Page 87 of Bells
“I know about everything,” Adrian said.
“Then you know why I’m here.”
He paused in his steps, grabbing a glass of amber liquid and raising it to his lips. He brought it down again and clinked it against my champagne. “Cheers.”
“I don’t drink.” I deposited my glass on a nearby table and crossed my arms over my chest, watching as he shot back the liquor before setting the empty tumbler next to my full champagne.
Then he tucked his hands into his pockets and started walking again. “Doyouknow why you’re here, Trixie?”
My eye twitched at the name, but I didn’t correct him. The more you told someone something bothered you, the more likely they were to do it. Though I was pretty sure my face told him for me. “You’re not gonna talk me out of killing him.”
“I’m not trying to talk you out of anything…”
I opened my mouth to call bullshit, and Adrian held up a hand.
“But I did bring you here tonight for a reason.” He pushed open a door, and once again gestured for me to go in first.
I shook my head and he crossed the threshold, waiting for me to step in after him before closing us inside. I glanced around at the library, where I used to spend a lot of my time as a kid. I should have recognized he was leading me here. But I’d been focusing on other things and—he was right—ithadbeen a long time.
“There’s something I think you should know. Somethingall of youshould know,” Adrian announced to the room, and that was when I spotted Vee and Gabby standing in the corner. Theydidn’t appear distressed or like they were being held against their will. But they did look annoyed.
“What’s this about, Dr. Lambert?” Vee asked cautiously. Her eyes flicked in my direction before flicking back.
“This is a discussion,” Adrian replied. “Between your family and mine, Mother.”
Vee didn’t flinch. But she did narrow her gaze. “And the party?”
Adrian waved his hand in the air, as though he were grasping for the right word. “A distraction… in case things get… loud.”
“You mean violent,” I chimed in.
“That too,” he agreed.
“You want witnesses,hostages,” Vee stated calmly. “That’s why you invited my benefactors.”
“Benefactors?” I asked, and I could tell Gabby was thinking the same thing. She was just better at keeping her thoughts to herself until we were alone.
Vee didn’t answer. Instead, she pulled a chair out from the long table in the middle of the room and signaled for Gabby and me to follow suit.
A few seconds later, the door pushed open again, and four more figures closed themselves inside here with us. I didn’t have to see their faces to know which one of them washim. I could tell by the way he walked. His mask of choice was a dead giveaway too.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
CASPER
Iwatched her from underneath the hood of my favorite Ghostface mask, grinning when I dropped down in the chair directly across from hers. She continued to shoot daggers at me while I was pretty sure I had hearts in my eyes.
Only my girl could wear pants to a fancy-ass party and look better than all the chicks in floor-length ballgowns.
I brushed the tip of my shoe up the side of her leg, and she dug a heel into my ankle. The Bossman had been right—though I’d never tell the cocky fucker that—she wasn’t broken anymore. She was all fixed up and ready to kill me again. And my dick was hard as a rock.
She’d been pretending she didn’t care for the last few weeks. But you didn’t look at someone like you wanted to stab 'em in the eye with the toothpick you were chewing on if you didn’t care.
I adjusted my pants and settled into my seat with an ankle over a knee. Leaning back and trying to bounce the chair and quickly remembering it didn’t have any give.
“What is it that you wanted to discuss, Adrian?” Dommy Mommy clicked her nails impatiently. She was sitting directly across from him, sandwiched between Bellatrix and Princess Repressed.
Bossman stared at her for a long moment. Probably dealing with some serious mommy issues that the rest of us weren’t too keen on waiting out.
