Chapter 44
The museum is beautiful, but other than the few minutes I got to look around before Randall spotted us, I haven’t cared to admire anything else.
Jake taking some of my drink helped, as much as I hate to admit it.
But I’m not as unaffected as I would like to be.
Unfortunately, Jake’s even worse off. I’ll have to make sure he’s with one of the guys before the end of the night.
I don’t want to leave him like this with nobody to look out for him.
I’m not sure what’s up with him. At first, I thought he was helping us for his own gain.
Sure, he was nice that night at dinner, and his music was a great distraction, but that didn’t make us friends.
It wasn’t until he took me out dress shopping that I felt like maybe he wasn’t just here for himself.
Tonight only solidified that for me. He didn’t have to take that drink, but he did.
Not to mention he’s been silently offering me comfort all night.
I’ve seen the guys around a few times, but they keep their distance.
The whole point of this is for them to blend in.
If we do it right, Randall will never even know they were here.
Thankfully, I know Clair and James will appear tonight, as well as Trent’s mother, so even if someone spots them, it’s not exactly out of character.
Jake takes me around, and we mingle, eat hors d’oeuvres, which I learned is just a fancy word for finger food, drink, and even dance.
Jake steps on my feet a few times, but I can tell it’s from the drug and not his lack of dance skills.
No, I doubt his father would allow him to be bad at something that would reflect poorly on him.
All the while, I can feel Randall’s eyes on me.
It doesn’t matter where we are; I feel his eyes on me.
I try to ignore it, and against my better judgment, I don’t seek him out.
I hate giving him my back so often, but I know he thrives on the feeling of dominance he has when I’m afraid, and I refuse to give it to him.
He won’t make a move here. There are too many witnesses.
I tell myself over and over throughout the night until it becomes my silent mantra, and surprisingly, after a while, it helps.
It’s just after seven when the auction finally takes place. We're in a separate room off the main hall where dinner was served. There's a small stage with a podium for a speaker and a table to showcase the item up for bid, but not much else.
Applause greeted Randall as he makes his way to the podium. He smiles at the crowd, who have no idea of the monster they let run their town.
His speech is, of course, all about him, and I would roll my eyes if he weren’t staring at me so intently. It takes everything in me not to squirm under his gaze, but between the years of practice and Jake's hand that squeezes mine under the table, I manage.
The auction is long and boring. Rich people throwing away an obscene amount of money on things they have no use for in the name of a charity that probably only lines Randall's already thick pockets. It’s only made worse by the fact that Randall shares a table with us.
I may have hated feeling his eyes on me all night, but having him sit across from me as he mentally undresses me is worse.
I’ve tried to spot the guys, but I’ve only seen Trent, who sits a few tables away with Hazel and their mom. Everything in me wants to find them, just to know they're here and safe, but I also know drawing attention to them could have the opposite effect. And with Randall so close, I can’t risk it.
Sitting here is torture, but after what feels like forever, they announce the last piece of the night. I let out a little sigh of relief and hear Jake snort a laugh.
“What’s so funny?” I whisper, leaning toward him so that we’re not overheard.
“Nothing,” he says with a shake of his head. He’s full of shit, and when I growl in annoyance, he caves with another small chuckle.
“You’re like a child. You can’t sit still for shit,” he replies, leaning in toward me.
“It’s not my fault,” I tell him as I squirm again.
It’s mostly true, though. The drug makes me feel both sleepy and turned on, making sitting here feel like torture.
It’s nowhere near a full dose, though. I know because I can still think clearly.
I have no doubt Randall will dose me again later and continue doing so until it has its desired effect.
I might have built a tolerance, but I’m pretty sure he’d happily dose me until I stopped breathing if necessary.
Giving me a full dose here would have been noticed. He wouldn’t risk it, but a small dose would make his life easier later. Little does he know, I’ve had even less than he wanted me to. I’m hoping I’ll be able to use that to my advantage later.
Hopefully, building a tolerance will also pay off. He might not be able to knock me out anymore, but some of the other side effects aren’t so pleasant either, especially not if I’m stuck with him.
“But also, this is boring as hell. How can people want to come to this shit?” I blurt because that’s also the truth.
He shrugs. “I’ve been coming to this shit my whole life. You just kind of get used to it.”
“Ew.” I make a face of disgust at the thought of having to do this more than once in my life. “Well, I never want to do this again.”
This time his laugh is a little louder, and I look up to see if we caught Randall’s attention. He’d bid on the last few items, and I’d been enjoying the break from his wandering eyes, but when I look up, I find that he’s not even here anymore.
Strange.
“You know I’ve never met anyone like you before, Jade,” Jake says, and I turn back to him. “Maybe Princess wasn’t the right nickname for you after all,” he says more seriously.
“Oh yeah? And why's that?” I ask, wondering what led him to that train of thought.
“Well, most girls would kill to come to something like this,” Jake says, looking around us as if that’s supposed to mean something to me.
I mean, sure, it’s fancy, but so what.
“I’ve had lots of girls throw themselves at me for things like money, status, or even just a chance at being a part of things like this. Yet you want nothing to do with any of it.”
When he looks back down at me, his brows are scrunched in confusion, like he can’t quite understand me.
“Well, I’m not like those girls because money means nothing to me,” I tell him, reaching up to run my finger over the crease in his brow to soothe it. “I just want to be happy and for the people I care about to be safe. Fuck the rest of it.”
A smile pulls at my lips, at the truth in my words. I’ve never wanted anything more.
He continues to watch me for a moment before he gives me a nod. I’m not sure if he understands or if he’s agreeing, but I let it go.
“And besides, from what I’ve heard, you weren’t exactly shooing those girls away either,” I tease.
“No, I can’t say I was.” He admits with a shake of his head, looking down at the table as if embarrassed to admit that, though I’m not sure why.
When the last item is sold and the auction is over, I’m one of the first out of my chair as I all but drag Jake from the room. I didn’t want to leave Jake at the table with Randall earlier, but I have to pee so badly at this point. I was seriously concerned about how long the damn thing would last.
Thankfully, the bathrooms are just down the hall, and most people have stayed to mingle or have a few more drinks, so there's no wait.
“So now, what do we do?” I ask Jake once I join him back in the hall.
“Now we mingle until it’s over.”
“How long do these things normally last?” I ask, trying to keep the whine out of my tone.
Judging by the smirk Jake gives me, I’m pretty sure I failed.
“Well, it’s only eight, so I would say it will probably be at least another hour, maybe two,” he says, checking his watch.
“What is with you rich people and stuff like this? Don’t you guys get bored with showing off all your money?” I ask only half teasing.
He raises an eyebrow at me. “You do understand that Kratos and the guys were probably the richest people in that room, right?”
My shock must be apparent on my face because he laughs before grabbing my hand to lead me back toward the dining area.
“Wait, are you serious?” I ask him after the initial shock wears off, and I have a second to process his words.
“As a fucking heart attack, Jade. You don’t do what they do and not make money. Not to mention they all come from well-off families already,” Jake says, and I can hear his amusement.
I’m glad he’s enjoying this, at least.
“Oh, Jade, honey!” A familiar voice calls, and I look up to find Trent’s mom headed toward us with a smile.
“Jake,” she says, greeting him with a genuine smile. I’ve come to learn that’s part of her charm. She’s very nurturing and kind.
“Ms. Gray.” Jake nods politely in response while she wraps me in a hug, and I hug her back easily.
I’ve spent a lot of time with both Trent and Hazel, some of which has been at their house, and their mom is amazing.
She reminds me a lot of Clair, but with fewer business suits and more horse manure.
I can see how they’ve stayed friends for years.
They're so alike in so many ways yet so different. They complement one another.
They also both raised some really good kids.
“It’s good to see you,” she says before she releases me, taking a step back.
“You too,” I respond with a genuine smile. This whole thing wouldn’t be nearly as bad if I could actually spend it with people I like.
“Did Trent tell you about dinner tomorrow? I was hoping you could come, and of course, you can bring the boys.” She darts her eyes to Jake with a little nod, as if to tell me he’s welcome too, and I could hug her all over again.
I’m not sure I would want to bring Jake or that he would want to come even if I did, but I appreciate the fact that she’s so open and accepting about, well, everything.