Page 88 of Passion and Payback

“Mmm...Saturday.”

“Cutting it a little close, aren’t you?”

“No worse than last time.”

“Yeah, tell me after dinner?”

“Sure...burgers or roast chicken?”

“Burgers, for sure.”

“Burgers it is.”

HUNTER

“I would like to reiterate that this is a terrible idea, and I hate everything about it,” Kai muttered beside me, making me shake my head.

“Yes, you’ve said that. However, that didn’t stop you from agreeing to the plan, so here we are,” I said, smiling as someone passed by with a tray of drinks, pausing to grab one.

“Sobriety is essential,” Kai said as he hypocritically sipped from a flute of Champagne. When he saw my look, he chuckled. “I just meant it as a warning not to drink too much. We need to be focused.”

“I’m going to be careful how much I drink,” I told him, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. The entire point of being here was to blend in as much as possible without drawing attention. The place wassupposedto be invitation only, but the age-old advice was true. We looked like we belonged with all the dressed-up people who had more money than we’d ever see, so we were left alone.

Our advantage stemmed from the fact that everyone came from different parts of the country, and we had banked on the idea that they wouldn’t recognize one another and thus notrecognize strangers in their midst. Of course, it was hard not to be noticed when I was walking around with sex in a suit on my heels, but Kai had insisted on being included.

“Let’s get some fresh air,” he said, glancing around the large room that, while probably meant to be a conference room, looked more like a ballroom. The entire thing had been arranged and paid for by Mitchell, and his taste was wildly different from Damon’s. Compared to Damon’s little hideaway, which had been toned down and almost homey, Mitchell had a taste for the flashy and glamorous but the more refined if slightly old-fashioned kind. Everyone wore gowns and tuxedos, so clearly, they all knew the dress code.

One of the large walls was made entirely of glass and beams, which was impressive since it was probably three stories tall. It opened onto a large garden, and plenty of people had decided they enjoyed the natural ambiance over the ballroom. From what I’d heard, the entire building had been rented out and filled with some of the wealthiest people in the country.

Kai followed me outside, where the noise of the live band was muted by the thick glass. All that could be heard was the sound of the wind carrying some quiet conversations around the garden. I made my way to the wall overlooking the bay. The lights of Port Dale sparkled over the choppy water, making me think of stars dancing in the sky. I breathed in the smell of salt air, smiling as I set the glass of Champagne on the edge and stared out.

“How are we doing?” I asked in a low voice, knowing anyone close enough would still be able to understand me.

“There’s people a few yards off,” he said, leaning on the edge with me. “Keep your voice low, and they shouldn’t be able to hear. The whole place is a viper’s nest of gossip and shit talk. No one’s going to bat an eye if we look like we’re doing either.”

“What a fun coincidence,” I said with a snort. “How much do you think each of these drinks cost?”

“Is that really what we should be focusing on?”

“Mmm, probably should be keeping an eye on Mitchell, but considering he hasn’t shown himself since leaving to make a few calls earlier, I’m making do with conversation.”

Kai sighed, picking up the glass and evaluating it. “Well, the only other times I had Champagne, it was the cheap shit that tasted like bitter, dry ass. This stuff is pretty good. So I’m guessing a bottle costs somewhere between one of your car payments and the rent.”

“For the apartment or the whole building?”

“Mmmm, whole building?”

“Damn, it’s notthatgood.”

Kai laughed. “C’mon, you know it’s not about whether the food and drink is actually good. It’s about whether they can brag about what they’ve spent on everything.”

“Did you have those little sandwiches they’re handing out?”

“Pretty sure those weren’t sandwiches. Just slices of bread with fish.”

“And caviar. That stuff was way better than I had with Lucas years ago, and we paid a ridiculous sum for it.”

Sometimes, I wondered what it was like to have Lucas brought up like I did. On the one hand, it had to be weird to hear about my ex, but on the other hand, who could argue with me mentioning my poor murdered lover? Sometimes, it felt wrong, like I was taking advantage of Lucas’s circumstances to get away with talking about him. Sometimes, I didn’t know if I felt worse that Kai didn’t seem bothered by it. Understanding and compassion were sometimes double-edged, just as likely to cut the person it was to help.

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