Page 64 of The Prince's Curse

“Good. That was the right thing to do,” Julian said with a smile. “Dani, I need you to do your best to stay calm. Have you two looked at the camera feeds at Infinity?”

“Yes,” Dani said.

“Can you see Rhys on any of them?”

“No,” she murmured.

“Okay. Then maybe he’s not dead,” Julian said.

“Julian, I saw him go down. One second he was on his feet and then he collapsed. And then someone must have dragged him away. I couldn’t see them, but someone was pulling him off camera. I swear to God, he was?—”

“Dani,” he said sternly. “Do you remember what happened to Dominic?”

“Yes,” she said quietly.

“And he’s okay now. And if there’s anyone that deserves a favor from a guardian angel, it’s Rhys,” Julian said. “He wouldn’t give up on anyone in this court.”

She was quiet for a while. “Okay. What should I do?”

“Go wake up Safira. She’ll handle it from here,” Julian said, thumbing the phone as he caught Paris’s eye. “I would?—”

“Was all of this a ploy to hit Infinity again?” Paris said, ignoring the other man. “You distract us while the Shieldsmen case the place again?”

“No,” Scarlett said. “I swear. I don’t even know who Rhys is. I’ve never heard that name.”

“Tell the truth,” Misha said, eyes going red.

She leaned in. “I am. Don’t you think if I was setting you up, they’d have hit the most powerful member of the court instead of one random vampire?”

A low growl rumbled in Paris’s chest as he slammed his hand on the table. “You watch your mouth. Rhys Collins is a better man than all the fucking Shieldsmen put together.” He recoiled as the lights began to flicker. His blue eyes cut to her, and she folded her arms over her chest as the air went cold and dry.

The room shuddered around her, and she held her breath. Not again.

There was a sudden click and an electric hum as the lights went out. Paris and Julian glanced at each other, then at her. “What was that?” Julian asked.

“The magic Misha saw,” Scarlett said with a sigh. “I don’t think it likes him yelling at me.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Paris muttered. “I’ll go check the breakers.”

She caught his arm gently as he started to walk past her. “Look, if you didn’t build yourselves a fancy new nightclub, then the Shieldsmen still know where it is. That’s not on me. And I know you don’t believe me, but I really am sorry about your friend. I hope he’s okay.”

“Forgive me if I don’t wallow in your sincerity,” Paris said. He headed into the garage, muttering in French as he threw breakers with a series of noisy clicks. “Anything?” he called.

“No,” Julian called back. “Just let it go. We have bigger priorities.”

Dusting off his hands, Paris strolled back into the kitchen and said, “This changes things. I want you to tell me where Armina Voss lives. Give me an address.”

Her stomach churned. “Why? I said I would go with you.”

“And I trust you less now than I did last night,” Paris said calmly.

It was one thing to go along with their plans in the dark of night, when she was exhausted and overwhelmed. It was another to sit in the light of day and consider handing over her family to the vampires they hated most.

“If you want us to trust you, then this is a small gesture,” Paris said.

“I’m not the one who needs to earn your trust,” she said incredulously.

He shrugged. “Then figure out the curse on your own.”

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