Page 41 of Duality (The Archers #1)

EVELYN

T he music swelled around us, the soft hum of violins mixing with the low chatter of the gala.

The floor-length gown I wore shimmered under the ballroom lights, but I was acutely aware of Alexander’s firm grip on my waist as he guided me across the dance floor.

His hand radiated a quiet strength, one that was both reassuring and commanding.

For a moment, I could almost forget why we were here and just enjoy dancing with one of the men I was rapidly falling for.

Almost.

“Miss Harper,” a smooth, practiced voice spoke from behind us.

Alexander and I both tensed as Ryan Jacobs stepped into our space. His perfectly tailored suit and too-bright smile barely masked the venom beneath.

“Mind if I cut in?”

Alexander’s hand tightened on my waist, pulling me closer. The movement was subtle but unmistakable as he staked his claim. “I do, actually.”

Ryan’s smile didn’t falter, but there was a flicker of something colder in his eyes. He gestured casually to the edge of the dance floor. “Then perhaps we should talk.”

Alexander didn’t wait for a response. He guided me off the dance floor, keeping me close as Ryan followed.

The edge of the room was quieter, tucked away from the prying eyes of the crowd.

Marcus and Adrian tracked us from the bar, their expressions dark, but I discreetly waved them off.

I was curious as to what Ryan had to say.

Did he know we were circling the wagons to take him down?

Or maybe he didn’t believe we were a threat to him.

Whatever it was, it was better to find out than to be kept in the dark.

We reached the edge of the dance floor, and Ryan leaned in slightly, his voice dropping. “You’re meddling in things above your paygrade.”

Alexander’s jaw tightened, but his tone was composed. His familiar boardroom mask shuttered over his face. “And where exactly am I supposed to be meddling?”

Ryan’s gaze flicked to me, a slow, deliberate movement that sent a chill down my spine. “I wasn’t talking to you,” he said to Alexander.

From the look in his eyes, I knew that Ryan knew who I was.

No doubt, courtesy of Finch. But the best course of action was not to confront him now, which meant playing dumb.

The awards ceremony hadn’t started yet, and Marshall Beckett and Julian Slater were still conspicuously absent.

Until they arrived, we couldn’t show our hand.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean,” I said evenly.

“If you have something to say, say it,” Alexander said, his voice low and deadly.

I squeezed his arm in warning. We didn’t need this to devolve into a dick measuring contest.

Ryan’s smirk widened. “I’ll keep it simple.

You don’t want to stand in the way of the new vision for this city.

We’ve been working with this…partner for a long time, and trust me, you don’t want to find yourself on the wrong side.

Change is coming. It’s best if SDS and the Archers, simply… step aside.”

The threat was clear. A new vision for the city that left Citadel and this partner on top, no doubt.

And they obviously didn’t care about who they stepped on to get here.

Or how they cleared those players off the board.

If Citadel was confident enough in this new partner to openly threaten us, whoever it was had to be a much bigger player than we’d anticipated .

Alexander stepped forward slightly, his body a shield between Ryan and me.

“Is that a threat?” he demanded.

I squeezed his arm gently, mentally willing him to keep his cool. He settled slightly, but his muscles were still tense. Of course, it was a threat, but we couldn’t respond in kind. We had to keep it together, so Ryan stayed at the gala, and we could get all three of them.

Ryan’s smile slipped, just a fraction, and the coldness in his stare sent a chill down my spine.

Thank fuck we were handling Citadel tonight before they could cause more damage.

That look in his eyes was one I recognized in the serial rapists and abusers that we put away.

He enjoyed hurting people, and he would keep doing it until he was stopped.

He straightened his jacket, a thin veneer of civility snapping back into place. “Enjoy your evening. For now.” He smiled genially, then melted back into the crowd.

Alexander turned to me immediately. “You okay?”

I nodded, though my heart was still pounding. “I’m fine. I’ve faced worse.”

“I hate that he threatened you,” Alexander grumbled, and I couldn’t help my smile.

I patted his chest gently. “I figured that out, caveman. It’s fine. He can’t do anything here. We need to stay on track and wait for the others to arrive. He won’t be a problem for much longer.”

He studied me for a moment longer, then nodded. Sebastian appeared at my side, his grin softer than usual, and extended a hand.

“Dance with me, my darling?” he asked.

Before I could respond, he twirled me onto the dance floor as the band struck up an upbeat waltz.

Sebastian’s hand rested lightly on my hip, his movements smooth and effortless. His breath brushed my ear as he whispered, “What did the dead man walking want?”

I laughed. “You and Alexander are just as bad as each other. I am perfectly capable of having a conversation with the man.”

Sebastian shrugged. “Alexander saw the same thing I did when Ryan looked at you.”

“I know,” I said softer. “And I’m not dismissing the danger. But I’m not a stranger to how he was looking at me. Like he wanted to kill me.” Sebastian stiffened at my words, and I squeezed his shoulder. “But I am capable of taking care of myself. Besides, after tonight, he won’t be a problem.”

My words sounded more confident than I actually felt.

There was a lot riding on tonight, and there were a lot of variables in place.

There were a lot of places for Citadel to evade us, and if they found out we were trying to take them down legally tonight, they had enough resources to disappear into the wind.

Then we might never figure out who they were working with.

I was also placing a lot of trust in Alexander’s read of the mayor and the police, and I hoped he was right.

But if he wasn’t, we would take care of it.

Together. Look at me learning to play well with others.

“I know,” he said. “But humor the overprotective men in your life?”

I laughed. “Fine. But don’t think because you four outnumber me that you’re going to get your way all the time.”

Sebastian smiled at me, a warm, affectionate look in his eyes. “You said four. Did Marcus grovel his way into your good graces?”

I rolled my eyes. “He doesn’t need to grovel. I understand why he responded the way he did .”

“I think you should make him grovel. Just a little bit.” Sebastian’s grin was diabolical, and I couldn’t help but grin back. Maybe just a little bit of groveling. Marcus had been an ass.

The music ended and we made our way back to the group. Marcus handed me a glass of wine, and I gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

Across from me, Sebastian mouthed, groveling , and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Marcus looked between the two of us and frowned. “I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing when you two plot together.”

I raised my glass and smirked. “You’ll just have to find out…someday,” I said, throwing his words from last night back at him.

“Liam, have you seen Marshall or Julian?” Adrian checked in as he glanced around the room.

“Not yet.”

“Dinner is starting in ten minutes,” I murmured.

What if they didn’t show up? The whole plan revolved around them showing up so they could be arrested. If all three didn’t show up, and we only arrested one two of them, the whole plan would be blown.

“It will be fine,” Alexander said. “At the very least, we’ll take one of them down.”

I nodded, worrying my lip. If we missed even one tonight, the others would scatter like ghosts leaving behind no way to track who the client was and no way to know what they planned next. We had to get all three or the whole plan would unravel.

The emcee stepped onto the stage, and announced that dinner would be served in ten minutes. I needed to duck into the bathroom before then and maybe check in with the rest of my team and the Ghosts. Was Citadel planning on striking our safehouses tonight? Was that where the other two were? Fuck.

I excused myself from the group, ignoring their worried looks. “Bathroom,” I said simply.

Adrian’s eyes narrowed.

“I’ll be fine,” I added, shaking the bracelet on my wrist.

Danny had given it to me after an early mission had gone wrong, and I had ended up taken and almost trafficked. I always wore it on missions. I was never going to be one of those people in books and movies who refused to wear a tracker and wound up kidnapped. Again.

The bathroom line was longer than expected, and I could hear the speakers from the ballroom announcing that dinner was being served.

I patted my hands dry on one of the luxurious paper towels that all the fancy events seemed to have.

When I finally exited the bathroom, the hallway was empty, minus a sole figure leaning against the wall.

My stomach tightened as I recognized the silhouette.

“Mr. Jacobs,” I said, keeping my voice neutral. “Can I help you?”

He smiled, but the gun in his hand stole any pretense of civility. “Come with me.” There was a dangerous glint in his eyes that I recognized. He was unhinged and determined. If I didn’t go with him without a fuss, he would have no problem killing me.

I hesitated. Could I take him? Probably.

But should I? We had the building locked down, and we still didn’t know where Marshall and Julian were.

This could be our chance to find them and maybe also figure out some more information on who the new partners were.

Ryan had shared some tidbits in his threats earlier, and if he thought he was alone, maybe he would share more.

“ Evelyn, don’t you dare, ” Adrian said sternly over the comms. “ Marcus is coming to you now .”

But he wouldn’t get here in time. And I had a chance to end this. Ryan would probably have no problem shooting Marcus as soon as he appeared, but for some reason, he hadn’t shot me yet. He wanted something from me, but I wanted something from him, too.

“Now.” Ryan stepped towards me, waving the gun in my face. He ushered me toward a side service door, his grip harsh on my upper arm. The moment we stepped into the narrow hallway, I discreetly pressed the button on my bracelet, activating the tracker.

“ Goddamnit, Evelyn, ” Alexander swore. “ Marshall Beckett just entered the ballroom and has eyes on us. Do NOT do anything stupid. I’ve… ”

Ryan’s eyes narrowed on the side of my face. His smile turned vicious as he reached up and plucked the comm from my ear. “We can’t have that, can we? We don’t need any white knights trying to interfere.”

He dropped it, crushing it under his heel. My stomach sank, but I kept my expression neutral. I had no choice now but to trust that they would find me. And they would. They had to.

“Come on,” he said, jerking my arm roughly. “There are some people who want to meet you.”