Page 10 of Ruin Me Gently

‘It’s inspiring, really.’

It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate it. I did, but after the tenth time hearing,‘You’re saving this city,’it was hard not to catch the subtext— ‘And thank God it’s you doing it, because we sure as hell aren’t.’

I adjusted the cuff of my tux, the tailored fabric smooth and perfectly fitted against my skin, the subtle weight of my mask pressing against the bridge of my nose. Midnight black, sleek, sharp. Designed to cover the upper half of my face while leaving my mouth and jawline visible.

“Intimidating,”the designer had said. “Masculine. Perfect for the event.”

Masculine sure, but I didn’t know why the fuck I had to look intimidating.

I was the CEO of a tech company. I ran on business meetings and coffee, not blood oaths and organised crime.

“What’s up, Graves?” A voice cut through the chatter as a hand clapped me on the back of the shoulder. I turned to find Finn Everly standing there, champagne in one hand, tie slightly askew, hair a complete disaster. His black and gold mask was slightly crooked, like he’d either put it on in a rush or had already adjusted it a hundred times through the night. He was my best friend of twenty-one years, the other namesake to our company, and theonlyman on this earth who could manage to look like he’d been professionally dragged through a hedge backwards, and somehow still pull it off.

I exhaled sharply. “Finn.”

His sharp blue eyes flicked over me, amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You look like a guy who just lost half his fortune in a high stakes poker game and is trying to decide which organ to sell first.”

“Just waiting for this night to be over.”

He took a slow sip of his champagne, watching me over the rim of his glass. “Shouldn’t you at least pretend to enjoy yourself? Shake a few more hands? Maybe even—dare I say it—smile?”

“I smiled earlier,” I said, shooting him a flat look.

“At the catering staff when they brought out the canapés. That doesn’t count.”

“They had brie,” I shrugged. “It was an emotional moment.”

“Right. Because nothing tugs at the heartstrings quite like soft cheese.” He turned, placing his empty drink on a passing tray and swiping two more glasses of champagne before holding one out to me. “Drink this before you start scaring off other rich guys with your murder face.”

I shot him daggers but took the glass anyway.

He grinned. “And if you get tired of playing brooding, responsible adult, feel free to join me in a very delicate, high-risk operation.”

“Should I even ask?”

“Liberating an entire bottle of whiskey from behind the bar without the staff noticing.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Finn, we could literally buy the entire bar.”

“Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?”

I took a slow sip of my drink. “I’d rather you didn’t commit a felony at our own event.”

He waved a hand dismissively. “Felony is a strong word.”

“It’s thecorrectword.”

“Man, you used to be fun.”

“No, you just used to be less criminally inclined.”

“Debatable,” he smirked. Then just as quickly, his attention snapped elsewhere. “Shit. Hot piece of ass, twelve o’clock. Gotta go get that.”

I closed my eyes, inhaling deep in an attempt to summon strength from the universe. “Per l’amor di Dio, Finn.”

By the time I opened them again, he was already moving, shooting me a salute. “Don’t wait up!”

I kept myself occupied with conversations, polite nods, and more lines about how wonderful it all was. I’d been so occupied in fact, that I’d barely noticed the young woman who’d draped herself over me like a snake in heat.

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