Page 64 of Salem's Fall
“Oh, right. Still toiling away at Whitehall & Rowe, aren’t you?” William asks, condescension dripping from his voice. “Congrats, James. Really. It’s a nice little firm. Good pay. I know how hard you worked for that job—you’ve always been into that sort of thing.” He flashes a self-important grin, chest puffing out. “Me? I’m more interested in public service. I want to serve the people.”
I grip my clutch tighter, heat rising to my face, but I refuseto let him bait me. His family is loaded, he can afford to “serve the people.” The rest of us have to work hard to put money in the bank.
“How nice for you, Will. Good luck with that.”
Jess sighs, long and dramatic, like this entire conversation is some great burden on her. As ifshe’sthe wronged party.
“Look, James, we want you to know we’re sorry. Truly.” She rests a delicate hand on William’s arm, throwing him a look before turning back to me with a saccharine smile. “But sometimes, you can’t fight fate, you know? When something feels right, you have to follow your heart.”
Oh, I want to slug her. I really do. She’s practically begging for it…
“Yeah, no hard feelings, right?” William adds, his smirk deepening. “You’ll understand one day, when you find someone of your own.”
That’s it. I can’t listen to this crap any longer. I open my mouth to respond, ready to verbally eviscerate them both?—
But I don’t have to.
“Oh, she’s already found someone,” Damien says, coming up behind me. His hand rests lightly at the small of my back, possessive, grounding.
Jess’s eyes go wide, her breath hitching as she takes in the man now standing beside me, like she can’t quite believe what she’s seeing. Next to her, William stiffens, his bravado slipping, his face going pale.
“You’re… you’re Damien Blackhollow, aren’t you?” William asks, his voice losing its usual arrogance.
Damien tilts his head, studying William like he’s something stuck to the bottom of his expensive shoe. “And you must be the idiot ex-boyfriend.”
William bristles.
“Excuse me?”
Damien’s smirk is pure sin. “Can’t say I’m impressed. I expected someone… better.”
William goes rigid, his hands curling into fists. “Hey, now. Listen here?—”
“No, you listen.” Damien steps closer, towering over my ex. “You had your chance with her. I don’t know what she was thinking back then, but she’s clearly smartened up.” His grip tightens on my back, his smile slow and deliberate.
William’s mouth opens, then snaps shut. He looks like he can’t decide whether to argue or run away. For a brief moment, I almost feel bad for him—almost. But even if this is a lie, even if Damien and I aren’t even remotely together, watching William squirm? Watching his face turn red, his confidence crumble? God, it feels good. Maybe it’s silly and petty, but after everything he’s done, I’ll take it.
Without another word, William turns on his heel and stalks off, fists clenched.
Jess, ever the social climber, lingers a beat. She casts me a lingering look before flashing Damien a too-bright, nervous smile. “Well, it was nice seeing you, James! We should catch up sometime!” she calls out, wiggling her fingers in an awkward wave before scurrying after William.
Damien watches them go, his smile only deepening.
“That was unnecessary,” I say, though I can’t help but laugh at my ex-boyfriend scampering off with his tail between his legs. “Sure was fun, though.”
“I aim to please.”
I hesitate, then murmur, “He’s right, though, you know.”
“Really?” Damien snorts, unimpressed. “I can’t think of a single thing that poor son of a bitch could be right about.”
“My job. Whitehall & Rowe. Succeeding at the firm is all I’ve ever wanted.” I brush my fingers over the stunning black diamond at my throat, glancing around at the opulence of the Gala—the sparkling gowns, the extravagant feast, the endlessflow of glittering drinks. “Tonight has been lovely. And… thank you. But I need to get back to reality now.”
This evening was supposed to be about recon—layout, timeline, Damien’s alibi. But somewhere between the diamonds and the dancing and Damien’s charm, I let myself forget. Just for a little while, I stopped acting like a lawyer.
Damien’s easy smile falters.
“What do you mean? The night’s still young.” His voice is light, teasing, but there’s something else beneath it—something real. He’s enjoying this. Enjoying me.
