Jax chuckles, pulling me into a hug. “You didn’t tell me you fired Ella,” he whispers into my hair.
I pull away so I can observe his face. “I didn’t fire her. I reassigned her.”
Jax studies my face, and I push the emotion deeper into myself.
“She’s really upset,” he says.
“I know. I am too.”
“I don’t know much about your career, but I don’t want this to ruin your relationship with her.”
“I don’t either.”
“You need to call her.”
“I know. I will.” Jax gives me a knowing look, and I step back. “I promise. First thing tomorrow.”
Jax nods as Evan comes back in with champagne and three glasses. I give him a suspicious look.
“What? I’ve never been to such a fancy party. It calls for some champagne!” Evan beams as he pours us each a drink.
We clink our flutes, and Evan declares, “To the fiercest woman I know.”
“And the only woman you know,” Jax adds with a bit of mischief.
Evan glares at Jax but yanks him into a fierce kiss.
“Let’s go. The limo is waiting,” I say when they finally pull away from each other.
The men both down their champagne in one large sip, and I place my mostly full glass on the counter. With what I might have to do tonight, the alcohol would only hinder my ability.
Evan and Jax don’t say a word as we make our way to the limo, but Evan is practically exploding with excitement, and I can’t help but soak up some of it myself. Even though this is my last night as Owen’s assistant.
And possibly my last night as a CIA agent.
We make it to the Cal Academy of Sciences and wait in a long line of fancy cars unloading their rich guests on a red carpet. There’s a wide staircase that leads to many glass doors at the top. Cameras click all around us, trying to get photos of the rich and famous.
All the commotion, bright lights, and fancy people make me feel a little queasy. I may have always stood out and attracted attention, but this has never been my scene.
“We got you,” Jax says, likely noticing the look of anxiety on my face.
I nod, still a little anxious despite his reassurance, as the limo comes to a stop by the carpet and the driver gets out to open our door.
Evan and Jax exit first, and each holds out a hand for me. I grab onto them and let them lift me to my feet, snaking my arms through theirs as we walk together down the carpet.
Plastering on a fake smile, we pause for a set of pictures. I cross my fingers that these will be the only photos of the evening.
As we continue at a glacial pace, my anxiety rising again, I look up the stairs to find Owen at the top. He’s dressed in a tux that fits him like a second skin, and he’s looking at me as if I’m the only one made for him.
Shivering at the way his eyes pierce through me, Jax immediately catches on to my line of sight. He inclines his head in Owen’s direction, and Evan winks at him.
“Could you two be more obvious?” I grumble. “I feel like we’re at high school prom again.”
Jax and Evan both laugh, the sound easing my jitters a bit.
“He’s hard not to stare at,” Evan comments as we make our way up the stairs. The guests ahead of us stop to chat or take pictures, so our ascent is excruciatingly slow.
“So you’ve said,” I mumble.
