The hurt and the pain—pain thatI caused—followed by sheer, cold fury.
This night did not turn out the way I planned.
I sit for a long time, listening to the party outside. I’m don’t want to go back out there in case Alessandro is still here. I don’t care about the job, that’s for sure, even though it was kind of fun at first. There are a lot of very famous people here, and a lot of people who are even more famous among theCute Crimsset. If I reallyhadbeen here to get pictures, it would’ve been a goldmine.
There are going to be a lot of very disappointed subscribers, but that’s the least of my problems right now.
The thing I’m most scared of is opening the door and seeing Alessandro’s flinty eyes take me in, then swerve away again. Forever.
I can’t believe how much I fucked up.
I should have told him. Iwantedto tell him, so many times. When he first took me, I kept my mouth shut, because that’s what I’ve been raised to do. Never,everlet anyone know that I am my mother’s son. From the first, he was determined to think I was a plant, that I wasbait, so I doubled down on my denials.
And as we got closer, I just couldn’t find a way to tell him.
But therehasto be something I can do to fix it.
I get up off the floor and crack open the door. And then, as I realize that literally no one is looking at me, I push it wide. It seems strange, for a moment, to look at all these happy people without a care in the world.
I can’t see Alessandro anywhere.
I head for the side exit, hoping that I’ll be able to get a taxi or a ride share outside. When a hand grabs my arm, I yank away reflexively.
“Teddy!” Miller Beaumont pulls me back.
“Oh,” I say, and then out of habit, I smile brightly and say, “Hi, Miller! How are you?”
He’s frowning at me. “Are you okay? You don’t look okay.”
“I’m just fine!” I chirp. I give him another automatic, wide smile, the kind I’ve learned to fake over the years.
Miller tips his head to one side as he considers me. Next to him, his friend Nate is ostentatiously ignoring me, standing on tiptoes to get a better view of the room.
“Come on, Miller, I want to find Freddy.” Nate won’t look at me. He doesn’t like me. He never has.
But then, most people don’t.
“Nate, why don’t you go mingle,” Miller suggests, still frowning at me. Nate is off like a shot. Miller lowers his voice. “Do you know where Jack is?” I shake my head. “Where’s Sandro?”
I just bite my lip. If I say any more, I won’t be able to stay looking happy much longer. But apparently I’m not doing a great job at it anyway, because Miller puts his arm around my shoulders.
“Teddy, did something happen tonight?” he asks in a soft voice.
I’m so ashamed, tears threaten again.
Miller gives me a close look. “Come with me.” I let him lead me away, because if I don’t, I’m just going to start wailing and screaming in the middle of the place, and I’m pretty sure that is not what Roxanne Rochford wanted for her engagement party.
And on the way out, that’s exactly who we run into.
“Miller,” she says, with a smile about a thousand watts dimmer than the one she’s been wearing all night. “How lovely to see you.”
I’ve seen Miller look like this before, but only when some guys at his party were messing around with me. “Roxanne,” he says coldly. “Thanks for the invite. Congratulations.”
Her eyes narrow. “And who’s your lovely companion? Did we get rid of that second-rate hitman?”
“This is my friend Teddy,” he says shortly. “And I’d be careful if I were you, Rox. JJ is most definitely afirst-rate hitman.”
He pulls me along with him. I glance back over my shoulder to see Roxanne Rochford’s mouth slightly open, her face sagging. Not a Hollywood star anymore, just someone who fell in love with the wrong person.
