East
To catch a thief, you needed to be a thief. Prince Lucas of the Winston Isles had taught me that.
So for the evening, amongst the glitz and glamour, I was exactly that. International thief. No, international spy. A regular James Bond.
You wish.
“East? Mate, are you focused?”
I frowned as Ben’s voice pinged in my earpiece. “Hush, I know what I’m doing.”
Bridge’s voice was wry. “Are you sure about that? Maybe we should ask your last girlfriend.”
I bit back my scowl as I took a sip of the champagne. “Would you two knobs shut it so I can get this done?”
Bridge’s chuckle was low. “You know, I quite like being the one in the van. This is easy. Twist a few knobs, glance at a few monitors. Why are you always whining about how it’s not easy to be in the van?”
“I swear to God, Bridge, if you touch any of my shit, I will kill you.” I loved my mates, but my gear, those computers… They were like my children.
“Oh relax, I’m not going to break your precious machines.”
Ben’s voice was gruff. “Both of you, focus. The sooner this is done, the sooner we all get to move on.”
I placed my champagne glass on the tray of a passing waiter. It was showtime.
We’d all drawn straws as to who would be next in line to deal with the Elite, the one to deal the next blow. It was between Drew and me. And as Drew wasn’t attending the gala tonight on account of fatherhood duties, where both Jameson and Middleton would be, I was the lucky git.
When we were barely more than kids, we’d all joined the fastest path to fortune and power. Some of us had to learn hard lessons along that path.
For starters, the three of us, the London Lords, could have made it without the Elite. Membership had its benefits, but we’d been determined not to use those benefits if we could help it. They came with too many strings.
To make matters worse, our so-called brothers were behind the death of our friend. So, tonight was about payback. And she was one hell of a feisty bitch.
The aim was to clone their phones. Once we could listen in, we’d get leverage. And once we had leverage… It was game over for them. Ben, as Director Prime, needed to be above reproach. And someone needed to be in the van to make sure the data came through. Someone also needed to be able to handle the coding tech if it glitched. We’d already tried this once, and not only did it not work that time, but it had taken way too long. So we were using a new tech now. One that required me, someone a little more technologically savvy, to make it happen.
“Just get it done, East. It’s easy. You plant the device, remove it after five minutes, then do it again.”
“I notice you’re not the one doing the switch.”
I adjusted my cufflinks peeking out of the sleeves of my Tom Ford tuxedo. The Bridgeport Hospital Charity Gala was a yearly event. All members of the Elite attended, and the guest list was a who’s-who of London society, as well as some of the rich and famous worldwide. It was the charity of all charities to be seen at. Everyone wanted their name on the placard to say they supported whatever the hell the cause was this week.
Not actually because they cared, but because they wanted the ability to preen and show off.
And I hated the lot of them.
“We have incoming.”
I stilled while trying to look nonchalant. “What’s the problem?”
Ben muttered, “Your father is coming straight for you on your five o’clock.”
I swallowed my groan but still headed for my mark. I would deal with the old man later. Now was not the time. “Yeah, fine.” I picked my route. One that seemed unintentional as I deftly avoided him in the crowd.
I twirled around a waiter here and sidestepped a socialite there. A smile and a dancing flirt with a model across the way. By the time I made it to Garreth, he was speaking to a tall brunette woman. She had a wide smile and a familiar look to her. I knew her from somewhere.
Garreth’s grin was on me. “Hale, twice in one day? I’m starting to think you’re stalking me. Enjoying yourself?”
That was the thing about the Elite. You could spend your entire life loathing people, and some of them still thought you liked them, despite the undercurrent of hatred. The overt kind where you traded barbs and attempted stabbings, and the subtle kind, where you were both aware of your mutual loathing but kept most of it internal. And then there was the covert form, where one of you loathed the other, but the other was utterly clueless.
Jameson and I were the overt kind. But in public, we could pretend to be gentlemen. “Jameson.” He took my hand to shake.
Play the part. Act the part. Be the part.
I could not kill the man in a room full of people.
To most of the people in this room, I was one of them. Son of Lord Richard Hale. Cream of the Elite crop. A member of my family had been part of the Elite since the beginning. Outsiders assumed that I was entrenched in it. But truth be told, I hated the Elite just as much as Ben did. Just as much as Bridge did. We each had our reasons. “Yeah, mate, good, good. Just making the rounds.”
As we chatted amiably, I felt the prickle of awareness. My father was coming. I needed to get this done quickly. I turned to the brunette. “I see you have beautiful company this evening.”
Her smile was sardonic. “You don’t remember me, do you?”
In my ear, Bridge chuckled. “What? A woman has left your bed unsatisfied, East? Say it isn’t so.”
When I was out of this stupid party, I was going to throttle him. “I am so sorry. I don’t remember you.”
The thing was, I knew exactly who had been in my bed. I selected women who met specific criteria. I knew them all. Every single thing about them. And no, I wasn’t a stalker. I just liked to know who I had around me. It took only one time of being lacerated to learn a lesson, and I had no intention of learning that particular lesson again.
“I’m Janina Harrison. We met at the Wescott Benefit a few months ago. You never did call me.”
Christ. “Oh my goodness, Janina.” I had no idea who she was, but I knew enough to play the part. “You will have to forgive me. Of course, I intended to call. But… business. We were opening a new hotel. I was focused on that. But I am more than happy to call you this time.”
She lifted an elegant brow. “Somehow, I don’t believe you.”
Jameson gave a hearty laugh. “Looks like she has your number, Hale.”
What I needed was for her to ask for someone else’s number and leave me alone so I could plant the fucking device.
From behind me, I could hear my father talking to someone.
I needed to do this quickly because talking to my father would be its own special kind of headache.
As a waiter passed, I held my breath and waited for just the right timing, then I deliberately stuck out my foot in a quick manner. He jostled his tray and saved the half drinks, but then one toppled and splashed Janina.
Her squeal was immediate. “Oh my God, watch where you’re going.”
I offered a silent apology to the waiter as I left him to fend for himself. I then reached for my handkerchief and handed it to Janina. “Oh, look at that. Is that red wine? It’s going to stain.”