The ballroom narrows down to him and me, the warmth of his body and the intense weight of his power. The orchestra finally softens, strings fading out to silence. The chandeliers dim just a fraction, enough to draw every eye toward the stage. And then he walks out.
I freeze, and Rafe tightens his hold on me. I've never really seen him perform in person before as the lead singer ofDissonance. I've watched him countless times before his fame, but since he crashed back into my life when he was supposed to be lying low, I haven't seen him sing.
Jude steps into the gold wash of light, looking exhausted in that black suit. It looks...amazing on him. But I know he’d never normally wear something so pristine. The gold mask arcs over his cheekbones and brow, elegant and cruel at once, turning him into a beautiful yet tragic piece of art.
He doesn’t search the crowd or even introduce himself. He simply stands there, a gorgeous guitar slung around his shoulder. Alexei lingers near the edge of the stage for a moment before retreating into the shadows with the man who made Adriana uncomfortable earlier.
The first notes of“Inevitable”drift through the ballroom. My fingers clamp down on Rafe’s shoulders before I can stop myself. I remember this song. I remember the night Jude finished it. We were on his parents’ dock, and he was barefoot, pacing andasking if it was too much. Asking if it washonestenough. I remember jumping up and kissing him mid-verse because it felt like he’d reached into his chest and handed me a precious piece of his soul. Now his voice fills a space crawling with evil.
It’s still just as beautiful as ever, with that signature rasp that always made me melt. But there’s a hollowness beneath it, a cavity where warmth once lived. I feel it even if no one else does.
“Loving you was never safe,
But I’d bleed for it all the same.
If pain’s the price I have to pay,
Then let it hurt—don’t take her name.”
My vision blurs. He changed the lyrics.Is...is he singing about me?
“It’s okay,” Rafe murmurs near my ear, his voice steady. “Stay with me. Everything is unfolding exactly as it should.”
I focus on his breathing and the sensation of his body against mine. And on the hardening I'm feeling inside my chest as I watch the ghost of the man I love strum his guitar.
“I’d do it again, I’d take the fall,
I’d lose myself, I’d lose it all.
Love was never kind to me…
But losing you was worse than anything.”
Something inside me cracks a little at the changed lyrics. His voice lifts, powerful and aching. But he never scans the room. He neverseeksanyone. He sings like he’s performing inside a cage no one else can see. Like...he doesn’t think anyone can save him from this.
When the final note fades, applause erupts, and he bows slightly before walking off the stage. He never even smiled.
Rafe lowers his mouth to my ear. “Now.”
I nearly jolt, my spell broken. I nod, and we carefully move through the crowd. I keep my shoulders back, my expression composed behind the mask. I am not a woman who just watchedthe love of her life sing to a room full of predators. I am an investor. A strategist. A guest who belongs here.
I’m one of them.
Alexei stands near the center of the ballroom, speaking to two men in charcoal suits. He notices us approaching almost immediately, his gaze sharp beneath his mask. Predators never miss movement.
I step forward first. Rafe remains slightly behind me, close enough that I feel the heat of him, far enough that it looks intentional.
“Your performer is extraordinary,” I say smoothly.
Alexei studies me with interest. “He’s more than that.”
There’s something possessive in the correction.
I incline my head slightly. “Of course he is. I imagine he’s useful in many ways. I admire him.”
A venomous smile forms on his face. “Are you interested in buying time with him?”
My stomach clenches, and nausea surges, but I keep my face neutral.Think, Emma.“Do you do that often? I’m not someone who particularly enjoys someone who’s been…” I trail off, hating myself for every word I’m saying. “Used up.”