“I didn’t tell him anything, Elias. I—”
“I know you didn’t, princess.”
He leans down and presses a soft kiss on the tender spot where my ear meets my neck. It’s like a reward for passing a test I wasn’t aware I was taking.
Heat blooms low and dangerous, warming me from within. I tremble.
“It’s time for us to go,” he says, his voice steady. “LeaveSpecial AgentClarke to enjoy his wild goose chase by himself.”
He laces his fingers through mine, firm—an unspoken command.
I get up quickly, heart pounding, and glance back at the federal agent. His eyes narrow at the sight of our joined hands.
“Think about what I said, Mrs. Kent,” Tristan says, his tone tight. His card weighs heavily in my pocket.
Then, with a thin smile, he addresses Elias, “Always a pleasure, Mr. Kent. May our paths cross again soon.”
Elias smirks, his eyes remaining dark. “Count on it. Unless I find you first.”
Chapter 29: SAINTS DON’T DANCE
A shiver moves throughme as I step out of the car into a cutting night breeze. Multicolor lights blink in the distance. Christmas songs blast from the radio.
I think about home. My family is preparing for the annual Christmas Ball at The Orchid. Levi has probably made a list of toys he wants from Santa. I breathe through the ache behind my sternum. My family will be there once all of this is over.
When I’m free.
The Nocturne Rose, a refurbished meatpacking warehouse turned nightclub in the Fulton Market District, looms ahead. John, my bodyguard for the night, since Ren is still away, shadows me.
I guess I should be thankful Elias still lets me out of the house after my outing with the fed.
If anything, the asshole seems amused and nonchalant about it all, like he’s gotten some answers he’s been seeking.
“I’m not worried at all,” Elias says in the car after my meeting with Agent Clarke. “Both you and the feds have nothing on me.”
“You’re too sure of yourself.”
He leans down and trails a glove-clad finger across my cheek. I curse myself for the goosebumps erupting over my arms.
Elias’s eyes darken. His gaze drops to my parted lips.
“You won’t betray me. You don’t have it in you.”
He probably thinks I’ll be a useless spy, the damn bastard.
Aria and Scarlett from the café are already inside. Sickly sweet perfume chokes me the moment I step through the doors. Sultry hip-hop beats vibrate the walls, and soon, I find my mood lifting as I search for the girls.
The club has two floors, all dark concrete and unfinished metal. It’s expensive but unrefined, unlike the clubs my family owns.
But the people packed like sardines on the ground floor obviously don’t care. Open balconies and cage-like alcoves on the second floor wrap around the dance floor for the elite to watch the crowd.
“Lana!”
Aria squeals and wraps me in a hug. A tall blond man with kind eyes hovers behind her. That must be Blake, the surgeon fiancé.
Her eyes, rimmed with gold glitter, widen. “Dude, you look amazing! I could never pull off that dress.”
“You’re a petite dynamite.” I laugh.
