Page 106 of Make Them Cry
We slip down the hallway, footsteps silent on plush carpet. The corridors here are dimmer, echoing with the faint strains of the party left behind.
We round a corner—just in time to see Helena and Andrew disappear through a frosted-glass door labeled “Private Lounge.”
Gage raises a brow. “Well, that’s not suspicious at all.”
My stomach churns. “They didn’t even try to hide it. And what’s even more crazy is both of their spouses are here.”
“Which means they’re either reckless… or confident no one would dare follow.”
He tilts his head toward the alcove across from the door, hidden in shadow. We slide in, waiting.
Through the glass, silhouettes shift—close. Too close. When Andrew pulls Helena against him and presses his lips to hers, it’s all the confirmation we need.
“They really don’t care who sees,” I murmur.
“Or they think no one will believe it,” Gage says grimly. “Andrew’s got a reputation.”
I chew on my bottom lip. “Do you think she’s controlling him? Like she is Tasha?”
He nods slowly. “Wouldn’t surprise me. If Helena is Regent… she’s been running this chessboard for a while. And now we know she’s playing more than one piece.”
I exhale shakily. “She’s so… calculated. It’s like she’s always two moves ahead.”
Gage snaps a picture of the two of them before reaching for my hand, his fingers wrapping around mine. “Not anymore. Not with us watching.”
He pulls me closer, tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “You look so damn beautiful tonight, River. I wish this was just a date. Just you and me.”
My heart thuds painfully. “Me too.”
He presses a soft kiss to my forehead, and for a moment the rest of the world fades—the threat, the danger, the betrayal. Just the press of his lips, the way he holds me like I matter more than anything else.
And I believe him.
The door across the hall opens and we both shift back into position.
Helena and Andrew emerge, looking composed, like nothing scandalous just happened behind that door. But now we know. We have proof. And leverage.
“Let’s get back,” Gage whispers. “We’ve got work to do.”
As we slip back into the party, my mind is racing.
The secrets are getting thicker.
The lies deeper.
But with Gage beside me… I feel like we might just have a shot.
THIRTY-SIX
GAGE
“You want to dance?” I ask River as we step back into the ballroom.
She beams. “You’ll dance with me?”
“I’ll do anything for you.”
From the moment she walked into this party tonight, a little black dress with a slit up her thigh… I knew I was a goner. I’m still a goner. I’m fucking in love. And I no longer care who knows about it. I take her out on the floor and wrap my arm around her waist. Her body fits against mine like it was made for this. Made for me. The music shifts into something slower, and we move like we’ve done this a thousand times before.
