Page 80 of Cruelly Fated
“Every day, every time I think of you. Because I know your heart.”
I laughed, running my fingertips beneath my eyes to brush away the tears. “You’re the best grandpa a girl could ask for.”
He bumped his chest with a fist, an odd gesture for him. Prison life had rubbed off on him, and I feared what other habits he’d picked up from his gang of reformed outlaws.
Stepping into the sunlight outside the penitentiary’s door, I felt lighter.
I copied Valor’s address into the navigation app and hopped into my car.
The Valor estate rose in a high-end district tucked away from the city’s chaos, its grounds stretching out beside a sprawling golf course. A uniformed valet stood ready in the circular driveway. He stepped forward, took my keys, and drove off before I could even blink.
“Wait, how do I…?” I sighed, glancing around. One side of the grand mahogany door creaked open, and a butler silently motioned me inside. Still no words. Was there a rule against noise or something?
“She’s here!” a young woman wrapped in a plush robe shrilled from atop a sweeping staircase. She flew down the steps and halted inches from my face, her grin wide enough to flashsharp fangs. My chin tucked instinctively, as if seeking a safe distance.
“Oh, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” she said, squeezing my hands and bouncing on the balls of her feet. “My brother never brings his dates home. Let’s get you ready!”
Thirty-Five
ALLIE
“Does Valor—” I began.
“—know you’re here? If he missed my greeting, then he’s one deaf vampire,” Valor’s sister chirped.
She guided me onto a pink, tufted stool in front of a theater-style vanity that dominated the wall, lined with mirrors and bulbs. In two seconds flat, she’d undone my braid.
“I’m Vanessa, by the way. But friends call me Ness—you should too. I’ve got a good feeling aboutyou.”
“Um…Allie. You do know I’m not dating your brother, right?”
Ness stuck out her lower lip in a pout. “Yeah. He’s too wound up with a stick up his ass to attract any decent prospects. What I meant was—I got a reading of you when we touched. It’s my gift, and I can tell that while you’re fond of my brother, your heart belongs to someone else. Still, having a female friend in his circle is a step in the right direction. I worry about him sometimes…”
She tilted my head side to side, analyzing.
“Cascading curls would suit you,” she murmured.
I shrugged. “I’ve never been to a fancy party.”
Ness had a flat iron and a curler heating up. I reached for the curler, but she suddenly appeared between me and the vanity, her arms folded across her chest.
“You can’t curl this scrunchy mess on your head without smoothing the hair first.” She tapped a finger against her hot pink lips. “My stylists already left, which means you’re stuck with me…but have no fear.”
Wasn’t that what people unsure of their skills say? I tensed.
She gripped the flat iron and within a few minutes, my hair was transformed into a glossy waterfall. She clipped sections, misted them with copious hairspray, and curled them one by one with near-military precision. At last, she touched up my makeup.
“Look,” she said, stepping aside. I leaned toward the mirror. Was this me? The hair looked fabulous, a cover-model-worthystyle. The smoky eyes and that same hot-pink lipstick highlighted two of my best features. I usually stopped at eyeliner, but I’d have to rethink dark eye shadow after today. This look might bring me more tips.
“Midnight blue will bring out your eyes even more,” Ness said, sashaying behind me with a strapless mermaid dress draped over one arm.
I covered my gaping mouth. “This is gorgeous. Are you sure I can borrow it?”
“You could lose it, and my sister would never notice.” Valor stepped into the dressing room, his frame wrapped in a navy-blue tuxedo with velvet lapels. “Have you seen herotherclosets?”
“Hush, brother. I don’t ick over your yum,” Ness quipped, stepping around the corner in a tight pink number that left little to the imagination.
Valor’s eyes narrowed at her attire. “That’s not exactly ballroom-appropriate.”
