by Lily White
The mansion is quite impressive with a winding grand staircase that extends into the foyer, but also into the back portion of the house.
Crystal chandeliers hang gracefully from architectural ceilings, and the floor is a glimmering marble that always appears freshly polished.
Around us, people mill about in tailored tuxedos and sparkling gowns, their clothing at odds with how casual we look.
Having grown up around powerful families, I’m not as impressed as Ames.
She’s only told me a small amount of her past, but I know her family was dirt poor, and she spent a lot of her childhood struggling to get by.
A couple stroll past us, their eyes cast in our direction for only a second before we’re dismissed as unimportant.
The woman with her beautifully styled updo is sure to take a long, disapproving look at Ames, her eyes sweeping down and back up, a small scowl crooking the corner of her lips to see pastel blue hair.
Ames laughs beside me.
“See? Like I guessed. They’re snooty. What she doesn’t know is that her husband’s cock just came alive to see me.”
“Behave,” I warn, unable to keep from laughing. “I just need to find the governor and then we can get out of here.”
“I’ll be on my best behavior,” she says with a grin. “I’ll also go mingle while you do what you need to do. Grab me on your way out.”
Her eyes follow two men who approach the staircase to make their way up. Both are tall and well-built, but while one has lighter hair that is a touch longer than usual among these types, the other has dark hair cut close to his head, a set of wire-framed glasses the perfect complement to his square jaw and high cheekbones.
“Good god. Are all the men beautiful?” Ames smiles like a fox in a henhouse. “Never mind about grabbing me. I think I’ll be perfectly fine if you leave me here.”
Just as she says that, one of the two men, the one with blond, shoulder-length hair, turns to glance down at us as they reach the top of the stairs.
He bumps his shoulder with his friend, and angles his head toward us, both glancing our direction before they stalk off down a hall.
Great, I think. Ames will eat those men alive if they’re not careful.
“I mean it,” I remind her. “Behave. We’re not staying long.”
“I will, even if it ruins all my fun.”
“We’ll have fun at the club tonight,” I answer, my eyes scanning the foyer.
Unfortunately, Governor Callahan isn’t in the immediate vicinity, so I’ll have to walk around to find him.
“Try to stay where I can find you. No sneaking off with beautiful men.”
“No promises,” she says with a wink.
Laughing, I shake my head and walk off to make my way through the house, my eyes scanning small groupings of people in search for Governor Callahan.
Not finding him inside, I walk out back, stopping in place for only a brief moment to admire the grounds.
White tents are placed sporadically through the large backyard, the trees strung with lights that glimmer like stars.
Soft music carries on the wind and as I step out farther, I notice the man I’d seen arriving earlier walking toward me, his date in her gorgeous ombré gown beside him.
She doesn’t look happy to be here, her expression tight as she glances over her shoulder.
Following her line of sight, I spot Ivy in the distance, her face pale where she links an arm with a red-haired woman.
As the man and his date pass, he glances at me with dark green eyes, a chill running down my spine, but for what reason I’m not entirely sure. I get the sense he’s not one to mess with, not that I have time to play around with arrogant jerks. School keeps me far too busy these days.
A few quick steps and I’m off the back patio, weaving a slow trail through the crowd. A hand touches my shoulder and I spin to see Governor Callahan staring down at me.
“Brinley. I wasn’t expecting you tonight.”
I glance around, my cheeks heating because I’ve crashed his party.
“I’m sorry. I was supposed to be here yesterday, but-“
“It’s not a problem at all,” he grins, the practiced expression charming.
It’s impossible to deny that Governor Callahan is a good looking man, but also gross when considering he’s the same age as my father. Still, his dark hair is still full for his age, his body fit.
“Come inside,” he says, his hand closing over my elbow. “We’ll go up to my office to talk.”
Led inside, I search the room for Ames to make sure she hasn’t run off with one of the many beautiful men wandering around the mansion.
We reach the base of the stairs before I finally spot her leaning against a wall with a glass of champagne in hand, a mischievous glimmer in her eye as she smirks at a passing couple.
People can’t help but stare her direction, not that Ames is unaccustomed to the attention.
Even Governor Callahan notices her.
His eyes are locked on her as we climb the first step.
“Is she a friend of yours?”
I laugh.
“Yes. That’s Amelie, or Ames, for short. She goes to my school and is helping out with the flash drive.”
His curiosity piques as he studies her again.
“She’s the one decrypting the drive?”
I shake my head.
“No. But she’s friends with the people who are.”
“Ah,” he nods before leading me up to the top of the stairs and down a few halls to his office.
He closes the door before saying, “I trust your judgment about these friends that are helping you. Your father, I assume, looked into them.”
Nodding, I hand him the manila envelope with the drive and watch as he walks it over to a painting on the wall. Swinging it open to reveal a hidden safe, he dials in a code and locks the envelope inside before returning the painting to its original position.
His dark eyes lock to my face when he faces me again.
“Have you heard from Everly, by any chance?”
Shaking my head, I ignore the worry creeping down my spine. I have no idea what Everly’s involved in, but last I heard, she was moving away from Georgia to another state. She’s been out of touch since.
“No. Not for a few weeks. I was wondering if her brother has heard anything.”
He steps up to stand in front of me.
“Unfortunately, no. Scott last heard from her when you did. You’ll let us know as soon as she contacts you again?”
I nod, and he smiles at the response.
“Thank you. Tell your father hello from me, but I really should be getting back to my guests.”
“Oh,” I say, flustered by being reminded I’ve crashed the event. “Yes, of course.”
We don’t say anything else as he leads me out of the office and back to the grand staircase.
Governor Callahan heads down, but my attention is drawn to a woman moving quickly toward me from the opposite hall, her ombré gown familiar.
Behind her, the dark-haired man I remember seeing the woman with previously is chasing after her, both of them failing to notice me as they turn to descend the stairs.
Apparently I’m not the only one who notices, the redhead I saw with Ivy outside is coming up the stairs, her body stilling in place as they rush by.
I take a few steps down, but can’t help my curiosity about what the redhead is staring up at, my head turning to see a man standing at the top of the stairs, his eyes locked on her, a smirk stretching his lips.
Assuming they know each other - and that, really, none of this is my business - I continue down the stairs to see the same man round the base of the staircase.
Confused, I glance back up and realize they must be identical twins.
The redhead looks between them and smiles.
Hell, I’d be smiling as well to be trapped between those two.
Once on the bottom floor, I turn to see that Ames has moved f
rom where she was just a few minutes ago. Annoyance floods me to wonder where she ran off to.
Coming around the side of the staircase to pass a small bar set up identical to another one on the opposite wall, I turn my head when a woman shouts loud enough for her voice to echo through the mansion.
“Oh, my God! Yes, Tanner! Give it to me harder!”
My brows shoot up my head, surprise flooding me. I’m not the only one. Every person within earshot turns to glance that direction, some laughing, others whispering about what they heard.
I’m not sure what kind of parties Governor Callahan throws, but this is a lot more than I expected.
Shaking my head, I turn again to run down the narrow walkway, but crash into someone because I wasn’t paying attention, my shirt soaked when the person’s drink spills on me, my eyes lifting to lock with those of another gorgeous man.
He’s much taller than me, forcing me to crane my neck to stare up at him. The first thing I notice is the dark brown of his stylishly disheveled hair and the deep blue of his eyes.
My gaze skates down to notice a tattoo peeking up from the collar of his white button-down shirt. A quick glance at him would lead you to believe he’s just as stuffy as the rest of the people attending this party, but if you look closer, you see there’s more to him.
“Sorry about -“
“You should watch where you’re walking,” he snaps, his gruff voice rubbing me the wrong way, especially since I’m the one who ended up wearing his drink.
After glancing down at my white shirt, which is now practically transparent, I lift my eyes to his face again, anger heating my cheeks.
“Saying excuse me would have been polite. You’re not the one soaking wet.”
His gaze flicks down to my shirt, a smirk tilting the corner of his mouth when his eyes meet mine again.
“It’s not my fault you ran into me.”
“Maybe not, but you could at least apologize.”
“For what?” he asks with a grin. “I didn’t do this.”
Flicking another quick glance at my shirt, his smirk stretches wider, a wicked expression crawling over his face when he meets my stare again.
“Listen, if you need help cleaning up, I’ll happily follow you to a bathroom and do what I can. The view’s not half bad-“
“Oh, fuck off,” I bark. “Like I’d let you see me without a shirt on.”
Leaning forward, he stops when our noses are almost touching, his eyes dancing with mine.
“Then I suggest you move along. I made my offer. It’s your loss if you choose not to accept.”
Who the hell does this guy think he is?
“What is wrong with you?”
Another arrogant grin.
“Nothing’s wrong with me. I just have an issue with a woman getting mouthy for no reason. Like I said, you ran into me. You can stop acting like I’m the one to blame.”
Stepping away, I glare at the arrogant bastard standing in front of me. The look does nothing to back him off, though.
If anything, he sees it as a challenge.
I’ve known him for less than five minutes, and already I know I want nothing to do with him.
To Be Continued…
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