Page 53 of Kissing the Villain

From across the hall, I could see Damian’s chest rise and fall as he studied a woman with long blonde hair spilling down her shoulders. She wore a pale blue strapless dress that clung to her lithe body and stopped mid-thigh. Damian looked at her like he wanted to throw her over his shoulder and drag her out of the hall.

But so did Bastian.

I inclined my head toward the blonde, and Sonny’s eyes followed. “Who is that woman?”

“Kali Marx,” he said with a sly smile. “Her father is Senator Marx. He’s running for governor of Connecticut next year. And guess who’s helping him?”

“Arlo Salvatore.”

He nodded. “She’s a prop piece for her father’s family values campaign.”

“She doesn’t look familiar.”

Sonny shook his head. “The two of you never crossed paths.”

“I don’t remember Kali coming to Arlo’s parties… or anyone talking about her.”

“She ran off a few months before you moved to Devil’s Creek.”

“Where did she go?”

He shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. Even the Salvatores could never piece together how she evaded them.”

This gave me hope for Aiden.

Had he done the same thing?

I peeked up at Sonny. “Which Salvatore is she dating? Damian or Bastian.”

“Both.”

I wondered how one woman could handle the insane desires of Bastian and Damian. She had to be strong to deal with both of them.

Blood and bondage?

Luca was a lunatic, but at least his brand of torture didn’t involve ropes or cutting.

I spotted Pops across the room. He wore a tuxedo and a black and gold mask. His white hair hung over his forehead, styled to hide his receding hairline.

Blair drank champagne at his side, chatting with her friends. She dressed like a fairy peacock in various shades of purple and gold. The cold bitch stood ramrod straight like she had a pole shoved up her ass.

My mother was at my father’s side in a black mermaid gown. She threw glances in Arlo Salvatore’s direction, which piqued my curiosity when he returned her stare.

Knowing my mother, she needed more money. She would do just about anything to maintain her lifestyle. My father was an architect but made nothing of himself, content with living off my mother.

“I think it’s time you meet your new subjects,” Sonny said, latching onto my arm.

I chuckled. “Subjects?”

“Someday, you’ll be the Queen of The Devil’s Knights, which makes you a very powerful woman.”

His admission tugged at my emotions, but thankfully, my carnival mask hid the change in my demeanor. “I’m not interested in power.”

“Which will make you a good queen.”

Sonny offered his arm, and we moved throughout the ballroom. Everyone stopped to stare. Some people offered hellos and complimented my dress.

“My mom and Arlo were high school sweethearts,” I said as he led me through the crowd. “But what’s the real story? My grandfather doesn’t tell me much, and my parents don’t speak to me.”

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