“Perfect,” the beautiful but meddling woman says, grabbing my hand and dragging me away from Tommy and Andras and the finish line of our very dangerous mission.
22
Tommy
Nikolookslikecattlethat’s being taken for slaughter, glancing over his shoulder at me while Ria leads him toward the center of the impromptu dance floor.
I smile and shoo him with my hand. I got this, I really do. While he’s distracting her and keeping up appearances, I’ll set the stage and get Andras down that private corridor. Then all that Niko needs to do is the actual kidnaping. Easy.
Squaring my shoulders once I lose sight of my man, I set my eyes on Andras. He looks a little awkward just standing there and watching, but I suppose that being the host is a sufficient excuse for it. Although… Despite the pretty mask he’s wearing and the impressive clothes, there’s just something off about his posture. His shoulders are a little too sagged, and his free hand keeps fiddling with the ribbon hanging from his ruffled sleeve.
Is he nervous? The king of the vampires? Or is it that he’s worried someone might figure out he’s lost his special stone?
I snort. Isidoro said the vampire world isn’t even aware of the theft yet. The Crimson Crew, or those that know about that little hiccup, must be keeping their mouths shut. I mean, it’s been just a few days, so maybethey are counting on retrieving it before the need to make an announcement ever arises.
Smart. I’d do that too, especially if the fight for the throne of the vampires is as vicious as Isidoro made it sound.
Squinting, I survey the people closest to Andras. They all seem focused on the dance, even the guards in the corner near the stage. Good. Now is my chance, then.
Two deep breaths and I’m marching toward my target. He doesn’t notice me immediately, not until I’ve kind of broken out of the crowd. His dark red eyes follow me as I approach, a notch slanted and very apprehensive.
“Hey,” I say, leaning against the second column, so the bonsai is positioned between us. “Not a big dancer?”
He looks at me, his nose crinkling. Shivers crawl down my spine from the intensity of his scrutiny. I don’t know why, but the way he seems to be examining every inch of me gives me the creeps.
A couple of minutes of this loaded silence pass. When I think he might not respond or that he might tell me to fuck off, he says, “Not… really.”
His voice is smooth, a bit boyish. It’s a far cry from the deep, authoritative bass that I expected. Okay then.
“Me neither. I’m so bad at it, I tend to trip over my own feet and get laughed at.”
Andras makes some kind of a sound between a scoff and a snort. “It takes practice.”
I inch a tiny bit closer. He notices but doesn’t seem to mind.
“I love the music, though. And the food. The Caesar bites were amazing.” I grin and offer him my hand. “I’m Charlie, by the way.”
He reaches out tentatively, but doesn’t shake my hand immediately. When he eventually does though, his grip is firm but not as strong as Isidoro’s was. “Nice to meet you.”
I furrow my brow. Does he assume I know who he is? I guess it makes sense.
I let the pause drag as I scan the room. I spot Niko still dancing with Ria, but when he catches my gaze, he nods. Okay, time for phase two.
Cranking up my charm to the max, I move closer and curl my lips into a flirtatious smile. But I don’t go too close, in case he’s trigger-happy or something. Isidoro warned us about Andras’ violent nature, but somehow I’m not feeling it. He seems… mild? Calm? From the intel we got, I expected him to be vocal and loud, to be the biggest presence in the room. But so far, I’ve seen none of that. It’s like he’s a completely different person. Still, that doesn’t change our mission. If Andras is in some mood tonight and that ends up making our kidnapping easier, then all the better.
“So… since we both aren’t dancing, could I perhaps interest you in a private matter?” I slowly and carefully run my fingers up his arm.
His eyes darken and he swallows hard. Now that I am closer, the cut of his jaw seems a little bit less severe than in the grainy photos we studied of him. His eyes are also darker, but I guess that could be because of the light. When I asked for better pictures, Isidoro mentioned Andras is an elusive man to catch on camera.
“What private matter?” he says, confusion and curiosity dripping from his voice.
I close my eyes for a second, then look him straight in his. Here goes nothing. “The ruby.”
There is no reaction. He doesn’t attempt to kill me by ripping my neck open with his long, black claws. “What ruby?”
My jaw hits the floor. What the hell? Is he for real? I scrutinize his face, or at least what I can see of it. Is this part of his plan to pretend nothing is wrong? Okay, sure. He can’t freak out at the bare mention of the ruby, or someone might clue in on the fact that it’s missing.
“You know…” I lean in closer, and he leans in, too. “Theruby.”
