Page 92 of Run From Me

The curtain shifted and she stepped out, and fuck if I didn’t break into a sweat.

“No.” The word was out there before I could think about my future.

Cali turned on me so fast, I questioned who was in control of who.

“No? No, what? No to a dress I feel beautiful in? I’ll buy it then, so you can’t say no.” Cali turned to the designer. “How much?”

The designer looked toward me, and I shook my head.

“For you, Miss…” the designer stopped.

“Smith. My last name is Smith. But for me what? How much is it?” Calliope asked, as she glanced over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at me.

“Right. Miss Smith, for you, it’s on the house. I owe Xander and the others. And to have my design on you? I can’t buy that kind of publicity.”

Calliope growled, and it was clear by the way she clenched her fists that none of this was what she wanted to hear. So she nodded to the designer and turned on her heel, making quick work of the distance to me.

Her voice was low as she chastised me.

“You’re an asshole. You don’t get to say no to a free dress. But really? Free? What did you do for her, huh? Free? Really? What did you pay her already? Besides, what’s even wrong with this dress? Wait, go back to her. Why does she owe you? Your dick is not that fucking magical.”

Cas chuckled to my right.

“Wear the dress. It looks amazing on you. I’ll make sure to bring twice as many weapons to ensure no one touches you. Asfor the rest of your accusations? Well, go change, and then I’ll show you just how magical my dick is.”

She scoffed, but the way her face turned a pretty shade of pink told me I’d at least gotten to her.

“Andromeda, thank you for making a special trip for us,” I said, and moved to push Cali back into the mobile changing room. I leaned into the small cube and whispered, “Calliope, thank the nice lady, and then I will punish you for being a brat.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

calliope

“You cleanup rather nicely for being an asshole thug. Do the Spectors know one of their bosses looks pretty in a suit?”

We watched from a corner. Everyone had masks on and some looked to be studded in real diamonds.

“How much money do you think is in this room?” I asked, leaning against Xander. I fought the urge to melt into him as his fingers grazed my neck.

“Let’s hope a lot. But more so, I hope their pockets are deep tonight.”

I watched as a couple walked side by side with champagne, moving between two sculptures that were larger versions than mine. Xander promised to make me another one, but seeing these here, I just wanted the original. It wasn’t just the knife. It was the fact he’d thought of me. He’d thought of me and done something about it.

Maybe that would be something I really pushed for this week, to empty out my apartment of the few things I wanted.

“Did you help with those?” I nodded toward the sculptures.

“I was inspired, what can I say?”

His hand slid around my back and past the backless part of the dress, heading beneath the edge of the drape of the top that went up into a halter.

“Behave, asshole. Just because I complimented you doesn’t mean you get to cop a feel. Maybe explain to me why this was moved up? If I call in sick one more day, I’m probably going to be fired with or without your doctor's note.”

His chest rumbled behind me, but he stopped as Zeiden moved next to us. Without having seen them put on their masks, I doubt I would actually know who either of them were. Xander had complimented my dress with silver in his mask and a gray shirt under the black tux. Zeiden wore a deep green, and Cas and Rylee sported red.

“X, keep your eye out. We don’t know who we are looking for. I just have a hunch that whoever the puppet master is will show. He has to be one of the rich to afford the poisons and to have set up that fake fight.”

I looked at Zeiden. “It looked pretty real to me.”

---