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I don’t get to challenge that before we’re standing face to face with the prisoners. Panic mounts in the men’s eyes as they stare at us, and one of them steps backward only to bump into the wall our guards make behind him. Sade gives them his signature sadistic grin.
“Well, ladies, I’m gonna have to ask you to accompany us to the interrogation room.” The second guy steps back too, only to be inconspicuously seized by the guards. “Oh, don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll approve of the amenities,” Sade continues. “They’re more suitable for your real business here than this palatial mansion.”
Our guards yank the men from their spots, forming an enclosed squad around them as we’re taking them away. The thing with crowds? They make it easier to hide shit in plain sight.
“Let’s make this quick,” Sade tells me as we follow them down to the basement. We changed the codes on the locks just half an hour ago, so that Romano and his people can’t get into the bunker structure in the mansion’s underground.
I run my tongue over my teeth, already tasting blood.
“Don’t worry. I have as much reason as you to be back up here as soon as possible.”
The door to the secret passageway closes behind us.
***
Eva
I WATCH MICAH AND SADE head toward the guards at the other glass doors like a pair of sleek killers.
“Damn, I never get enough of how sexy he is,” Justine says, her eyes glued to her man. A smile twitches on my lips. I don’t think I’m hiding how nervous I am as well as I hoped, but thankfully, she’s too distracted to tell.
“Ah, here they are, the two ladies of the hour,” Annie chimes in. My jaw drops to see her. No, no, no, this shouldn’t be happening!
“What the hell are you doing here?” I shriek.
“Duke Royales sent me an invitation himself.” She waves her phone at us, showing a picture of it, sealed with a QR code and the bastard’s royal-looking signature. “Can you believe it?” She jumps from one foot to the other with an enthusiastic grin on her face, but then stops when both Justine and I stare at her like she’s an alien that just dropped onto our corn field.
“I know, I know—” she bends in close and says through her teeth, “we hate him, right? But then auntie reminded me this was the chance of a lifetime and frankly, that was a fucking understatement. I mean, look at this place, right?”
“Auntie” is Mrs. Jones, who works as the main cook at the mansion. My eyes wander desperately around the venue, as if the solution to getting Annie somewhere safe was hiding somewhere in the crowd. Then I see it standing there. The solution. His eyes are fixed on Annie too, and even though Carlton Wilde is a hard bastard to read, there’s no misinterpreting the horror in his gaze right now. I’ve seen him eye her ass while grumbling in annoyance on more than one occasion, but now not even the light blue dress hugging her tiny, curvy frame can distract him from the fact that she’s a sitting duck.
That prick Romano pulled the strings on all my soft spots today. Making sure he’s got me in his grip. When Annie opens her mouth again, it’s to confirm my theory.
“Mel got an invitation too, but she’s away to visit her ailing grandmother.” Mischief lights up her clever eyes. “Never thought I’d see the day when I’ll be glad that I never met my grandmothers. So, here I am, baby!” She wiggles her ass in a small dance. “I hear that Chase Daytona interrupted his business trip to the far east to attend too.”
“Chase Daytona knows about this?” Justine and I exchange glances.
“And he’s on his way here,” Annie says. “So we better make the best of this party before he crashes it. From what I hear, he wasn’t happy about not having received an invitation.”
Justine takes a deep breath to refrain from cursing, and all my muscles tighten. Including my ass, making me extra aware of the plug Micah put there. What the hell was I thinking when I let him do it? I should have resisted the idea, but I gave in, completely seduced when he said he’d reward us both in the most depraved ways when this is all over. Before I’ll have to sneak out of his life forever, to avoid having to face his hatred. Before the whole truth comes out.
“Come on, Justice, don’t look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” Annie says, wrapping her arm around Justine’s neck, and causing a strap of our friend’s little black dress to slip off her shoulder. “He’s not even here yet. That’s unless I’m the ghost.” She laughs at her own joke with those adorable little snorts. “See what I did there? Because she’s never even met the guy, and I could very possibly be—”
“We saw what you did, Annie, we did,” I interrupt her gently, pondering the very real possibility that she might be dead by dawn. “I need the ladies’ room, I’ll be right back.” I shoot a look at Justine that reads, “Don’t leave her out of your sight”. She nods, and I trust her completely that she’ll do it.
Ever since she got involved with Sade, Justine Pracht has become a hard woman. Sometimes I think that, with a little training, she could go on missions of her own. After a few years by Sade’s side, she might even become a professional. But, while I have no doubt that their love for each other won’t fade even in a thousand years, they’d need to survive tonight to become the powerhouse they’re destined to be.
And that destiny depends on my doing what must be done.
I snake my way among the crowd, my eyes scanning it for Romano, all the while keeping in mind how many lives are at stake here. When I eventually find him, speaking to a man with long, white hair and a fancy-looking cane who resembles a retired yakuza boss, I stop in my tracks.
I saw how Micah looked at the man when he arrived. He must be one of the Elders. One of the people who makes it impossible for him and I to ever be together and, for only a moment, I entertain the idea of watching him go down tonight along with Romano. Micah and I would be free.
I take a deep breath, reveling in that scenario before I pull myself back together. When did I stoop so low as to fantasize about the loss of human life just to see my deepest desires fulfilled? And even if that fantasy did come true and the Elders didn’t stand in our way anymore, it wouldn’t be long until Micah found out what I did, and then he might kill me with his own hands.
Pushing the dystopian scenario out of my head, I hover closer, trying to catch Romano’s attention. Making myself available for him to send me into action right away. But the minutes tick away, people bumping into me and then apologizing with smiles so starkly whitened it’s uncomfortable to the eye. I’ll never understand this latest trend with the teeth. It’s not even attractive. If anything, it’s disturbing.
I try to work my way closer to Romano.
