I turn my head to the right. That’s when I see him, lurking a few feet away. He’s wearing a black tuxedo with a red bow tie.
The man I put behind bars six years ago.
The man I once trusted. The man I once loved.
But that love has nothing on the hatred I feel toward him now.
My blood turns to ice, and my stilettos are momentarily frozen to the floor. The chatter and ambient music fades, until all I can hear is my own heartbeat. He’s looking at me, pinning me with his gaze—but not the way Baptiste did earlier. No. Victor Pike’s eyes are cold. Soulless.
I close my eyes, hoping he was just a cologne-induced hallucination, but when I open them again, he’s still standing in front of me, playing with the obnoxious ring on his finger.
Why is he even here? He has over a year left on his sentence. And if he was released, why wasn’t I notified? As a key witness, I was supposed to be kept in the loop.
He stalks toward me, and as much as I want to bolt, my feet are still planted to the floor.
“Early release on good behavior, Harp,” he says with a grin, as though reading my mind.
My lips pinch. I always hated that nickname. Now that I think about it, he probably gave it to me for that very reason. Because he was playing me.
And just like that, my fear melts away. Anger takes over.
He wears a crooked grin. “Surprised to see me, huh?”
I manage to inhale a sharp breath and plaster a smile on my face. “Not really, Victor. I was informed of your release.”
I know I can’t show him any sign of weakness. I refuse to give him even an ounce of power.
“Besides,” I continue, “charities have always been your playground. I see prison hasn’t changed you one bit.”
“Oh, but it has,” he says quietly. “I learned a lot of things there, Harp. Things you can’t learn in real life.” He leans against the wall. “So, what are you doing here?”
“None of your business,” I reply dryly. “But I’ll admit, seeing you at an event like this is pretty unexpected. Last I heard, you didn’t have two dimes to rub together. Didn’t the FBI seize all your assets?”
His face pales. “No need to be nasty, Harp. I paid my dues.”
“But did you?” I say calmly. “Because if I remember correctly, the feds weren’t able to prove some of the schemes you were running.”
He saunters a single step closer. We’re almost touching now, but I don’t flinch.
“You stay away from me, Harp,” he says under his breath. “I was nice the first time. This time, the gloves are off.”
“This time?” I whisper. “What are you hiding, Victor? Already back at work?”
The room bursts into applause before he can reply, and I follow the attention of the other guests. Everyone is watching the small platform where a red-haired woman is standing.
Her smile is bright. “I’m now going to announce the winners of the silent auction.”
“I mean it,” Victor mutters. “Stay away from me.”
With that, he disappears into the crowd.
The woman keeps talking, but I’m not able to hear another word. I hurry back into the ladies’ room and lean against the wall, panting. The cold tile on my back grounds me, clears my head. That’s when I notice a woman staring at me.
“Are you okay?” she asks, clearly concerned.
“Oh yeah.” I fake a laugh. “I’m fine. I just thought I had some mayonnaise on my dress.”
Her shoulders relax. “I know the feeling. Happened to me once before. I still have nightmares about it. Enjoy your night.”
