Chapter 34

Avery’s pulsepounded as the crowd surrounded the stage, their excited chatter filling the air. The gala was a glitzy affair, with guests dressed to the nines in sparkling gowns and sharp tuxes. Someone fiddled with the mic at the podium. The feedback made Avery want to stick her fingers in her ears.

“I’m going after Stenberg now,” Mason murmured, his breath tickling her ear. “He’s got a great audience.”

No doubt. A dozen of the most well-dressed people in a well-dressed room surrounded the man, all laughing at some amusing anecdote he’d just launched.

The things money bought. Clearly fake respect was high on the list.

As Mason guided her through the throng, she found herself wishing that this was real life. Not the glitz and glamour and obscene wealth, but the thrill of working alongside a man like Mason. He was everything she had ever wanted in a partner, strong and capable and fiercely loyal.

But wholly unattainable. Not that she was looking.

As soon as they got within earshot, Mason leaned in and whispered to Avery, “Excuse me for a sec.” Then he called out, “Yo, Stenny. Great party. Kinda stingy on the caviar, though. What’s up with that?”

The crowd around the man stilled, all eyes darting between Stenberg and Mason as if they were watching a tennis match.

Mouth open, Stenberg looked like he’d just been hit in the face with a pie. “And who are you?”

Mason made a rude sound. “Please. Nice try, Stens.” Ignoring the others, Mason pushed his way to the portly man’s side and threw an arm over the shorter man’s shoulders, pulling him aside.

Avery watched the exchange, ignoring the stares of the guests now drifting slowly away from the scene.

A minute later, Mason slapped Stenberg on the back and headed back toward her.

He wasn’t grinning, exactly, but he had the look of a cat that got the cream.

When he didn’t speak, she prompted him. “Scare him much?”

Mason grinned, sending a shiver down her spine. Before responding, he activated his comlink. “Mission accomplished,” he announced. “He tried to play dumb, but I think I spiked his blood pressure. I think I should poke him again a little later. Let him chew on my warning for now. Everybody enjoy.”

“You just want to stick around to see if you won that painting,” she teased.

“Maybe,” he agreed, his tone suspiciously nonchalant. But Avery could see the gleam of excitement in his eyes, the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

She excused herself to the restroom, her head spinning with the events of the evening. The mini-mission had been a success, and she was on a date-ish thing with a gorgeous SEAL. Life, at the moment, was good.

But as she turned the corner into an interior hallway, her breath caught in her throat. There, with his back to her, was Ryan. Legs spread wide, hands on his hips he seemed to be staring down the hallway. Despite the tux, she would have recognized his silhouette anywhere.

What was he doing at an all-star gala?

She slipped into an alcove, her body trembling with shock and fear. Low, urgent voices tempted her to risk a look. Still in position, Ryan had been joined by Lars Stenberg. Heads bent low, they seemed lost in a private conversation.

“ … not to worry about this. They’re just fishing. I told you I’d handle Ellis. And her friends,” Ryan ordered, his voice tight with tension.

No need for Dima’s report now. She had her mole. Ryan, her mentor, her friend, had been working with Rain Bay all along. He had helped them cover up their crimes, had taken their blood money in exchange for his silence and complicity.

She pulled back into the space just as Stenberg turned to clomp down the hall. He passed the alcove without looking up. What should she do now? Confront Ryan? Or should she go to Mason, tell him what she had discovered and let his team handle it?

Before she could decide, a shadow fell across the alcove. Ryan inched into the space, his eyes cold and hard in the dim light.

“Hello, Avery,” he said, his voice sharp as ice.