She would never agree. Not now. Cornelius had dug his claws into her—and whatever she was hiding had something to do with him.
But I’d seen enough. Cornelius was nothing but a vile, destructive serpent.
We were getting out of here.
Tonight.
And Rummy was coming with us whether she agreed to it or not.
“You’re right,” I sighed. “Stick to the plan.”
Xavier nodded, already stepping past me. “I’ll see you at midnight, then.”
“Midnight.” I clasped him on the shoulder as he began down the hallway. Next step of the plan? Keeping an eye on Rummy until it came time to get out of here.
It took me all of three seconds to spot her in the crowd.
And two seconds for my heart to freeze in my chest at the sight of her.
She wore a long, silver dress that hugged her body like the finest silk. She moved like nobody watched her, like shewasn’tin a kingdom full of potential danger. I caught myself smiling before I could bite my lip to stop it.
I rolled my shoulders back and tucked my wings as tight as possible behind my shoulder blades so I could avoid bumping as many strangers as possible while I maneuvered the thick crowd.
Tonight, we played things Rummy’s way.
Tonight, we partied until midnight.
Chapter 21
Rummy
Okay, so maybe there was such a thing as too much fun.
But who could blame me? Cornelius knew how to throw a damn party. After the first few drinks, time began to blur. There was the massive dinner buffet, the addictive dance music, and the crowd of attendees who just wanted to have a good time. And I was here for all of it.
Comfortably numb from the alcohol, I let myself forget what I was supposed to be doing and started to actually have fun.
Every time Xavier and Jessiah crossed my mind, I pushed thoughts of them aside. The idea that they might be lingering in some corner, whispering about how much of a mess I was, watching my every damn move, put a damper on my mood.
So I refused to let them infiltrate the haze I’d found myself in.
They weren’t my concern.
My concern revolved solely around having fun. And I was doing a damn good job of enjoying myself.
After dinner and another few drinks, I gravitated to the dance floor. The polite ballroom dancers had long ago been replaced by a gathering of hectic, euphoric bodies.
I was one of them.
And I fucking loved it.
My dress clung to my sweat-soaked skin as the music coursed through me. Louder, louder, louder, the quartet overtook my thoughts until all that was left was the knowledge that this felt incredible.
Bodies brushed up against mine. I didn’t care. We were all chasing the same high, forgetting about our lives, even if only for tonight.
Maybe Xavier and Jes had left. Maybe they weren’t here at all.
Dammit, Rummy. You’re supposed to not be thinking about them right now.
