“Don’t be alarmed if I treat you or anyone else differently while we are at this party. People come to expect certain things from me, and I like to maintain the façade so they don’t look deeper.”
She lifts her chin to stare up at my face. “I don’t like lying.”
“You don’t have to lie. If they make assumptions about you or me, that’s on them. Let them dig their own graves. It makes our lives easier.”
A slow shiver moves through her, and I clutch her tighter. “We won’t stay any longer than necessary. I have a little business to handle, and then once we’ve shown our face around the ballroom, we can leave.”
The car pulls up outside The Holland Hotel, and Kai opens the passenger door to assist Valentina out. No one will be able to take their eyes off her tonight. She’s accented the dress with heavy eye makeup that makes her smolder. Her hair, for once, is straight in a long sheet down to her shoulder blades. Andrea slicked it away from her face, making my little angel look like hell in high heels. I want these people to think she’ll eat them alive, and Andrea certainly helped deliver.
We enter the party with Val tucked tight to my arm. My team, also in black, fans out behind us. They’ve already been briefed that Valentina’s safety comes first. Also, if Sal dares show his face, they are to grab him if they can and stash him until we leave.
I scan the partygoers’ faces as they stare. Each of them eyes our clothing, and then their eyes bug out as they notice the rings on our fingers, which I made to display prominently. The sooner they all know Valentina’s mine, the better. There won’t be any misunderstandings that way. I’d hate to break the rules of the hotel for a little misunderstanding.
We reach the bar, and I order her a drink. It’ll keep her fingers busy and her ring out for everyone to note. I wish I’d had time to bend her over the bed and mark her pretty skin with my teeth. Give them another reason to talk and her another mark of my ownership.
I don’t know why we have this same party every year. The same people, the same location, the same drinks. Death and decay are the only things that make a change in this crowd, which doesn’t seem like a reason to celebrate to me. My father used to tell me the end-of-the-season party was a way to start negotiation for alliances since no one can move on other territories out of season…that time is reserved for new partnerships.
There’s not a single person here who I’d want to align myself with. No one I can trust except my own men.
Val squeezes my arm, and I do a quick sweep of her head to toe to make sure she’s okay. Her face seems a little pale, and her fingers are wrapped tight around my forearm, but otherwise, she doesn’t look like she might pass out or run away. Good. I give her a little kiss on the top of her head and make deliberate eye contact with those lingering nearby to get a better look at us.
“I have to go handle some business, Angel. Stay with one of my men, and you’ll be all right.”
Her eyes go panicky. “Don’t leave me alone.”
“You’ll be with friends. Kai, Andrea, Alexei. They are all right here, prepared to keep you safe. Say the word, and they’ll be right here by your side.”
Her hands are shaking as she clutches her drink tightly. “But I want you by my side. I can’t do this.”
I lift her chin and stare into her eyes. “You’re a Doubeck now, and there’s nothing you can’t handle. Just make the world think you will tear them apart.”
She blinks rapidly as if trying to push away tears and then nods. “Hurry, please.”
I slip through the crowd, content that my men have her. They were already circling when I started to walk away. Kai is at my back, following me across the room where I spotted just the man I’d come here to meet.
Nic Diavolo isn’t part of this society. He’s not even local, but occasionally, he comes in for business, and when he does, he’s one of the few people in existence I feel I can trust.
Tonight, he’s dressed similarly to everyone else, but his bow tie is undone, along with the buttons at his collar, displaying the tattoos up his neck. Society members give him a wide berth, and they are right to.
I clasp him on the shoulder when I get near. His second in command, Soo, moves through the crowd keeping an eye on us. “After all these years, Soo still doesn’t trust me?”
Nic smiles and takes a swig of his drink. “Soo doesn’t trust anyone. Why am I here? When I said I had business in the city, I didn’t mean I wanted to come to some bullshit party.”