CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Sara
Istepped through the massive wooden doors leading into the house. The decor was giving me Beauty and the Beast and the “Forbidden West Wing” vibes. Candelabras lined the charcoal gray walls between portraits of snobby looking old men.
“Typical,” I murmured, and Tibby laughed in my ear.
“Same goes for their upper floors.” She laughed as her fingernails clicked away. “I’m in the attic. Their tech really is incredible. I should be able to break in, but it’s going to take some time.”
“Well I think I’ll find some free snacks and booze while you work.”
I passed several closed doors as I walked down the never-ending hallway. Servants stood with trays of appetizers and flutes of champagne along the way, and I ate at every opportunity. So far the snacks were decent. Nothing gross or uncooked, but damn, I was craving a cheeseburger. I could hear music playing and followed the other guests into a massive ballroom deep within the mansion. The room was gorgeous and almost blindingly bright after the dark-as-shit hallways. Chandeliers made of sparkling crystals hung from the ceiling. Massive floor to ceiling windows covered the entire back wall of the room, with several sets of French doors leading out to a garden beyond the mansion. Guests danced gracefully across the room in beautiful gowns and fashionable suits. It was like something out of a movie. I kept my shoulders back and chin held high as I moved through the room. A grand staircase dominated the far side of the room, and I nearly choked on my champagne when I saw them descending into the crowd.
“Oh fucking fuck,” I mumbled to myself as much to Tibby. “Zenith…”
“Nova? What’s going on?” Tibby whispered frantically as I stared at the four gods moving down the stairs. “Say fucking words Nova!”
I sipped my champagne and stepped casually closer to a dark corner of the room, hoping to go unnoticed. “They’re all here together, looking ridiculously hot of course, but it’s not the Princes I’m worried about. Laszlo Blackbyrn is here. Why is he here?”
I tried not to look directly at the offending piece of shit King as I sipped my drink.
“Shit.” Tibby gasped, typing away on her computer. “I don’t have time to monitor them and Laszlo tonight. You need to keep them all busy while I get what we need. If I sneak into their system too soon, we’ll get caught. I need time, Nova. Maybe an hour. Once the lights go out, you’ll have a very small window to get to the basement. Until then, I need distractions.”
“Fuck. Alright. Here goes nothing.”
I gulped down the remainder of my champagne and set the glass on a small table against the wall. I scanned the crowd. I needed to find the right dumb male for my next magic trick. The orchestra began another slow song as I spotted the guy I needed. He was quite handsome and had several ladies standing nearby waiting for him to give them any amount of attention. He was hot, cocky, and stupid—exactly what I needed. I walked slowly toward him as he chatted up another man. Just before I reached the target, I turned my head, then proceeded to bump into him, wobbling on my heels as I let out a small gasp. I caught his arm before I fell, since his own slow-ass reflexes would have had me on my ass. His eyes widened, and his other hand dropped to my waist.
“Oh no,” I muttered, batting my lashes. “I’m so sorry. How silly of me. I wasn’t looking where I was walking.”
He smiled, and it was a winning smile that could make your average girl swoon. But I wasn’t an average girl, and my lady bits remained uninterested. “No apology necessary, doll. Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”
I smirked on the inside at the idea of this silly boy being able to do anything that could hurt me, not before I castrated him. I smiled shyly and shook my head. “Oh no, not at all. I was just admiring the room and not paying attention to where my feet were leading me. But I suppose I don’t mind where I ended up.”
“I don’t mind it either. Would you like to dance?” He smiled again as he held out his hand.
I decided he looked like Hercules from the cartoon. Big, blond, and not much going on upstairs. Well, that wasn’t fair to Hercules, he came through in the end. I didn’t think this guy could make anyone come, period. He probably didn’t even know what a clit was.
I dipped into a curtsy and smiled. “I would love to dance.”
I let him lead me onto the dance floor with the other couples. He gripped my waist awkwardly as we began to dance. He wasn’t a horrible dancer, but it was boring, just like him. My eyes scanned the crowd as he twirled me once to the music, and I nearly stumbled when I caught Andras’s glare pointed at me. I smiled up at my prey, and he smiled right back, unaware of the danger he faced. The other three Princes flanked him, their eyes also trained on me. Well, my plan was working. My bare arms tingled as their gazes continued to burn into my skin, and I stepped in closer to my dumb Hercules, pressing my body to his. His eyes widened, and his hand roamed further down my back as we danced. I looked up at him and pouted my lips just as he licked his own.
“You’re a lovely dancer,” I whispered in my sexiest voice.
He smiled broadly, still watching my mouth. “And you are—”
“Clayton.” The icy tone of the interrupting voice made Clayton stop dancing immediately.
I turned to face Andras, his cool gaze fixed on my dance partner. Fuck, he looked good in his tux, tailored perfectly to his toned body. He stood before us, casual and poised to strike all at once. His ice-cold eyes pierced my own, giving me a quick glance before turning his quiet fury on Clayton-Hercules.
“Oh, hey, Andras.” Clayton smiled even as his eyes darted around like those of a mouse caught in the sights of a snake. His shoulders dipped, and Andras towered over him. This one was clearly a bitch boy.
“May I cut in?” Andras asked a question, but the words sounded like a threat. He was such an entitled dick.
“I don’t think the song is finished yet,” I spoke up first, unable to let his bullshit continue, but Clayton, it seems, was a pansy.
He let go of me instantly. “Of course, Andras. Sir. Please do.” The idiot backed away and quickly found a dance partner not currently attracting the attention of an Obscuritas Prince.
I crossed my arms and glared at Andras as he held out a hand to me. “Maybe I don’t want to dance with you.”
He smiled, and the devil looked back at me in his eyes. “I wasn’t asking, sweetheart.”
Andras pulled me in close, trapping my hand in his own as his other arm wrapped around my waist. The music changed to a dramatic beat, and we locked eyes. Andras began to dance, forcing me along with him. My body heated where his skin met mine, even as his cool gaze attempted to freeze me out. But I was born of fire and could handle men like him.
“Are you enjoying my party?” he asked, spinning me out and crushing me back to his chest.
I tilted my head back to meet his gaze. Even in three inch heels, he was almost a foot taller than me. “It’s a little dull. The food is average.” I kept my tone even and my face neutral.
Andras murmured in my ear as he leaned in closer, making me shiver. “You’re a terrible liar, sweetheart.”
“Whatever. The food is good. I’ll give you that. But the rest is disappointing, just as I knew it would be.” I shrugged as we turned about the room and I fought to keep my heart from beating too fiercely for this dark god. Keep it together, Sara.
Andras quirked a smile even as his eyes remained distant. Analyzing. “Why did you come then, if you were so sure you’d be disappointed?”
“Curiosity, I suppose.” I smirked. “Wanted to see how the filthy rich folk lived. Did you grow up in this house?”
Andras stared at me for several seconds before responding. “No. I didn’t move to Boston until I was thirteen years old. Before then, I lived in C?te d’Ivoire.”
My treacherous pussy pulsed hearing his accent as the French words coated his tongue. I swallowed, trying to rein her in. “Why did you leave?”
“My mother died. Among other things.” Andras spoke the words, and his eyes widened for a second, his mask falling and returning to place so fast, I almost didn’t notice it. Why did he tell me that?
“I’m sorry,” I murmured, unable to keep the emotion from the words as I spoke them.
Andras nodded curtly. “It was a long time ago.” He spun me out and pulled me back in, his eyes glinting with cold indifference. “You look ravishing in that gown.”
I fought the urge to blush at his compliment and the way his hand gripped my waist more firmly. His cold mask was back, and so was mine. I rolled my eyes. “I prefer leggings and biker boots.”
“My kind of woman,” a gruff voice cut in.
I turned to see Ty standing nearby, his demon eyes raking over my body and making my insides melt. Fuck, he was so hot—and I was so, so fucked.