The Terrorist (Lens Book 3)

by J B Cantwell

  He laughed again.

  “She will be furious,” he said. “But she’ll understand in the end. It’s not like I abandoned her. She’s out there making her own friends.” He gestured toward the ballroom. “I’m afraid I’m not much of a dancer.”

  “Oh, good,” I let slip. I took another sip.

  “Not a dancer, yourself?”

  I shook my head as I crunched a piece of ice from the glass. Then I stopped; not very proper. I swallowed.

  “Well, then, what shall we talk about?” he asked.

  I thought hard about this. What was my goal? To find Aidan. I turned on the bar stool and faced the room.

  “Tell me who’s who,” I said. So many designations were dizzying, and in large groups, the system automatically censored the majority of them.

  “Ooh, that’s a fun game. Okay, let’s see. The woman over there.” He nodded toward a group of women and one man. “You see her in the yellow dress?”

  I did. She was gaudy and overcompensating. Her face was dramatically painted with broad strokes of blusher, and her eyes were thick with black liner.

  I supposed not everyone hired a stylist for these things.

  “Yes, I see her,” I said.

  “She’s the richest woman in the room. Beverly Hansen. She’s on her fourth husband, and the newest is quite young. He’s the one standing with her. She met him as he was remodeling one of her many houses.”

  “Huh,” I said, surprisingly amused. I wondered how old she was. Her skin seemed surprisingly smooth, taut even.

  “Stay away,” he warned. “If you can. She’s … difficult. And she has entirely too much power.”

  “Too much money, I guess,” I said.

  “You got it.”

  “Okay, who is that?” I pointed to a man who was a little closer. He wore a navy colored tuxedo with a black shirt and silver cufflinks.

  Nathan laughed.

  “He won’t be interested in you,” he said. “Well, at least not sexually. You should befriend him. Grant Evans. He’s a fixture at these things. And he loves to gossip. The ladies all say he’s great fun. I’m sure he will seek you out before the night is through. You are fascinating. New.”

  I scoffed.

  “Oh, come on,” he said. “Surely, you’re not oblivious. You’re too smart for that.”

  “How do you know I’m smart?” I asked.

  “We’ve been sitting here for ten minutes, and you’ve taken two sips from your glass. You’re not here to play. You’re here for a reason.”

  My heart fell into my stomach. Was I caught?

  I didn’t answer this accusation. I just offered my best coy smile.

  “That’s okay,” he said. “You don’t need to tell me. You’re more mysterious that way, anyway. And I won’t give your game away. It’s too fun.”

  I drew a blank. He had hit the nail on the head, and now I sat there like a fool, unsure of what to say.

  He didn’t miss a beat, though.

  “Come on,” he said. “I’ll introduce you.”

  He offered me his hand, and with little choice, I took it.

  “Leave your drink,” he advised. “You’ll be wasted before you know it with that stuff.”

  That was fine with me. I was already starting to feel a little light-headed from the tiny bit of alcohol I’d consumed. I had promised myself that I wouldn’t drink, but it was so tempting, and I was so nervous, that I hadn’t stuck with that promise.

  He led me away from the bar and toward the group where Grant was keeping court. Grant looked up as we approached, and his eyes locked with mine.

  “Nathan,” Grant said once we reached him, moving forward to kiss Nathan on the cheek.

  He didn’t hesitate. I felt certain that with any other man, a handshake would’ve been the most appropriate meeting. But Nathan embraced him like an old friend. It made me like him, I realized.

  I had made a friend. Seemingly.

  Grant’s eyes fell upon me.

  “Nathan, whom have you arrived with? Have you been hiding her from us all?”

  I smiled, and I found it was genuine. I held out my hand.

  “I’m Audrey,” I said.

  “Grant Evans,” he said, and he took my outstretched hand and shook it warmly with both of his own.

  “Grant here knows everyone in the room,” Nathan said conspiratorially. “Even better than I do. Audrey here was just letting me tell her about some of our more … colorful guests.”

  Grant laughed.

  “Oh, honey,” he said, dropping my hand. “You have come to the right place. Where should we start?”

  I smiled, and I suddenly found that I was actually having fun. And while that might not be the reason for my attendance, it was a nice aside.

  I looked around the room, eager to play. My eyes fell upon a small group of women, and I noticed with a start that the two women from the spa were there, and they were staring. Not unexpected. I turned my back.

  “The women behind me. I’ve seen them before. Who are they?”

  Grant shook his head. “Nobody of interest. They are at the bottom of the totem pole. They troll through these parties every year.”

  “Anything I need to know about? Particularly nasty? Nosy? Gossipy?”

  “Yes, yes, and yes. Next.”

  I searched around again, and, unfortunately, my eyes landed on Damien. He nodded and held out a hand to me, as if to beckon me to him.

  I spoke through my smile and only slightly turned away.

  “And Damien?” I asked.

  “Keep away from him, dear. He may be rich, but you don’t want to find yourself alone with him. You’ll just have to trust me on that.”

  I finally turned away and looked at Grant again.

  “You might need to save me from him,” I said. “I think he’s expecting me to dance.”

  “Well, there’s little harm in a dance, but be careful. Unless you’re looking for the rich, violent type, steer clear.”

  This wasn’t surprising to me.

  What did surprise me was the look on Grant’s face a moment later. His eyes grew wide and he looked from me to Damien, who was clearly approaching.

  “Take my hand, dear,” he said. “Let’s dance.”

  I looked up at Nathan for a moment, and he nodded in agreement.

  “Do it now while you have the chance,” he advised.

  “Let’s go,” Grant said, and he began to guide me away from the group.

  Damien was almost to us, and he stepped to one side, blocking our path.

  “Oh, Audrey,” he said. “You disappoint me. I was hoping to catch you for a dance, myself.”

  It was like looking into the face of a snake, fangs and all.

  “She’s with me for this one, Champ.” Grant gave him a strong pat on the shoulder and pushed by him. I was grateful that he had such a firm grip on my hand.

  “Sorry,” I said, passing him by.

  He scowled.

  I trotted behind Grant, not giving Damien another chance to speak.

  I’m going to pay for this later.

  I saw the dance floor looming up ahead, and I pulled back on Grant’s arm.

  “Listen, I really don’t know how to dance.” It felt like the admission of a terrible sin.

  Grant stopped and turned.

  “No need to worry,” he said. “Only one of us needs to know how. And I am spectacular on the dance floor.” He winked, making me smile.

  “Okay. Just don’t let me fall in these shoes.”

  “You got it.”

  We got to the dance floor and he stopped where the carpet met the wood.

  “Just follow me, okay?”

  He stepped tentatively onto the wood floor, then turned and drew me out onto it as if he were helping me balance on a sheet of ice.

  I looked down at the shining surface.

  “Don’t look down,” he said. “Eyes here.” He pointed to his face.

  I lifted my eyes.

  “Keep
them on me.”

  I did as I was told, and soon I found that I was swept into the middle of the floor. I felt completely held up by Grant, his arms firmly around me, guiding me along to the music.

  “Woo!” I said, surprised.

  “You see?” he said. “It’s not so bad. You’re just learning. How is that possible?”

  I broke eye contact.

  “Eyes on me, dear.”

  I looked back up at him, but he was smiling again. I instinctively trusted him. Then again, I seemed to be instinctively trusting just about everyone, which could be a problem.

  “I don’t know what to tell you,” I said, shrugging.

  I was starting to think about what my back story should be. It seemed more and more that the best story I had was some version of the truth. Truth light.

  “What do you think?”

  “I think you’re a plant,” he said, and I noticed his face had taken on a hint of seriousness. “I think you’re here on business.”

  I smiled, trying not to panic.

  “Oh, Grant. If you only knew.”

  “Figures. So what’s your real name?”

  I tried so hard to not let my eyes widen, but he had caught me off guard. I tried a smile again and failed.

  “I can’t tell you my real name. You should know that. What’s your real name?”

  “That depends on who’s talking to me. Grant. Baby. Bastard. It seems to change at the drop of a hat.”

  He spun me, making my stomach swoop again.

  “I’ll tell you one thing, though. You’re giving your game away. Stay away from the booze, and stay focused. You don’t need to dance, but you’re balancing on the edge of a knife out here. Don’t you forget it.”

  I caught my breath.

  “I won’t.”

  “Now, whom are you here to find? Rich or pretty? There’s plenty here who have both, though often the most interesting interactions happen with those who are just one or the other.”

  “It’s you, actually,” I said.

  He laughed.

  “Oh, how I wish that were true.”

  The music was coming to an end, and he swirled me again and again until the room was spinning. Then, he deposited me at the corner of the floor. I hung onto him for a few moments, trying to let the world come back into focus.

  “Here you are, dear,” he said.

  He turned me slightly, and I saw a small, round table set at standing height. It was empty.

  But that wasn’t what got my attention. It was, instead, the man standing at the table one over.

  Grant had delivered me directly to the one man no woman here would want to be with. And the one I most desperately wanted to find.

  Aidan Valle

  Designation: Platinum

  Chapter Ten

  Grant leaned over and gave me an air kiss on the cheek.

  “See you again soon, dear.”

  Then he was gone, swallowed up by the crowd of dancers.

  I turned toward Aidan, and suddenly I couldn’t think of a single thing to say. I walked to the empty table and steadied myself, still spinning.

  “I’m not much of a dancer,” I tried, grimacing slightly. I gripped onto the sides of the table.

  He looked up, and for a moment he looked surprised. I wasn’t some Green who was looking for his money. And I was the most beautiful woman in the room.

  And I was a Platinum. Just like him.

  He was dressed in a plain tuxedo, and it looked like the bow tie was a clip-on. His blonde hair was thin at the top, and the skin on his face had the telltale signs of an adolescence filled with blemishes. He was not good looking. Anything but.

  He frowned, confused.

  “Do … do you know who I am?” he asked. His eyes blinked madly, squinting, a nervous tic.

  “Of course I do. Doesn’t everybody?”

  He didn’t reply right away. His eyes studied me, but I noted that they stayed on my face and didn’t stray to my breasts.

  Encouraging.

  “Why are you here?” he finally asked.

  “Well, I was sort of deposited here by my friend.” I gestured back into the crowd where Grant had disappeared. “This is my first ball. I asked him to show me to the most interesting person here. This is where he led me.”

  His frown did not abate.

  “Am I?” he asked.

  “Are you what? The most interesting person here?”

  “Yes.”

  “Honestly, I don’t know yet.”

  This wasn’t enough to make him smile, but it seemed to ease his mind a bit.

  “I hate these things,” he said. An honest statement, his guard down.

  “It’s just my first,” I said. “I’m not exactly loving it, either.”

  A waiter came by with a tray of champagne, and despite Nathan’s warnings, I thought I could use a glass. I took one off the tray and noticed when Aidan didn’t.

  “Wait, please,” I said to the waiter.

  I took another glass from the tray and approached his table, handing it to him.

  For a moment, he looked at it, considering. Then, finally, he took it from me. I raised mine.

  “To the two most interesting people in the room,” I said.

  “I didn’t say you were interesting,” he countered.

  I nearly fumbled, but it only took me a couple seconds to catch up.

  “You might change your mind if you were to get to know me a little.”

  He scoffed and finally raised his glass, then downed it.

  He looked at me expectantly, nodding toward my glass.

  I considered.

  Here goes nothing.

  “I may as well,” I said.

  I tipped the glass back and took several big gulps of the champagne. It was funny stuff. Even though so little seemed to be in the glass, it was strangely difficult to drink it quickly. Finally, with bubbles running down the sides of my cheeks, I emptied it. I carelessly slammed the glass down onto the little table and wiped the sides of my face with the back of my hand.

  Almost immediately, I felt the effects of the alcohol. It seemed like with every breath I took, I was affected more and more by it. I belched loudly, almost by accident.

  He laughed.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said. “Excuse me. There were just so many … bubbles …” I gripped onto the table again, steadying myself.

  “So, what do you want with me, Audrey?” he asked. “To know my secrets? Or to know my wealth?”

  “I already know your secrets,” I pushed, a half-truth. “And I don’t care about your wealth. But you might like to learn about me.”

  He raised his eyebrows, surprised, then tilted his head to one side, considering.

  A different waiter passed by to take our glasses, and Aidan grabbed another set, handing one to me. I looked down at it doubtfully.

  “I’m not sure I should,” I said.

  He shrugged. Then, he moved to turn away.

  “No!” I said. “Wait. Just, give me a minute.”

  I grabbed onto the stem of champagne and tried to suppress a hiccup.

  “You toast this time,” I said.

  He stood for a few moments, thinking, blinking. Under my microscope.

  “To the two most dangerous people in the room,” he finally said, raising his glass.

  I hesitated, but then followed his lead, clinking my glass against his, and took a few gulps, not quite willing to drink the whole thing just yet.

  “Ah!” he said, looking behind me. “The man of the hour.”

  I turned, and my stomach sank. Damien was walking up to greet us.

  “Have you met our dear Audrey?” Aidan asked.

  I glared at him, but he just smiled back. He had bested me, and he knew it.

  “In fact, I have,” Damien said.

  He turned to me.

  “I’ve been waiting all night for that dance. Shall we?”

  He held out one hand. With little choice, I took it, and as he led
me to the dance floor, I glared in Aidan’s direction. He smiled broadly at my misfortune.

  A song started, and Damien opened his arms, grasping my right hand in one and holding the small of my back with the other. I thought about dancing with Carlos, and I knew he would never put his hand so low as Damien’s was now. He grinned at me. I did not smile back.

  He started to move with the music, and his grip was so tight around my waist he was practically carrying me across the floor.

  “You really are something,” he said. “I don’t know why you were hanging out with that tool. You know Valle can’t offer you what I can.”

  I had been trying to keep my eyes from meeting his, but this got me to look up.

  “What, exactly, is that?”

  “Well, we want the same things, I’m sure.”

  His hand moved farther down my back, pulling me even closer.

  “I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” I said. I was starting to get nervous. I remembered Grant’s warning about him.

  “The end of it all,” he said. “If you were to join with me, we could work together in every capacity.”

  He leaned over, putting his lips on my neck. I pulled away, pushing him as far from my body as I could.

  His voice was a murmur now, and he moved in again until his lips were an inch from my ear.

  “I’m the Champion,” he said. “The Champion. You and I could go far together.”

  I suddenly wished I hadn’t had a single sip of alcohol. I was too dazed for a conversation like this. I tried briefly to relax my body, to pretend. Damien had information I wanted. I needed to play along.

  “What makes you think I want to become a Champion?”

  “It’s just a feeling I have,” he said. “Call it a hunch. For example, you obviously know who the Champions are. So what’s your story?”

  “Oh, my story is long,” I said, which wasn’t untrue. “But you’re right; we are on the same side. At least theoretically. I don’t really take to murdering people to get what I want.”

  “Now that’s interesting. You didn’t have much trouble murdering my best and strongest.”

  “And who was that?”

  “Angela, of course.”

  My stomach sank, and I looked away.

  “So, you see, you owe me quite a debt.”

  He pulled me even closer, his hand slipping all the way down. I tried to pull away, but he was so strong I could barely move.