Chapter 3 - 7
Though soul-tingling, classical music washes over the crowd.
My hearing is overwhelmed by the bass-thump of my heart hammering in my chest.
Out of nowhere, Kels returns to my side, munching down on something.
"Vance," she says sourly, her smile poisonous. "You’re shorter than I imagined," she says, just to irritate him because he is well over six feet.
"Kelsey." His eyes take her in, slowly. "A pleasure."
"I’m sure," she says with her tone stained with scorn. She then takes a quick notice of my new necklace. "What is that?"
I hold up the empty box absently. "A gift."
She glares back at Vance, her boring eyes drilling holes into him. "No matter your wealth, you could never buy a woman like her," she says, smiling innocently. "So treat my girl right or they’ll have to add manslaughter to my criminal record."
Grayson frees a guffaw, his amusement meant as an affront. "Well, Vance, if you don’t mind. I was going to ask Avara to dance?"
A muscle twitches in his jaw. "I do mind."
"While you two debate that." I dump the box back in Vance’s hand. "Kel and I are going to dance."
I take her hand, leading her through the dazzling crowd to the center of the dancefloor.