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The evening of the gala was filled with women in glittering gowns and men in black tuxedos. Earlier in the evening, Vinny had moved to the second bedroom to get dressed while Sharon and Parker worked on Annalissa. Parker was over the moon with a new dress he had procured for her. She had to admit that when he pulled it out of the garment bag she was speechless. The dress had a fitted, beaded bodice that flowed down to a full skirt made of iridescent material that shimmered with blue and green. He helped her into it and then stepped back to admire his creation.

“Oh, darling, girl. You are a vision,” he gushed.

Sharon hustled her over to a stool and began working on her stage makeup while Parker then fixed her long curls. Leaving them hanging down her back, he expertly pulled the front away from her face so that they would not interfere with her playing. Fastening bejeweled clips all around, she had the appearance of wearing a crown interwoven in her hair .

Sharon chattered on about people in LA that she was meeting and hoping would get her acting career started.

“You are such a talented makeup artist, Sharon,” Annalissa said, laying her hand on her friend’s arm.

Giving a little shrug, Sharon said ruefully, “That’s nice to hear, but it’s kind of like always being the bridesmaid and never the bride.” Looking up at Annalissa’s eyes, expertly applying just the right shade of eye shadow to compliment the dress, she smiled, saying, “Speaking of brides. Anything we ought to know about with Mr. Hunky?”

“Oh, do tell,” Parker said, plopping down in front of her too.

“No, nothing to tell.”

“Well, you’re still living here. Did you ever go back to your place?” Sharon asked.

“I did, but it was so trashed. Vinny didn’t want me to go back there, and quite frankly I didn’t want to either.” Looking at them both, she admitted, “I guess that sounds kind of weird, doesn’t it?”

“Not at all,” Sharon said. “Hey, when you’ve got that, who’d want to live alone?” She stood up and walked over to her makeup case, putting her supplies away.

Parker leaned in, inspecting her face. “Beautiful, as always.” Capturing her gaze, he added, “Honey, when it’s right, it’s right. Don’t matter if it’s ten years, ten days, or ten hours. You got it, you hang on to it.”

They shared a smile before he assisted her up. Sharon and Parker wished her well and headed out of the apartment on their way to the event. “We’ll meet you there and do touch-ups before the press makes it into the room,” they promised.

Nervously, she walked out of the bedroom. Not seeing Vinny, she walked down the hall and when she turned, she stopped dead in her tracks.

He was standing in front of the windows, the evening sunset behind him. His black, fitted tuxedo stood out in stark contrast to the crisp white shirt that he wore. She knew it had to have been specially made—it fit him to perfection. And perfection he was.

Tall, handsome, and that smile. Dear God, that smile. His eyes were pinned on her and she felt her breath catch in her throat.

While she had been perusing him from head to toe, he had been staring at the vision in front of him as well. Every inch of her was elegant. The hair. The dress. The makeup. The shoes. Elegant. And perfect.

“Princess,” he called softly, holding out his hand.

She glided toward him, taking his much larger hand in hers. “Babe, you take my breath away.”

Smiling, she ducked her head, but he lifted it again with his fingers under her chin. He offered her a kiss. Just a touch on the lips. Just a promise.

A knock on the door interrupted their moment and as Vinny called out, Jobe entered. He looked almost as marvelous as Vinny and she smiled as she walked over to welcome him.

Jobe looked her over, his eyes twinkling as he took her hand and lifted it to his mouth to place a kiss there. She giggled as Vinny gently pulled her back .

“You get the harp and I get the girl,” Vinny jokingly reminded him.

“Just my luck. Well, come on Easnadh,” Jobe said, as he carried the case down to the limousine that waited for them.

“We can’t afford to fuck this up tonight.”

“You think I don’t know that? You think I haven’t laid awake every night trying to figure out how to get our hands on that harp?”

“All I know is I’ve got no plans of this taking me down. And if I make one more call to Jawan, then the next thing coming from California is someone to take care of me—permanently!”

“Shut-up! You’re not making this any better. I’ve got this. It won’t fail.”

The two continued to argue for several minutes, each hoping that tonight, this entire fucked up situation would be over.

Once at the Richmond Concert Hall, Vinny left Annalissa’s side reluctantly as she made her way with Easnadh to the ballroom upstairs. The guests were still meandering around as they arrived, hors d’ouevers being passed by the wait-staff. As they made their way to the room where the evening’s activities were taking place, Tony’s men mingled .

Tony had several men outside providing their regular security service for some of the city’s dignitaries. Security cameras had been installed on the inside of the ballroom focusing on the small stage where Easnadh would be for most of the evening. BJ was at the helm of the van outside, monitoring the cameras and training another new hire.

On the inside, Tony placed the men he trusted the most. Terrance and Doug had been working for him for about a year and had earned the right to work security on the inside. Gabe, Jobe, Vinny, and Tony himself considered Annalissa and her harp to be their mission. And one they would not fail.

Once upstairs, she saw Maurice near the small platform stage where they would perform. Making her way over to him, she set her harp down to offer him a congratulatory hug.

“Oh, Mr. Feinstein, this evening is all for you. And I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more.”

Returning her hug, he smiled warmly down at his protégé. “Malyshka, I am so pleased to have you with me tonight.”

Sharon called her over from the side of the platform and Annalissa made her way toward her. “Hey, Parker and I are in a small room back here if you want to touch up. Todd said that we can use this room and you can leave your case here if you need.”

She followed her into the room, surprised that it held mostly stacked chairs that were not being used. There was a temporary mirror that Parker had placed on the wall and was already moving her in front of it. Fixing a few pins in her hair, he declared her ready for any performance.

Sharon had stepped through a door at the back and was re-entering, tossing a cigarette behind her. There was a small balcony overlooking the river beyond her. “Sorry,” she grimaced. “I just can’t break the habit. I know it’s nasty and I always go outside so I won’t get any cigarette smoke on you.”

Parker waved his hand in front of his face, fanning the last of the smoke away. “That’s why this room is so good—you can have that outside door if you need it.”

Sharon moved in front of her, eyes roaming over Annalissa’s face. “Makeup looks good, dearie.”

Smiling, Annalissa walked out of the room, setting Easnadh’s case at the edge of the platform, near the door. Taking the instrument out on the stage, she placed it next to Maurice’s violin, nervously patting it.

“Annalissa,” came a call from behind. In no time, she was surrounded by Gordon, Todd, and her father. The guests had moved to the ballroom and she was ushered to her seat at the place of honor next to Maurice.

The dinner passed quickly, although Annalissa had to admit to herself that the conversation was tiresome. An elderly senator, who appeared to be attempting to enter the campaign race a little early, and his wife dominated the conversation. She could hear Gordon from the table behind corner an airline mogul and was trying to hash out a deal for her travel. Todd, at another table, was whining to the waiter about his wine not being the proper temperature.

Just when she wanted to face-plant into her plate, her gaze landed on Vinny. He was staring straight at her as well. With a wink her way he moved around the room, seemingly casual, but she knew he was on high alert.

Finally, it was time for her and Maurice to step up on the platform stage to perform. They settled their instruments, beginning a violin and harp duet. The music flowed from her fingertips once again, weaving a spell over the audience. She closed her eyes occasionally, letting the rhythm move through her. When she would open them, she would glance at her partner, but find that he was as lost in the melody as she was.

Vinny stood in the back of the room, not taking his eyes off of her. Perfection , he thought. The moving vibrations flowed over him, finding their healing way deep inside. She had taken his agony and turned it into peace. She looked as though Easnadh was merely an extension of herself. The two needing each other to make the music as beautiful as it could be.

As the first selection came to an end, the gathering erupted in applause. The second piece was just beginning when he heard a voice from behind him say, “And you would keep that gift from the world?”

He turned, seeing her father standing nearby looking at him. The man’s eyes were not cold…just evaluating.

He held Mr. O’Brian’s gaze for a moment and then turned back to watch the performance. “No, sir,” he answered. “I would protect that gift with my life.”

He could tell when her father had moved along, but did not care. All that he cared about was the beautiful harpist on the stage. Annalissa and Maurice were on their final selection of the evening and he did not take his eyes off of her, still allowing the harmonies to fill his soul. When the last strain was ended, the crowd erupted once again, giving the pair a standing ovation.

Annalissa set Easnadh down, then turned to hug Maurice, once again congratulating him on his honor. Seeing Gordon and Todd making their way through the crowd, she quickly placed her harp in its case. Looking around she did not see any of Tony’s men. The plan had been for her to leave the harp near the stage and Gabe would keep it in sight.

Gordon managed to catch up with her, immediately engaging her in conversation. "I've been networking darling. I’ve got some people I want you to meet.” Seeing her standing with her harp case, he waived toward the instrument dismissively. He saw Sharon coming out of the small storage room and signaled for her to wait. “Where’s Parker?” he asked.

“He’s gone for the evening. He said he’d just get the dress from her tomorrow. Why? What’s up?” Sharon asked, her gaze moving between Gordon’s and Annalissa’s.

“Todd’s got people she needs to meet and I was going to get Parker to take charge of her harp.”

Annalissa wanted to protest, knowing that if her harp was taken out of the building they might never catch who was moving the drugs.

Sharon looked around then said, “Annalissa, what about that storage room? The door’s right here and you’d be close. ”

She noticed Vinny near the back of the room and was glad he was so tall. He gave her another wink and she smiled as a warm feeling filled her heart. She moved into the room with Sharon, setting the case down, then they followed Gordon back out to the ballroom to meet with Todd and some music admirers.

Vinny moved casually around the room, making his way over to where Gabe and Tony stood. The three men made an impressive sight, all over six feet tall and in their tailored tuxes, each with discreet, wireless ear-radios so that they could maintain constant communication.

“Hate this shit,” Vinny admitted.

“The job or this particular mission?” Tony asked, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Vinny.

“You know me, boss. I’ll take anything you give me—but trying to protect someone you love? Hard as hell.”

Tony and Gabe nodded ruefully, both having done just that.

“I look at everyone as a suspect and try to keep my eyes on her at the same time.”

“You focus on her and let the rest of us watch everyone else,” Tony ordered. Not hearing a response, he looked at Vinny sharply. “Do I need to pull you from this job?”

Vinny’s eyes cut over to Tony’s. His former Captain. His boss. His friend. Shaking his head, he answered, “No, sir. I’ve got it. ”

Nodding, Tony moved on around the room leaving Vinny with his brother, who was looking at him with sympathy showing on his face.

“I know it sucks, bro. And honest to God, if we never had to worry about our women it would be great. But we’ve got this. We’ve got an eye on the crowd and an eye on her. We know where her harp is and we’ll make sure that they’re both safe.”

Vinny rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the hairs standing on end. He looked into Gabe’s eyes and said, “I know we’ve got it planned out, but I’ve gotta tell you…I’ve got a bad feeling. Like when a mission is ready to go to hell.”

Gabe clapped his brother on the back before moving away into the crowd again, not acknowledging to Vinny that he had the same feeling.

“What are you doing? You barely spoke to the Mayor and his wife,” Todd hissed to Annalissa. Turning, he then spoke loudly, “Ah, Mayor Fisher and the lovely Mrs. Fisher. Here is our delightful harpist. She was understandably pre-occupied earlier, her mind on her performance.” Leaning in toward them, he said conspiratorially, “You know the artistic type.” Chuckling loudly, he pulled himself up to his inconsequential height and continued, “But she’d love to talk to you now.”

After chatting with the couple, other patrons approached her. She relaxed and began to enjoy herself, talking about her music and Easnadh, as Gordon and Todd seemed to disappear in the crowd.

“My dear,” one elderly gentleman addressed her. “We understand from the program that your harp was restored by Mr. Feinstein.”

Smiling brightly, she said, “Yes.” She glanced around to find Maurice hoping that he could join her for the conversation, but could not see him anywhere. “It was found in a dump and sent to him to see if it was repairable. He was able to restore it and gifted it to me?—”

The screeching sound of the fire alarm howled throughout the room. For a second everyone was stunned into silence before the crowd immediately began to rush toward the doors. The meandering patrons of a moment before, wandering with their wine glasses, became an unruly mob all pushing each other, clambering for escape. Crystal could be heard shattering as some knocked into tables to rush to the doors.

Annalissa felt herself being pushed along by the throng, unable to see over the taller bodies nearby. The unnerving shriek of the fire alarm made rational thoughts fly from her head.

Easnadh! Oh my God, Easnadh! Turning, she began to force her way against the tide of people moving in the opposite direction. Managing to wiggle and thrust her way toward the back of the room again, she stumbled out when she passed the last person. She ran around the platform stage to the door of the storage unit, praying that someone had not locked it .

The knob turned easily and she threw open the door, rushing in.

The fire alarm jolted Tony and the others into action. Not knowing if it were real or not, they had a responsibility to make sure the congregation exited the building as quickly as possible.

Tony barked out orders to his men. “Jobe, front entrance. Gabe, main stairwell. Terrance, back stairwell. Doug, top of the stairs. Vinny, get Annalissa.”

Each man hurried to their station, offering assistance and reassurances along the way. Vinny had no need of instruction—he was already on his way through the masses to where he saw Annalissa last. His progress was halted as he felt a jerk on his arm. Looking down sharply, he saw the frightened expression of her father.

“Are you getting her?” he asked, breathlessly.

“I don’t care about the fuckin’ harp,” he growled.

Confusion filled the older man’s face…and then guilt. “No, no,” he said with pain. “I meant my daughter. Please save Annalissa,” he pleaded.

Vinny held his stare for only a second but nodded curtly. “With my life,” and he hurried along.

He had lost sight of her group, but being taller than most there he tried to see over the heads of the throng. Where the hell are you, baby?

He barked into his earpiece, “BJ. Where is she?”

BJ’s voice came back immediately. “She ran around the back of the platform stage. It looks like she is heading toward that storage room where the harp was placed after it left the stage.”

Tony, hearing BJ’s comment, barked, “Gabe, follow Vinny.”

Gabe immediately turned and began moving through the crowd toward the back as well. An elderly woman stumbled in front of him and he was slowed when he stopped to assist her. By the time he was able to hand her off to another man, he saw Vinny just approaching the back and he ran toward his brother.