Leaving Theo’s car with a valet, we walk up the steps to the house. We’re greeted at the door by a member of Luca’s staff and ushered into the same ballroom I recognize from last time.
As we walk inside the large space, several heads turn to look at us. A number of guests are here already, drinking expensive cocktails and talking.
“I notice the Purcells are nowhere to be seen,” I murmur, sweeping my gaze over the space. “Guess they lost their invite after Luca rejected their attempt to swap in their daughter for Carson.”
“Yeah.” Theo grunts. “Assholes.”
I don’t know Carson’s sister at all, and judging by the rest of her family, I’m not sure I’d like her all that much. But I’m still glad that she managed to avoid getting roped into this fucking game. The whole thing is bad fucking news, and I believe what Dominic said—once you’re in it, the only way out is victory or death.
Speaking of Dominic…
My gaze scans the crowd again, and sure enough, I find him on the far side of the ballroom. He’s standing stiffly, gripping a drink in one hand and watching the people around him mingle and socialize. No one is talking to him, and I wonder if the revelation about his bloodline has made him a pariah. I haven’t heard anything about him being eliminated from the competition, but maybe the other players have already written him off.
I pull my gaze away before he notices me looking at him, catching sight of Marcus’s parents talking to another older couple. Luca is in the middle of the massive ballroom with several eager sycophants gathered around him. I see Ryland’s parents too, and now that I know what to look for, I can pick up signs of his mother’s illness. She hides it well, walking gracefully beside her husband as they make their way across the room.
“There’s Victoria,” Theo murmurs. “Two o’clock.”
I glance in the direction he indicated, and as soon as my gaze lands on the auburn-haired woman, I find myself glad as hell that the men insisted I wear this dress tonight.
The one she’s got on is almost as show-stopping as the one with the massive train she wore last time, and I’m glad that mine is at least as nice as hers. It’s petty and stupid, and I have no reason to be jealous of her for anything—I have Marcus’s heart, after all, and she never will—but a little flash of pride rises up in me anyway.
I may not be from this world, but I can hold my own here when I need to.
The men and I make our way through the crowd, snatching up drinks from a passing server’s tray. We need to wait at least an hour before we make our move. If Theo and I slip away too quickly, it’ll look suspicious.
Acting natural for an hour while your heart is crawling up your throat is next to impossible, but I somehow manage to avert the panic that keeps trying to hijack my brain. It helps that all three of the men stay close to me, at least one of them touching me at pretty much all times. It grounds me, reminding me why we’re doing this and that I’m not alone.
Finally, Marcus shifts closer to me and takes my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He lifts it to his lips and kisses my knuckles, and when the earth and air of his gaze meets mine, I can see so much love shining in his eyes that it makes my heart stutter.
“Good luck, angel,” he murmurs. “Be careful.”
Ryland rests his hand on my lower back, pressing a kiss to my temple. Then he and Marcus split off and head deeper into the crowded ballroom. Marcus heads toward Victoria, who gives him a smug smile when she sees him coming. My hand curls into a fist, but I turn away. He’s got this handled. And we’ll deal with the bullshit engagement she forced on him after we take down Luca.
Or we’ll all die, and then we’ll never have to deal with it.
Forcing that dark thought out of my mind, I step toward Theo, letting a smile play across my face.
This is the only part of our plan that I actually like.
I never really considered myself a territorial person before, but I like the idea of kissing Theo in a room full of people. Of publicly staking my claim on him. It doesn’t work well for the cover we’re trying to spin tonight, but if it did, I’d kiss Marcus and Ryland too.
Let the world know.
Let people talk.
These men are mine.
“Hey, gorgeous.” He grins at me, wrapping an arm around my back and pulling me closer. Then his lips find mine.
Despite everything, despite the danger we’re in and the risky mission we’re about to attempt, it’s almost frighteningly easy to lose myself in Theo’s kiss. The hum of voices around us seems to fade a little, until all I’m aware of is his body molded to mine, his palm on my back, and his cherry wood scent in my nostrils.
When we break apart, he makes a noise low in his throat, then whispers, “Fuck Luca. Cockblocking son of a bitch.”
I almost laugh out loud. The whole point of our kiss was to convince anyone who might be watching us that the two of us are about to sneak off and tear each other’s clothes off.
And I have to admit, I’m disappointed we can’t do exactly that.
“I’ve been thinking up more ways to celebrate,” I whisper back, lingering in the circle of Theo’s embrace for a moment longer. “I’ve come up with some good ones. We just need to get through this first.”