Marcus’s jaw clenches tight, his nostrils flaring. But he releases my hand and steps forward. Victoria turns on her heel, and the two of them make their way toward Luca.
I’m not sure I can watch this. It’s one thing to tell him to go, another thing entirely to witness him stand beside Victoria and announce his engagement.
But as it turns out, I don’t have much choice.
The orchestra stops playing a moment later, the crowd grows quiet as they register the lack of background music. There’s a small raised dais on one side of the room with a microphone, and Luca steps up to it, framed on either side by Marcus and Victoria.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he says, his deep voice filling the room. It’s the first time I’ve heard him speak, and I can hear the echo of power in his gravelly voice. This is a man who’s used to giving orders and having them obeyed. “Perhaps some of you are surprised to see who has joined us tonight. As you can see, Marcus Constantine is, in fact, alive. And on the heels of that revelation, I have a wonderful announcement. I’ve just been informed that Victoria Tatum and Mr. Constantine are engaged to be married. Please join me in wishing them a hearty congratulations.”
The gathered crowd breaks into applause, although I still see shock in several people’s expressions. Dominic is gazing up at the stage with furrowed brows, his expression unreadable. The Purcells look livid, probably angry that the Constantines are back in the game while there’s no chance at all for Carson to make a sudden and unexpected reappearance. I notice a few other people who look less than happy—either about the engagement or about Marcus’s “resurrection.”
Luca glances to his left and right, nodding slightly at the two people beside him. Then he speaks into the mic again. “May your union be bountiful and blessed. Love truly is a wonderful thing.”
There’s something a little odd in his tone as he says love, as if the word is loaded with meaning.
Huh.
He has to know that this engagement is a complete sham, and I wonder what he thinks of Victoria’s little stunt. From what the guys told me, Luca married for actual love. He cared about his wife so deeply that after her death, he never remarried or even took a mistress.
So what’s his opinion on using marriage as a tool for political gain?
The crowd applauds again, and Luca finally ushers Victoria and Marcus off the dais. He speaks to them for another moment, but without his voice amplified by the microphone, I can’t make out what he’s saying.
The music starts up again as people resume their conversations, and Marcus glances toward me. Although he’s more than halfway across the room, I feel the intensity of his gaze almost as strongly as I did back in the laundry room when our faces were just inches apart. An electric jolt bursts through me, making my already buzzing nerve-endings light up all over again.
Marcus’s posture shifts a little, and I wonder if he felt the same thing I did. He says something to Luca and barely casts a glance in Victoria’s direction before striding back over toward me, Ryland, and Theo.
I watch him make his way across the ballroom, noticing the way his gait hitches a little with each footstep. He’s still in pain, still barely recovered from being shot, and I can’t even imagine how much willpower it’s taking him to stay upright at the moment.
Ryland must see it too, because he makes a noise beside me. “Shit. We gotta get out of here.”
“Yeah.” Theo nods. “We’ll have to pin Adrian down another time.”
I can hear the undercurrent of worry in their voices, and it infects me too. They’re right. We need to leave, and we need to take Marcus with us.
In this deadly game of violence and intrigue, the appearance of strength matters. If Marcus collapses in front of an entire ballroom full of people, it will undermine the power we need to project as we try to sway people to our side. We can’t afford to show any weakness.
By the time Marcus reaches us, I can see the hard set of his jaw and the tension in his body. I slip my arm through his in what I hope is a lady-like gesture, and as soon as I do, I feel him give me some of his weight, allowing me to help support him.
“Can you leave? Can you come with us?” I ask quietly, hating that it’s even a question. I can practically feel Victoria’s gaze burning into the back of my head as we turn toward the door.
“I can do whatever the hell I want.” Marcus presses his lips together. “She doesn’t fucking own me yet.”
“Let’s go.” Ryland leads the way toward the ballroom door, carefully keeping his steps slow and even so Marcus can keep up.
I catch several people glancing at us as we leave, and I wonder what kinds of rumors and speculation will fly around in our absence. I hope like hell we’re not going to piss Luca off by bailing early on his party, but even that seems like a better option than staying.
As we slip out the door, leaving the luxury and finery of the ballroom behind, I glance back over my shoulder.
Victoria is standing in the same spot where she and Marcus talked to Luca D’Addario, although the older man is nowhere to be seen now. Groups of people talk and laugh around her, but she stands alone in the crowd, looking back at me with narrowed eyes. Her expression is unreadable from here, but as our gazes lock, I get the feeling I’m staring at a viper—one who won’t hesitate to strike if I get in her way.
A cold feeling trickles down my spine.
I hadn’t even met Victoria Tatum before this evening.
But in the space of a few hours, we’ve become enemies.
Chapter 15