"Shit. I do know him. That guy?" He points at the leather-clad body. "That's Daniil Vasiliev. I'm sure of it."
12
ROSE
Alcohol flows, music floods the air from the harpist near the entrance all the way to a live band at the back of the ballroom, dancers weave on poles and stages, and the carefully selected girls paid extra for their services wander the room with roses in hand, seeking out the general I've paired them with.
My heart runs nervously beneath my chest, sending an uncertain tremor through my hands even as I wrap them around the single blue rose clutched in my hands.
It's for Kon, whenever he gets here. The longer he takes though, the more I worry that he won't be here in time and it'll end up looking suspicious that he's not attending a party hosted for so many important people in his organization.
"He'll be here." Calvin steps up beside me and lightly brushes his shoulder against mine. "He'd also kill me for saying it, but you look beautiful."
I glance at him with a small, nervous smile. "You think so?" I smooth one hand down the glittering sky-blue bodice that fallsinto the sleek, floor-length skirt of my dress. "Do you think he'll like it?"
"He picked it, didn't he?"
I nod. "Sure, but seeing a dress on a mannequin is very different from seeing it on a person."
"True. Knowing Kon, he'll be more enamored by your desire to look good for him than the dress itself. That's just how he is."
Despite Calvin's kind words, the nerves fluttering in my stomach don't ease, so I clutch at the rose again and gaze out over the crowd.
Counting in my head, I map out where the generals are around the room.
Two of them have already made contact with the girls, and the flirting seems well underway.
Once the other four are on the hook, it'll take no time at all to bug their phones.
"Anything from my father?" I glance at Calvin again and he shakes his head, sending my heart into my gut.
"Nothing."
"Everyone is fashionably late," I mutter under my breath. "Am I supposed to feel this stressed? I feel stressed. There's so much riding on tonight and if it fails then I get the blame and I don't want to make Kon angry because I said I would help him but now that I think about it, this might have been a bad idea and what if—" I turn and grab Calvin's arm. "What if this goes wrong and someone works out what we're doing? What if I end up putting Kon in danger?"
"Rose," Calvin says sternly. "Take a breath."
He holds my gaze as I do just that.
"Now listen to me. Kon is a man of many talents. While this party is a great idea and presents an opportunity for him, it's not the only one he'll be working on. His plans have plans, okay? There's nothing that can go wrong tonight that he won't be able to handle." Something subtly buzzes in his chest and Calvin pulls out his phone. "Speaking of, he's here."
"He is?!" I immediately perch up onto my tiptoes and gaze out over the crowd, seeking out even a hint of his handsome face. "Where is he? Does he want to meet at the sculpture?"
"No." Calvin's brows dip. "Ethan says they're in the kitchen. Come on."
"Does he want to start with food?" I muse as Calvin begins escorting me through the ballroom. There are countless members of Kon's organization still technically on duty, and they all move like ripples along the surface of water to create a smooth path for me through the ballroom.
Once outside, the coldness of the hallway brushes against my bare arms, alerting me to just how warm the ballroom was with all those people.
I gather my skirt in one hand and hurry after Calvin's long strides down the hallway toward the kitchen. As soon as we enter, my heart squeezes.
Kon stands topless near the sink with blood seeping down his abdomen from a wound at his side while Ethan does his best to patch him up.
"Kon?! Oh my god, what happened?"
"Rose?" His head snaps up. "You should not be here."
"Bullshit," I mutter, all but pushing Ethan out of the way. "What happened to you?"
