The shock of the threat coiled through the room like a dark fog. Cindy’s eyes widened, her fingernails dug into Luke’s arm.
Cole shifted on his feet, fiddled with the button on his jacket, and cleared his throat. Before he could respond, Jefferson touched his shoulder and took the microphone.
“Okay, folks. It’s a fantastic opportunity for our community, one we shouldallembrace. Anyone who would like to chat about the plans is most welcome to. Of course your elected members will have a vote. If we don’t get the numbers to support this proposal, it will not go ahead.” He gave a thin smile. “Tonight, we came to enjoy ourselves, and to raise money for children less fortunate than us, so let the party continue.” He waved his arm at the DJ, then placed his hand on Cole’s back, guiding him off stage. Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” blasted across the room.
Mike looked visibly upset. A mix of anger and disappointment clenched his face; the story he thought he was getting, the answers to his girlfriend’s death, was trumped by the development. Even though he was an arrogant prick, I felt a twinge of pity for him.
“Karson, the mayor would like to see you,” an attractive girl said. She was a tall, well-spoken brunette, with perfectly arched brows over cold-brown eyes. She threw me a look, as if I was a cockroach she wanted to stomp on.
“Rebecca, tell her I will speak to her later.”
“She needs younow.” Rebecca insisted.
He sighed. “I will be there in a moment.”
She threw me a sharp look, before spinning and gliding off the floor.
“If you will excuse me, Amelia.” He didn’t wait for me to agree before he strode after her.
My stomach began to churn. I wasn’t used to drinking so much, and I hadn’t eaten, thinking I had time before Georgie arrived.
I turned to see both Katrina and Robert striding across the floor in the opposite direction Karson had gone.
Telling myself I only was only following him to let him know about Katrina, and nothing at all to do with the fact that he went with Rebecca, I headed outside.
A strong breeze had risen and the fairy lights swung back and forth, restless as spirits.
The night was still warm, but I felt cold to the bone. I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself and scanning the grounds. Drunk people swayed in their shoes, and the chatter was drowned out by the whine of the wind through the trees. A couple walked, hand in hand, out from the layers of the dark. There weren’t many people left out there. Georgie and the others stood off to the side under the limbs of a giant oak. Georgie’s high-pitched laughter, distorted by the wind, created a haunting sound.
A prickling sensation hit the nape of my neck. I felt like I was being watched. I scanned the dark, peering into the murky shadows in search of . . . what? A killer? A bear? What?
It hit me then like a stinging slap to the face. I was searching for the man in my nightmares. The heinous figment of my subconscious. Not real, no threat, and I was awake, so I had no excuse for the pathetic foreboding. Irritated, I moved toward the group.
Jeff, who was supposed to drive, staggered.
“Amyyy!” Georgie sang.
“Georgie, I’m going now,” I yelled to be heard above the wind and the rowdy laughter of the group.
“Don’t go—stay and have some fun. We’re heading to The Hollow later.” Georgie put her arm around my shoulders, and the sickly sweet smell of champagne, with and a tinge of weed, wafted from her mouth.
“No, I’m good. I’ll grab a cab. And, Georgie, make sure you get one too. Don’t let Jeff drive!”
She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Yes, of course, Mom.”
From behind one of the groups, a tall brunette stumbled backwards and landed on her ass. The group roared with laughter, and I took the opportunity to make my escape, heading around to the front of the house. The doorman advised me cabs were on their way, and I headed to a wooden bench, near the circular driveway, to wait.
“Need a ride?” Ethan said as he sat down beside me, wind ruffling his thick hair.
“No, I’m fine. A cab is coming. Why are you leaving so early?” As I turned to him, hair whipped over my face. I wrangled my unruly locks and pulled them back, clutching them with one hand.
He shrugged. “Too many assholes under one roof for my liking.”
Dark, shadowy clouds twisted and rolled as if battling with themselves in the night sky. A deep roar rumbled threateningly in the distance. The sky lit up as a huge bolt of lightning struck, and its razor-sharp edges split through the darkness into the mountains. There was no doubt a huge storm was heading our way.
“It’s getting wild. You could stay here in the wind, or you could come with me. I’m going past your place anyway.”
He was right—the storm was fast approaching, and I didn’t want to be caught out in it, so I agreed. His car pulled up, and a young man jumped out, giving Ethan a big, suggestive grin. Ethan smiled at him then glanced at me, but I read his thoughts and shook my head.
