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He hands ours over for inspection, and the security guard shines a light on it until a stamp shows up—invisible without the light, but I guess that’s how they can tell it’s an authentic invitation given out by a Blue Blood.
The man turns off the light and grabs two black bags. “Phones.”
I blink. “Excuse me?”
“This is a phone-free area. No pictures allowed. You can pick it up as you’re leaving.”
“Oh.” I’m uneasy about handing off my phone to a stranger, but Aiden hands his over, so I do, too.
The man hands both of us numbered tickets like a valet would, then he says, “You’re good,” before setting the invitation in a black lock box beside him.
Damn. I was hoping I could keep the invitation, but I guess it makes sense that we can’t.
While I’m wandering inside and storing my phone ticket in my purse, Aiden grabs my waist, startling me, and I look over at him.
Then my heart drops when I see his mask.
It’s a white half-skull mask that covers his eyes and nose, leaving his full lips and firm jaw visible like mine. But looking at him in his red suit and that white skull mask, I realize…
He’s dressed as The Phantom of the Opera. In his Red Death look, no less.
“Oh, no.” I shake my head, my steps slowing.
His grip on my waist tightens, and he reaches over to grab my arm, too, as if I might run.
And I might.
Because I’m realizing what we look like together, and without even being told to, I dressed like dark Christine.
“You brought me here to taunt him. You have no intention of hiding in the crowd.”
He sighs, his grip on my arm tightening until it hurts. “Be a good little pawn and keep walking. We can’t make a scene yet. We’ve only just arrived.”
“I want to leave. This was a mistake.”
“You’re not going anywhere. I’ll drag you down these steps if I have to, so I suggest you walk.”
“You said you weren’t going to kidnap or kill me.”
“Technically, I only said I wasn’t going to kill you. I’m perfectly open to a little necessary kidnapping.”
“Let go of me.”
“Why don’t you stop worrying and enjoy the moment?” he suggests. “The outcome will be the same either way.”
I look around anxiously as he holds me in a tight grip. I’m his captive, but the way we’re positioned, one hand tightly holding my waist, the other on my arm to keep me close… it could look intimate.
I turn my gaze toward the party so I can sweep the room and search for Killian, but my thoughts are momentarily taken off course by the grandeur of it all. When he said Met Gala but darker, he wasn’t kidding. The outside of this building looks so ordinary, but the inside is anything but.
Pillars line the edges of the room, parallel to the wall with a walking space between them. It puts me in the mind of a castle courtyard since it stretches all the way around the middle section, which is where everything else is. There’s a large fountain as the centerpiece of the room, decorated with twisting vines and black roses so it looks old or enchanted when it’s obviously truly well cared for. It’s uplit with blue lights tonight, but just about everything else in the room is black. Tables lit by candlelight with black tablecloths and tall, fancy floral centerpieces blossoming with black masquerade-style feathers and stiff lace.
Beyond the fountain there’s a dance floor with spotlights pointed in that direction to light the area better. There’s a DJ in front of the dance floor, and the building hums with the beat of the music playing, so I can hardly hear my heels clicking against the polished concrete floor as I approach the stairs.
The castle courtyard is sunken, with a staircase down to its level, so the vaulted ceilings will look even higher from down there. Red carpet covers the stairs, so our descent is quiet, but my heart is beating so loudly, I can hear it thrumming in my ears.
It’s magnificent, just like their other building I was taken to, but we shouldn’t be here.
Most of the men are wearing black or dark blue tuxedos, so Aiden stands out.
