MARCH 2023
SOMEWHERE IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Davina stepped back from the door as the hall flooded with people. It was impossible to decipher the buzz of whispered complaints, but the people’s faces said more than enough. The guests were instructed by men in black suits to leave the patio and gather in the ballroom. To say they were not amused was an understatement.
“Into the ballroom, please!” a guard shouted, and one of the guests stopped and threw their arms into the air. Anyone who sucked at reading body language would think he was ready to attack. Fear could easily be confused with aggression, after all.
“Why, for fuck’s sake? We are here to have a good time. Give me one reason not to go back to the patio and drink some more champagne,” the man slurred. Davina scrunched her nose as drops of saliva flew from his lips.
“We were told to gather everyone into the ballroom for safety reasons. It’s just a precaution, sir.”
She widened her eyes behind her mask. Was the mansion under attack? Were they being ambushed? What if the feds were about to raid the place, and she’d be found among these predators? A red flush fought to break through on the nape of her neck.
The patio started to empty, and whoever had still been smiling wasn’t anymore. Their mouths wrenched into a thin line as the last group of people filed into the ballroom like obedient cattle. Allowing them to lock her up in the ballroom was the worst thing she could do. She’d have to find another way to get to Lorenzo.
She was about to turn and descend the stairs, hoping no one would notice her, when Thill walked in. He took his time, strolling from the patio, unaffected by the urging guards. Davina looked for a quick place to hide, to stay out of his sight, but she was too late.
Thill halted right in front of the large ballroom doors and stared at her. She froze in place, her heartbeat increasing so dramatically that it made her limbs feel fuzzy. The mask covered the upper half of her face, but the slender build of her body and the color of her skin could give her away.
Thill exchanged a couple more words with the man, his eyes still fixed on her. If he was going to come for her, it should be in a place where she would have a chance to defend herself. She had to lure him away from the crowd and deal with him in private if that’s what it took to get out alive. Right as she turned, the chief pushed past the security and strode her way.
Davina turned on her heels and ran.
Halfway down the stairs, she fought through the horde of new arrivals swarming toward the first floor. Sweat that wasn’t hers clung to her skin—there was no room to breathe, let alone try to locate Thill. Three ladies in glittering dresses and extravagant masks complained when she accidentally elbowed them, but their soft curses didn’t register.
The grip on her arm was sudden, fingertips sinking into her flesh with a sharp sting. It burned with urgency, forcing her to a halt amidst the mass of bodies surging forward. Davina steadied herself to avoid being crushed, thrashing to escape the hold when a soft voice whispered in her ear.
“Davina, calm down. It’s me.”
She froze. It was as if this cold entity clad in ink-black velvet and feathers had stolen the voice of the girl who had sobbed in Blayze’s backseat months ago.
“Tessa, you—”
“I’m not the enemy,” Tessa hissed, her grip shifting to Davina’s wrist. “Leave, right now. You’re in great danger. Meet me at Stonewood’s gas station, two weeks from today. Oh, and, no matter what you do…”
Luscious blonde curls tickled Davina’s shoulder as Tessa leaned in, her words a bittersweet whisper.
“…Don’t trust Blayze Dalton.”
With a final gentle squeeze on her wrist, the blonde dipped and vanished into the wave of masked strangers.
Davina’s heart throbbed in her ears in the aftermath of the unexpected confrontation, but there was no time to linger in it. She had to move.
High on adrenaline, she made her way down the last steps. With her hand over her earpiece, determined to protect it at all costs, she entered the first door and shut it behind her.
Besides her own panting, there was no sound in the grand indoor pool area she had entered. The walls on the outside were made of shimmering glass. Surrounding the pool were vacant poolside loungers, and the water lay quiet. She was way too exposed. People would be able to see her from the outside.
For a second, she wished she could just dive into the pool and let the water fill her up until the enemy would forget about her. Instead, she looked for a place to hide. Behind the huge plant in the corner, under the lounging chairs, or… behind the door across the room.
The little logo on it told her it was the changing room. She opened it, tiptoeing into the darkness. The room was divided into five small changing cabins, each with its own door. Against the left wall stood a large vanity with a mirror above it. Davina wiped her hand across her forehead and took the gun out of the thigh holster.
“I will not go down,” she whispered to herself while securing all cabins. Sadie was waiting for her. Dying wasn’t an option. A sudden wave of white-hot fury washed over her as she paced through the room.
Something had been off about Thill since the day she'd met him—she just hadn't been able to put her finger on it. Not many others had noticed. You had to look up close to see his skin bubbling with what was hiding beneath.
Knowing the NYPD was being led by someone so corrupt infuriated her. New York City needed a genuine justice system that pledged allegiance to its civilians rather than endangering them. It was what she was willing to lay down her life for.
And Tessa? She had just turned an already complicated situation into a broken puzzle with even more missing pieces.
What side was she on?
Who was pulling her strings?
Was it safe to trust her?
Had she lied about her pregnancy just to get Q-Tip the plea deal?
And then there was Blayze.
The venom of Tessa’s words was starting to take effect. Everything within her trembled as the first cracks appeared in the foundation of her identity. Growing up, Blayze had been the one she looked up to, the one she wanted to take after.
The thought of him betraying her tore her heart to shreds, but she was used to being abandoned. What truly made her stomach churn was the undeniable fact that if Blayze became her opponent, she would be utterly powerless to stop him.
He is too strong, too smart, too skilled, too experienced.
Davina froze at the sound of footsteps. They were echoing right behind the door like the ticking of a clock telling her the hour of doom had arrived. With the weapon pointed in front of her, she steadied her feet on the tiles. Then, the door handle went down.
She breathed in and held the air hostage in her burning lungs. The goal wasn’t to kill but to get a confession out of him. The camera in her dress would catch it and create an electronic file.
If he refused to cooperate, she would shoot him if she had to. She’d leave him to bleed out on the white tiles and get out of there before she was spotted. Her name wasn’t on the list. Nobody would ever know that she was there in the first place. The door opened, and she exhaled, glaring over the weapon to ensure a steady aim. Was it even Thill? What if it was Tessa, or Blayze?
The figure in front of her wasn’t Thill, nor anyone else she expected.
“Lorenzo?” she said, and she lowered her gun. Lorenzo stared at her, hands held up in defense. It was surprising how he could still look so impeccable. One of her nails broke, and her heels were covered in blisters, but he was charming and spotless. The only thing different was the worried look on his face.
“I had to hide backstage from a few guards for a while. The door to the ballroom was locked, so I had to find another way out. I saw you rushing down the stairs and followed you,” he said. His usually deep and steady voice now trembled. At a loss for words but flooded with relief, she jumped and wrapped her arms around him. He returned the embrace, his strong arms comforting around her tiny frame.
“I’m so happy you found me,” she said, holstering the gun after releasing him. “Haven’t you run into Thill? He was after me.”
Lorenzo furrowed his eyebrows and bit down on his cheek.
“Thill? What do you mean?” he asked.
“He saw me in the ballroom hall. I tried to lure him in here, but if you’re here instead, it means it didn’t work,” she said, keeping her eyes on the door as if he could barge in at any given second.
Lorenzo paced back and forth with erratic steps.
“What do you mean Thill saw you?” he groaned. Davina couldn’t recall ever seeing him so distressed.
“He did,’’ she said. “He was complaining to one of the security people when they said the ballroom was going into lockdown and stared right at me. I was hoping to get a confession out of him.”
Lorenzo buried his hands in his dense curls.
“Holy shit. Well, I don’t know what’s happening, but if there is a lockdown in the ballroom, the fucking mansion might be under attack,” he grunted.
“I know, I’ve seen the chaos. How do we get out without being seen?” she asked while sitting down on the tiles. Heels were uncomfortable for someone who lived in sneakers and boots.
“We can’t use the main entrance; it’s swarming with guards. The best shot would be to use the ventilation system again.”
He was right. If the estate was under attack, most of the staff would be centered in the main areas of the property. They would be where the threats and the guests were—the entrances and the ballroom. If they had to take down the two fools who guarded the maintenance shed, so be it.
“You’re right.” She sighed. Getting out was her first priority—she’d tell him about Tessa once they were back at the hotel. Blayze would remain her little secret, until she knew more. “We should get going.”