Page 9

T he Friday night event turned out to be an engagement party held at the City Club in San Francisco.

Sara had half a mind to cancel after the attack on Tuesday, but she really wanted to go. She was doing okay and had been able to go to work the day before. Kevin forbade her leaving the inside of the lounge after arriving, and she gladly agreed.

Kevin told her from now on that Jim could take out the damned trash and if he was off for the day, one of the male waitstaff was in charge of it.

Kevin’s hand at her elbow as they walked into the event was a bit annoying, but she endured his touch for now. He seemed to take her attack as an okay to start touching her in small ways. She was grateful to him, but she wasn’t going to encourage him in any way.

She glanced at the large picture of the couple on the poster out front of the party room. Sara didn’t know either of the two people getting engaged, but when she entered the area, she did recognize several blue bloods from her previous exposure as a younger adult. Her parents never missed an opportunity to parade her and Shane through the throng of the wealthy class.

“I need to speak with someone,” Kevin murmured, lifting his phone with a smile.

After a nod, Sara wandered farther into the large party room while Kevin backtracked outside.

Snagging a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, Sara sipped at it while gazing around.

The decor was done up to the nines and reeked of money. Tables were draped with white lace tablecloths and each adorned with frilly napkins and crystal vases containing gold dipped roses. It could have been a wedding instead of an engagement party. At the front of the room, a grand white trellis with gold and white roses had been fashioned, and red rose petals littered the floor.

Dance music played softly overhead, and couples were dancing in a carved-out section of the room.

“Well, as I live and breathe,” a woman said, and Sara turned to find Missy Bradbury.

Missy laughed and caught at her hands. “What brings you here? Get tired of no sunshine?”

Sara grinned. “Sort of?” She wasn’t going to talk about what had sent her running from Seattle with Missy. She had met the woman at a few events her parents had put on back home. Missy was nice and a friend, but not a good friend by any means.

“You look gorgeous.” Missy eyed her gown with envy and drew her close to do an air kiss on one cheek. “Is that Nili Loton?”

“No, it’s Carolina Herrera.” Sara smiled, returning the air kiss.

“Seriously?” Missy gaped at her before eyeing the eight-thousand-dollar little black number Sara had pulled on.

Sara was glad she’d packed a few of her dresses from home before hitting the road.

If nothing else, her mother did have good taste in clothing. She felt a bit guilty for pulling it out to wear because she had basically told her mother off. But she did plan on trying to talk to her mom before she threw in the towel and cut ties with her family completely. Perhaps they could find common ground?

“Have you seen Timothy?” Missy asked, linking their arms before drawing her through the crowded room.

“I have not.”

“He’s going to be gaga.”

That he may be, but Timothy Getty was the last person she would ever speak with. Timothy was a filthy pig and had no redeeming qualities. He was a trust fund baby who preyed on women. Several rape cases had been dropped against the guy because of daddy’s deep pockets. It paid to have judges on the payroll.

Although that was all hearsay, Sara had once seen Timothy in action at an after-concert party. Thankfully, the poor girl had been able to get away after the cops were called.

“Why are you associating with him?” Sara pulled Missy to a stop.

“Um…it’s his engagement party?”

“What?” Sara couldn’t contain her shock. She hadn’t recognized his picture on the poster at the door.

Lord help the woman who married that scumbag.

“Yeah, he’s marrying Sheila Cabot.”

“Of the Nevada Cabots?” Sara asked. The Nevada Cabots had deep pockets in oil. Sara had met Sheila a few times, but they weren’t close.

“One and the same,” Missy said.

“I’ll pass meeting the happy couple,” Sara murmured and pulled her arm free from Missy’s grip. She hoped like hell that Sheila knew what she was getting into. “I need to find my date.”

“Wait… you have a date?” Missy said, but Sara was already on the move.

Thankfully, with a few quick steps, she was lost in the crowd.

Sara placed her empty champagne glass on a nearby table and snagged another one from a passing waiter.

“There you are,” Kevin murmured, approaching her with a smile. “Where were you?”

“Chatting with an old acquaintance,” she said.

He slid an arm around her waist, and she gracefully sidestepped his touch before shooting him a scolding glance.

Kevin gave a sheepish smile. “Will you at least dance with me?”

“Sure.”

She followed Kevin onto the dance floor with a slight smile.

From inside a black limousine, Levi watched the City Club.

He and Nash were parked across the street in a no-parking zone, but so were numerous other vehicles.

Several minutes ago, Sara had disappeared inside the building looking like a million bucks, wearing a sleeveless black dress that molded to her curvy form. Her hair was a mess of dark curls cascading down her back.

“Are we going inside?” Nash asked.

“Yeah,” Levi muttered and straightened the tie of his tux.

First, though, he had to make a phone call.

“Alright…and what do we do when we get in there?” Nash asked.

“We go in and scope it out, don’t approach Sara about anything,” Levi said, shooting Nash a warning look.

“Okay, and how are we getting in there without an invitation?”

“They have a guest list and our names will be on it.” Levi opened the door and slid out. He shut it and pulled out his phone, punching in a familiar number.

“Hello?” a deep, gravelly voice answered.

“Dad, it’s me. I need a favor.”

Ten minutes later, Levi, along with Nash, took the elevator to the tenth floor and walked up to the doors of Timothy Getty and Sheila Cabot’s engagement party.

When they stepped up to the doorman, Levi gave their names.

The smartly dressed man checked the list, unlatched the velvet rope, and allowed them to pass right through.

“Holy crap, talk about clout,” Nash muttered and ran a hand down his black tux. “I’m glad you told me to wear this.”

Levi smirked, grabbed a glass of champagne, and gazed around the room.

Nash didn’t know about his family’s wealth, and Levi aimed to keep it that way. Normally, people reacted differently after discovering his wealth and he didn’t want that affecting his work or his friendships.

Senators, councilmen, and various other city officials, as well as numerous prominent families, were in attendance and Levi saw several people he recognized.

Everybody who was anybody was there.

“Levi Huxley?” a male voice said, and Levi glanced over to find Brandon Bass bearing down on him. The short, portly man was dragging his wife, Stephanie, along.

The last time Levi had seen the pair had been at his father’s retirement party a few years ago.

“In the flesh,” Levi said and took a sip from his glass after shaking Brandon’s hand.

Both Brandon and Stephanie looked him over, assessing his attire, the drink in his hand, and even his neatly cropped beard.

“Your father said you were working outside of the business,” Brandon said.

“Mhmm,” Levi said noncommittally and then turned the subject away from him and his family by pointing a thumb at Nash.

“This is Nash Gibson,” Levi said.

“From?” Brandon asked.

“Kentucky,” Nash drawled with a twang.

Levi snorted into his drink, almost choking.

Stephanie looked aghast, and Brandon looked like he’d swallowed an olive. A few awkward moments later, the pair made their excuses and hurried away.

“You scared the wildlife,” Levi said with a chuckle.

Nash grinned, knowing full well what he’d done. The man did not originate from Kentucky.

“With their noses turned up so high, it’s a wonder they can see us normal folks down here,” Nash said.

“Yeah.” Levi sighed and took another sip from his glass.

People like that were one of the reasons he no longer attended most of the functions his parents held, much to their dismay. But he hadn’t been nor would he ever be who they wanted him to be. Sure, he could fit in with the wealthiest of the world, but at what cost?

His high-powered father had insisted on his joining the family company with the idea of grooming him to be his successor.

Levi had joined the Army instead.

Edwin Huxley had had a fit. Even when Levi retired from the Army with a number of commendations, his dad had ignored those badges of honor. After the Army, Levi had dated a girl he wanted to marry, but his father had stepped in.

Around that time, Edwin Huxley had ordered him to report to the company, but Levi had once again refused.

Instead, Levi had gone to work for the government.

From that point on, his dad argued with him every time he went home. Not that the old man knew what he did or who he worked for. Nobody in his life knew that information other than Max and a few key players.

That was all water under the bridge. The only downside was that he had twin brothers he didn’t see very much, but at least his brothers supported him being a bodyguard. On the other hand, his father and mother wanted him to toe the line. They certainly didn’t want him to work for the government in the capacity that he did, or work as a bodyguard in a company he was part-owner of.

It was all well and good for them. They could have their wants and desires.

He, on the other hand, would never cave to them.

Which reminded him…he had called in a favor tonight from his dad, and it would only be a matter of time before he would have to pay the piper.

He wasn’t sure what that looked like, and he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like it.

But right now?

He had something else on his mind.

His gaze roamed around the room and carved through the dancers and people.

Searching for Sara.