^^Above, chapter title credit: Song by Simple Minds.^^

{Raina}

I can tell when Geoff's hiding something. He gets this shifty look in his eyes, and tries to distract me with his comments and his kisses. I don't mind it when he kisses me, but it does bother me when it's because he doesn't want me prying. If there's one thing I know about marriage, it's that secrets can break it. And if they fester for too long, they'll all come bursting out at once.

But tonight, I can't let him see that I've figured him out. I have to be his wife first, and just like I do at every event, socialize and pretend I fit in with these people.

"Hey, look. There's Jake," Matt says from behind, when we've stepped into the ballroom at the Waldorf-Astoria.

Geoff turns his head, and I follow. I spot a head of red hair, with a group of men in tuxedoes. He's gotten it cut shorter, and he's grown into his height a little bit more. But it's definitely Jake. I recognize his wide grin even from here.

"Jake!" Matt booms, and I can feel the vibration in my chest.

His head pops up, and when his eyes land on us his grin gets bigger. As he jogs over, both Matt and Geoff detach themselves from us and go to meet him in the middle. They fist-bump and back-slap, and as they do, Tori and I exchange a glance.

"Boys," she says.

"You said it."

"Well, if it isn't Miss Raina Hardy!" Jake interrupts us by coming up next to me and pulling me into his side in a one-armed hug, and Tori into his other arm. "And Tori Radcliffe!"

"Hey, Jake." I smile up at him as he releases us. "Good to see you."

Tori mumbles something like a greeting, but just by the expression on her face I can tell she knows Jake's only going to pay attention to me.

"So, I think congratulations are in order," I say, noticing Tori turning to intercept Matt out of the corner of my eye. "Who is your lucky bride-to-be?"

"Oh, Adriana?" His face suddenly lights up. "I guess she's somewhere around here...haven't seen her since we walked in."

"Pretty name." I draw myself up a little, to see if I can spot someone coming in our direction.

"Yeah," Jake says, distractedly. "She's our managing partner's niece...doesn't work in the firm, so, you know...nothing awkward."

"Maybe except for you and your managing partner." I shrug.

He's about to answer when an older balding man claps his shoulder from behind and interrupts. Jake seems about to protest, but I just smile. I can't have him all to myself tonight, anyway.

It's when I start looking around to see where Geoff's gone off to that I spot him near the door, talking to another man built like a wrestler and then poured into a tux. Ridley. He looks like he's trying for the Clark Kent look, one hand in his pocket and the other pinching his chin. I don't recognize the other man, but when he suddenly turns his head and our eyes lock, I feel a strange tugging sensation on my mind, like he's actually trying to get inside it.

Quickly I turn away. I don't like the thought of anyone but me inside my head.

≈

Geoff and I finally reunite with Matt and Tori when Jake gets up onto the stage at the front of the room to make a toast. A tall willowy woman with long straight hair as red as his joins him, and the first thing I notice is how thin her legs and arms are. They're like a stork's. I wonder exactly how I missed her.

"Geoff," I whisper as Jake starts his speech. "I need to ask you something."

He leans down, so only he can hear. "What?"

"Who is that next to Ridley?" I ask, because now I can see the wrestler in a tux hasn't left Ridley's side.

"Dammit," Geoff hisses. "It's Eckles."

I shake my head, applauding with everybody else. "Who?"

"Howard Eckles. He's a business tycoon."

"And a super," I add, getting a surprised gasp from him.

"How'd you know?" he asks after a second, waiting until Jake makes a joke and the crowd laughs.

"Just by looking at him."

Geoff makes an irritated noise that's not quite a word, grabbing me by the wrist and yanking me through the crowd. Fortunately Jake's speech is finished and they're beginning to disperse, which means no one really notices as we stumble out into the hallway. That's when Geoff lets go, but he doesn't let me get far. He catches my shoulders, spins me around, and backs me against the wall.

"Geoff, what's—"

"Did he say anything to you?" Geoff's voice is gruff, nothing like I'm used to.

"No, but—"

"Did you talk to him, then?" His hands tighten on my shoulders.

"No, Geoff, I—"

"Did you touch him, or did he touch you?"

"We didn't even get close, we—" I start, but he cuts me off again.

"Did he have Ridley with him when you saw him?"

I nod, knowing it's not worth the effort to try and say anything.

"Dammit!" He shoves himself away from me, raking his hands through his neatly combed hair and tousling it. "I knew it! I just knew it!"

"Knew what?" I say, bewildered. He's never acted this way before, and I want to help him work through whatever he's feeling. But it's clear he won't tell me.

"Ridley was going to resort to this sooner or later," he says, more to himself than me as he paces back and forth. "I should have seen this coming."

"Geoff, just tell me what's—"

"Stay here," he says curtly, stopping at the doors to the ballroom. "I'm going to get Matt."

I take a deep breath and sag back against the wall as he slips inside. He thinks he has to do everything himself, and I know it's because he's trying to protect me. But I spent eight years protecting myself from Dad, refusing his advances and guilting him with the way he scarred me. I know how to fight dirty if I have to.

"Well, he seemed mighty worked up," says a voice from the opposite wall, and then a body peels itself from the shadows. It's Eckles. "So much that he's leaving his little lady out here all by her lonesome."

"Looks like I'm not alone now." I fold my arms behind me and rest my hands on the wall, looking up at him. He's good looking in a rough-around-the-edges kind of way, with dark close-cropped hair and beard. Now that I think about it, he seems less wrestler and more mountain man. Rugged, maybe.

"Think I'm good-lookin', do you?" He leans against the wall next to me on his elbow.

"Oh, I..." Against my will, I blush. "Was it that obvious?"

He grins. "It's okay. I get that a lot. Can't complain, y'know?"

"I suppose not." I detect a faint accent, probably Southern.

"But you're a fine little beauty yourself," he says, and a second later, the backs of his fingers are brushing down my arm. I shudder, but I don't shy away. "It's too bad your husband thinks I'm evil."

"Are you?" I tip my head back, looking up into his face. His eyes are a bright blue, even more so than Matt's or Aisha's.

"That depends on your point of view." His hand moves up, and his fingertips trace my jaw. I find myself wanting more, and on command, his palm cups my chin and stays there.

"Of what?" I breathe, as it moves down over my neck, collarbone, and breast before stopping at my waist.

"The meaning of evil." He draws me towards him, and I can't resist — nor do I want to. He slides his hand down further, to my backside, and ducks his head to kiss my neck. I release a sigh as he trails his lips upward, a burning path up to my earlobe. I feel him grip my earring with his teeth and give it a tug.

Then a voice from behind, so familiar it seems to wake me up. "Hands off my wife, Eckles."

That makes him release me and step away. I blink and shake my head, trying to clear it. Did I really just let a man who isn't my husband touch me like that?

"Geoffrey Cromwell," says Eckles, with a cunning smile only I can see. "You've managed to make something of yourself, I see. Where'd you pick her up, huh?"

"College," Geoff answers through gritted teeth.

"Oh, so smart too?" Eckles raises his eyebrows, even as his eyes slide down from my face to my breasts. "I like 'em smart."

"Step away, Eckles. I know what you're doing." I can't see Geoff, but I have a feeling he's readying himself to spring.

"Oh, I don't think you do." He spins around, grabs Geoff by one lapel, and punches him right in the face. Geoff's head snaps backwards as he falls to the floor with a loud thud.

"You'll pay for that one," he growls, curling both his legs and kicking Eckles' own right out from underneath him. Eckles collapses with more noise than Geoff, immediately back up and yanking Geoff up, punching him again.

Then, the very last voice I expect to hear stops them cold.

"Howard!" It's Ridley. "What the hell?"

"Just a spat, Rid," says Eckles, shooting his cuffs like nothing's happened.

"That's my former frat brother you're punching," he says, having the decency to sound appalled. "You don't want to be on my bad side, do you?"

"Course not," Eckles says, right as Geoff shoots me a look that clearly says what is he up to.

"Don't let me find you doing this again, or you will." Then Ridley approaches Geoff, who's gingerly touching his lip and looking at the blood on his fingers. "You okay, man?"

"Didn't expect you to intervene, Ridley," Geoff says, without looking at him.

Ridley shrugs, his eye catching mine. He gives me a nod, almost imperceptibly, before turning back to Geoff. "I do have some morals."

"Do you?" Geoff's words are short, clipped.

"Yes," Ridley answers, much the same way. "I'll set Howard straight. You go get cleaned up."

"I'll help." I abruptly start after him, not wanting to be alone with Eckles and Ridley together.

Geoff spins around and stops me. "No. Don't."

I'm so surprised that I grind to a halt. "What? Why not?"

"I can take care of myself, Raina. Go enjoy the rest of the party. Don't let me spoil it."

"Geoff, you're not—"

"Just go, Raina."

Then he turns and leaves, rounding a corner and disappearing from view. I stare after him, too stunned to move. He's never acted this way, not really. I've seen flashes of it before, and once went a week with only a cursory "Good morning" and "Good night". Other than that he hadn't looked at me, touched me, or even kissed me. And it's times like these that I wonder if I really even know him at all.

≈

We don't speak until we get back to our hotel room. Tori and Matt must have noticed the tension between us, because neither of them try to break it as we part for the evening. I say nothing as I watch Geoff stalking around the room, kicking off his shoes, struggling out of his suit jacket, whipping off his bow tie.

"Why did you do it?" he asks abruptly.

I shake my head, once again confused. "Do what?"

"You know damn well what," he snaps, rounding on me. "Eckles."

"Geoff, that wasn't—"

"I saw him groping you!" Geoff's voice rises, and his eyes burn cold with anger. "Kissing your neck! What were you going to let him do next, stick his hand up your dress?"

That makes my anger flare up. "I had no control, Geoff! And maybe you would know if you'd have just let me explain! He's a super with some freaky mind-reading ability! Maybe he's got the same kind of thing that Felicia does! I don't know! But whatever you saw, I had no power to stop it! None!"

His eyes narrow. "How dare you."

"How dare I? I didn't work myself up about it when Felicia lured you in, Geoff! I knew you had no control! Why can't you accept the same?" I know it's not fair to use Felicia against him, but I also know it's not fair for him to be this worked up about the same thing happening to me.

"You're not super, Raina! You don't know what it's like!"

I recoil, like he's slapped me. "And you think me living with one hasn't taught me anything? Hell, Geoff, I married and had a baby with one! And you think you can still say I don't know anything?"

"You're my wife! You have my last name! Does that even mean anything to you?"

"News flash, that doesn't mean you own me," I snap, and his mouth tightens. "What? Say it. I know you want to."

He looks down at the floor. "Not every guy who looks at you wants you, you know."

I cross my arms and scowl. "So that's what this is about? Me throwing myself at other men?"

He doesn't answer.

"You want to think that, fine. Do it. Whatever helps you sleep, I don't care. I should have stopped caring a long time ago. But you'll be remembering this for a long time when Eckles decides he's done playing."

Then I turn on my heel, yank the door open, and walk out. I have a feeling this is what Ridley and all of his other sidekicks want, for us to be fighting so he can pull Geoff away from me, little by little. And that's why, when I've hammered on the elevator button and it comes up, I burst into tears as I climb in. Damn Ridley, damn Geoff, damn all those supers. I love him, but I can't live like this. That's what hurts the most.