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Kopano sat next to Marna on a stool. Marna turned her attention to him, twisting the tips of his hair for a cool, spiky effect. He lifted his head and his gaze banged into mine. We were both very still until he gave me a nod and I returned it.
The twins assessed first Kopano and me, then Kaidan and me, moving their eyes between the two of us, and then looking at each other with knowing grins. I would have paid a chunk of my dad’s money to know whether they’d seen anything.
“We’ll leave for that party in a minute,” Kaidan told them. He shot me a glare that screamed, I saw that look between you and Kope.
I raised my eyebrows, sending him a silent response of, What’s it to you?
“Hmph,” he grumbled. I followed when he went back up the stairs.
My stomach twisted as we made our way through the house full of people to the heated veranda, where men were sitting around a table, swigging top-shelf whiskey straight from the bottles and talking over one another. I saw my father and had to fight emotions from bursting out around me. I kept my head down.
His eyes were hard when he saw me.
“Come here, kid,” he said with unfamiliar menace. I took small steps to stand at his side. “You got plans for New Year’s?”
“Yes, sir.” I cleared my throat. “A big hotel party in Atlanta.” That was the truth.
“Goody bags for the party.” He handed me baggies of dried green stuff and white powder. Marijuana and cocaine. Steady, girl, I told myself, gripping the bags to my abdomen.
“Thanks,” I whispered, eyes down.
A voice next to him spoke. “Might want to consider having all of these Neph working that gig together on New Year’s.” I lifted my eyes to take in the sight of a handsome Japanese man, who I assumed was Melchom, the Duke of Envy. He took a fine cigar from his lips and played his hand of cards, which made the entire table groan and break into frustrated conversation about their losing hands. He smiled, putting the cigar between his lips as he gathered his winnings, and spoke from the side of his mouth. “Just saying. Could do a lot of damage if the whole group worked a big party together. I have no plans for Blake. I doubt Astaroth or Alocer will disapprove.”
“All right then.” My father grumbled in my direction, “You all work New Year’s together.”
To my relief, he made a shooing motion with his hand, dismissing me. I started to turn, then saw movement from my other side, where Pharzuph, in a robe, walked toward us from the indoor pool area.
“You still standing here?” my father snapped at me. I swiveled on my heels and headed for the door, where Kaidan stood waiting for me. From the corner of my eye I saw Pharzuph entering the veranda through the sliding doors just as we were rushing out.
“Let’s go,” Kaidan said out loud, to the air. By the time we made it to the front door, the four Neph had come up from the basement and were joining us, shrugging into their jackets. Kaidan tossed his keys to Blake. Their eyes were all distant, listening. I joined them, pressing my hearing toward the veranda as we left the house.
“That girl of yours leaves a stink of virtue behind her.” Pharzuph spoke with quiet disdain to my father, not wanting the human men in the room to hear.
Shoot! I hadn’t made it out of the room in time!
We picked up our pace, walking faster and cramming into Kaidan’s car, Kai taking shotgun.
“Well, that won’t last long,” my dad said, sounding so believable it hurt. “She’s just getting good at her job, and the rest will follow. She can drink any man here under the table, that’s for damn sure.”
It was all poker talk after that, but I continued to listen until we were out of range.
I chewed my thumbnail until Marna took my hand and held it in hers. As soon as Blake signaled we were out of the five-mile range of Duke hearing, Blake turned and glanced at me.
“You’re a virgin?” I nodded, and he looked me over like some sort of anomaly, which I guess I was. He laughed and slapped the steering wheel. “Man, things are definitely more interesting with you around.”
I wanted to crawl under the seat and hide my face. Kaidan took a drink from his flask.
“Are we really partying together on New Year’s?” Marna asked.
“As if we have a choice now,” Ginger stated.
We’d been ordered to go, but how would they know if we were working or not? What if one of them decided to check on us? And then it hit me: Kopano would be expected to be there working, too. I angled myself toward him.
“Maybe you can come up with an excuse or something,” I offered, feeling horrible. He shook his head.
“I cannot raise suspicion against my father or any of you. I will work.”
The car went ghostly silent. Nobody here had ever seen Kopano work. I closed my eyes. This was so wrong. We kept our thoughts to ourselves as the reality settled in. Marna squeezed my hand.
“So how’s my little cupcake Jay doing these days?” she asked. I loved her for trying to distract me.
“Fine. Actually, I think he might have a girlfriend soon, this other girl we’re friends with.”
“Oh?” A look of excitement and challenge flashed in her wide eyes, and I realized my mistake. She caught herself and dropped her gaze to our hands.
“Good for him,” she whispered.
The two plastic baggies were in my other hand, making me agitated. My mind kept returning to the fact that Pharzuph knew I was a virgin, and how liberating it would feel to take one bump of the powder. It was right there, far more tempting to me than alcohol. All I had to do was stick my fingernail in there and— No!