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It sounds so harsh when spoken out loud.
Despite my best efforts to remain well-behaved, I cringe. My cheeks burn with embarrassment remembering I am not only dressed in ripped, provocative lingerie under this coat, but there are no shoes on my grubby feet.
“My wife hates the Neptune Society,” he says, sighing. “She doesn’t enjoy the events or any of the members. Unfortunately, she’s affiliated by virtue of her marriage to me. She left early tonight. She’s home with my son and daughter. They are both very young. My daughter will be four soon. She’s a little prodigy in the making.”
Why should I know this? It is a question I ask myself over and over again inside my head.
He seems to sense my confusion.
He drinks the last of his champagne and says, “I’m telling you this because I’m very much in love with my wife. I am devoted to my kids. I did not buy you tonight for the purposes you would assume. Lena, what’s happened to you… is a human rights violation on the deepest level. I intend on helping you.”
My brows knit and I frown. “No.”
“No?”
“No,” I say. “I do not want any trouble. I… I do not want to be disfigured. The last product to defect had her face ironed. Please take me back. This is not what I asked for.”
Panic rises up inside my chest and I scoot back in my attempt to put as much space between us as possible.
Mr. Adams does not react. He simply refills his glass of champagne. “You won’t have your face ironed. I won’t let that happen. Do you realize the opportunity I’m offering you? You do as I say, you will befree, Lena.”
“Free?”
“Yes, free. I know about what you saw. I know what you did,” he says. His dark eyes gleam staring into mine.
“How do you know… what are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. You may be the only person in the city who could bring down Lucius Mancino.”
My hand rests on my stomach, the nerves rippling. “No… please… I can’t…”
“I’ll protect you. But you have to help me. That’s the deal.”
“You cannot protect me against him. Volchok said the same and now where am I?” I whisper, tears filling my eyes. “No one can. Please just return me.”
Mr. Adams sets his glass down and leans forward. His expression hardens and he captures me with his intense stare. “Lena, I promise you, I won’t let Lucius Mancino get you. He’s powerful, that’s true. But so am I. Northam ismylegacy by birthright. You help me, and we’ll take him down. So, does that sound good? Shake my hand.”
Both nausea and lightheadedness overtake me. My stomach churns and the limousine spins like it has lifted off the ground. The moment feels like a strange dream.
I doubt I am strong enough for what he is suggesting, but when I look into his eyes, he seems certain. He exudes so much confidence, he could tell me he is able to sprout wings and fly in the sky and I would possibly believe him.
Before I know what I am doing, I slip my cold, shaky hand in his and shake it.
“Excellent,” he says. “We have a deal. We’ll be at the Plaza in a few minutes. We’ll talk over more details there.”
“How do you know my name? How do you know about… how do you know about that night? The night that… the night between Lucius and Leandro?”
Mr. Adams has returned to admiring the tall city buildings outside the limousine window. “Because,” he says in a somber tone, “I know Volchok. He came to me, Lena. He came to me about everything.”
delphine
present…
To saythe security at Neptune Society events is airtight is putting it lightly.
Attendees must pass three levels of security just to make it through the main entrance. Unidentified men in white vested suits snatch the invitation from our grasp and pore over it with open scrutiny. They run a searchlight over the sapphire-blue embossed seal on the luxe black card, testing its authenticity, conferring amongst themselves.
I glance at Stitches. He spent a long time doctoring the invitation with Salvatore’s computer guy. The result was impeccable—or so we thought.
