Page 155 of Theirs to Ruin

Roberta's eyes fell on me, and her smile widened. "Why yes! My dear, it's been ages. You're looking radiant."

"Thank you, Mrs. DiMarco," I replied, offering a polite smile.

As the afternoon wore on, it became a familiar pattern. We were greeted by different families. They’d speak to my father first and he’d call their attention to me. Before too long, he was outright praising me. "Camille has been excelling in her classes," he boasted. Another time, he said, "Did you hear about the project she led last year? Absolutely groundbreaking."

It was as if in my father’s eyes I was the belle of the ball. Compliments flowed, and with every accolade Dad threw my way, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. I'd spent so much timeunder his shadow, constantly chasing his approval, that this sudden shift felt both surreal and gratifying.

As the afternoon rolled on, the crowd around us seemed to grow. Students who hadn’t spoken to me in months stopped to say hello. My happiness at my father’s praise started to subside. I began to suspect there was something going on that I didn’t understand. The hypocrisy of it all was like honeyed poison—saccharine but bitter.

Suddenly, my father’s aide asked to speak to him. As they talked, I looked around. My breath caught when I spotted Kage in the distance, near the quad. With him stood Callum, and their mother and stepfather. Kage's mother looked so fragile. I wished I could walk up to them and proudly claim Kage. That his family would welcome me with open arms. Instead, I quickly turned, not wanting them to see me.

I gasped when I saw my father standing so close he was almost on top of me. He stared over my shoulder. "Ah, the O’Hares," he murmured. "Let's go pay our respects."

My mind instantly rebelled. "No, Dad. We can't."

"Why not?"

I knew my father wasn’t dense. "They think I killed Ava. I don't want to cause any scenes. It's a sensitive time."

“They’ve been informed Ava died of a heart attack. We can't let them intimidate us. It's crucial we show we're not afraid. That we have nothing to hide."

This wasn't about me. This was about him, his image. "It's not about intimidation," I countered, surprising myself with the strength in my voice. "They’re still grieving and I’m not going to add to that in some kind of juvenile power play.”

“Excuse me?” he said, his expression turning furious.

I lifted my chin. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it that way. But Dad, please, there’s other people we can talk to.” I glanced tothe left. “Look, there’s the Ferrera family. Let’s see if we can have our photo taken with them.”

He studied me with narrow eyes, then nodded. "Lead the way."

My father was shaking Governor James Ferrera’s hand when my phone buzzed with a new message. I glanced at the screen, not recognizing the number.

I saw Ava’s man. The one you said to tell you about.

My heart pounded loudly in my ears, the world around me momentarily blurring.

It had to be Henry, the man I’d met at Devil’s Engine.

Every instinct screamed at me to find Kage and tell him. But with my father by my side, deeply engrossed in his political maneuvering, I knew I'd have to wait.

I smiled nicely as Georgia took a picture of me, my father, and Governor Ferrera. Then I whispered to my dad, “I’ll be right back, Dad. I need to use the restroom.”

He nodded absently.

When I was a good distance away, I stepped behind a tree and called Henry’s number.

“Too late, he just left,” he said.

Damn it. “Where are you?”

He rattled off the name of a Crimsonvale restaurant.

“You didn’t see where he went? Take a picture?”

“With what? My phone doesn’t have a camera.”

“Can you describe him?”

“Tall. Dark hair.”

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