Page 43 of Provocation (Den of Deception #3)

He gives my hand a squeeze. ‘If I don't get this done early, she'll be shadowing us the entire night,’ he murmurs in my ear.

I give him a nod.

‘I’ll be fine. I’ll stay in the ballroom. It’s not like Joe can do anything with all these people around,’ I whisper back, waving him away and giving the girl a wink that makes her wrinkle her nose at me.

I stay at the edge of the room, wandering through the people who are watching the others dance from the sidelines.

As requested, I keep away from the champagne tower completely. I've already switched to water because I want to keep my wits about me anyway.

I'm standing watching Shade dance when I feel a presence at my shoulder. I glance back to find John. He's very drunk now, I realize. He stares at me with half-closed eyes and then shakes his head as if to clear it.

'You look...You look just like her. You know?'

I don't know what to say, so I say nothing. He takes another gulp of his whiskey.

'She never loved me.'

I want to ask if that's why he killed her, but I stay quiet, wondering what else he's going to let slip while in this state.

'She never loved me,’ he says again, half to himself. ‘She saved that for Mark. Fucking Mark.’'

His sudden sneer makes me want to step back. 'It was always Mark,' he hisses angrily, but he looks more…sad to me.

'Why did you marry her then?' I ask quietly.

He looks taken aback like he forgot I was here. He takes another sip of his drink, and I think he's not going to answer, but then he lets out a small sigh.

'I would have taken her any way I could have her.'

His eyes flash at me. 'We could have been happy if it wasn't for you. She had to give you so much all the time. Stupid, troublesome brat.' He snorts. 'Your leaving was a blessing.'

I don't know why his words cut me, but they do.

He looks at the floor, taking another gulp of his drink.

'I can't even remember the night she died,' he says quietly, more to himself than me. 'How fucked up is that? How can I not remember any of it? Just waking up at my desk with a raging migraine to the cops at the front door.’

He sighs again and drifts away as if he's forgotten that he was even speaking to me.

The dance finishes, and Shade comes up to me with concern written on his face.

'What was that about? What did my father say?'

'I'll tell you later,' I say quietly, almost feeling as if I'm going to cry.

'Come,' he says quietly. 'Dance with me.'

I nod and he takes my hand, leading me onto the dance floor.

SHADE

I can see Joe watching from the sidelines. His eyes are riveted on Daisy, but she hasn't noticed him in here yet, and for that, I'm thankful. In my arms, she's relaxed, though a little sad, maybe.

'Tell me,' I murmur. 'What was he saying?'

She shakes her head a little. 'It was weird. He's very drunk. He was saying that he didn't actually remember the night that April died, that he woke up at his desk, and didn't even recall leaving the party.'

I frown. 'That is weird. Did he sound like he was telling the truth?'

She shrugs. 'I don't really have that kind of superpower,' she murmurs a little sardonically.

‘But that's not what's upset you?'

She shakes her head.

'Come on.’

'He said that he always loved April, but she was in love with my dad. I asked him why he married her, and he said that he would take her any way that he could, and that they'd have been happy if it wasn't for me.' She winces a little. 'He said it was a blessing that I was taken to The Heath.'

My arms around her tighten a little.

'That's bullshit,' I say.

'I know. I mean, I think I do. I just... I didn't think he'd actually say how much he hates— I just didn't expect it. That's all.'

The next song starts, and we keep dancing.

I look over to see Joe Banderville with his sister.

I've noticed her tonight a couple of times, though she melts into the background.

She's been standing with the other girls, but she doesn't really speak to them much.

While she's dancing with Joe, she's wooden.

Her steps are all correct, but her face is blank.

She doesn't look into his eyes. She stares at his chest. He says something to her that makes her blanch and, as they turn in circles close to ours, I can see how hard he's gripping her fingers.

I almost feel bad for the girl, but I've got my own problems, and so does Daisy. We can't save everyone.

When the dance ends, I'm about to take Daisy to the refreshments to get her a drink, when none other than Marcus steps up.

'Can I have the next dance?' he asks with a shit-eating grin on his face.

Daisy tenses next to me.

'Get the fuck out of here,' I snarl, making some of the other party goers look at us. I hear someone gasp a little.

'It's okay,' Daisy says, putting her hand on mine and giving me a meaningful look. 'Don't make a scene. Don’t make the night be for nothing.'

She pats me gently and nods at Marcus.

'One dance,' she says through clenched teeth, 'if only so that John doesn't have anything to chew me out for later.'

She goes off dancing with the enemy. I hate it. I want to punch him in the face for everything he's done to her.

I watch them with hawk-like eyes, making sure that his hands don't go anywhere, that his hands don't move at all from her waist. He's saying things to her.

I can see his lips moving, but she's either actually ignoring him, or it looks as if she is.

That pleasant expression is plastered on her face, as it has been all night.

No one can fault her politeness, her etiquette, and I know that's what she's counting on to get her through this.

At least I've made sure that the Bandervilles can't take her anywhere I can't follow. At least I should be able to make sure they're not able to hurt her again.

My phone vibrates and I glance down to see a message from Lu Garrett. She says the thing I’ve asked her to get for me is proving more difficult for her to acquire than expected, but she should have it soon. I delete the message immediately.

The dance finishes, but Marcus doesn't bring Daisy back to me. My eyes narrow as I cross the floor. With other party goers fluttering around, I can't see her properly, but when I get to her, Marcus is nowhere to be seen, and Daisy's face is pale. She's clutching something in her hand. An envelope.

'What is it? What did Marcus say?' I snarl.

'Nothing,' she waves a hand. 'Nothing important, the usual stuff. Joe is angry that I was drinking, pissed off that he’s not allowed to be alone with me anymore. Blah. Blah. Blah. But,' she looks down at the envelope, 'someone just gave me this.'

'Who?'

'One of the butlers. He said he found it. It has my name on it.'

I look at the familiar handwriting.

'He's here,' I snarl. 'Probably watching us right now.'

I look around, trying to see if I can see anyone staring at us or looking like they're interested in us. But there's no one.

'Open it.'

She flicks up the seal and takes out a small, folded piece of paper. She reads it silently and then hands it to me.

You're welcome. You better thank me properly when we finally meet.

PS, the jean skirt made you look like the whore you are.

'That’s what I was wearing the other day at the club when the raid happened. He's still watching me,' she says quietly. ‘I mean I guess I knew he wasn’t gone . I just hoped…’

'What does he want your thanks for?' I ask quietly.

'I don't know,' she says.

'I don't see anyone here who it could be, but I'll get a guest list from the Forrests, and we can cross reference everyone who's on it with the image that Blake got.'

She nods.

'We're getting closer,' I say. 'He’s going to make a mistake and we’ll find the son of a bitch.’

I glance at my watch. 'We've been here for enough time. Do you want to speak to anyone else?' I say.

She shakes her head. 'No. I think it’s time to go.'

We go outside, waiting at the front of the house for the car under an outdoor heater. While we’re there, I see a few of the drivers standing in a group, waiting for their passengers to come out of the party.

‘That’s Peters,’ I murmur, noticing a short, balding man standing with the others.

‘Your dad’s driver ? He was let go, Stephens said.’

I nod. ‘He must be working for someone else in the area. I’m going to see what he remembers from the night of April’s accident. You stay here, okay?’

‘Okay,’ she acquiesces.

I walk over to the group of drivers slowly, and catch Peters’ eye. I see him do a double take, swear quietly, and then look behind him. I get ready to chase him if he runs, but he clearly thinks again and stays where he is, watching my approach with narrow eyes.

‘What do you want, kid? I don’t work for the Novelles no more,’ he says as soon as I’m close enough.

‘Just wanted to ask you about the night of my stepmother’s car accident.’

He shrugs. ‘Don’t know nothing about that.’

I pull out a wad of bills.

‘You sure?’

He eyes them and his lips pinch together. ‘What do you want to know?’

‘Did you pick up my father that night?’ I ask, drawing a little closer and lowering my voice.

‘Yeah. What about it?’

‘From the gala?’

He looks torn, and then his eyes find the money again. ‘I’m not supposed to talk about it.’

I pull out another few twenties and he swallows.

‘No. Not the gala.’

‘Where then?’ I ask.

He grits his teeth. ‘The side of the road near the convenience store on the way back into town.’

’Go on.’ I add several more bills to the pile.

Peters shakes his head. ‘He was fucked up. I thought he was drunk. He was swaying and staggering. He wasn’t making any sense.

I got him in the car and brought him home.

He passed out in the back and I had to shake him awake.

He went inside and that was it. Didn’t know about the accident until the next day.

Your dad gave me five grand to tell the cops I picked him up. A week later I was let go.’

I stare at him. ‘What do you think happened?’

He snorts. ‘I think your dad drank too much or took something and decided to drive home with your mom. I think he crashed the car and killed her and then called me to get him.’

My phone starts to buzz in my pocket. I take it out.

Blake.

'What is it?' I say into the phone, more sharply than intended.

'Detective Black was just found in the alleyway outside Wrath with a knife through his chest,’ Blake says in my ear.

'Fuck!’ I whisper hiss.

'The cops are all over.'

‘Where are you?’ I ask, holding out the cash for Peters who snatches it quickly and stuffs it in his pocket.

‘Still at the house,’ Blake says.

I run my hands through my hair as I turn away from the driver and go back to where Daisy is standing. The car is just pulling up.

'Message Sandy and Dom to stay away,’ I say. ‘The others, too. Don't go there either. The cops will come to us soon enough. Where were you tonight?'

'Me and Mav both haven't left the KIP house since this morning. The cameras have us and a bunch of the guys have seen us here.'

'Good,' I say, 'and Daisy and I have been at the gala. Before that, we were at the house too. They won't be able to pin this on us. We’re coming back now.'

I hang up the phone. Everything in me tells me that I need to get Daisy somewhere safe and we can’t risk the club. I’ll bet the cops are crawling all over it.

The truth is, the KIP House is all we have right now. For all we know, the stalker is still watching all the cameras, but we have nowhere else.