Chapter 26
Spell
Dozens of cameras flash as Theo and I make our way slowly down the red carpet and up the stairs into The Met.
The Marquis Foundation’s Black and White Ball is the biggest social event in New York City, with hundreds of executives from a plethora of industries throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars at medical research.
Gigi avoids the paparazzi, slipping past the masses, not wanting her face to be plastered in the papers.
Amir frowns as she slips away from him, failing to hide his disappointment.
“You can cut the sexual tension between those two with a fucking butter knife,” Theo whispers to me. “I give them two hours before they’re fucking in the coat room.”
I cringe. That’s not a mental image I want to see.
“Gross.”
Theo smirks. “Don’t be jealous, little lamb. I can find a coat room for us, too.”
I blush. “Shh… some of these cameras have microphones.”
Theo chuckles, placing a hand on the small of my back as we silently enter the iconic gallery.
As we enter the doors, we’re greeted with the scent of fine culinary creations and the soulful melody of a four-piece jazz band.
The gallery has been converted into a luxurious ballroom, circular tables with crisp white linens are spread around the space.
Ornate miniature crystal chandeliers intertwined with seasonal florals act as centerpieces, and black and white velvet drapes cascade from the ceiling.
Dozens of servers carry trays of hors d'oeuvres and flutes of champagne, weaving through the mingling guests.
“Would you like a drink?” Theo asks, plucking two glasses off a passing server.
I scrunch my nose. “Fine, but I’m switching to wine after two glasses.”
Theo perks a brow, following Amir to our designated table. “Let me guess, you’re not a fan of carbonated beverages.”
I roll my eyes. “Fizzy drinks make me bloated. This dress has zero stretch.”
Theo chuckles as we stop at our table. He pulls out a chair for me, whispering in my ear as I sit down. “We could always remove said dress.”
I shiver as his hot breath mists against my skin. “A possibility.”
Theo grins, settling down in a chair beside me. “Oh, how risqué of you.”
I give him a coy shrug. “Better start searching for that coat closet.”
Theo drapes an arm over the back of my chair, shifting his body toward me. I resist the urge to fling myself at him.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Good,” I say then let out a small sigh as I glance around the ballroom. “There’s probably well over one hundred billion dollars in this room. Isn’t that sickening?”
Theo cocks his head. “Not a fan of the wealthy?”
I shrug. “People say money doesn’t bring happiness, which may be true, but I treated a patient once that fell into a deep depression after her husband passed away.
He was the sole provider, and when he passed, she was drowning in debt.
” I meet Theo’s attentive eyes. “Do you know how much debt she had?” Theo shakes his head.
“It was ten thousand dollars. She tried to end her life over ten thousand dollars.” Theo flicks his wrist, trailing a comforting finger up and down the length of my spine.
“A ticket to this event cost over fifty grand.”
Theo’s expression tightens as his gaze shifts to the bar at the end of the ballroom. “Money is the root of all evil, Safia. Money makes people do terrible things.”
I tap my nails against the champagne flute. “Has money ever been a motivator for you?”
Theo snorts, turning his attention back to me. “If I wanted to make money, I’d work in private security not for the federal government.”
I hold up my glass. “Well, cheers to us for choosing pensions over salary.”
Theo smiles, clinking his flute against mine. “Cheers.”
As we both take a sip of champagne, Amir rounds the table, stopping behind us. His dark eyes shift from me and Theo.
“I’ve lost Gigi,” he says, tone sour. He flicks his gaze toward the bar. Gigi is standing beside a well-built middle-aged man with brown hair and hazel eyes. She covers her mouth and laughs, a cocktail with a straw in her hand. “I should go over there and kick his ass.”
I blink up at Amir. “Kick his ass? Have you ever even been in a fight before?”
Amir glowers at me, offended. “I could take him.”
I snort. “Yeah, to the mall maybe.”
Amir’s mouth gapes open. “The mall? Do you honestly think I shop at malls?”
I roll my eyes. “Just sit down, Amir. Before you hurt yourself.”
“That’s the director of the DEA,” Theo chimes in, gripping the stem of his flute a little too tight. “I’d probably avoid socking that particular man in the face.”
Amir swallows. “DEA, huh?” He pats the breast pocket of his tuxedo. “Yeah, I guess I’ll let this go. Just this once, you know?”
My stomach clenches. “You have drugs on you, don’t you?”
Amir’s eyes widen to a terrifying size as he briefly glances at Theo. “Safia…”
Theo lets out a small laugh. “Relax, Amir. If I arrested every CEO with a coke habit, our country's biggest brands would be without leadership.”
Amir gives Theo a playful scowl. “It’s a social thing.”
I swallow hard. It’s not, but he’s a grown man. I’m tired of having the same conversation over and over again.
Theo perks an amused brow. “That’s what they always say.”
Amir glances down at me, his tone an awful attempt at a harsh whisper. “Your boyfriend is a douchebag.”
Theo expels a gruff chuckle. “On second thought, maybe I should arrest you.”
Amir continues to look down at me as he adds humor in his tone. “But at least he’s funny.”
“I’ll take it.” Theo smacks his thigh before standing up. “Why don’t we all go and say hello to Mr. Vaughan-Morris, huh? Gigi only laughs like that when she’s uncomfortable.”
Amir’s expression hardens. “She’s uncomfortable?”
“Very,” Theo says.
As I stand up and we start toward the bar, I whisper to Theo, “She’s uncomfortable? To me, it looks like she’s having a great time.”
Theo shrugs, grinning. “People believe what they want to believe.” He nods at Amir who is two steps ahead of us. “Let the man dream a little, Safia.”
When we approach Edward Vaughan-Morris and Gigi, Theo slips his left hand into his pants pocket.
“Edward,” Theo says, offering the DEA director a handshake. “What brings you out tonight? Surely the agency isn’t footing the bill.”
“If it isn’t Theodore Kane.” Edward lets out a rough laugh as he shakes Theo's hand, and Theo responds with a couple of pats on his shoulder. “I can say the same for you.”
Theo relaxes, pocketing his hand. “I’m here as a guest.” He nods to Amir who stands beside me like a marble statue, tough yet fragile.
I briefly glance over at Gigi as she leans against the bar, a chewed up straw between her teeth, her amused gaze flitting from Edward to Amir.
“Edward, I’d like for you to meet Amir Hadid.
He’s the CEO of Cavanaugh Industries.” The two exchange stoic nods.
Theo’s expression softens as he glances down at me.
“And this is Dr. Safia Hadid. I’m sure she needs no introduction. ”
“Dr. Hadid, of course.” Edward takes my hand and kisses my knuckles, an act that should be innocent but comes off as greasy and unpleasant. “I’ve read all your books.”
“Thank you.” I pull my hand away, discreetly wiping it on my dress. “I’m flattered.”
He casts me a slimy smile. “I’m here with a friend of mine.” He nods toward a table situated in the center of the ballroom. “I’m sure you all know Dick Jensen, CEO of Jensen Pharmaceuticals. He recently made Forbes’s forty under forty list.”
I scoff. “And you’re here as what, a kickback?”
Theo can’t stifle a proud grin.
Edward’s smile tightens, and a flicker of something hard crosses his face.
"A kickback?" He leans in slightly, lowering his voice just enough to make the moment feel a little more intimate, a little more uncomfortable. "No, sweetheart, it’s called networking. The DEA and pharms are not enemies. We’re partners.
It's all about balance. We help people.”
“Sounds like a conflict of interest,” I say, holding my head up high.
He scoffs. "Why don’t you stick to scribbling about psychos, sweetheart, and leave the real decisions to the big boys, huh?"
Indignation rumbles through my body. “Call me sweetheart one more time.”
“Swee—”
Before the word fully leaves his lips, a splash of rum and coke crashes across his face, silencing him mid-syllable.
Theo, Amir, and I snap our heads toward Gigi, her hand still outstretched, cocktail glass now drained, her eyes gleaming with unapologetic satisfaction.
“Oh goodness,” Gigi says, tone flat. “I must’ve tripped. Silly me. You know how we women are, so clumsy.”
Edward’s teeth clench as he wipes a sleeve across his face. “Enjoy the rest of the evening.” And he walks away.
Amir smirks, head cocked to the side. “While I admire your excellent aim, I’m wholly offended to be grouped in the same category as that man. Perhaps it’s time to reconsider at whom we toss our drinks, hmm?”
She shrugs. “Same shit, different asshole.”
I press my lips into a thin line as Amir’s face falls and his ego splatters on the floor. “You wound me, Giselle.”
Gigi rolls her eyes. “I’m going to find someone to dance with.” She struts past us, then slowly cranes her neck over her bare shoulder, eyes lowered, like a siren setting a deadly trap. “Well? What are you waiting for, Hadid? Don’t you want to be that someone?”
Amir rushes past us so fast that he leaves a figurative cloud of dust in the air.
I shake my head, sighing. “He doesn’t stand a chance. She’s going to eat him alive.”
Theo’s amber eyes find mine as he snakes his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. “Some men need a challenge, Safia.”
“Are you saying you find me challenging, Agent Kane?” I breathe out, hyperaware that we’re embracing in a public setting. Although it’s not forbidden for agents and consultants to be romantically involved, it’s the first time we’ve opened the doors to our relationship. “Should I be offended?”
“Of course not,” he rasps. “Falling for you is like learning a new language. It might be challenging, but it opens up a whole new fucking world.” He brushes my bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “And what a beautiful world it is.”
I swallow, pulse quickening. “Maybe it’s time to find that coat room, Theodore.”
“Are you sure?” His eyes darken. “I wouldn't want to ruin that pretty dress of yours.”
“Yes.”
“This way.” Theo’s breath tickles my ear as we slip away from the ballroom, weaving through the crowd of New York’s elite.
My heart hammers in my chest as he leads me toward a closed-off wing of the museum.
We pass several ‘closed for renovations' signs and, within seconds, it's like we’re on a private island.
Just the two of us. Nothing and no one else.
I glance over my shoulder, adrenaline rushing through my veins as we reach what looks like a private administrative office.
“Where are we?” I ask.
“Former curator’s office,” Theo grins. “They’re doing renovations.”
I tilt my head. “You did research.”
“I always do research, little lamb,” he says, pushing open the unlocked door. He pulls me inside with a smirk that sends a rush of heat straight to my core. The room is dimly lit, the faint scent of leather, paint, and plastic surrounding us. He turns, locking the door behind us with a soft click.
“Now, where were we?” he murmurs, his hands already tracing the curve of my waist, pulling me close.
“Right about here,” I whisper, leaning in to kiss him.
His mouth is on mine instantly, hot and insistent.
Our hands and lips and bodies crash together as tension builds and logic vanishes.
His hands slide down my back, scrunching up the couture dress inch by inch, and I want to scream at him to go faster.
I gasp when he hoists me up, slamming my back against the dusty white wall.
Theo’s pants fall around his ankles, and then, as if catapulted into an age of magic and spells, all sense of time melts away, and we become one.
In the confines of this abandoned room, it’s just us—his hands, his lips, the low sound of his voice in my ear.
Every brush of skin, every breathless moan.
Every kiss is intoxicating. He’s intoxicating.
He fucks me slowly. Deliberately. Each thrust tender, loving, so fucking beautiful.
But he finishes like a beast. The beast always comes out to play. And I love that about him.
He has two sides. Each equally thrilling, each equally mine.
When we finally come down from the high, I rest my forehead against his shoulder, trying to catch my breath. Theo presses a soft kiss to my temple, his hands still on my hips.
And then, his phone buzzes.
“You should answer that,” I say as he sets me on the floor.
Theo bends down, pulling his pants up. He fishes his phone from his suit pocket and groans, looking down at the screen.
“Fuck. It’s Deputy Director Bhatia.”
“Take it,” I say, nudging him. “It’s probably important.”
He sighs, hesitating. “Fine. But don’t go too far.”
I give him a warm smile, smoothing down my dress. “I’ll be right back. Just need to freshen up.”
“There’s a restroom down the hallway,” Theo calls out as I slip out of the office, leaving him to his phone call.
A rush of cool air hits me as I make my way toward the restroom, my legs unsteady, my heart full. A flush of warmth spreads across my cheeks, and I’m unable to stop smiling.
The bathroom is empty when I step inside. I head straight to the sink, staring at my reflection in the large mirror. I look...happy. Truly happy. I smile at myself, feeling light, almost giddy. My lips are slightly swollen, and my hair is no longer perfect, but I don’t care. It’s perfect to me.
Reaching into my clutch, I pull out my lipstick. The snap of the cap echoes in the quiet room. I raise my eyes back to the mirror and freeze.
There’s someone behind me.
My heart lurches into my throat, and I gasp, dropping the lipstick onto the counter with a clatter. Kaleb’s reflection stares back at me in the mirror, his cold eyes meeting mine.
He’s dressed like a server, wearing the black-and-white uniform. How did he get clearance? How the hell did he get in here? How long has he been watching?
“I see the way you look at him,” Kaleb says, his voice low and menacing.
My breath catches, fear tightening around my chest. “Kaleb...”
He takes a step closer, and my gaze shifts to a neatly folded cloth in his right hand. “Why can’t you look at me like that, Safia?”
Panic surges through me, and I glance at the door. I’m not subtle. Kaleb sees my intention within milliseconds. He rushes forward, muffling my screams as he presses the cloth over my mouth.
It happens slowly, and then all at once.
“Shh, it’s okay, baby,” Kaleb whispers, his voice soft now, like he’s comforting me. “I got you. I got you...”
His words are the last thing I hear before everything goes black.