I let out a huge breath. “Thanks.”
She grins. “I’m more used to these kinds of men than you’d think. I meet with them almost daily back at home.” And then she’s off, flitting through the crowd like this role is just easy for her. I offer a drink to a silver-haired man who barely glances at me. And as I turn to continue my rounds, I freeze when my eyes land on someone familiar.
Adriana stands near one of the hallways branching off from the main corridor, red gown hugging her body, dark hair cascading over one shoulder. She’s looking nervous tonight, chewing her fingernail. They must be in trouble, considering shestill hasn’t posted on Instagram. Or maybe her phone has been taken. That’s more likely.
A man with messy short blonde hair and startling blue eyes catches her wrist and tugs her toward the hallway. It happens fast enough that most people wouldn’t register it as force. But I do. I shift slightly, angling my body so I can see without being obvious. He pushes her back against the wall just out of the main sightline. His hand plants beside her head. He leans down and kisses her roughly.
Adriana’s body stays still. She doesn’t melt into it or even respond. Her hands rest on his chest, like she wants to push him off of her.
My stomach clenches so hard it almost tips the tray in my hands. I force myself to look away before someone notices I’m staring. And just then, a guitar cuts through the dining hall. My breath stops as the lights in the dining hall dim slightly, a spotlight pouring over the stage. And there he is.
He stands beneath the lights with a black electric guitar slung low across his frame, fingers already moving effortlessly. His voice rolls into the microphone, filling the cavernous space with the opening lines of“Papercuts”by MGK.
My chest feels like it’s been ripped open looking at him. I glance over my shoulder and see Micah staring up at him as well. He looks even worse today than he did last week. There’s a fresh bruise along the side of his face. Another shadow curls faintly around his throat, half-hidden by the collar of his black shirt.
Rage flashes so hard through me that it makes me dizzy, but I keep walking, offering drinks and pretending my heart isn’t trying to claw its way out of my chest. His eyes lift briefly from beneath his lashes as he sings. And for one suspended, dangerous second—
They find mine. But he doesn’t react.
I release the breath I was holding. I move closer to the stage, the long, drawn-out note of the chorus forcing goosebumps over my skin. He’s incredible. He sings like they don’t own him.
I’m getting closer to the stage when Nico’s voice cracks through my earpiece. “Additional men. Back entrance. Ten, maybe twelve more.”
My heart leaps into my throat at that as I smile and hand a woman a glass of champagne.
“Heard,” Rafe says quietly.
“Fuck. Alexei shared bank transfers with Waylon,” Nico continues. “They used toworktogether, man.”
I freeze mid-step, my stomach twisting. I search for any of my friends but cannot find them in the sea of people. Oh, god. This can only mean one thing:Alexei expected interference.He’s planning to hijack the event. Or worse, he wants Rafe dead.
Hesitantly, I turn from the stage and finally see Rafe just near the dining hall entrance. He’s standing perfectly still, dark suit blending into the shadows. I make a beeline for him.
“What are we going to do?” I ask.
“Kieran, eyes on us. We’re heading that way.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Rafe,” I whisper. My hands are shaking so badly I nearly drop my tray.
He turns, and I see an intensity in his eyes that makes me nauseous. Without a word, he starts moving, and I follow, dropping my tray on a refreshment table. We leave the lights, music, and laughter behind, slipping through the quiet halls of the mansion. The farther we go from the event, the more the music fades, Jude’s song trailing off.
I rip off my heels and carry them so I don’t attract attention. My chest is tight, and I can’t breathe fast enough. Rafe moves silently, scanning every shadow, doorway, and hallway.
“We’ve got eyes on them,” Kieran’s voice comes through the comm. “Duck to your left, now.”
Before I can process, Rafe has his body caging mine behind a clock tower. My chest is heaving from how fast he reacted.
“They’re heading into the back den,” Kieran says quickly. “They’re isolated there, boss.”
Rafe’s jaw tightens. “Go,” he says without looking at me, his tone leaving no room for argument.
I stop for a moment, panic flaring. “Rafe, that’s suicide—”
“Go,” he repeats. His gaze flicks toward the main hall where the lights and music still shimmer faintly. “Don’t come back. Finish what we came to do.”
I swallow hard, terror twisting my stomach, but I do what he says. I take a step back, pressing myself against the wall. My ears strain for any sound, but Jude’s guitar is muffled through several walls and rooms, leaving only the quiet of the mansion around us.