The answer seemed to please Connor. “And what’s so precious about it to you?”
“Because this piece of rock has been around since before anything in our solar system,” Winter answered. “It was out there before everything around us, before any civilization, animal, speck of living dirt. And now I get to sport it on my finger.” His smile turned sly. “That’s a sign we’re winning, isn’t it?”
It was the kind of answer Winter knew would reflect the personality of whoever he happened to be talking to. It disgusted him nevertheless. Still, Connor smiled again, then eyed him approvingly. “I’ll have to show you my personal collection sometime. I think you would appreciate it.”
The knot in Winter’s stomach twisted. On the surface, he let himself lean forward in interest. “I’d like that.”
Connor looked satisfied. Definitely the kind of wealthy man who enjoyed showing another wealthy man his own worth. “We’re alike, you know. When he finds something valuable, a wise man either keeps it for himself or sells it to the person who wants it more.”
“Wisdom,” Winter said with a respectful smile, even as he felt his anger rise. This was a man who worked to buy and sell things that destroyed lives, who blithely wrote down numbers in a ledger as he helped load ships with illegal weapons.
Through the haze and smoke around him, he could almost see Sauda leaning toward him, her eyes solemn.Have you ever witnessed war?
And in that moment, he felt the shift inside him. He was no longer just a boy enduring the company of wealthy people, tolerating them in his own ambitions of climbing the world’s ladder. He was here for a reason, using the experience of his years in such circles to now take down one of their worst.
A thankless good deed.Sauda’s words echoed in his mind. And suddenly, he thought he could understand what had once fueled Artie.
“Now,” Connor said with a nod to them both, his eyes returning to the game happening behind him, “if you’d like, I’m happy to invite you into this next round. Be warned, Mr. Young, that we don’t always play nicely with others.”
“That’s a generous offer,” Penelope said. Winter could feel her leaning slightly against his arm. “But I think I really am bored with this party.” She gave him a smile and a nod. “We can catch up tomorrow?”
Connor gave her an affectionate look of disappointment. “Hard to keep you happy, eh, Miss Morrison?” he said. Then he smiled and held her gaze for a moment. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell your dad. See you tomorrow.”
She nodded, touched his arm, and then turned away with Winter.
As she did, Winter noticed the spark in her eyes fade—and the charming, flirtatious smile she’d given him turning off like a light switch.
Odd. Again, he felt like something was off about the subtle way these two flirted with each other. His mind whirled, trying to pin down what it was—
And then he realized it. It was in the way that spark vanished so abrubtly from her eyes.
It was how celebrities acted when they were putting on a show of being in a relationship, for the benefit of drumming up press and getting headlines. It wasan act.
Winter could spot this kind of false romance every time—he and Claire had a running bet for every time this happened, and he always won. He’d even done it himself before, had been paired up with another popular singer earlier in his career, knew what kind of emotions he was supposed to put on display and how it’d come across to the public. Knew when to turn it off when he sensed no one was paying attention anymore.
Connor and Penelope weren’t having an affair. They wereplayingat it.
But why would they do that? To annoy Eli? Was there another reason?
Winter let none of his spiraling thoughts show. All he said to Penelope instead was, “Where to now?”
She smiled hopefully at him, then glanced toward the tunnel leading back to the main floor. “Want to get out of here?”
Winter raised an eyebrow at her. It was hardly the first time he’d everbeen propositioned, but somehow being on a mission made him more anxious.
She bit her lip, then seemed to realize exactly what she’d said. She hurriedly looked down. “I don’t mean”—she rushed to say—“that is, I’m not trying to insinuate that—” She paused, beet red. “I just meant if you wanted to hang out somewhere more private. That’s it.”
He smiled at her. “Sure.”
She gave him a bashful smile. “Really?”
He looked around the party space. “It might not be obvious,” he said, “but I’m an introvert.”
She brightened at that. “Me too!” Then she realized her outburst and laughed a little. “My place isn’t far from here. I could make us some coffee.”
Sydney.Her name was the first thing that popped into Winter’s mind. She’d want him to handle this alone, his nerves be damned. Would she follow along? Would she hide out in the bushes outside Penelope’s home? He tried to picture how the night would go, how missions usually went for Sydney at this stage.
All roads lead to Penelope,she had said.
