Free Dangerous Proposition by Jessica Lauryn Page A

doors opened, and Colin eyed the room at the end of the hall. It was dark, but lit well enough that he could see they were hardly the only attendees. The door had been left open, allowing every derelict in New York City to walk in. Without thinking, he took Julia’s hand. Making his way to the entrance, he held it in his.
    The place had been set up to resemble a party. It had a couple of couches, a DJ, and a bar. The room was large, packed with people, and decked with an array of Christmas lights. In the dim lighting, it was difficult to tell who was an enemy, and who was a decoy.
    Colin’s heart thudded in his chest. Slipping a hand into his pocket, he realized his phone was vibrating against his hip.
    He turned it over and viewed the message he’d just been sent. Reading it over a second time, he soaked in its threatening tone and found himself fighting against the idea of leaving Julia alone. In spite of her bold persona, she had never been in a situation like this before. She had no idea where they really were, let alone how she should handle herself.
    But she was going to have to manage whether he liked it or not because there was no way in hell he was bringing her into whatever sort of danger he was about to face. Moreover, he couldn’t stand the thought of her knowing that someone was trying to shake him down.
    “Wait for me here,” he said, laying a hand on her shoulder.
    “Why?” she asked. “Where are you going?”
    He smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. You’ll be safe here. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Try to blend in.”
    Julia nodded. She slipped from beneath his grip and started forward, shooting him a halfhearted smile before disappearing into the crowd. He watched her go, waiting several seconds before she came into his vision again. She took a seat on one of the barstools.
    Colin hesitated. For just a moment, he watched her, looking so innocent in the middle of the insanity. She wasn’t just beautiful. With her cream-white skin, hourglass figure, and brilliant blue eyes she was positively stunning.
    Staring at Julia, he began to lose himself and almost forgot where he was. A man brushed past him, and he scowled, clenching a fist. Twenty or so sets of roving male eyes had fixed themselves on the leggy vixen with curly crimson locks. Each seemed to have his own idea about what he’d do with the girl, though Colin imagined they were all thinking much the same thing. It was as though they were a band of pirates, and they hadn’t seen a woman in years.
    He squeezed the phone between his fingers. He would make the pickup as quickly as possible. Julia wasn’t staying there any longer than necessary.

Chapter 7
     
    From her seat on the barstool, Julia did an appraisal of the room. The dark space was small, and it was jam-packed with people, laughter, and enough alcohol to last the lot of them a year.
    Colin hadn’t been kidding when he’d referred to this thing as a party. Based on what he’d told her, she’d been expecting a small gathering, a group that consisted mostly of men. But there were women, too, many of whom were wearing clothing she would have considered too risqué to leave the bedroom.
    The affair seemed innocent enough. But, Julia couldn’t help thinking that there was more going on than meets the eye. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise her one bit if this so-called gathering was nothing but a cover-up, a decoy for something a lot bigger than beer pong and sex games in the bedrooms.
    Deciding on an apple martini, she scanned the area behind the bar, hoping to find the bartender. The drink would make an excellent prop while she tailed after Colin and figured out what he was really doing at that so-called party.
    Her cocky companion had been exceptionally quiet on their drive into the City. Barely made a peep the entire ride there, except to glance at his cell phone, which had been vibrating like there was no tomorrow. Maybe the men who had her father had been trying to call him