Page 132 of Empire of Ache & Ruin

“Why do they always wear masks?” Jacob asks, looking over Gardenia’s shoulder.

“To hide their shame, obviously,” Gardenia deadpans.

“Hmm.” Jacobs nods. “I always thought it had to do with yearning. You know, the mask is the barrier that keeps you from the object of your desire—the beloved you can’t have because you can’t find her.”

Gardenia slowly turns to face Jacob, eyebrows knitted. “Someone ate theirAlpha-Bitscereal today.”

“I went to Oxford too, you know.” Jacob braces his hand on the granite counter and leans in to take a better look at the screen. “I find it curious.”

Santino strolls into the kitchen with Luce by his side. I point at the screen and ask, “Does this look like one of those orgies? Or is it a regular off-season kind of party at the Hamptons?”

“Hmm.” Santino squints at the grainy video. “If you see a group of people without a mask, wearing identical outfits or nothing at all, I’d say it’s safe to assume you wandered into another one of their sexy parties. Do you have anything from inside the house?” he asks Gardenia.

“Nope.” She shakes her head, looking at Luce. “We didn’t go in.”

“I heard.” Santino cocks an eyebrow at his wife.

“We were perfectly safe. And it was for a good cause.” She wraps her arms around his waist.

“Hmm.” He grunts, casting her a glance that even I recognize as mad love, the kind that can destroy a man and everything he holds dear. “You keep saying that.”

Is that what Mom, Fisher, Gardenia and Jacob see every time Paloma and I are together? Am I so obvious in my feelings for her? No wonder they don’t trust me to make good decisions whenever Paloma is involved. But I can’t help it. Even now, all I want to do is run out the door and get her back.

“This back door.” Gardenia points at the laptop. “The same security guy is watching the beach and the door. Jacob can distract him while you sneak in.”

“From there, just take the stairs to the left of the kitchen,” Santino says. “The cellar will be to your right. You can’t miss it.”

“And if the portraits are not there?” Jacob grabs an apple from the fruit bowl and bites into it. “Where do we check next?”

“I hate to say it, but the bedrooms upstairs would be my next guess.” Gardenia shoots me a quick glance.

“One problem at a time.” I turn to Santino. “Where can I change?”

“Come on.” He dips his head toward the hallway. “I’ll show you.”

“I think I’m fine like this.” Jacob adjusts his driver uniform that he used when he drove us to the Senator’s mansion. “I can’t even begin to pretend to be one of those assholes. I’ll hang out in the kitchen and keep an eye on things from there.”

“That should work.” I pat him on the back, and then follow Santino upstairs to the suite at the end of the corridor.

“This is where I leave you.” He pushes the door open. “I’m taking Luce back to the city. Something about this group and their orgies doesn’t sit well with me. Last time, I got the sense not everyone was there willingly.”

“I can always call the cops on my way out.” I enter the room.

“Rex and I are keeping an eye on them. For now, they seem innocuous. And we have no proof.” He shrugs. “Good luck.” He touches his index finger to his temple then leaves.

I stride to his walk-in closet and grab the first tuxedo I see. The tuxedo jacket is a bit tight across the chest, but I can’t be a beggar or a chooser tonight. I don the shoes, and then, meet Jacob out on the terrace.

The cold air blowing in from the beach brushes my face. Next to me Jacob shivers against the wind. My heart races so hard, the chill that engulfs us once we hit the beach does nothing to cool me down. I’m ready for battle, even if our biggest threat tonight is a house full of spoiled millionaires with discerning tastes.

We keep to the shadows as we approach the party house. As Gardenia said, there’s only one security guard manning the back door. Plus, another guy pacing the yard that leads to the beach.

“Sorry guys, looks like security just got beefed up.” Gardenia’s voice booms in my ear. “But they’re still doing their perimeter walk-through. Give them a minute. They’ll head out soon.”

I look to Jacob, and he nods. After a few minutes, the one security guard heads out toward us. My heart thrashes in my ears as I wait for the man to stride to the edge of the property, look up and down the beach, and then stalk in the opposite direction.

“Okay, go,” Gardenia whispers. “The second guy just walked away from the door.”

I keep to the tall grass and trees in the backyard. Lucky for us, like Santino’s home, this backyard is designed to provide privacy from the beach. Once we’re inside, the security guards don’t have a direct line of sight to us. With Jacob at my heels, I take long strides and don’t stop until we reach the entrance.

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