Variant Lost (The Evelyn Maynard Trilogy Book 1)

by Kaydence Snow

  I nodded, uneasy that the circle of people who knew of our secret was widening, but at this point, there was no option but to trust them.

  “Come on. Time to get dressed.” Dot pulled me off the bed and handed me the dress Josh had given me.

  I allowed myself a smile as I caressed the soft fabric. At least now I wouldn’t have to be evasive with her about where I got it. Maybe sharing this new part of my life with Dot would actually make things easier.

  Eighteen

  As I stood in front of the mirror, it became clear how observant Josh truly was. The dress fit me perfectly, the bottom of it floating just above the ground.

  It clung in all the right places, accentuating my figure and only slightly fanning out from about mid-thigh. There was no beading whatsoever at the top; the soft fabric was cut high in the front and glided over my breasts delicately. You could say it was conservative, except that the back was completely nonexistent, consisting of nothing more than two slim strips of fabric draping over my shoulders.

  It was more out there than I would have chosen for myself, but neither my cleavage nor my legs were on display, and as a result, I felt comfortable. Sexy even. I wanted to let my hair down to cover my back a little, but Dot insisted on showing off the stunning lines of the dress and made me leave it up.

  We kept my makeup understated—I would have felt uncomfortable in anything remotely as heavy as her everyday look—and she lent me a pair of actual emerald earrings, which matched the dress perfectly. I was paranoid about losing them and tried to refuse, but she insisted.

  “I just need to get dressed and I’ll be right down,” she shouted over her shoulder as she walked into the bathroom.

  I grabbed a small black clutch—also borrowed from Dot—and made my way downstairs. I kept my hand on the banister and went carefully, still getting used to walking in something so long, but the dress was surprisingly forgiving and nowhere near as constricting as it looked.

  As I neared the bottom, I looked up and stopped in my tracks.

  All three of my guys, plus Alec and Charlie, were standing near the front door, waiting for us.

  Ethan and Josh were chatting quietly with Alec, who had his back to me, and Charlie was standing off to the side with Tyler, who had his face in his phone, as always.

  Josh was following my descent down the stairs, and it was meeting his gaze that stopped me.

  He was wearing a black suit with a white shirt and, in a subtle nod to the beading on my dress, a green bow tie. His blond hair was slicked back, and he was smiling at me with so much warmth in his face I almost forgot the others were there.

  Ethan was in black pants, a white jacket, and a blood-red tie and matching pocket square, hinting at his fire ability. He looked up and stopped speaking, his eyes rapidly flying up and down my body to take in my sophisticated new look.

  Tyler was the next to look up, at first distractedly, obviously in the middle of something important on his phone, but then with his full attention on me. He was in navy blue, and his gunmetal gray tie was almost as close a match to the top part of my dress as Josh’s bow tie was to the bottom. I wondered briefly if he’d had a part in choosing the dress too, but judging by how his hand slowly lowered his phone and his lips parted slightly in shock, he had no idea.

  He took a small step toward me, his free hand lifting as if to reach for me, but he pulled up short and looked away, brow furrowing. Did he feel as drawn to me as I did to him in that moment? My grip on the banister tightened as images of the kisses I’d shared with Josh and then Ethan earlier in the day flashed through my mind. What would it feel like to kiss Tyler too?

  No one was speaking. Josh put his left hand in his pocket and lifted his right, drawing my attention to him. With his finger pointed to the ceiling, he twisted it in a circle, silently asking me to show him the back.

  I looked down, slightly embarrassed, but the dress was making me feel confident, so I slowly pivoted on the spot until I could place both hands on the banister, giving them only a partial view of my exposed back and looking over my shoulder.

  Alec turned just as I did. Because his back was to the others, I was the only one who could see his face.

  He was in all black, as usual, his suit clearly tailor-made and hugging his tall form perfectly, but he wore no tie. “I have to go to your stupid event, but I refuse to wear a tie,” it seemed to say. His outfit was grudging and uncompromising, just like its wearer.

  Where Ethan’s eyes had flown all over my body, not knowing where to look first, Alec took his time.

  With a deliberate intensity I could scarcely understand, Alec drew his eyes over my face, down the curve of my neck, and over my shoulder, sliding them down the naked expanse of my back all the way to my ass, where they lingered.

  I felt exposed. I could almost physically feel his stare caressing my body.

  I should have felt uncomfortable, outraged even, that he was looking at me so . . . so lasciviously. He was Ethan’s older cousin, he was dangerous, he was frustrating, and he clearly wanted nothing to do with me.

  Yet there he stood, practically licking my body with his eyes. And there I stood, enjoying it.

  Not taking his eyes off my ass, he spoke. “If you guys are done drooling, we should probably get going.”

  His voice didn’t betray even a hint of the perplexing intensity in his stare. He dragged his eyes back up, stopping just before making eye contact with me, then turned and walked to the front door. He opened it and leaned on the frame.

  “We have to wait for Dot.” Josh stepped forward and extended his hand.

  I descended the last few steps and placed my palm gently in his, making sure my Light was in check.

  “You look stunning.” He spoke low, but his voice carried through the marble foyer clearly. “As I knew you would. Thank you for wearing it.”

  “You look smokin’!” Ethan’s voice boomed in comparison to Josh’s, and everyone chuckled.

  “I don’t know what you two were doing in there for four hours, but you do look lovely, Eve.” There was a hint of amusement in Charlie’s voice as he walked past, going to stand by the door with Alec.

  Apparently the guys had all forgotten he was there too.

  Josh’s eyes widened, and he dropped my hand. We’d been standing at the foot of the stairs hand in hand for way longer than was appropriate if I was supposed to be Ethan’s girlfriend.

  Charlie laughed at Josh’s abrupt shift, and knowing he knew our secret, I couldn’t help laughing too. The wide-eyed, worried looks on all three of my guys’ faces only made me laugh harder.

  “Oh, relax. We know.” Dot came down the stairs in a pair of the very high, very dangerous-looking heels I had refused to wear. They were sparkling black, matching her perfectly straight, shiny black hair. In contrast, her full-skirted, calf-length dress was white with some kind of subtle, textured pattern. It was only when you got up close that you could see the pattern consisted of little skulls.

  “What do you mean, you know?” Tyler was all business as he stepped forward, half blocking me from Dot with his body. From Dot. I’m not sure if he even realized how protective the move was, but it surprised me, finally quieting the giggles I was struggling to control.

  “Oh, come on, Gabe, did you really think you could keep the fact that Ethan and Josh had found their Vital from me and Charlie?” Dot breezed past him, patting him on the shoulder as she went, not fazed at all.

  “Car’s here,” Alec announced, walking out without waiting for anyone else.

  Tyler pressed his lips together, as if biting something back, and glared at Dot as we all made our way outside.

  The “car” was a sleek stretch limo with a driver who was on a first-name basis with all of them. We piled inside, careful not to ruffle our clean-cut appearance.

  Even with the privacy screen up, Tyler wasn’t willing to talk about my Vital status out loud. He opted to say whatever he had to say via text, having a heated conversation with Dot and Charli
e, their fingers flying across their screens as they threw each other loaded glances and I looked on, amused.

  “Gabe! We know. We’ve got their backs, man,” Charlie finally said aloud, giving Tyler a pointed look and ending the conversation.

  We arrived in Manhattan about an hour later, our limo pulling up outside a very fancy-looking hotel. There was even a red carpet leading to the entrance and a horde of people behind velvet ropes.

  I groaned. “Can’t we go through the back or something?” I hadn’t even wanted to go to this thing, and now I had to deal with . . . are those paparazzi?

  Alec surprised me by being the one to answer. “I think that’s the first time you and I have agreed on anything.” He gave me a small crooked smile, rendering me completely speechless.

  “I’m a representative of Melior Group, and Alec and Ethan are nephews of the managing director. We have to be seen,” Tyler explained.

  “I don’t have to be seen by anyone,” Josh piped up. “I could take her through the back.”

  “No,” Tyler, Ethan, and Alec replied immediately, surprising me once again.

  Dot and Charlie were falling over each other laughing. I didn’t think it was that funny, but then Josh groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “That’s not—”

  “You said it. It’s out there now!” Dot cut him off, reaching for the door. “Come on, Charles, let’s be seen.”

  Shaking his head, Charlie followed her out.

  As the door clicked shut behind them, the double entendre of Josh’s words dawned on me. I should have been mortified, but for some reason, my first reaction was to snort-laugh.

  As if they’d been waiting for my reaction, the others laughed too. Hesitant chuckles gave way to unrestrained laughter and ended in full-bellied, uncontrolled guffaws. It was the first time I’d heard Alec laugh. I liked the sound. He seemed to be in a much better mood than usual.

  As we finally calmed down, Tyler wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. “Let’s get this over with.”

  He straightened his tie and stepped out of the car. Immediately, the flashing lights intensified, and people started shouting. I could have sworn that some of the voices sounded angry and aggressive, but I couldn’t dwell on it, because Ethan had stepped out too and was offering me his hand.

  I checked my Light, making sure it was locked down, before placing my hand in his and letting him help me out. His fingers flexed around mine, and he quickly placed my hand in the crook of his elbow; I must not have done a very good job of stopping the Light from transferring.

  As Josh appeared on my other side, Tyler set a brisk pace down the length of the red carpet. I glanced behind us and was almost startled by how close Alec was to my back. They had pretty much boxed me in, shielding me from the worst of the crowd.

  As the grand doors closed behind us, one malicious voice rose over all the others.

  “Fucking elitist pigs!”

  I turned around, stunned. Alec was still close behind me, and my sudden stop caused him to pull up short, his hand landing on my shoulder just as a bright camera flash blinded me through the window.

  Alec nudged me, dropping his hand quickly, and Ethan pulled me away from the entrance.

  “What was that about?” I asked no one in particular.

  “That was the Human Empowerment Network getting louder and more obnoxious,” Tyler explained. “They’ve been kicking up a fuss for decades, but in the last few years, there are more and more of them. They show up with picket signs at Variant events, disrupt businesses owned by Variants, send hate mail to prominent Variant persons. I’ve never seen a crowd this large though.”

  He looked a little worried, his eyes on the tinted windows and the throng outside. Now that I knew what I was looking for, I could see at least a hundred people behind the photographers, shouting and waving handwritten signs.

  They looked so angry. “Are they dangerous?”

  “Don’t worry, Eve.” Tyler turned his attention back to me, fixing me with a relaxed smile. “You’re safe.”

  I returned his smile, but I was still worried. That wasn’t what I’d asked.

  Tyler quickly excused himself to go stand in a corner of the room, where he was soon in conversation with a man wearing a simple black suit and a serious, commanding expression. Taking a look around, I noticed several other men dressed identically to the one Tyler was speaking to. They were positioned at the edges of the room, keeping a watchful eye on everything, the bulges under their jackets hinting at the weapons they carried. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Tyler was demanding information from his Melior Group minions and ordering them around appropriately.

  “Don’t worry, beautiful. I’ll protect you.” Ethan gave me one of his brilliant, dimpled smiles.

  “My hero,” I teased, rolling my eyes, but I was secretly thankful for the comforting feel of his strong arm under my hand.

  I didn’t get the chance to dwell on my worries for long. Alec had disappeared into the crowd, but Ethan and Josh guided me through the impressive, lavish lobby and into the ballroom.

  To call the room opulent would have been an understatement. The ballroom was softly lit by chandeliers, expensive linen draping the tables at the edges of the room, thousands of candles and fresh flowers covering every flat surface.

  “Wow,” I breathed, and they both smiled at me.

  “It’s got nothing on you in that dress,” Josh whispered close to my ear, and I couldn’t stop the wide smile from pulling at my mouth.

  Women in stunning dresses and men in perfectly tailored suits milled about, only adding to the extravagance, and the next hour was a blur of new faces and names as the boys introduced me to people. I met some of their friends who didn’t go to Bradford Hills, some of Tyler’s work colleagues, and a few “acquaintances” they told me they had to be nice to for the sake of Ethan’s uncle and his business dealings.

  “At least we don’t have to deal with Davis,” Josh muttered.

  “Ugh!” A frown crossed Ethan’s perfect face. “Thank god. I can’t stand that guy.”

  I looked between them. “Who?”

  Josh leaned in to answer. “Davis Damari. One of Uncle Lucian’s business acquaintances. Can’t put my finger on why, but he gives me the creeps.”

  Of course. I remembered reading about Damari on the Internet. As another couple approached us, I made a mental note to avoid him. If Josh had a bad feeling about Damari, there was almost certainly a reason for it.

  Later in the evening, Dot introduced me to her parents. Both she and Charlie clearly took after their father, getting their black hair and green eyes from him. Their mother was a natural blonde, but I could see her delicate features and petite form reflected in Dot.

  “So this is the infamous Eve my daughter keeps telling me about.” Her mother smiled warmly and shook my hand. “I hope you know you won’t be able to get rid of her now. You’ve got a friend for life in Dot.”

  Instead of getting embarrassed by her mother’s comments, Dot just smiled and nodded.

  “I certainly hope so.” I chuckled. I’d only known Dot for a few weeks, but she’d claimed me as her friend from day one, and I wasn’t complaining.

  We chatted for a little while, and then they excused themselves to go speak to some of their friends.

  Dot grabbed us two glasses of champagne from a tray as it floated past on a waiter’s hand. No one even tried to stop her. Several people our age, or even younger, were sipping on alcoholic drinks. I guess legal drinking age didn’t apply when you had this much money and influence.

  The bubbly drink was delicious. It was better than any wine or champagne I’d ever tried, and I shuddered to think how much it must have cost to supply an event this large with champagne that good.

  We helped ourselves to canapés as we chatted. The bite-sized morsels of pure deliciousness rivaled even Ethan’s skill with food, and I smiled affectionately as he tasted each one, his face getting all serious while his mouth dissected
the nuance of flavor in each piece.

  As we stood around, my friends pointed out other people from the constant stream of glamorous attendees filtering through the room. There were many celebrities, which explained the paparazzi, as well as several high-profile billionaires (with a b!) and politicians.

  Dot and Ethan were doing most of the talking, and it didn’t take long for it to turn into a game. One of them would point out a person in the crowd, and the other would have to state their name; their ability, if they had one; and an interesting fact about them.

  As they went back and forth, forgetting that the point was to get me up to speed on who was who, I stopped paying attention. I only tuned back in when Dot pointed toward the grand entrance at a couple who had just arrived.

  “Those are Zara’s parents,” Ethan answered immediately, his competitive streak shining bright, “Con and Francine Adams. Neither of them has a Vital, but interestingly, they both have the same ability—enhanced speed. Mrs. Adams used to head up research and development for one of our uncle’s tech companies. She was fired, but that’s not widely known.” He looked at Dot with a satisfied smile, way too proud of himself.

  I was beginning to understand why Zara hadn’t wanted to come. Her parents looked harsh and unpleasant even from across the room, smiling even less than Alec. They weren’t speaking to anyone, although they stood out in the crowd; they were both tall, and Mrs. Adams had Zara’s bright red hair. Mr. Adams was surveying the room intently as he sipped on his champagne.

  Someone stepped in front of me, obstructing my view. The man was wearing a black pinstripe suit and looked as though he was in his mid-forties. He was tall and broad in the shoulders, with dark hair and intense eyes—like Alec’s, but not as bright blue, and surrounded by more laugh lines. When he smiled politely, I saw a hint of Ethan’s dimples as well.

  “Uncle Lucian!” Ethan confirmed my suspicion, stepping forward and giving his uncle a warm hug, complete with the enthusiastic, affectionate thumps on the back that men seemed to always inflict on one another. The more love between the men, the louder and more violent the thumps.