He’s talking about the club. I know it.
Kane comes to the rescue again. “I believe that one is sold, sir. Someone else clearly had the same good taste you do.” There’s a hard edge to his voice, but I’m more shocked by his words.
“Sold? I sold a piece?” I look at the tag tucked by the base, and sure enough, it saysSoldright on it.
“Over half of them are already taken, actually.”
My mouth drops open as I stare up at him. “Are you serious?”
“Absolutely.”
“I suppose that means I need to go look at what’s still available if I want a chance to snap one up,” Giles says before slinking away, giving us both one last glance.
But not even Giles can detract from the euphoria of that moment.
I sold art! At a showing! I’m not a failure.
That damn burn behind my eyes is back again, but I refuse to shed a single tear tonight. Even a happy one.
“I did it,” I whisper.
“Congratulations, princess.”
As Kane slides his arm around me, a thought strikes.
“Please tell me you didn’t buy them all.”
He shakes his head. “Only two. The other four went to people I’ve never met. But you better be damned sure I’ll be adding their names to my list in case they ever go to sell. I get first dibs.”
A happy sigh works its way free of my chest. “You know, you do live with the artist. She’ll make you whatever you want, whenever.”
He looks down at me, and even I can’t miss the pride in his eyes. “I know. But it’s a hell of a lot more fun to plot how I’m going to get them from the other people who wanted them just as badly as I do.”
“What about—”
Kane shakes his head, cutting me off. “You’re not allowed to worry about him tonight. Tonight is aboutyou.Enjoy it. He won’t bother you again.”
Kane’s right. I’m not going to let Giles taint this experience for me.Tonight is mine.
35
Kane
It takes everything I have to let Temperance step away from my side, knowing that Giles is in the room. For the next hour, I keep my attention split between them, and Rix watches me as he sips on a drink.
He might as well be wearing a sign that saysI’m not going to let you out of my sight until I figure out what the fuck you’re doing.
He can watch all he wants, but he’s not going to get a damn bit of information from me. At least, not yet. If Giles and some of his other politician friends are scum-of-the-earth human traffickers, maybe a better punishment than one of my bullets is turning them over to the cops to let the system expose their crimes and render judgment.
Even though unlikely, it’s something to think about.
Thankfully, Giles doesn’t make a purchase, and the rest of the night passes with nothing but smiles from Temperance, because he stays the fuck away from her.
I’m not doing anything to fuck up tonight for her, and neither is anyone else.
Putting those thoughts aside, I turn as the door chime jingles and Temperance’s former boss, Keira Mount, and Yve Titan walk in the door together, without their infamous husbands.
There go the rest of the sculptures, I think with a smile.