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Chapter 38 Eden
Cain: I need to see you.
I dip out from the pillar I’m hiding behind. Cain’s standing next to Margaret on the outskirts of the dance floor, looking agitated as his fingers frantically move across his phone screen.
Eden: I’m wearing a gold dress.
Cain: I don’t give a fuck what color your dress is. You have to destroy those computer files.
Rolling my eyes. I type my response.
Eden: I have no idea how to do that. I’ll meet you in a little while when Damien’s preoccupied and take you to his office so you can do it yourself. I don’t want to accidentally screw anything up. It’s too risky.
Cain: Fine.
After tucking my phone away, I join the party.
Damien—who’s ditched his mask—is talking to whom I presume must be Anderson due to the beads of sweat dotting the man’s forehead as I walk over to them.
“Having fun?”
Damien’s lips turn down in a frown. “Not particularly. You?”
“No. My phone keeps going off every few seconds.”
He smirks.
Anderson clears his throat. “Sorry to interrupt, but like I was saying, Damien. You can’t—”
Damien ignores him. “Dance with me.”
It’s not a question.
My mouth goes dry. Not only do I not dance, nor have I ever slow danced with someone. There are no other couples on the dance floor currently, which means we’ll be drawing attention to ourselves.
I might have a mask on, but I’m almost positive half the people in the room have already figured out who I am.
Not waiting for a response, Damien seizes my hand and starts walking.
“Take off your mask,” he says when we reach the dance floor.
Now he’s pushing it.
“Then everyone will know who I am,” I grit through my teeth, hoping he can take the hint.
“Good.” His hands find my waist. “You don’t belong under a mask, Eden.”
Feeling a little braver, I oblige him.
“Everyone’s staring at us,” I whisper as the lights dim and the song changes.
He presses his body against mine. “Let them.”
I fold my arms around his neck as we begin swaying to the music. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
Reminding me I’m no longer that girl.
“Being you.” I inhale his scent. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
It’s not a lie. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay him for everything he’s done for me.
Everything he’s taught me.
His body tenses and he holds me a little closer. “Did I mention how beautiful you look yet?”
I can’t help but smile. “When you saw me on the staircase, remember?”
“I do.” He turns us around. “And I’m an idiot for not telling you at least a hundred more times between then and now.”
My heart flutters. Who knew Damien King could be such a smooth talker?
My cheeks heat. “You—”
“I wasn’t finished,” he murmurs, his lips tickling my ear. “Beauty is only the outside layer of a person, but you’re more than that. And if someone tries to make you feel inferior, it’s only because you intimidate them. Because they see the same thing I do when they look at you.” His blue eyes blaze. “You shine so bright you put the entire galaxy to shame, Eden.” All the air gets sucked out of the room when he stops dancing and cups my face. “And don’t you ever fucking forget it.”
The organ in my chest thumps. “Wow, I think I just swooned a little.”
“I mean it.” His voice takes on a serious tone. “I want you to keep holding your head high wherever you go. And if someone gives you hell, you make them eat shit. Got it?”
I look for signs of humor in his expression, but there aren’t any.
A sinking sensation fills my gut. “Damien, what’s wr—”
“Nothing.” He pulls me close again. “I just wanted you to know how special you are.”
No. It’s more than that. He’s been acting off all day. At first, I thought maybe it was the events that took place last night, but this feels more significant.
He’s talking like he’s never going to see me again...
“Look at me.” When he does, I say, “We’ve got this. The plan is going to work.”
“Yeah.” He flashes me some dimple. “It will.”
The song ends and he pulls out his phone. “I hate to cut this short, but I have to make a call.”
He stalks off before I can say another word.
“It should be a crime to leave a pretty girl by herself on the dance floor.”
My stomach rolls at the sound of Governor Bexley’s voice.
“It’s fine. I needed to powder my nose anyway.”
I start to walk off, but he catches my elbow. “Humor an old man and give him a dance?”
I’m about to decline because I don’t want to be anywhere near him, but then he says, “It will be worth your while.”
I’m fairly certain nothing he says will be worth anything, but I relent anyway. Mostly because other couples are filling up the dance floor now, and it would be rude of me to dis him publicly.
Plus, there’s the bonus of pissing Margaret off. Something I know I’m achieving when I spot her glaring at us as I take his hand.
“So, to what do I owe this honor?” I ask him as another slow song cues up.
He places his hand on the middle of my back as we begin moving. “Trust me, the honor is all mine.”
Considering the man has been nothing but rude to me, I highly doubt it.
I’m about to ask him to cut to the chase and tell me what the point of this is, but then he says, “Damien King isn’t going to win tomorrow.”
Damien was never interested in wi
“Wasn’t aware our great governor was also a psychic.” I give him a sardonic smile. “Last I checked, polling day doesn’t end until tomorrow night…after they tally all the votes.”
I cringe when he presses me a little too close. “You’re right. But I have it on good authority that Damien won’t be around when they do.”
My stomach drops. “What—”
His hold on me tightens. “I have a once in a lifetime offer for you and I suggest you take it.” Not waiting for me to turn it down, he continues, “You’re going to end things with Damien tonight. Cain and Margaret will take you in and help put you back together. And after you embrace them as your family and apologize for the disrespect you’ve shown my daughter, you will be allowed to attend a college of your choice and move on with your life. If you don’t, you can look forward to spending your days locked inside a padded room at the Shady Oaks mental institution.”
I start to laugh, but his hand dips lower, skimming my behind. “If neither of those choices appeals to you, you can always live with me.” His lips hover over my ear. “Cain told me that pretty mouth of yours does lovely things with a cock stuffed inside it, and I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been dying to find out for myself.”
Disgust and rage zip through me like a live wire and I twist out of his grip. “How’s this for an offer? Go fuck yourself.”
My voice is loud enough the woman dancing nearby gasps.
Bexley laughs nervously. “Stop being dramatic and making a scene, dear.” His eyes narrow. “We haven’t finished our dance yet.”
He reaches for me, but I back away. “I don’t dance with pigs. I don’t make deals with them either.”
With that, I stride off the dancefloor and take out my phone.