“I don’t play fair,” I murmur into her mouth. Slowly, I press hot, open-mouthed kisses down her neck, and my nails dig into her waist. “Don’t push it, London. I’m already giving you a lot of leeway, given the kind of danger you’re in. This is nothing compared to what it could be.”
London leans back to look at me, and her expression falls. “So, I should be thankful it isn’t worse?”
I cup her face in my hands. “Yes.”
London squirms against me, and I release her. “I don’t accept that.”
“You don’t have to. I don’t need you to accept everything I do. I’ll still do what I have to in order to keep you alive.”
She can hate me all she wants, but in time, London will come to terms with the fact that it’s in her best interest.
All that matters is keeping her alive and safe.
“I’m not a child.”
I scowl. “I have somewhere else to be. We’ll talk about this later.”
London’s mouth falls open. “But—”
“Later,” I interrupt, more forcefully. “There’s food in the fridge, and you can order anything you want.”
Without waiting for a response, I leave the room.
In the foyer, I glance over my shoulder and meet Katia’s gaze.
Abruptly, I look away and reach for my scarf. After securing it around my neck, I shove my arms into my coat. A gust of cold wind rushes past as I step outside and frown at the car parked at the foot of the stairs. Inside, my father already has a drink in his hand and is saying something into the phone. He levels me with a withering look when I jump in and pull the door shut behind me.
The car ride to the movie premiere is a blur.
We pull up, and I see that Elise is dressed in a midnight-blue dress, with her hair pulled up into an elegant updo. I exit the car, hold my arm out to her, and pull her closer. There’s a flash behind me as I kiss her cheek, and my stomach clenches. Elise tucks her arm into the crook of my elbow and leans forward, her floral perfume washing over me.
“You’re cutting it close, aren’t you?”
I maintain my charm. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
Elise pretends to adjust my tie. “Don’t talk to any reporters unless I’m there. And try not to look so stiff.”
I stop to tuck her hair behind her ear. “I’m not a circus performer.”
I loathe having every part of my life picked apart.
Unfortunately, I know it’s part of ensuring the Thayers remain our allies, and while I hate the hundreds of prying eyeson us and the din of conversation rising and falling around us, I’m committed to seeing this through.
There are more and more camera flashes, and I do my best to ignore them.
Questions are shouted at us from every direction, but I tune it all out.
Elise’s fingers dig into my elbow as she tugs me forward, her rehearsed smile never slipping.
On the red carpet, she pauses every so often to wave someone over, and I play my part dutifully.
I imagine London by my side the entire time.
When I place my arm around Elise’s waist and kiss her ear, I picture London in the figure-hugging dress with a slit down the side. All the faces blend into each other, and the voices recede to the background as my headache grows.
I keep an image of London at the forefront of my mind.
She gets me through the last of the introductions, and we duck inside.
