Page 67 of Mr. Kelly

I nod with a smirk and take a sip of whiskey. Huxley beams at his wife like she isn’t talking about murder.

I understand. Andrea and I have had such conversations, but I’m trying to imagine River being a killer. While I know she’s too sweet to the core—and it’s one of the things I love most about her—it’d also be hot to see us dressed in her sexiest outfit for a deadly reason. Huxley thinks so too because they disappear while I chuckle to myself.

The crossword puzzle on my phone kept me occupied while Kinnie and Huxley worked out their passion in my backroom. She returns and grabs her compact to fix her makeup as she picks up the subject like she’s been sitting there the entire time.

“I have two hemlock-filled capsules designed to look like his herbal pills. He’ll take them before bed, so we’ll be back home by then.”

“How will you ensure he takes the pills?”

“Rumor has it that his staff has a stomach bug working its way through them.” Her smile tells me she’s had something to do with that. “He’s even more diligent about taking hissupplements. As with anything, timing is golden. He’s down to the end of his bottle. They are the only two left. All evidence will be ingested. He should already feel like he already has the stomach bug due to his Tea of the Month. It’s labeled as dandelion, but it’s a mild laxative.”

I nod. “So you already did this?”

“Yes, I have to swap the tea with the real stuff.” She points at the “gift” she brought. “We’ll laugh, dance, and swap the tea. The key is not to have anything suspicious happen. A smooth night equals an undetectable murder.”

“So I can’t kick his ass?” I joke as we land.

Kinnie claps happily. “I’d love to watch that, but no. Too public and messy.”

The party would betop notch if it wasn’t funded for a man who buys and imprisons women. It’s a caliber I’m used to, and while my family provided the wine for the event, we do not support Senator Camper or his stance on many political issues. It is a business deal for us and nothing else. That is also how I scored the invitation.

My polite face is on while Kinnie clings to me like she’s so in love with me. My wedding is a secret and no one outside of the people in my ceremony knows that I’m married or the identity of my wife. With everything that’s happened lately, I prefer it that way. I’ve done the public relationship and I’m over it.

I shake hands of the high-powered people I’ve met before but work to keep my face straight when I’m introduced to a Spanish dignitary, Joaquín Falcó. His title was much longer, but I didn’t feel the need to retain it since The Reaper and I simply noddedat each other and pretended that we aren’t there for nefarious reasons.

He melts into the crowd and is off to do God knows what. I know he’s not there for the senator because he doesn’t go anywhere near him.

“That was interesting,” Kinnie whispers to me.

“You and him have the same job,” I tell her in code.

“Ah, that’s why it was interesting. I could tell.”

She waggles her brows at me and moves away while shimmying. “I’ll get us a drink,” I tell her in case anyone is paying attention to us.

“Great, I should be back from powdering my nose.”

We split up, both doing our part. “This night is bigger than expected.”

I look up to see who’s talking to me. Senator Camper stands next to me, smiling like I’m one of his friends. Those gray eyes do not soften with his smile. His politician smile hides a lot from the world, but I know what it’s like to look at a man who doesn’t care about anyone but himself.

“It’s always great to be celebrated. I say take each party like it’s your last.”

The bartender hands me the drinks, and I tip mine to him. He clanks his glass to mine, and I look just above his balding head so I can maintain my smile. It’s damn hard doing things this way.

“Have the happiest birthday, Senator.”

His smile grows from being the center of attention. He’s not much older than me, but we look so different. He’s damn near completely gray and his skin is wrinkled like he’s spent entirely too much time in the sun. His cologne is suffocating. Too strong and musky.

“Thank you for coming to my party.”

The knowledge that it’ll be his last makes me smile even bigger. “It was my pleasure.”

“Darling, there you are with the drinks,” Kinnie says like I’m her long-lost lover.

“Yes, I was talking to the man of the hour,” I explain and press a kiss to her temple for show.

“Senator Camper, this is my wife.”

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