Page 105 of Make Them Cry
I’m excited to see him. I’m nervous and wearing a wire, so I do what I always do when I’m anxious. I toss a stick of Misfit Mint gum into my mouth.
I can’t help the way my heart skips when I imagine Gage seeing me in this dress for the first time.
The moment I step through the gilded double doors of the Novaplay ballroom, my heart kicks hard in my chest—not from anxiety, for once—but from anticipation. And maybe… a little hope.
The room is transformed. No longer the place of dull quarterly mixers or post-release toasts, but a winter gala drenched in opulence. Icicle lights dangle from the ceiling like a frozen constellation. Silver and navy tablecloths shimmer beneath crystal centerpieces. A string quartet hums in the corner near the champagne bar.
I feel like I’ve stepped into someone else’s life. Someone confident. Desired. Safe.
Someone who wears a slinky black dress with a thigh-high slit and sparkly heels that make her feel ten feet tall.
But all of that fades the second I spot him.
Gage.
He's standing near the bar, deep in conversation with Arrow—who’s looking sharp in a black velvet jacket beside Knight in a maroon suit. But Gage… he’s magnetic. A black suit tailored to perfection, no tie, shirt unbuttoned just enough to tease. His jaw is tight until his eyes land on me—and then it softens, melts.
His lips part. Like he forgot how to breathe.
I walk slowly, letting him take me in. His gaze travels from my heels, up the curve of my leg, to the plunge of my neckline, to my red lips and the soft curl in my hair. It’s not just lust in his eyes—it’s awe.
“Damn,” he says when I reach him, his voice low and rough. “You trying to kill me?”
I smile, coy. “Just thought I’d make an impression.”
“You already did that the second I met you.” His hand finds the small of my back and heat sparks under my skin. “But this? You’ve just made it impossible for me to focus on the mission.”
Juno chuckles nearby. “He’s lying. He was already useless the minute you walked in.”
Gage shoots her a look. “Not helping.”
Arrow lifts a champagne flute in mock salute. “We’ll hold down the op. You two just try not to spontaneously combust.”
I roll my eyes, but I’m blushing. Hard.
We mingle briefly, saying hi to a few execs and some unfamiliar faces from marketing and development. Gage keeps close, his hand lingering just enough to tether me, but not distract me completely from the job at hand.
Because tonight, we’re not just playing dress-up.
We’re hunting.
And then I see them.
Helena and Andrew.
Slipping out the ballroom doors.
Gage catches it too.
“They’re moving,” he murmurs, pressing his lips just behind my ear like a lover sharing a secret. “You up for a little field trip?”
I glance over my shoulder. “Always.”
We make our way toward the side exit, dodging servers and colleagues, keeping our movements casual. I snag a glass of champagne off a tray just for the cover.
Gage presses a finger to his ear. “Arrow, Juno—Helena and Andrew just left the ballroom. We’re tailing.”
A second later, Juno’s voice responds through the comms. “Copy. We’re in position by the stairwell if they head that way.”
