crisp white of his shirt providing a contrast to the dark, smooth fabric. A pale blue tie and pocket square finished off the polished look. The colors went together seamlessly and made his gray eyes pop. Even his messy hair was in a somewhat neat style, held in place by product. I couldn’t stop looking at him.
“Well?” I asked again as we waited. I couldn’t help myself. I hated not knowing things.
They both chuckled before Tyler took pity on me. “This isn’t like the gala. The point isn’t to be seen and make a spectacle. This is a private, secure event. It’s being held in an event space at the top of an office building with no ties to Melior Group. There are three separate access points through which guests will arrive. Each has a team posted. Plainclothes officers on the street are keeping an eye on it as well.”
I nodded as we entered the service elevator.
As we rode up in silence, the butterflies returned. Did I really have any business being here? I was a nineteen-year-old science nerd—what the hell did I have to talk about with leaders of militias and heads of state? I blew out a big breath and straightened the front of my dress.
Alec wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and Tyler took my hand and squeezed.
“You’ll be fine, and you look beautiful.” Tyler smiled.
“Just let Gabe do the talking,” Alec added, “and give him some Light when he signals you. Smile and be polite and don’t drink your weight in Dom Perignon like last time.”
I glared at him. “That would be my volume, not my weight, as champagne is a liquid. And that’s rich coming from you, considering you were the cause of my drinking that night.”
Alec groaned and removed his comforting arm. But before we could really get into it, the elevator doors opened, and the distant sound of chatter and clinking glasses reached us.
“We’ve gone over this. You’ve got this. And Alec will never be far. He’s your personal security detail tonight.”
We followed the sounds of people down the plain corridor, then crossed an open foyer area into a stunning, sleek, modern event space that felt as if it were floating above the city.
Along one entire wall, floor-to-ceiling windows jutted out at an angle, making it feel as if you could just walk right off the edge. The furniture was all sharp angles and shiny surfaces. Candles in geometric holders sat on the bar and on the edge of the stage, where a blonde bombshell sang a slow, sultry tune in front of a small band.
I was pretty sure I was the only one in the room with a teen on the end of my age. It made me feel even more awkward and self-conscious.
Tyler placed my hand in the crook of his elbow, like a real gentleman, and led me into the room through the dead center of the double doors. He was making an entrance. I wanted to make sure I looked the part, so I plastered a smile on my face and hoped like hell no one saw the slight twitch in my lip. Alec fell back, blending into the crowd while still staying close.
Tyler walked up to a man in an expensive suit and turban. He introduced me as his Vital and then spent a few moments in conversation—mostly just pleasantries. I stood there and nodded and hummed a few times before it was time to move away.
He repeated that process with a handful of other people—all men, most of them middle-aged or older, and each with a beautiful woman on his arm.
“Can we get a drink?” I blurted out before we could get into another conversation with another boring person.
“Sure.” Tyler smiled and started to lead the way toward the bar, but halfway there we were intercepted.
Victor Flint stepped into our path.
“Miss Maynard.” He nodded and I managed a smile. “Tyler. How’s everything going?”
“All to plan so far, Victor. You’ll know if there are any issues.”
“Good.” He flashed us that toothy grin, and I did my best to keep a pleasant, neutral look on my face. I wasn’t sure if it was his no-nonsense, borderline rude way of speaking or the fact that I felt he always had an ulterior motive, but I wanted to get away from him. I had to play my part though—be the good little Vital.
“Alec.” Victor shifted his gaze to somewhere behind us. “You don’t usually attend these events, do you?”