Page 113 of Provocation
Shade nods. 'Yeah. A little after one. He was gone for a couple of hours. Came back with blood all over his knuckles.'
'Isn’t there anything we can do?' I ask.
'For now, keep selling Envy. None of us have the money to pay off the debt. Not yet. His dad owes a lot.’
I nod, wishing things weren’t like this.
‘And the guy I killed?’ I ask. ‘Anything?’
‘Nothing. No one’s talking about him. Blake’s boss is pissed but not looking for him either. He was the type to just up and disappear, so no one suspects. His body will be long gone now, pulled out to the Atlantic.’
He leaves the room, and I throw some clothes on, going to the lab and starting another batch of Envy. My process is pretty streamlined now, so it doesn’t take me long and within half an hour, we’re on our way to the KIP house.
Shade and I get ready for the gala that afternoon.
I take a shower, and Lu comes to do my hair. She primps and prods, curling my hair, and even my eyelashes. She’s very excited to be getting me ready for what she calls ‘the biggest party of the mother fucking year’.
When I roll my eyes she frowns at me.
'You know, not all of us get to go to all the swanky stuff for the rich people. Okay?' She says, wagging her finger at me. ‘You have to go and tell me all about it because I sure as fuck am never gonna get in there to see it for myself.'
'Okay,' I huff. 'I promise, I'll tell you everything that happens and what it looks like.'
'Pay attention.' She points at me. 'I know you, you won't remember any of the little things, and you won't look at any of the people, and you won't tell me who's wearing what.'
I put my hands up. 'Okay, okay,' I say, with a laugh 'I'll make an effort just for you. I will make sure that I notice everything I can possibly notice. Hell, I'll even take photos for you.'
She claps her hands together, squealing in glee.
'I thought you weren't into all this stuff,' I mutter.
She shrugs. 'I may not like most of the rich assholes in this town, but a girl loves a pretty dress and a glitzy party. The best I’m gonna get is the afterparty when our play is over.'
She unzips the dress bag that has appeared in my room, and she takes out a slinky, deep green silk, off-the-shoulder, floor-length dress. Her eyes widen at it, and I'm pretty sure she's salivating as she takes it out.
'Don't get slobber all over it,' I murmur.
She closes her mouth and then gives me the finger.
'Put it on,' she says, almost breathlessly. 'People can say what they want about your stepbrother, but fuck me, he has taste.'
I put it over my head, careful not to mess up the hair and makeup that Lu has done so artfully. Unlike the night of the Halloween party where I was made-up to the nines, my look tonight is understated and elegant. When I say so, she just mutters that you have to know these things when you're in the theater, and then she mutters something about spirit fingers that I don't really understand.
She opens my closet when I'm ready, and I stare, my mouth dropping open in spite of myself.
'You're right,' I say. 'He does have good taste.'
Whereas the dress that I was given by Joe Banderville for his horrible Thanksgiving nightmare dinner was uncomfortable and made me sweat, this dress is made of natural fibers. It feels so soft on my skin, it doesn't snag in my nails, and I don't feel like I'm going to go up like a dried up Christmas tree if I get too close to a candle, although with the amount of hairspray Lu has put in my hair to shellac it into place, maybe I should be careful.
My door opens without a knock, and I turn around to find Shade in a tux. His usually slightly unruly hair is combed back, falling artfully over his forehead. My eyes travel the length of him, and I see his lips twitch.
'Like what you see?'
I don't bother to hide it. I nod, and his grin is wide.
'Ditto,' he murmurs. 'I knew that dress would look amazing on you.'
He comes forward with a box.
