Which meant Jamie had to embody the ultra-wealthy, arrogant bastard Jansen expected him to be.Just thinking about how he needed to act left a sour taste at the back of Jamie’s mouth.Some days, he couldn’t believe how self-centered he used to be before the Marines straightened his ass out.He was thankful, he realized, that out of everyone on the team, only Katie really knew what he used to be like.Jamie doubted Kyle would want him as he once was, and that was a sobering realization.
“You’re thinking too hard,” Kyle said, drawing Jamie’s attention back to him.
Jamie blinked, turning his face into the warm touch of Kyle’s hand.“Tonight is going to be a mess.I can feel it.”
Kyle studied him, green eyes full of a calmness Jamie wanted to drown in.“You realize if any of the Splice chemical bombs go off, you won’t lose us, right?We’re already metahumans.”
Jamie was abruptly thrown back to last summer, watching helplessly as Kyle took down Cora Everly in a secure lab to keep the rest of them safe.Mixing Splice with the attempted vaccine had resulted in a destabilization of metahuman DNA.Everly hadn’t survived the infection, and only Kyle’s rapid healing power had enabled him to live after a wrenching touch-and-go period.
Jamie took a deep breath, letting it out slowly to help steady his mind.“I know.But I hate the thought of putting most of the people at the gala at risk.Criminals or not, no one deserves to die from Splice.”
“And that’s why we’re doing this.If we get accepted into the Pavluhkins’ sphere of influence, we’ll have a better chance at finding those Splice labs.”
Kyle stood on his tiptoes, pressing his mouth to Jamie’s in a soothing kiss.Jamie opened his mouth to Kyle’s questing tongue, sliding his hands underneath the tuxedo jacket Kyle wore to grip his hips.
“We’ll get through this,” Kyle promised after breaking the kiss.
Jamie tightened his hands on Kyle’s hips.“I need you to know that whatever happens tonight, whatever people say about us, whatever I have to say when it comes to you, that’s not how I really feel.”
Kyle rubbed his thumb over the seam of Jamie’s lips.“I know.Now, come on.We’ve got a job to do.”
Almost everyone was waiting for them downstairs.Alexei and Sean were impeccable in their own tuxedos, though Alexei didn’t look happy about wearing his.Much like Kyle, they didn’t seem comfortable in expensive clothes.Sean, on the other hand, wore his like he’d been born to it.Jamie thought Sean’s ability to change personalities within seconds was helpful for the mission, if more than a little creepy.
“Just waiting on Katie,” Madison said with a cheerful wave.
She, like most of the others, was dressed in much more functional clothing—dark suits and boots with sturdy soles, her thick black hair tied back in a no-nonsense style.They’d blend in with the other men and women charged with protecting their employers.None of them would be staying behind in the cars, which necessitated UMG agents getting behind the wheel.The cars might have a self-driving mode, but none of them wanted to risk anyone tampering with the vehicles.
A door slamming upstairs had Jamie looking over his shoulder.Seconds later, Katie came into view at the top of the stairs in a stunning red vintage Valentino couture gown.The off-the-shoulder gown had delicate lace sleeves extending to her elbows.The ball gown skirt consisted of voluminous layers of red tulle with an embroidered belt nipping in at the waist.Her hair was done up in a complicated twist picked through with diamond hairpins, and a choker of rubies borrowed from a jewelry house circled her throat.
She hadn’t gone the route of cutout dresses or the more risqué ones that were little more than artfully placed fabrics.Most evening gowns were on the fitted side these days, the details setting them apart through design or technology.Katie opting for an older look would definitely draw attention to her, making the meet and greets they had to make for their cover easier.
“You look beautiful, but can you fight in that?”Jamie asked.
“The dress is a two-piece.The outer skirt comes off, and the rest is a minidress, which is why I chose it,” Katie replied as she descended the stairs.
Trust his second-in-command to go the practical fashion route.“All right, let’s get this show on the road.”
The weather that night was cold, with the threat of rain later on.They took their usual pair of SUVs, leaving the house behind under the secure watch of UMG agents.The Victoria and Albert Museum was located south of Hyde Park, and Cromwell Road and Exhibition Road both had traffic detours going on to compensate for the many arrivals of the attendees.The way was a crush of vehicles the closer they got, the sidewalks leading up to the venue packed with police on traffic and crowd control duty, revelers walking the rest of the way, onlookers, and paparazzi angling for the best photos and videos.The airspace nearest the main entrance on Cromwell Road was packed full of hovering drone cameras recording every second of the arrivals.
Jamie had a feeling some of the attendees would arrive via the side entrance to spare their identities from making it to the top headlines of gossip sites.As much as Jamie would’ve liked to join them, they had to grit their teeth and smile for the public.
When it was their turn, the SUVs rolled up to the red carpet and came to a smooth halt.Jamie squared his shoulders and got out, face a mask of polite disinterest for the gathered crowd, all his attention on helping Kyle out of the SUV.Donovan and Annabelle exited the vehicle after them, and they waited a few moments for the rest of their team to exit the second SUV.
Alexei offered his arm to Katie, with Sean trailing behind them.Jamie smiled at Katie as they headed up the stone steps to the entrance situated beneath the grand stone archway, ignoring the camera flashes that brightened the way.They’d eschewed coats, despite the January winter night.Snow rarely fell in London anymore, and the temperature wasn’t even close to freezing.The chilly wind was easy to ignore for the few minutes they were out in it.The length between their vehicles and the door was nothing compared to the cold training they’d all gone through in the military.
Heads up, eyes open, Jamie said through the mental links Katie had tethered between everyone’s minds.
The mental response ofOorahfrom most of his team was comforting.
They joined the short queue to log their prints for the guest list just inside the door, chatting amicably amongst themselves about innocuous subjects.The key to getting through a party like this without offending anyone was to keep the surface conversations bland and tailored to the politics of the room, to not make waves if your status was below everyone else’s, and to always, always smile.
Jamie reflected on what he’d been taught by his parents growing up and ruthlessly discarded every ingrained habit in favor of making a scene.
They walked one at a time through a portable body scanner, each of them getting cleared by the security manning the event.No one on the team carried any guns, though Jamie doubted that would be the case for everyone invited tonight.
“Please tell me this isn’t what your family does for fun?”Kyle asked under his breath as they moved away from the security area near the door.
“My mother has standing invites to nearly every major charity event, gala, party, you name it, on two continents.If she wanted, she could attend a party every night of the year and still miss out on others,” Jamie said a little wryly.
