Page 67 of Till Death Do Us Part

“So, there we are.”

“You think Peter is going to be in the Centauri room.”

“If someone’s buying from Glenn, on that kind of scale, it has to be. They wouldn’t skimp out on safety.”

“So there must be some protection… soundproofing on the room.”

She nodded, picking up a knife from the cutlery supplies and pocketing it discreetly. “I’ll slip into an adjacent room and… do a little damage. You stay here and see if you can find Peter.”

“Will do. Good luck.” I didn’t know what possessed me to do it, but I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, our masks touching. She stopped, glancing at me, and I blushed, not able to read her expression behind the mask.

It was silly to be embarrassed, given the kinds of things we did, but… that was just helping Vera fulfill her needs. A little kiss like that?

“Just… playing the part,” I said sheepishly.

She smirked, and she took my chin in her hand, tilting me up and pressing a kiss to my lips before she pulled away, leaving me reeling. “I’ll miss you,” she said huskily, and I held onto the table breathing fast as I nodded, looking for words. I didn’t find any. She turned away, and it took me a minute to remember how to walk.

I couldn’t start falling for Vera. I was only in this situation while the South Yard was still relevant. Once it was over, our contract was finished, and Vera wouldn’t have any reason to keep protecting me, and we’d be out of each other’s lives.

But the eye mask wasn’t the only mask of hers that I’d seen behind. And I kept wanting to see more.

It didn’t take me long to find Peter, his mask a dark gold that was carved into a lion’s face, dramatic and stunning, and he was talking to a small group who seemed to hang onto his every word before I drifted by. He turned to me, and even with the mask covering his whole face, I could tell the way he smiled.

“Well, well,” he said. “Who’s this? I haven’t seen you tonight. And trust me, I’d remember.”

I swallowed hard. He was probably twenty years older than me, at least… but I couldn’t make a scene now, no matter how uncomfortable the flirting made me. I smiled at him while I subtly flashed my wedding ring, folding my hands on the table. “My wife and I only just arrived a bit ago,” I said. “It’s nice to meet you. Call me Valentina.”

He chuckled, looking at his posse. “How about that?” he said. “This one’s got a wife. I don’t see her with you.”

“She’s in the bathroom…”

“In the bathroom, or off flirting with someone else?” He chuckled, and his group laughed with him. I shrank, feeling weak in front of all of them, and he reached out and put a sweaty-palmed hand down on top of mine. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. What happens tonight stays at this party. That’s the fun of a masked ball, isn’t it?”

I felt like I would throw up, but I forced myself to smile. “Is that what brings you here tonight, then? Looking for tonight to be forgotten?”

“I’ve got some business,” he said. “But a pretty girl like you doesn’t need to worry about that. How long have you and your wife been together?”

“Three years.” I went with the first lie to mind, and he whistled.

“That’s a long time to go without,” he said.

“Without what?” I tried to pull my hand away, and he held onto my wrist.

“Without a real experience. Am I right?” he said to his friends, and they all cheered for him. I felt dizzy, my heart racing, as he pulled on me. “Come on, sweetheart. I’ll show you one of the quiet rooms.”

I tried to pull away, but his grip on me was like steel. “I’m sorry, I just… I should be getting back to my wife,” I blurted, lighthearted and weak.

He pulled me in closer, and he put his hand on my hip. “I’ll make you forget all about your wife,” he said, and I felt myself pooling with panic as I tried to pull away—until a shape darted in between us, and in an instant, Vera was there, holding Peter by the wrist.

“Pardon me,” she said, her voice glowing with quiet rage. “You seem to have confused my wife for somebody else.”

Chapter 32

elaine

Peter snorted, looking at Vera’s hand on his wrist. “What’s that? Aw… the little girl thinks I’m scared of her? There’s a lot of us here, sweetheart.”

“I am giving you three seconds to let go of my wife, and promise never to touch her again,” Vera said, voice bubbling quietly.