Dark Lies: Chapter 41

Savannah

My head buzzing with champagne, I moved through the dizzying crowd. I could still feel Jaxson’s gaze burning into my spine as I wound through the huddles of ritzy guests.

I was desperate to put some distance between us so that I could peruse the goods for sale in peace and quiet without having to bask in the jealous glow of an overly possessive wolf.

Greek statues, mosaic panels with erotic scenes, what I assumed was Renaissance artwork, and clusters of ancient objects…perhaps plundered artifacts?

I tried to memorize the more suspicious objects, as well as the faces of the people bidding on them, to take back to Neve.

My third glass of champagne didn’t help, and I decided I’d better slow down.

The most bizarre part of the auction was the people. Alejandro had somehow acquired various artists and performers who were dispersed throughout the garden on display. A violinist with a current bid of thirty-seven grand was playing in the corner of the room.

As I stepped onto the portico, I glanced over my shoulder. Jaxson was surrounded by women, as if he were on auction. A beautiful brunette in a cream corset dress had sidled up to his side—the same one I’d seen earlier hanging on Alejandro up on the balcony.

She dragged her manicured finger over Jaxson’s chest, a sly grin tugging at her painted lips. Jaxson was smiling and talking to her like she was an old acquaintance.

Is he trying to get a meeting with Alejandro or sampling the wares?

A flicker of jealousy burned through my chest, stopping me in my tracks as my claws slipped out. I dug my fingers into my palms to hide my transformation.

I knew it was irrational.

Hell, I’d left him standing there because he’d made it obnoxiously clear that I was his, whether either of us liked it or not.

Even so, anger and irritation blazed through me like a wildfire. My eyes locked on a woman beside me who was all but drooling over him.

“See anything you like?” I hissed.

She gave me a wicked smile. “As a matter of fact, yes.”

I showed her my fangs, and she immediately scurried to the other side of the room.

Rather than watch the feeding frenzy, I hurried back to the main hall.

Alejandro was still on his balcony, watching the proceedings intently. Business was brisk, and I suspected that at least a dozen pieces of art had already been sold, as they’d been taken down.

Hoping to clear my head, I strolled over to a painter who was seated in front of an easel near the central fountain.

The silver tablet I’d been given glowed when I stepped near, and the artist’s starting bid pulsed across the screen: fifty thousand dollars. I wasn’t sure I was ready to contemplate the implications of that.

The artist was middle-aged, dressed in a green linen tunic and pants, and seated on an ornately carved stool with a canvas bag full of art supplies propped next to it.

He dragged a sweeping stroke of shimmering blue paint across the white canvas. The paint soaked into the material, and then, like water seeping through a cracked landscape, the color snaked across the painting, moving in animated rivers. Picking up another brush, he dipped the tip in a deep red paint and touched the edge of the canvas. The color wrapped around the blue, spreading across the page like blood seeping from an open wound…

“How do you do that?” I blurted, in awe of the beauty.

The artist turned and looked me up and down slowly. “I don’t think you’d appreciate the finer points.”

“Try me,” I growled, and he sat back in surprise.

“Steady on, Savannah,” Damian chuckled from behind.

I turned and brushed aside my hair. “Hey. Any luck?”

He passed me a note. “Unfortunately, no. It seems Alejandro is not coming down tonight, nor is he interested in speaking with us.”

I unfolded the note to reveal a message scrawled in red ink. Dear Damian, please, visit us again next month. Perhaps we can talk then. Bring Nevaeh. I’m sure she’d be interested in many of the items on offer.

My stomach sank. It was a put-on. Alejandro was having a laugh.

“Jaxson is speaking with some of the shifters here to see if they have any connections, but I’m not hopeful. Vampires and shifters tend to be a combustible combination.”

We didn’t have time to wait a month to speak to Alejandro, if it was even a real invitation. Dragan was out there, and only the fates knew what he was up to.

The low pulse of panic began to throb in my veins. “So what do we do?”

Damian pitched his voice low, sending vibrations along my skin. “I’m afraid we might have to go with plan B. You stay and mingle, and I’m going to have a look around the grounds to see if I can find the access point to his vaults.”

With that, Damian moved off quickly into the crowd.

Shit.

Well, I sure as hell wasn’t going to just stand around looking at art while the men tried to flirt and sneak their way to a solution.

Moreover, with all the guards around, I was liking plan B less and less. Damian might have a reputation as a brilliant thief, but Alejandro had cut off Dragan’s finger for trying to steal from him.

I didn’t want us to end up in the same predicament.

The irony would kill me.

Minutes later, my heels clicked on the floor as I moved across the central room at the reception where we’d entered.

The two guards at the bottom of the double staircase stared at me gruffly, the closest one adjusting his grip on the gun slung over his chest. I painted on my most charming smile but could immediately smell their suspicion and the restrained violence masked by their casual stances.

Nope. Hard pass. Maybe I’d try a back entrance. There had to be another way upstairs.

Feigning drunkenness, I swayed a little before turning around and stumbling back down the hall. It seemed to work because the scent of their suspicion quickly turned to distaste.

As soon as I was out of sight, I hurried the other way. I passed a few locked doors, silently cursing, and was about to give up when I noticed a lonely guard standing watch at the end of the hall.

He didn’t look more than eighteen, and his eyes dragged over my body as I sashayed toward him.

If Jack-ass-son was going to give me a hard time for looking good and smiling, I might as well use it to my best advantage.

I pressed my hand to my chest and hurried over. “Oh, my goodness, I’m glad I found someone in this maze of a place. I was wondering if you could help me with something.”

His brown eyes twinkled with interest and desire, and he swallowed hard. “Of course. How can I, uh, assist you?”

“Wonderful. I’ve been running all over, but haven’t found anyone competent at all.” I glanced up at him through lowered lids and flashed him a coquettish smile. “I travelled all the way here from Chicago, and well, I was hoping to make Alejandro’s acquaintance, but it seems he won’t be coming down tonight. Is there any way that you could arrange a meeting for me?”

He shifted with unease, glancing down the hall behind me before smiling awkwardly. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. Mr. Rivera only meets with guests or artists by appointment.”

Artists? I could do that. Time for a bit of bluffing.

“Of course. My name is Savannah Caine. I’m sure he’s heard of me. A number of my pieces have created a bit of a stir in the Chicago scene as of late. I’d really like to discuss my latest work with him before it goes on show next week, but there was just no way for me to arrange an appointment.”

A little embarrassed at the ruse, I took a tip from the bitch in the garden and traced my finger over the guard’s chest. “I’m sure you could make that possible.”

A rosy blush spread over his tanned features like the magic paint on the artist’s canvas. “Of course, Ms. Caine. Let me send word up to him, if you’ll wait one minute.”

He disappeared around the corner and spoke in hushed voices with another guard, who eyed me suspiciously. Two minutes later, he returned with an apologetic expression on his face.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Caine, but Mr. Rivera does not see anyone without a prior appointment. No exceptions.”

I was tempted to press the matter, but I knew it would be fruitless. The other guard’s expression was all iron and malice. Suddenly, he started toward me, suspicion burning in his eyes.

Making my exit as quickly as possible, I headed back to the garden as frustration tore me apart.

I was certain that if we could just speak to Alejandro, the brooding vampire would be sympathetic. Dragan had robbed him, after all. The only thing better than vengeance was vengeance twice over.

We just had to find a way to get his attention.

Temples throbbing, I glanced up at the vampire on his high balcony. I wasn’t used to mingling with rich folk, but I could read people well. Alejandro Rivera was a king in his castle, and as far as he was concerned, we were peasants groveling for his entertainment.

At that moment, the king was leaning forward over the railing, intently watching the artist in the green smock paint. That hack with the magic brushes had the best position in the entire place, directly in Alejandro’s line of sight.

My fingers flexed.

It was time to get noticed.