way you are.”

She found the energy to roll her eyes as she slid her shoes off and put them into the box before putting the box on a shelf.

“You’re very organized.”

She sighed heavily.

“About tonight . . .”

She unzipped the dress at the side and took it off, careful not to rip it before she got it on the hanger.

“Damn, it’s hard to talk when you look so good.”

She pulled on her pajamas and he followed her into the bathroom where she undid her hair and took her makeup off.

“I love to watch you do this stuff. Get made up, take your makeup off, put lotion on. I don’t know what about it appeals so much, but it’s like a secret woman code. It’s so beautiful.”

Raven had rules. She had rules and she kept people back. But he disarmed all her defenses. He made her break her own rules, and there she was after an evening where she just spilled her fucking truth all over the place.

Worse? It felt . . . all right. She’d probably be sick in the morning. Probably have bad dreams all night. But at the same time her burden was lighter. He hadn’t walked away. God, he’d defended her, all bared teeth and furrowed brow. No one ever had. Not like that.

He stepped up and brushed her hair aside enough to drop a kiss on her shoulder, and tenderness filled her to the point where her eyes swam with unshed tears and she had to close her eyes against them, and against the way he looked standing there.

“I’m sorry. First my mother and then Gwen and my brother. Christ. I’m so embarrassed.”

She shook her head, pulling herself back together. “Your mother was fine. As for Gwen, I had it handled.”

“I want to say something and I don’t want you to take this the wrong way.”

She met his gaze in the mirror, trying to stave off disappointment and panic. But she didn’t see the hey-it-was-nice-but-it’s-over face.

Still, she braced herself as she moved back into the main room to settle on her bed.

“It’s not okay with me for anyone to grab you the way Gwen did. The way she spoke to you was bad enough. But to physically get into your business? No. I’m not having it.”

Oh, well, that was better than breaking up with her. She relaxed a little.

“I didn’t either. I. Handled. It.”

“You wouldn’t have had to if not for me.”

“Which is why I told you I wasn’t benefit material.”