Page 93 of A Vicious Love

Next was Preston Crow from Torrance.

Torrance Crows were colder, less charming. They bought things, and buried whatever delayed construction. And on the far right...Weston from St. Cross.

Black tuxedo. He was the kind of man who enjoyed watching fragile things tremble before he touched them.

My cigarette snapped between my fingers.

The camera lingered on them because Veil knew exactly what it was doing. Four Crow cousins in the front row of Sienna Bellemere’s ballet performance. The tags changed immediately.

CROW ATTENDANCE RAISES QUESTIONS.

BELLEMERE MERGER SHIFT?

Raise questions. I scoffed. What it did, was rise my fucking blood pressure. My phone started ringing.

Harrison.

I ignored it.

Marcel called next.

I ignored that too.

I stared at the screen.

The camera caught Weston leaning toward Rafe, saying something that made Rafe smile. Then Weston’s gaze moved to the stage.

Waiting.

For Sienna.

The urge to break something became physical a need.

Damius had done this. He had opened the merger and let four cousins make themselves visible at her performance. In front of anyone with enough literacy to understand dynasty signaling.

Sienna did not know, four Crow men had sat in the front row like bidders at an auction. My hand closed around the whiskey bottle.

The screen cut to the curtain.

Blue light spilled across the stage.

Music began.

Then Sienna appeared.

For one second, all the rage went silent. She stepped into the light wearing white. Layered tulle and fitted bodice, tiny silver details catching along her ribs and shoulders. Her hair was pinned with delicate crystals.

She made the dance look effortlessly

But, I could see the discipline. The strength in her ankles, and control through her hips. The theatre leaned toward her without realizing it.

The dance shifted. She crossed the stage, turned, paused on pointe so long the audience seemed to stop breathing with her.

I did too.

Then she fell into the music.

The movement was beautiful enough that even I understood the room had just been given something rare.