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But that’s not my main problem for the night.
Not when there’s a pathetic son of a bitch in attendance who still hasn’t answered for putting two of my friends in jail.
Yes, technically the twins beat his ass and put him in a hospital. But that was payback for spreading the video of them with Emily around school.
They would have been even if Paul had left it at that. But he pressed charges. So now he has a new sin to account for.
And like the devil I am, I plan to punish him for it.
Unfortunately for Paul Rollings, the Inferno is patient. We have long memories and an iron grip on old grudges.
Heading back to the bar, I grab another drink before sauntering down the hall to head outside. The cool night air caresses my face as I scan the crowd to find my target.
I spot the poor bastard among a small gathering of other people I recognize from high school.
Gabe is leading Ivy away from the group, and Emily is nowhere to be seen. I assume the twins were able to lure her away to help Gabe get Ivy alone.
Happy to see everything going according to plan, I walk across the back patio, step out onto the path that runs like a lazy, winding stream through the grass, and head over to where Paul stands chatting with Olivia Banks.
I’ve spotted Olivia a few times at social events we’ve attended since returning from Yale, and I’ll use her now as a means to get close to Paul.
“Nice night, isn’t it?” I ask, a sly smile on my face when Olivia spins to face me with a charming smile of her own.
She’s a pretty woman. Not someone you would wrench your neck to keep in view but also not someone who turns you off. I guess plain or simply pleasant would be a better way to describe her.
With short blonde hair styled at a harsh angle to her jaw, and dishwater grey eyes, Olivia stares up at me, a glimmer in her gaze that can only be viewed as an invitation.
“Shane Carter,” she says in greeting, a lazy accent to her words that denotes money and an easy upbringing. “I’m surprised to see you out here mingling with us common folk.”
Chuckling at that, I see the lure for what it is. Rather than assuring her she’s not counted among the common, I allow my lips to stretch into an enigmatic curl instead.
“I just thought I’d stop by and say hello to a few faces I recognize.”
Lifting my gaze to the man standing beside her, I don’t fail to notice the tension over his shoulders, the wobble of his practiced expression.
“Paul, it’s been a long time. How have you been?”
He shifts his weight between his feet, his fingers clenching a little tighter to the glass he holds. But his deep voice is steady when he answers, no trace of the concern I clearly see in his face and stiff posture.
“I’ve been good—”
“Better than good.” Olivia laughs and playfully swats him on the shoulder. “Paul told me he’s getting married soon.”
“Is he now?”
My brows lift with interest as I glance around.
Turning back to them, I lock eyes with Paul.
“And where is your fiancée? Did she not accompany you tonight?”
The charade I’m putting on is choking me like a dick down my throat.
I don’t act like this.
I don’t talk like this.
I want nothing to do with this world or the people who occupy it.
