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My eyes continue darting around the room and only seeing the happy faces of the people below, I let out my breath and force myself to keep walking.
One step after another.
By the time we reach the bottom step, I feel a light sweat coating my skin and I realize that after the ballroom explosion, I never got a chance to take it all in, to process everything that happened. I was thrust straight back into my leadership role, trying to figure out who had caused such havoc, but before I was even able to think about it, Tobias King was killed in my living room and the world quickly spun out of control.
“You know, if you want, we can arrange someone for you to—”
“Don’t even say it,” I tell Cruz as Matthew Montgomery comes racing up to me with a fake smile and a glass of champagne resting in his hand.
He takes my free hand and brings it to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss on the back of my hand. Cruz pulls me tightly against him as a chorus of irritated grunts comes from behind us. “Miss Ravenwood,” he beams, putting on a show for the crowd. “You look like an absolute dream. May I be so bold as to ask you to save me a dance?”
My eyes narrow and despite the fact that he vowed his loyalty, I don’t trust him one bit and he knows it. “Perhaps you should be asking your wife that question.”
A scowl stretches across his face and he quickly presses his lips into a tight line, doing his best to mask his little slip-up, though had we been in private, I’m sure he would have allowed his true colors to fly free. “Of course, Miss Ravenwood,” he tells me. “However, the offer still stands.”
I nod, more than ready to move along but he presses his champagne flute into my hand. “Anything you need,” he murmurs, “just let me know and I’ll happily arrange it. I do wish you the night of all nights.”
“Uhh, thanks,” I say, allowing Cruz to pull me away before Montgomery gets another chance to try and suck up to me. I totally get it though. He wants to look good in front of all these people who have started to doubt him, but he seems too eager to me and the more he tries, the less I trust him.
Cruz and I get all of two steps away before he yanks Matthew’s champagne flute out of my hand and tosses it into a nearby planter. The sound of the glass smashing is drowned out by the impressive band that takes up the majority of the stage. Within seconds, Cruz has a brand-new glass in my hands and I eagerly sip at it, knowing it’s not a party without a slight buzz. But tonight I’m playing it safe. The real drinking can commence once Paris is securely buried ten feet underground.
We continue walking deeper into the party, saying hi to all the friendly faces who approach us as Carver, Grayson, and King discreetly spread out to keep their eyes on me, having absolutely no idea how to relax and enjoy a party. But seeing as though the whole point of this party was to lure Paris into a trap, I guess I can understand their reluctance to let loose. Besides, as of two days ago, Ember was set free on the world, and a woman scorned is a woman we should all fear. Something tells me that her bite is a lot worse than her bark.
Cruz and I mingle with the guests and stop to say a quick hello to one of tonight’s star attractions—Calvin Huntington, who looks more than thrilled to be here. Hell, I couldn’t wipe the grin off his face even if I tried. He thanks me profusely and it gets to the point where I have to remind him that it was the group as a whole who voted him in, it wasn’t just my doing.
Calvin continues chatting away and I smile at everything he says, but the truth is that after watching Ida Carver slink by me in a pitch-black gown, I haven’t heard a damn word. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone look so miserable at such a grand party. Hell, a party like this should be Ida’s chance at scrambling up her hoity-toity friends’ asses. This is her shot to make an impression, and by the looks of it, she’s failing miserably.
She bypasses her daughters who are dressed in identical gowns and sitting alone at a table, their eyes slicing around the room in fear, probably wondering when all of their nightmares are going to resurface and they’ll be kidnapped all over again.
My heart breaks and I find myself glancing back and searching the faces for Carver. I find him a second later, hanging back near the massive water feature. He meets my stare almost immediately as if he can feel the weight of my eyes on him.
