Page 138 of Red Masquerade

“Didn’t you know that he’s been paying Lucas off?” Marcel said in my ear.

I froze.

I felt the exhale of a chuckle on my throat. His hands tightening on me, one hand curling into my hair.

“Didn’t you knowVinceis the one that told Lucas to marry you off?”

My heart paused, a mini-death, growing cold. Though something in my chest broke. “You’re lying.”

Marcel pulled away, just enough for me to see the glint in his eye, the grin plastered on his face. “Why would I lie to you, my dear?Iam not a liar.”

He brushed some hair out of my face, pulling the mask off. He threw it to the floor, where it was immediately crushed under feet. The people around us moved about as though we weren’t even there—never bumping into us, giving us a sort of privacy in their midst.

“Why would he do that?” My hands shook against Marcel’s chest.

Don’t believe him. He’s a liar.

“Didn’t you know he’s been threatening your family all along?” he continued, sneering, enjoying this.

I shook my head. It couldn’t be true.

How would he know?

He’s lying, he’s just trying to get you to run away withhim—

I didn’t want to be here anymore. I couldn’t breathe, my lungs feeling shallow.

Movement above. A shock of auburn hair at the balcony. I almost cried out in relief, the sob pulled from me involuntarily at the sight of him.

Vince stood there, like he did my first night here, when he found me—he found me—amongst a crowd and zeroed in like he only had eyes for me.

Only this time, cold fury hardened his face. Hands gripping the banister so tight I thought I saw them splinter.He wore no mask, either—for once standing out against his partygoers, instead of blending in.

He watched Marcel cling to me, hands wandering. A crack to his visage, and whatever he kept locked up within himself, nearly came spilling out, teeth bared.

There’s always collateral.

I couldn’t do anything. I had failed, and now Vince would start a bloodbath in the middle of a crowd of humans.

My cold companion chuckled, pressing his face to mine, gripping my jaw so we both gazed up at the second level, at the enraged vampire standing there.

“Look at that. We’ve been caught.”

The rest had to be nearby. Séra, Dixon—Veronica would stop Marcel if we got outside—

But Veronica was supposed to let someone know Marcel was here. She was supposed to be guarding entry from the front door, waiting to see him creep up. And she hadn’t. He could’ve come in another way, but why do that just to join the fray in the main rooms?

Unless he didn’t mean to face Vince here. He planned on getting out.

“Ah, he’s angry.” Marcel spoke with the same tone from the afternoon he came to taunt Vince. Basking in the reaction, waiting to see what happens.

It had been a matter of seconds, but felt like forever. Vince stared as though he couldn’t believe what he saw. Icy gray eyes taking in the scene—hishumanlover in the hands of one of his enemies—before he took in the rest of the room. I saw it in hiseyes: he wanted to just jump down from the second story, to get to us quicker.

I wished I could shout loud enough for him to hear me, to wait, to not do anything too rash—

His teeth were out, glinting bright white against his skin, almost bristling like an animal.

He looked at me, tome, for a moment, the message clear, before he turned and ran.