“See you later, Holt.” He slaps me on the arm and heads back inside the estate.
I pull out my phone and try texting Selene again, but my last sent message still sits unread. I turn my attention back to the backyard.
Not seeing Selene from my vantage point, I walk farther down the grounds. The full moon shines brightly in the clear night sky, illuminating the entire party. I take the cobblestone staircase down to the expansive garden leading to the small labyrinth that’s existed here for centuries. According to historical records, anyway.
The farther I go, the fewer guests I encounter. The heads of the ones I do see move on a swivel as they follow me, gossiping as if seeing me here is a shock to them. But I don’t give a shit. I only want to find Selene. I know for certain she isn’t inside, so this is the last logical place she could be.
I follow the rose-covered terrace wall but stop in my tracks when I see the two men standing at the opposite end.
With black hair, a black mask, an unmistakable bird tattoo on his neck peeking out from the top of his black suit, Rome Montgomery stands at the opening to the labyrinth maze.
I take a step forward, white-hot anger boiling in my veins. My hands immediately curl into tight fists, and all I can think about is what it would feel like to drive it straight into his face.
I would say I’m surprised to see him here, but I’m not. Rome Montgomery doesn’t shy away from taking the chance to make himself the center of attention, even if he does have a lawsuit against me. The fucker.
But it’s the man he’s talking to that distracts me from my anger at Rome. I don’t recognize him, mostly because half of his face is hidden by the intricately gold and green mask he’s wearing. A small, X-shaped scar stretches across his chin, then I see the tattoo on the back of his hand. Even among the shadows of the night, I recognize it.
A clover with two piercing daggers.
He and Rome are caught up in conversation, but I don’t give a shit. My vision turns red, and I’m quick to march forward.
Both men snap their heads in my direction on hearing my footsteps.
“Hey, motherfucker!” I shout.
“Capuleti.” Rome’s voice drips with venom on a sneer, thinking I’m talking to him.
The man snaps his head toward Rome, his eyes wide. Then he looks at me. I’m still at least twenty feet away, somehow resisting the urge to sprint toward him. Instead, I walk slowly, not to raise alarm. I tread carefully and stick my arm out, pointing to the man.
“Who are you?” I dart my eyes to Rome. “Who the fuck is that, Rome?Tell me.”
Neither of them answer me. I imagine driving my fist into this fucker’s face, standing over him, demanding answers as to who he is. I don’t think I’ve ever been this close to discovering my mother’s true killer before. For all I know, this could be the man who pulled the trigger. Adrenaline pumps through my veins. I feel like I’m going to explode. Spontaneously combust into a million little pieces on this perfectly manicured lawn.
The sound of my mother’s last gasping breath echoes in my ears, drowning out the orchestra playing closer to the estate building. Pressure builds behind my eyes, my anger fueling me to keep going.
I’ve nearly reached the stranger when I hear someone vomiting into the bushes between the two men and me. I abruptly turn to find Julianna running up to Selene, who is bent over in front of the bushes.
My anger dissolves immediately.
“Selene,” my sister says, jogging to catch up to her. She places her hand gently on her back. “Are you okay?”
“Jules!” I announce, catching her attention.
Julianna looks up, her eyes meeting mine before they drift tomy left, where they narrow in obvious anger, even from behind her mask.
Selene is still bent over, hurling into the bushes.
“Wallflower?” I call out, my feet already carrying me in her direction, until I fall into a jog.
My only focus shifts to Selene and taking care of her.
Once I’ve reached her, I start gathering her hair, pulling it away from her face.
“I’ve got her, Jules,” I tell my sister.
She takes a step back, nods once, then looks over her shoulder to where Rome is still standing. I follow her gaze, looking over my own shoulder. The man he was standing with has quickly disappeared.
“Holt?” Selene’s voice quivers, pulling my attention back to her. A string of spit dangles from her mouth, and she sniffs as her back racks with a sob.
