Page 57 of The Monster and the Last Blood Match

Reyna turned to look at Sophie. She wore a pitying expression but didn’t say anything. Reyna shouldn’t have asked about them. She didn’t really care. Nothing was going on between her and Beckham. But still, he had brought her here tonight. If he had preferred to show up with Penelope, then he shouldn’t have brought Reyna along. Sitting at home with her pictures was better than feeling left out of the inside joke between him and his whatever girlfriend.

“It must have had something to do with your politics,” Beckham said dryly.

“Oh, boo on you. My politics are perfection, and you know it.”

Reyna sighed. She needed to change the conversation away from the two of them so she could get through the rest of the night. “So, is that what you study?”

“Oh, yes. Politics. My father thinks it’s important for me to follow in his footsteps.”

“I see. So, do you have any ambition of your own?” she quipped.

“Reyna,” Beckham said.

She smiled at him and enjoyed watching Penelope squirm. At least Reyna wouldn’t be the only one.

“I’ve always loved politics, and I believe in what my father is doing,” Penelope said. “He is enacting meaningful change in the city. Something to be proud of. He has programs in place for the hungry and poor. He’s working to get citizens back on their feet. He’s partnered with Visage to decrease the unemployment rate.”

Reyna didn’t know who Penelope was trying to convince with that speech, but Reyna had lived on the streets. She had seen the city streets. Beckham had educated her, as well as the rogue vampire who had almost killed her. If Penelope thought she was doing her job, her father was doing his job, then they needed to get out more.

“That’s a nice speech but unrealistic,” Reyna said.

“What do you mean? I’ve lived through the administration. I’ve seen the improvements.”

“You call this an improvement?” Reyna asked, shocking even herself in her enthusiasm. “Have you actually seen the streets? Like walked around on them? Seen the people starving and dirty and poor? Seen the streets littered with filth and felt the utter despair? It’s palpable. Has your father—or have you, for that matter—actuallydoneanything to change what’s happening out there, or are you hiding behind your words? Because I’m not sure if you’re aware, but words don’t feed the hungry or help get the poor a job or make the streets livable.”

Penelope gave her a stunned look. Everyone else around them had gone silent at Reyna’s passionate outburst.

“Of…of course we’re working to fix things. Everything doesn’t happen overnight. We’ve set up some very successful initiatives.”

“How exactly are you measuring success? More or fewer deaths than the day before in your wealthy districts? You probably can’t even count the number of dead in the dregs of the city.”

“I don’t know where you think you’re getting this information from,” Penelope said indignantly, “but the city cares about the poor just as much as the wealthy.”

Reyna laughed. Actually laughed. “The rich always say they care about the poor as they clean up the bodies. Whatever you think you’re doing, Penelope, it isn’t working.”

“Reyna, that’s enough,” Beckham growled.

“It always is when you say it is.”

He full-on glared at her, but she didn’t shrink away.

“Will you excuse us?” he spat.

Without waiting to hear what anyone else had to say, he grabbed Reyna roughly by the arm and hauled her across the ballroom. The room quieted down as Harrington got on the small stage and spoke into a microphone. But she couldn’t hear a word he was saying over the deafening silence between her and Beckham as he dragged her out a side panel of double doors and into a small deserted lounge.

“What the hell was that?” Beckham asked.

“You forgot my champagne.”

“Forget the damn champagne. What you said was incredibly out of line.”

“What I said was the damn truth, andyouknow it. I’m not going to let someone tell me what it’s like out there when they’ve never lived through it.”

“You know absolutely nothing about Penelope.”

Reyna scoffed. “The mayor’s daughter? I know enough. I honestly can’t believe you’re seeing her.”

“She isn’t the person you think she is.”

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