Page 184 of Chandelier Sin
“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Jake.
Greyson frowned. “There’s more to what Atticus is doing than we can perceive.” He stared at me. “Still, you can fuck off.”
“Can we stop with the philosophy-speak?” snapped Jake.
“Atticus is confronting the source of evil,” said Cameron. “We have to trust him.”
“Evil?” Jake looked astonished. “I know they’re corrupt, but evil?”
Evil was hitting a woman you were meant to love. Betraying her when she was giving you everything. Willingly going out of your way to hurt her.
But those thoughts had to be reserved for another time.
Greyson narrowed his gaze on me. “Is this why you’ve been elusive?”
“Just extra busy,” I said.
“Seriously?”
“What the hell is going on with this office?” I asked Jake, glancing around the room. “You have nothing in here?”
He rolled his eyes.
“How did you find the sixth floor?” asked Cameron.
“There’s a secret elevator.” I was willing to share anything they wanted to know—except when it came to Eve. I didn’t want her entering the conversation and perhaps placing her at risk.
“Where’s this mysterious elevator?” asked Greyson.
I didn’t want them anywhere near that floor.
“No one goes up there until we know more,” I said.
“Why?” asked Cameron.
“For fuck’s sake,” said Jake. “Give us more to work with.”
I gave a shrug. “No one goes to the sixth floor without an invitation.” The look I offered conveyed how dire it was for anyone who did.
“You walked in on their seat of power,” Cameron said flatly.
Jake visibly shuddered. “Cole, do you believe that? It’s not Lance that’s the problem here?”
Cameron walked over and sat in an armchair. “This mysterious woman you met on the sixth floor,” he asked me, “did she tell you anything?”
There could be no more dancing around the harsh truth. “Shetold me that whoever enters the sixth floor uninvited doesn’t make it out alive.”
“Jesus,” muttered Greyson, and then he focused on the office door.
The sound of a creaking floorboard reached us from the hall. Someone was out there.
We swapped glances.
Cole stood and walked over to the wall where a golden mask hung—the only thing on display. He put it on.
I quietly made my way over to the door and flung it open.
Stella stared back at me, terrified she’d been caught.
