Chapter 23 – Evelyn
EVELYN
Ifidgeted with the skirt of my dress again as we walked up the driveway to Judge Clarence Jefferson’s house.
“You look beautiful,” Marcus murmured as we ascended the steps.
“Are you sure it’s not too much?”
“Not at all,” he assured me.
He had shown up at my door with the deep-red, off-the-shoulder dress earlier today.
Every part of me would rather hide in my closet rather than ever wear something that eye-catching.
I had always tried to stay under the radar when I chose my outfits.
Professional neutrals for my life as their assistant and many shades of black for my life as the leader of the Archers.
Red wasn’t something I had ever considered wearing, but I had to admit that the deep burgundy color he had chosen complemented my hazel eyes and fit me like a glove.
When he confessed he had picked out the dress himself, I caved, and now I was fidgeting with the silky material as we entered Judge Jefferson’s house.
“Sebastian, Adrian, are you in position?” I murmured as the doors opened.
“In position,” Adrian confirmed. “We’ll be right outside.”
It was just the four of us on-site tonight.
Alexander and Liam were monitoring from the van, while the rest of my lieutenants were at the hospital with Grace.
She was still being kept sedated, her body given time to heal after everything it had endured.
I knew it was the right call, but each passing day still tightened the knot in my chest. Grace was more than my lieutenant.
She was my sister. My family. And no amount of logic could quiet the part of me that needed her awake and okay.
My hand was firmly tucked into Marcus’s elbow as we stepped into the foyer.
I had attended events with them before, but not like this.
It definitely looked like we were a couple.
I had been hesitant about that, but Alexander had said it was for the best. The more eyes on us speculating about our relationship status, the fewer eyes would be guessing we were here to break into the judge’s study.
The foyer opened around us like a statement, dark wood everywhere, polished to a mirror shine that smelled faintly of lemon oil and money.
A sweeping staircase curved up the far wall, its banister thick and intricately carved, the kind of craftsmanship that stopped being common a long time ago.
Gilded frames crowded the walls, expensive art chosen for its price tag rather than its soul, and heavy brass candelabras squatted on side tables like sentinels, all of it radiating old power, old prestige, and the confidence of someone who’d never had to deal with consequences.
“This way.” A young man from the waitstaff in a black suit with a white shirt and a black tie gestured to our left.
We stepped into a large room, the wooden paneling following from the foyer.
This room was lit with soft lighting placed on the edges of the room.
A bar ran along the far wall, with high-top tables dotting the room.
A crowd of people floated about the room.
The women were dressed similarly to me but definitely favored a brighter color scheme. The men were dressed in sharp suits.
I wasn’t a stranger to seeing Marcus in a suit, but it still took my breath away every time.
I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye.
His charcoal suit was tailored impeccably across his broad shoulders.
His tie was a deep burgundy that matched my dress exactly.
It was a bold statement that we were together.
Hopefully, it would be enough to keep people talking.
As he guided me across the room, I could see that it was working.
People murmured to each other when they saw us.
I recognized some as past or current clients of SDS and nodded with a small smile at them.
Some, I recognized from my work with the Archers, and I made a mental note of who was here.
The glittery necklace around my neck complemented the dress, but more importantly, it hid a tiny camera so Alexander and Liam could see inside the party.
Liam was tracking all the faces he caught on the camera and would compile a list for us to cross reference later.
We stopped at the bar, and Marcus ordered himself a bourbon and a glass of red wine for me. I accepted my glass with a small murmur of thanks before we stepped off to the side. I lifted the glass to my lips, taking a sip of the bold, fruity liquid while I scanned the room.
“There’s the judge,” Marcus murmured into my ear, his voice dropping into that husky register that had no business existing in public.
My mind betrayed me instantly, flashing to pressed bodies and whispered promises in the dark. I had to shove the memory aside before it compromised more than my focus.
His fingers pressed into my hip, and I let him turn me slightly.
A woman dressed in a bright green dress moved, and I saw the judge at one of the high-top tables.
He was laughing at something the couple across from him was saying.
His arm was around a tall, blonde woman who wore a figure-hugging soft pink dress.
I recognized her as Melanie, his wife, from the pictures Sebastian had found.
I turned slightly as if I were leaning closer to Marcus as I scanned the rest of the room.
“There’s the director,” I murmured to Marcus, tracing my fingers across his chest in the direction the director had entered the room. “I think he came from the back hallway.” I patted Marcus’s chest, smiling up at him like I was besotted.
“He’s not the only one who’s here,” Marcus murmured. “Agent Hayes just walked in behind him.”
My eyebrows shot up. Agent Hayes? Did he know the judge? Or had the director invited him? Was he involved in this? Had the trip to the FIA office been a mistake? I didn’t have any answers, but maybe I could get some tonight.
“Hmm,” I hummed. “I guess it’s showtime then.” In a louder voice, I stepped back slightly. “I have to go to the bathroom.”
I gave my empty wineglass to one of the waitstaff who passed by, keeping my face carefully blank as I recognized Gemma, a member of the Archers. We had people inside most catering companies around the city. Gemma agreed to be an extra pair of eyes and ears for us inside tonight.
“Excuse me,” I said. “Can you point me to the restroom?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Gemma fell into her role easily. “Right down that hallway there’s a powder room, or if that one is occupied, go to the end of the hallway and take a left. There’s one on the third—sorry, the second door to the right.”
“Thank you.” I smiled and stepped away.
She had just given me the layout of the house and the exact room I needed.
Marcus’s hand circled my wrist gently, halting my movements. “Try not to get kidnapped this time,” he said. His smile was light, but his eyes were dark and stormy.
I brushed a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll try not to.”
My track record wasn’t great, so I didn’t blame him for getting worried, but I was a big girl. I could handle myself.
He let me go, and I wove my way through the crowds, ignoring the judge and the director off to my left.
Agent Hayes had disappeared. When I stepped into the hallway, the noise from the crowded room dimmed considerably.
I didn’t bother checking the first bathroom.
Regardless of whether it was occupied, it was too far from my target tonight.
I followed Gemma’s instructions, taking a left at the end of the hallway. Before I made it to the third doorway, though, the door on the opposite end of the hall opened.
“Miss Harper, may I have a word with you?” Agent Hayes stepped out of the room. “Now.”
Marcus was going to kill me. The odds were slim that a federal agent would kidnap me, but with my luck…
“Agent Hayes,” I greeted. “Do you accost many women in dark hallways?”
“Only the ones I need to speak with urgently.” His eyes flicked up and down the corridor, sharp and restless, like he was already calculating how much time we had before someone noticed us missing.
I hadn’t gotten a bad vibe from him…yet. I didn’t love the lurking, but curiosity won out. Nothing crackled in my ear, which meant Liam had muted my earpiece. If he hadn’t, Alexander would probably be trying to shut this down, but Liam trusted me, and I trusted my gut.
I stepped past Hayes into the room he’d just exited.
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined the walls, packed tight and meticulously organized.
A square table dominated the center of the space, scarred faintly with use, while a single window held a deep seat piled with brightly colored cushions that felt wildly out of place.
According to the blueprints, this was Melanie Jefferson’s office.
It looked more like a carefully curated private library.
I leaned back against the table and crossed my arms. “You wanted to talk.”
Dominic didn’t waste time. “What are you doing here, Evelyn?” Straight to it. Interesting.
“And why do you think I owe you that answer?” I countered. He may have helped us before, but I didn’t owe him any answers.
He paced, slow and deliberate, like movement helped him think.
“I got a visit from Adrian Cross a couple weeks ago. He had some interesting things to say about our investigation. Interesting, because I already thought something was up with how the investigation had started. This whole thing has been strange from the start.”
I held my breath. We hadn’t been able to uncover who started the investigation into us. We had theories but nothing concrete. I hadn’t realized that the agents investigating us didn’t know either. But still, I didn’t have the whole puzzle, and Dominic was holding the missing pieces.
“What else about this has been strange?”