Augusta wore a black, off-the-shoulder dress with a tight bodice and a mid-length, flared skirt. Her left arm and shoulder were bare, and her right was covered down to the wrist. Ray said it was modest but flattering, and the Don would approve. Augusta was worried it was too revealing, too sexy.
There’s no going back now. If you decide to leave so you can get changed, you’ll be late, and that’s an even worse insult.
Ray took her hand and squeezed it, kissing her fingers.
“It’s all right, my love. If he doesn’t approve of you, I’ll just shift into a panther and kill them all or escape out the window. Then we can use my backup plan to live happily ever after.”
“Backup plan?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow.
“Oh,” he laughed, a little bashfully. “Most people in dangerous jobs have a fallback … a stack of cash and fake IDs hidden in an airport locker somewhere.”
“Where’s yours?”
“Oh, I have more than one.”
“Keeping secrets already,” she said, shaking her head. “That’s it. This relationship is over.”
“No way,” Ray said, leaning in to kiss her. “Not a chance.”
Augusta took comfort in the warmth of his kiss, letting her nerves settle. She pulled herself together, and they went up the last of the steps to the landing and entered the function room.
There was quite a crowd of well-dressed men and women, the sounds of their voices a low rumble of background noise. Smoke hung high in the air, and there was a sharp-edged, sweet smell of aged whiskey and scotch.
“Over there,” Ray said, nodding toward a corner. Augusta looked at the large armchair where a slender, dark-haired man sat with one leg casually crossed over the other while he laughed with the woman next to him.
“Oh,” Augusta said, surprised. “I was expecting someone … older.”
Ray laughed. “Shifters, remember? He is quite old. But he’s not a fuddy-duddy, nor is he strict and murderous. Not everything is like it is on TV.”
They crossed the room together, and as they approached, the Don turned to them, and Augusta was struck by his piercing, slate blue eyes. They were almost gray in the soft light, and it felt like he could see right through her.
With his sharp features and narrow shoulders, combined with those eyes, he reminded Augusta of a hawk. She tried not to feel like a rabbit exposed in a field.
Ray bowed, just a little tilt of his head. Augusta did a slight curtsey, just as Ray had shown her. A bright smile sprang to her lips as she remembered Ray balancing on his toes to show her the correct way to bend, and the Don smiled back, obviously thinking the smile was for him.
“My fiancée, Augusta Sinclair,” Ray said in a low, respectful tone. The Don smiled and uncurled from the chair in one graceful movement, standing to take Augusta’s hand and graze his lips across her knuckles.
“Lovely to meet you, my dear. I’ve heard so much about you.”
His eyes shimmered from icy blue to dull gray, and his pupils seemed to change shape. He reminded her so much of a bird that she was worried he might suddenly burst into a cloud of feathers and fly away.
“And you, Mr. Don … I mean …”
The Don laughed softly. “Carey will do if we are at an informal event, but do refer to me simply as ‘Don’ in public.”
Augusta nodded, blushing furiously. “Of course. I’m sorry.”
“No need to be sorry,” he said with an easy smile. “Sit, sit.”
The Don sat, and Augusta and Ray took armchairs nearby. Augusta noticed the other guests had taken a step back to give them a small amount of privacy. They all side-eyed her, though.
“So, tell me,” the Don said casually, “what have you two been up to? I haven’t had a report from you, Ray.”
The Don lit a cigar, peering at Ray carefully.
“I went out to take care of things, obviously. Instead of finding a nice, simple situation, I uncovered a plot by the De Lucas to start a clan war. I think I’ve killed anyone who was a real threat, sir,” Ray said, his head bent in respect.
“I know. I know,” the Don said, waving his cigar. “I meant your lady. I’ve heard several different versions of the story by now, and I’ve got some De Lucas rats locked up until they squeal. I have enough information to proceed, as far as mob business is concerned.”