Page 79 of Burn for Me

I roll my eyes; it still makes plenty of sense to me. Sam tilts his head lower until I can feel his breath fanning the length of my neck through his mask. I brush my fingers along the nape of his neck.

“Are you okay?” Sam murmurs, but I don’t get a chance to fully nod before he pulls his head back and glances over his shoulder. I don’t see anyone at first, but judging by how his grip tightens, I assume someone is trying to get his attention.

“Mind if I cut in?” The voice is quiet but has a hoarse rasp as if the man has spent hours screaming. Finally, Sam steps to the side, pulling me along with him so I can get a better look at the man. He’s about my height and is wearing a peculiar respirator mask. It’s missing the filters, and the eye holes are darker than the ones we typically have on base.

“I do,” Sam says, biting off the words, and I can’t help but fight back a smile. I’m not sure when I started finding an overly possessive man so appealing, but I’m enjoying it.

“Morana, right? Sam and Jasmine? Rurik mentioned you earlier at the gambling table.” The man shoves his hands into his pockets and shifts on his feet.

“Do we know you?” I ask.

"My apologies. You can just call me B. I must say, I wasn't expecting guests from afar to attend my party, but I truly appreciate you taking the time to come and mingle. It creates..." He seems to pause, sucking the back of his teeth before continuing, "business opportunities for everyone."

“I thought this was the Bravettis ball?”

He laughs and shakes his head. “Typically, yes, but tonight's a special occasion.”

Sam and I stay quiet as the man looks around nervously. The tension in his shoulders only increases when Sam steps closer. I quickly grip his arm and tug him back.

What the hell has gotten into him?

“I need to mingle. Please enjoy your time.” the man says before stepping away. A few people wearing similar masks disperse from the crowd and follow behind him.

“What was that all about?” I whisper harshly. I don’t mean to sound irritable, but one wrong move could blow our cover, and I’m trying to save myself so Sam doesn’t have to. He’s not making it easy.

“I recognize him,” Sam mutters, but he shakes his head as he realizes how ridiculous that sounds.

Twenty-Six

9-3-2024

God, I could use a drink right about now.

-Sam

I continue to stare at the spot where the man just vanished. It sounds ridiculous, but it's as if something hardwired in my brain is screaming that I know him. There's a physical pull, not just from a random encounter or as an old acquaintance. It’s like my body is hardwired to follow him, but I survey the area instead. As expected, all eyes are on the woman attached to my arm. Idon’t blame them—she's absolutely beautiful. But for their sake, I hope they think twice before trying to touch her.

I lean close to Jasmine's ear and whisper, “I need to find the gambling table.”

She nods in response and starts to pull me along but stumbles when a man wearing a black face mask, with only his eyes illuminated and crossed with X's, steps in front of us. I’m getting sick of these fuckers popping up out of nowhere.

“Ah, Sam! The masks look even better in person!” I immediately recognize Casey's voice as he claps a hand on my shoulder. My little devil tightens her grip on me, and I can feel her recoil—not out of fear, but probably because it confirms that they were indeed watching us. I stay silent with a narrowed glare, and he shifts his attention back over his shoulder.

“Tough crowd. The fun is this way.”With that, Casey turns around and guides us deeper into the crowd.

“Who the fuck is that guy?”Caspian grumbles.

Like at the restaurant, we enter another area of the mansion separated by a large archway, but there’s no curtain to hide what’s happening. The dim lights make me squint to try to make out the setup. Neon lights line the bottoms of the tables, but they are mostly blocked by the people surrounding them. All the gamblers dealing cards wear white ski masks that glow while red lights line the ceiling, making the girls in shimmering lingerie stand out as they pass out drinks. I clear my throat and look back at Jasmine, whose lips are pulled into a tight line.

God, I could use a drink right about now.

“Good news, we still have visual confirmation; there are no cut-offs like last time. We just need to know if you can still hear us.”Sharkie’s voice comes through, and I rub the back of my neck, trying to figure out how to give them some sign. Jasmine mirrors my gesture but smooths her hand over her hair instead.

“I’m going to take that as a sign,”Moe says, his voice a little more cracked than it should be.

As my shoulder bumps into someone else’s, I slide Jasmine’s body in front of me to ensure she doesn’t get pulled away as we approach a wide table. Glowing cards glide across the surface from the dealer, ready to be clasped by hands adorned with rings that shimmer on the fingers.

“Please, have a seat, Mr. Morana.” My head snaps toward the voice, and I instinctively pull Jasmine closer. Curious, I tilt my head as Casey’s mask blends with the others at the table. The only distinguishing feature is the color of the Xs, but from the voice, I know the one wearing blue is Rurik.

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