Page 39 of Mr. Risky

But for some reason I was playing better than ever, as the droplets pelted my face and body.

My flute sung out so beautifully that I saw Chamberlain pointing me out to several of his older friends, and I heard him utter the word Hayden.

For some reason, today the eyes on me didn’t feel good at all.

“What happened to all the Sirens who used to be here a few years ago?” I asked Pippa during one of the breaks.

“Oh, you know, some of them were almost hitting 30,” she said complacently. “Granddaddy said they had to go.”

“Why?” I asked. “Does something about turning 30 make you worse at playing?”

“Oh, Sosie, you’re such an innocent. Let’s just say Grandaddy’s friends prefer a somewhat fresher musician. A woman around your age is just what they like.”

That made me kind of feel sick to my stomach.

“By the way,” Pippa said, laughing artificially. “If I catch you making fun of my husband again, your ass is going to be run out of this town on a rail. Got it, bestie?”

“Got it,” I said.

Just then my phone dinged.

I have information about Granger

Do you want a way to bring him down

Meet me on the stairway in 5 minutes

What the fuck? Who sent this? It had to be Hayden.

I’m all wet

But the response was still

5 minutes

Fuck. I’d just barely be able to meet it. But I couldn’t risk not going. Hopefully Hayden wouldn’t try to cop a feel too.

Tucking the flute into its case and stowing it in the changing room, I hurried down the hall and to the bottom of the grand stairwell, following it up past the priceless artwork and heading up to the top.

“Hello? Hello?”

But no one came out to stop me, so I just kept going higher and higher, floor by floor, each one darker and less crowded.

And finally I was there at the top.

“Hello? Hayden? Where are you?”

Only silence.

And at the last minute, my stupid prey instincts kicked in with a pulse, and I turned to run.

But it was too late.

There were five hard, strong fingers wrapped around my throat, and my body was being dragged back against a very muscular chest.

“Sosie, have you no self-preservation instincts at all? You just go meet whoever the fuck in dark hallways? What the fuck did you think you were doing? There’s no magic secret to escaping me.”

“Then how can I do it?”