CHAPTER 45LeviOwen
Levi
Levi’s attention was fixed on Aurelia the entire time she was on stage. The moment her gaze found him, it was as if no one else existed. He knew she was speaking only to him. He had become the rock she needed to steady herself.
Despite her nerves, she did an incredible job, and he couldn’t have been prouder to call her his wife.
By then, Martin had excused himself to rejoin his group.
While they tried not to talk too much about work, Martin had discreetly shared his growing concerns about Project DL, confirming Levi’s worst fears about the mess Harris had left behind.
There was something critical buried in that code, something they were all missing.
Owen agreed, based on the limited information he had.
They promised to revisit it on Monday, and with final congratulations, Martin headed off.
As soon as the lights dimmed and the dance floor lit up, Levi was on his feet, ready to find Aurelia. She had disappeared backstage, looking distraught. She was possibly overwhelmed by nerves.
Owen stood beside him, mouth dipped down in concern.
“She didn’t look good toward the end there,” he murmured.
Levi nodded grimly. “She’s introverted and has been dreading this speech for weeks. The pressure must’ve gotten to her.” His voice relaxed. “But I’m still amazed by what she’s pulled off.”
“Yes, but…” Owen trailed off, his eyes scanning the room, his brow tight with worry.
It wasn’t often Owen dropped his carefree act. Few people knew about his real gift—his calculating, analytical mind. It’s what made him invaluable in both corporate and personal security.
Levi tensed. “But what?”
Owen gave a slow shake of his head. “I’m still digging into her history like I promised, but something isn’t adding up. It’s premature to say anything concrete, and part of it really should come from her. I just…I can’t shake the feeling I’m missing something. And that it’s right in front of me.”
Levi’s anxiety spiked. He scanned the crowd but couldn’t spot Aurelia’s shimmering silhouette. The crystals on her dress were supposed to make her easy to find. A beacon in the dark.
“Let’s find her,” Levi said.
But before they could take a step, six elderly women materialized out of nowhere, blocking their path.
“Mr. Lockwood! I’ve been dying to meet Aurelia’s new husband,” cackled the woman directly in front of him. “Gladys Heringsworth, longtime friend of Eleanor’s. Aurelia did a superb job tonight.”
She radiated luxury and entitlement, her sharp dark eyes glittering beneath arched brows. Though her frame was slight, Levi instinctively knew not to underestimate her.
“Allow me to introduce my friends,” she said grandly, gesturing to the imposing women flanking her. “Margaret Carrington, Nancy Fitzwalter, Judith Vanderlyn, Gertrude Pavendish, and Ophelia Draycott.”
Each was a formidable, perfectly groomed relic of Joia City’s social elite—and Levi had a very bad feeling about this as they quickly encircled them. He glanced at Owen, who looked equally alarmed.
“This is our first rave experience!” Gladys announced with glee. Her friends murmured excitedly. “Would you and your friend…” she looked expectantly at Owen.
Levi supplied dryly, “Owen.”
Owen shot him a glare promising payback.
“Ah, yes! Would you and Owen do us the honor of sharing our very first rave dance?”
This was not at all what Levi wanted to do. He racked his brain in a desperate attempt to form an excuse, but none came.
They were trapped.
Outnumbered six to two by a gaggle of determined senior citizens who undoubtedly had planned this ambush. His heart rate spiked off the charts with the overwhelming need to find Aurelia.
Levi exchanged a helpless glance with Owen. The look on his friend’s face said everything: We can take these silver birds out.
Levi shook his head slightly. No, there’s no way out of this.
Owen’s jaw clenched, his expression murderous, but Levi turned to Gladys and forced a tight smile.
“It would be our pleasure.”
The moment the words left his mouth, the silver-haired horde descended.
They were dragged onto the dance floor when the DJ dropped the first bass-heavy track. Glow sticks lit the room as the ancient women threw themselves into chaotic, wild flailing that barely qualified as dancing.
Before Levi knew what hit him, Gladys, Ophelia, and Judith were practically draped over him, their hands wandering far too freely.
“Ladies, please—” Levi protested.
“Hey!” Owen shouted nearby. “No means no, Margaret! I didn’t consent to this!”
Gertrude waved a glow stick at them. “Stop being such fuddy-duddies! Let the music take you!”
They needed to get out of there immediately .
Nancy purred from Levi’s other side. “You boys need to relax …and I have just the thing to help with that.”
Levi stared in horror as she produced a small pill from her clutch.
“What the hell is that?” he barked.
“Bertrand called it ‘molly.’ Said it makes these things more fun.”
No no no no no.
Levi looked at her incredulously. “Did you take one of these?”
Ophelia, still swaying wildly, chimed in. “Of course! Bertrand assured us that based on his research, it’s what all young people do. I’ve never felt so free !”
Levi’s brain nearly short-circuited. Impossible…How is this my life?
Owen elbowed his way to Levi’s side, his face pale with disbelief. “Look at me right now . We need to go. I’m being sexually assaulted by old ladies who are tripping balls, and I didn’t sign up for this,” he hissed.
Levi couldn’t agree more. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
As they wrestled free, a disheveled figure, with feral unfocused eyes staggered toward them.
It was Bertrand Dallingford. He somehow lost his tuxedo jacket, his shirt was partially untucked, and his tie was now knotted around his head.
His toupee slid awkwardly to the side as he waved his cane like a weapon.
“Everyone, take cover! The chopper’s too low!” he bellowed.
Gladys scowled. “What nonsense is your face hole spouting this time, Bertrand?”
Bertrand’s eyes darted around wildly. “I can hear them in the tree line! Take cover!”
To Levi’s horror, and with a speed a man his age should not have, Bertrand tossed his cane aside and flipped over the nearest table with a mighty grunt—plates and glasses crashed to the floor.
“This can’t be happening,” Levi muttered.
“Oh, it’s happening,” Owen replied grimly.
“Heaven's pearls! Have you lost your mind?” Gladys shrieked.
Several people had stopped dancing at this point, disturbed by the commotion. Even the DJ had paused the music.
Having dropped to one knee, Bertrand popped up like a deranged gopher from behind the table. “We have to take cover in this trench! I can hear Oscar calling for help out there… We need backup !
“Who’s Oscar, and is he single?” asked Gertrude, a dreamy, faraway look on her face. Sweat had begun to bead on her upper lip.
Judith angrily turned on Gertrude. “Why do you get to meet Oscar first? You always try to snap up any eligible bachelor the second you can, parading your expired clam to anyone and everyone—”
“Hand me the ammo!” Bertrand hollered. His breathing labored as he gestured towards scattered food and dinnerware. “We’ve got to hold them off until reinforcements arrive!”
Owen tried to approach the old man to calm him down and stand him up, only to quickly jump back, narrowly avoiding the butter knife Bertrand swiped across his midsection.
“This is war, son—if you're not on our side, then you're the enemy. Get any closer, boy, and I will gut you like a fish! They trained us soldiers well, traitor!”
For once, Owen was at a loss. He didn’t know how to handle this situation. Retreating cautiously, he held his hands and his phone in the air where Bertrand could see them. “Look, I’m only trying to help you, sir. Your commander sent me ahead of reinforcements to let you know backup is coming.”
WHAT?
Levi was going to strangle him for feeding into this hallucination… and for taking out his phone and filming it.
A seething Gladys marched over to Bertrand. “You have never left this country at any point during your ninety-five miserable years of existence, let alone served in the military, you sack of wet grains!”
Levi turned to the other situation unfolding on the dance floor. Gertrude, face beet red, was dangerously close to Judith.
“Who do you think you are, hussy? Just because your dusty bread box isn’t bringing anyone into your bakery doesn’t mean I have to live a life of chastity. Maybe if you had something tastier to offer, you wouldn’t be so jealous of me!”
Something soft but deliberate struck Levi’s shoulder. A dinner roll, which came from the direction of—
“You shut your whore mouth, Gladys!” Bertrand roared as he continued rifling through the scattered items, eyes savage as he seized a handful of grapes like they were grenades. “I’ve only got a few left,” he muttered to no one but himself.
The old man’s aim was so poor that Levi was again pelted with food instead of Gladys, the intended target.
Levi and Owen both watched as Bertrand's toupee slithered down and over his face, blocking his vision. A moment later, the man panicked. “I’ll never surrender!” Bertrand cried, wrestling with his sliding toupee.
That was the precise moment everything descended into absolute chaos, the tipping point that would become forever emblazoned in Levi’s mind.
With a strangled shout, Bertrand collapsed onto his wig, thrashing like he was fighting a wild animal, shouting, “You will never capture me alive!”
At the same time, Judith shoved Gertrude, who fell backward into Ophelia. Ophelia slipped on a grape and went down hard with a loud crack right as Gertrude flung herself at Judith, tackling her to the ground.
“My hip! My hip!” Ophelia wailed.
The lights flickered on, illuminating the carnage.
It was so much worse with the lights on.
Levi pressed a hand to his forehead. I’m officially in hell.