alone.”
“ I’m not alone. There are
people everywhere,” I say.
“ Exactly.”
I pause, understanding his meaning.
Someone here—even in this elite crowd—could have it out for me.
Before I can form a response, the trilling laughter comes again
from the room behind me, followed by my name.
“ Raven! There you
are!”
A petite blond appears in the doorway
as Linc moves away from me. She smiles brightly at me, completely
ignoring him. I recognize her from the albums. Taylor. She is
Raven’s—my—best friend.
“ Taylor,” I say. It comes
out breathy because I am relieved to remember something this
important when I am still reeling from Linc’s touch. It was meant
to remind me of danger. Instead, it thrilled me and left me wanting
more time with his fingers on my skin.
Taylor inspects me critically and I
freeze. “You look … better than I expected. How’s your head? I
didn’t expect you out so soon.”
“ My head’s fine. Sore,” I
amend, knowing I should be feeling something from whatever injury
I’ve sustained.
“ I should’ve known it
wouldn’t keep you away from a good party,” she says. “Did Daniel
come with you?”
Daniel. I recall a face from the
photos. A senator’s son. Titus’s right-hand man. The way Linc spoke
of him, this boy is being groomed to take over Titus’s business
someday. Linc didn’t mention a connection between Daniel and me so
I’m not sure what to say to Taylor’s expectant expression. “Um
…”
“ Don’t tell me you haven’t
talked to him yet,” she says. “The paparazzi have been driving him
crazy from what I hear, trying to get the dish on what you two were
doing together that night.”
Paparazzi. I remember Linc saying the
word when we paged through those albums. Men with cameras, always
angling for gossip or secrets or something to sell. As if Raven’s
private business is a commodity.
I stare at Taylor, trying to understand
what she’s not saying. Was I with this Daniel the night I—Raven—was
injured? Is he special to me—to her?
“ I’ve been so busy with
doctor appointments, I guess I haven’t had time,” I say with a
careless shrug. “I’ll call him tomorrow.”
She smiles and the way her lips curl is
insinuating. “I bet you will. Nothing like a good piece of ass to
get you back into the swing of things. Come on, let’s make the
rounds and then find the bottle the maid stashed for
us.”
Linc’s expression twists. I keep mine
carefully blank of any evidence of my cluelessness. Taylor doesn’t
notice either. She loops her slender arm through mine and I let her
lead me toward the party. Linc falls back and soon I don’t see him
anymore.
We wander from gathering to gathering.
Taylor does most of the talking, her tinkling laughter cutting
through even the most serious conversations. Taylor knows everyone
and everyone knows Taylor. She is a master at small talk and
compliments and leaving everyone smiling in our wake. I wonder if I
am usually just as talkative but she doesn’t seem to mind my
silence.
More than once, I feel eyes on me from
across the room. I turn, expecting a glower from Titus or Gus’s
unsmiling watchfulness. Instead, I find Linc studying me with a
careful stare that seems to see everything all at once though he
only looks at me. Despite his judgmental treatment, I feel safe
with Linc watching.
When we’ve done a full lap and spoken
with everyone present at least once, Taylor leads me through a side
door and into a dimly lit room containing rows and rows of coats.
Small aisles span right and left, too narrow to walk through
without my shoulders brushing the jackets hanging on either
side.
“ Shut the door, will you?”
Taylor goes to the nearest rack and begins searching
pockets.
I push the door until it latches and
then wait while she continues patting down jackets. “What are you
doing?”
“ I had the maid leave a
stash for us. Should be right around … here!” She pulls her hand
free from
Tobias Jones
Michelle Rabe
John Ajvide Lindqvist
Maria Schneider
Diamond R. James
Clifford “Spud” Johnson
Joshua Dalzelle
D.nichole King
James Sheehan
Carl Frode Tiller