Chapter 35 River
THIRTY-FIVE
RIVER
There’s something about the sound of curling irons clicking open and closed, the scent of heat-activated hairspray, and a half-empty bottle of rosé on the counter that feels like home—even when nothing else in my life does.
Lark is pacing in front of my closet like it personally offended her. “River. Babe. I love you, but I cannot believe you still have this skirt.”
She holds up a pleated denim miniskirt like it’s a piece of ancient fossilized fabric.
“It’s vintage!” I defend, twisting slightly as I tug on the zipper of the little black dress I finally decided on. “Besides, you know I haven’t exactly been prioritizing my wardrobe lately.”
Juno snorts. “Because someone’s been too busy dodging blackmail, hacking into surveillance logs, and getting hot-and-heavy with the office’s hottest brooder.”
I throw a pillow at her. She ducks, laughing.
“Okay but seriously,” Juno says, tossing the pillow back. “Tonight is about gathering intel. Tagging Helena. Reading body language. Keeping your cool.”
“And also looking absolutely stunning while doing it,” Lark adds, holding up a red satin dress that’s definitely not mine. “I brought options.”
“You mean you brought your entire closet,” I tease, stepping into my strappy heels. “But thank you.”
Lark shrugs and finally pulls the red dress on over her head. It hugs her curves in all the right ways. She catches her reflection in the mirror and frowns, smoothing it down.
Juno narrows her eyes. “What’s with the face?”
“Nothing,” Lark says too quickly.
“Oh no. Don’t pull that with us,” I say, grabbing my makeup bag and sitting next to her. “Spill.”
Lark hesitates. Her fingers twist the fabric at her hip. “It’s just… tonight I have to go with Knight.”
“You say that like he’s a leper,” Juno mutters.
“I say that like he’s Gage’s best friend and has never seen me as anything more than the tagalong little sister who’s not really part of your little gang. Not really.”
I laugh. “Yes you are.”
“He thinks I’m annoying.”
Juno raises her brow. “Lark. Girl. Knight is not blind. Or stupid. You walk into that room in that dress, and he’s going to have to recite code algorithms in his head to keep from spontaneously combusting.”
Lark flushes, but the smallest flicker of hope crosses her face. “Do you think?”
“Oh, honey,” I say, reaching for my lipstick. “He already looks at you like he knows he’d destroy anyone who hurt you. He just doesn’t know what to do with those feelings yet.”
“Men are slow,” Juno says. “Like dial-up.”
We dissolve into giggles and for a minute, it’s like we’re just normal women getting ready for a party—not an op that could expose the identity of a dangerous manipulator with connections to blackmail, surveillance, and possible murder.
I press the lipstick to my mouth, carefully filling in the bold red that Gage said he loved on me once—softly, in that growly voice of his. The thought of him waiting for me tonight, wearing a suit, his dark eyes heated and possessive as he slides his hand around my waist…
My stomach flips.
“You thinking about lover boy?” Juno teases, smirking.
“Shut up.”
She lifts her glass. “It’s okay. We all want you with Gage. He’s protective, brilliant, hot as sin, and apparently he has a thing for watching you brush your teeth.”
“Okay, that happened one time!”
Lark cracks up. “He’s obsessed. It’s cute.”
“I’m not used to this,” I admit softly. “The attention. The care. Being… seen. Like, really seen.”
Juno’s smile softens. “You deserve all of it. And more.”
I blink back the sudden sting in my eyes. “Tonight’s going to be intense.”
“Yes,” Juno says, standing. “But we’re not going in alone. We’re going in together.”
“And the men will be there to back us up. Like a private army,” Lark adds.
I nod and take one last look in the mirror. The woman staring back isn’t the girl who flinched when her phone buzzed or second-guessed every move.
She’s stronger. Sharper. And maybe ready for whatever comes next.
The ride to the venue is quiet, charged. We’re meeting the rest of the crew at the event. Arrow, Knight, and Gage are already there.
I’m excited to see him. I’m nervous and wearing a wire, so I do what I always do when I’m anxious. I toss a stick of Misfit Mint gum into my mouth.
I can’t help the way my heart skips when I imagine Gage seeing me in this dress for the first time.
The moment I step through the gilded double doors of the Novaplay ballroom, my heart kicks hard in my chest—not from anxiety, for once—but from anticipation. And maybe… a little hope.
The room is transformed. No longer the place of dull quarterly mixers or post-release toasts, but a winter gala drenched in opulence.
Icicle lights dangle from the ceiling like a frozen constellation.
Silver and navy tablecloths shimmer beneath crystal centerpieces.
A string quartet hums in the corner near the champagne bar.
I feel like I’ve stepped into someone else’s life. Someone confident. Desired. Safe.
Someone who wears a slinky black dress with a thigh-high slit and sparkly heels that make her feel ten feet tall.
But all of that fades the second I spot him.
Gage.
He's standing near the bar, deep in conversation with Arrow—who’s looking sharp in a black velvet jacket beside Knight in a maroon suit.
But Gage… he’s magnetic. A black suit tailored to perfection, no tie, shirt unbuttoned just enough to tease.
His jaw is tight until his eyes land on me—and then it softens, melts.
His lips part. Like he forgot how to breathe.
I walk slowly, letting him take me in. His gaze travels from my heels, up the curve of my leg, to the plunge of my neckline, to my red lips and the soft curl in my hair. It’s not just lust in his eyes—it’s awe.
“Damn,” he says when I reach him, his voice low and rough. “You trying to kill me?”
I smile, coy. “Just thought I’d make an impression.”
“You already did that the second I met you.” His hand finds the small of my back and heat sparks under my skin. “But this? You’ve just made it impossible for me to focus on the mission.”
Juno chuckles nearby. “He’s lying. He was already useless the minute you walked in.”
Gage shoots her a look. “Not helping.”
Arrow lifts a champagne flute in mock salute. “We’ll hold down the op. You two just try not to spontaneously combust.”
I roll my eyes, but I’m blushing. Hard.
We mingle briefly, saying hi to a few execs and some unfamiliar faces from marketing and development. Gage keeps close, his hand lingering just enough to tether me, but not distract me completely from the job at hand.
Because tonight, we’re not just playing dress-up.
We’re hunting.
And then I see them.
Helena and Andrew.
Slipping out the ballroom doors.
Gage catches it too.
“They’re moving,” he murmurs, pressing his lips just behind my ear like a lover sharing a secret. “You up for a little field trip?”
I glance over my shoulder. “Always.”
We make our way toward the side exit, dodging servers and colleagues, keeping our movements casual. I snag a glass of champagne off a tray just for the cover.
Gage presses a finger to his ear. “Arrow, Juno—Helena and Andrew just left the ballroom. We’re tailing.”
A second later, Juno’s voice responds through the comms. “Copy. We’re in position by the stairwell if they head that way.”
We slip down the hallway, footsteps silent on plush carpet. The corridors here are dimmer, echoing with the faint strains of the party left behind.
We round a corner—just in time to see Helena and Andrew disappear through a frosted-glass door labeled “Private Lounge.”
Gage raises a brow. “Well, that’s not suspicious at all.”
My stomach churns. “They didn’t even try to hide it. And what’s even more crazy is both of their spouses are here.”
“Which means they’re either reckless… or confident no one would dare follow.”
He tilts his head toward the alcove across from the door, hidden in shadow. We slide in, waiting.
Through the glass, silhouettes shift—close. Too close. When Andrew pulls Helena against him and presses his lips to hers, it’s all the confirmation we need.
“They really don’t care who sees,” I murmur.
“Or they think no one will believe it,” Gage says grimly. “Andrew’s got a reputation.”
I chew on my bottom lip. “Do you think she’s controlling him? Like she is Tasha?”
He nods slowly. “Wouldn’t surprise me. If Helena is Regent… she’s been running this chessboard for a while. And now we know she’s playing more than one piece.”
I exhale shakily. “She’s so… calculated. It’s like she’s always two moves ahead.”
Gage snaps a picture of the two of them before reaching for my hand, his fingers wrapping around mine. “Not anymore. Not with us watching.”
He pulls me closer, tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “You look so damn beautiful tonight, River. I wish this was just a date. Just you and me.”
My heart thuds painfully. “Me too.”
He presses a soft kiss to my forehead, and for a moment the rest of the world fades—the threat, the danger, the betrayal. Just the press of his lips, the way he holds me like I matter more than anything else.
And I believe him.
The door across the hall opens and we both shift back into position.
Helena and Andrew emerge, looking composed, like nothing scandalous just happened behind that door. But now we know. We have proof. And leverage.
“Let’s get back,” Gage whispers. “We’ve got work to do.”
As we slip back into the party, my mind is racing.
The secrets are getting thicker.
The lies deeper.
But with Gage beside me… I feel like we might just have a shot.