Page 10 of Silent Oaths
Theladies cheer, their laughter ringing out.
“Ifyou want more,” he calls over the noise, “catch me atMadhouseany night.AskforMadcap.”Witha flourish, he winks at the women.
Theysqueal, eating it up, butI’vealready turned away, heading back towardTheodore.
Maxwellmight play the joker, butIknow him too well to be fooled.Beneaththe theatrics and chaos, there’s always a method to his madness.
Andtonight, madness might be exactly what we need.
5
ISABEL
I’mstanding in front of my closet, biting my lip, trying to decide what to wear.
There’sa lot to consider.DoIgo bold?DoIgo subtle?
Itug a few dresses off the rack, holding each up to my body, checking them out in the mirror.Nothingfeels right.Nothingperfectlyscreams the vibeI’mgoing for tonight.
Icatch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and pause, my stomach twisting.Thememory of theHalloweenparty,Montclair’shand on my arm, his breath hot on my ear...Ishudder involuntarily, pushing the thoughts back into the dark recesses of my mind.Gross.
Hiswords were even worse.“You’lllearn how to please me, darling.”Thatsick smile of his...Iroll my eyes and shake it off.I’mdoing this forVal, after all, not for him.
Iglance at the clock on my nightstand.Nearlytime to go.
Isigh and pull the short, purple tie-dyed skirt off the hanger, the oneIknow will turn heads but nottoomuch.Subtleyet flirty.AsIslip into it, my mind races back to the reasonI’mdoing this.Camila.Mybest friend,Valeria’s, long-lost love.
EversinceValandIaged out ofGloomwoodOrphanage, she’s been searching for her.Shemade a vow to findCamila, no matter what it took, andIpromisedI’dhelp her every step of the way.We’recloser than we’ve ever been to finding information that leads to her.
Itook a part-time job atVanguard, slipping in as a waitress to brush shoulders with the town’s most elite men.Istarted going byMargotVale, a name that offered just enough mystery to keep my real identity safe.
Asa reporter forTheBlackQuill, the last thingIneeded was for anyone to suspectIwas snooping around.Andfrom whatValandIuncovered in our research, everyone tied toVanguardhas a secret to hide.So, what better way to expose them than to infiltrate their playground?
Sofar,I’veonly managed to secure one invitation to theHalloweenparty, after months of flirting withMontclair.It’sreckless, asking him for another, but he’s the only one who’s been easy to manipulate.Idon’t know ifIshould feel proud or ashamed of that.
OnceI’mready,Ismooth down the skirt and put on a little lip gloss, feeling more confident with each passing second.Thiscould be it.Tonightmight bring us the answers we’ve been hunting for.
Myphone buzzes with a text fromVal, asking me to come outside.
Igrab my purse, slip on my sneakers, and head out the door.
* * *
Thegrandeurof theWhitmoreestate swallows me whole the momentIstep into the foyer.Theair feels heavy, laden with an uneasy tension that clings to my skin.Mypulse quickens asIglance around, andIcatch the faint scent of something sweet—maybe it’s the flowers in the grand arrangements, or maybe it’s just the overwhelming sense of wealth that fills the space.
Iglance over atValeria, who stands just behind me.Herpresence is a constant comfort, even in a place like this.Ifeel her hand on my shoulder for a moment before she pulls away.
“Well, who do we have here?”
Thevoice slithers out of the shadows, low and intense.Myhead snaps to the right, where a man emerges.He’stall and broad-shouldered, with short dark hair and tattoos that snake up from the collar of his shirt and wind down his hands.Hisbrown eyes sweep over me with unsettling focus.
Beforewe can respond, another man steps forward.He’sleaner but just as imposing, with slicked-back hair and brown eyes, his towering frame radiating authority. “Lookslike fresh meat,” he sneers, his lips curling into a twisted grin before a maniacal laugh escapes him.Thesound sends a chill racing down my spine.
Twomasks.Identical.Hollow-eyed.
Ifight the urge to step back as a third man comes into view.He’sdifferent—striking in a way that’s hard to ignore.Blondhair perfectly styled.Piercingblue eyes that lock on to me.Hissuit is sharp and tailored, clinging to his frame like a second skin.Everythingabout him radiates power and control.Mythroat tightens just looking at him.
“I’venever seen you here before, ladies.”Hisvoice is smooth, but there’s a coldness beneath it that raises the hairs on the back of my neck.Hereaches for my hand, lifting it to his lips, and his touch lingers just long enough to make my skin prickle.
