I was wedged between competing interests.

Being pulled in four directions by Madam, Oscar, Stone, and Sylvia.

The mayor’s words shouldn’t have blindsided me. I had known Oscar had his hands involved in this mess. I was sure that Madam gave the orders. I just couldn’t prove it. At least, not yet.

Keeping my head down, I tried not to feel as overwhelmed as I did. It proved to be impossible, each breath becoming harder. Everyone wanted me to tread carefully when I could feel the evil forces gathering on the battlefield.

To my left I had one army; to my right, the other.

By the time I turned back around, I had lost sight of Kendra.

My chest hitched as a ringing ricocheted inside my ears. I felt my veins open up as panic settled in my heart. Darting my eyes to the piano, then back to where I’d last seen her getting some food, she was nowhere to be found.

Sweat dripped down my back.

There was Wes.

Then Angel.

That scum reporter who seemed to think he had something on me.

Heat flushed my face as I clenched my fists and flexed my muscles, knowing in my gut that something wasn’t right.

Suddenly, the sound of a drink platter being dropped to the floor rippled through the air. I watched Angel hurry to the crisis that was quickly escalating between two men. Security pushed their way through and wrapped the men up. The fun was over in a matter of seconds, but it only confirmed my feeling that something was in the air.

Suspicious that I was being watched, my senses heightened as I stood to observe the party.

The energy was quicker.

Conversations faster.

Attention spans were shorter, and tonight brought back memories of how parties used to be when Blake Stone was running the streets. “Madam,” I grumbled under my breath.

Pushing my way through the crowd, I was ready to snap any twig that stepped in my way.

“Kelly.”

Hitting the brakes, I turned to find Kami rushing toward me. Her pained gaze had me worried. “What’s wrong? Where’s Wes?”

Clinging to my arm, she said, “It’s Kendra. Something’s wrong. She won’t speak to me but she requested to see you.”

I felt my eyes widen into discs. “Where is she?” Kami pointed. “Anyone else know about this?”

She grimaced with a slight shake of her head.

Kami didn’t know.

I glanced over my shoulder and found that asshole reporter keeping his eye on me. Promising to find out more about who the man was and what it was he was after, I needed to get to Kendra before I lost her for good.

In a whirlwind push to get to her as quick as possible, I soon found myself outside the locked bathroom door. Banging my open hand on it, I demanded to be let inside. “Bella, open up. It’s me.”

The lock clicked over and I stepped inside.

Kendra was sitting on the toilet with her head hanging between her legs. Tears dripped over her cheeks. I was saddened that I hadn’t been there for her when she needed me.

The door squeaked open behind me and I slammed it shut. “Occupied.”

Kendra barely lifted her head as I clicked the lock over.

“What happened?” I fell to my knees in front of her. Feeling her bones shake in my hands, I felt my body temperature spike as my mind struggled to understand what had happened to make her break down. “Bella, I need you to tell me what happened. Did someone hurt you?”

She buried her face inside her hands and sniffed back the tears that refused to stop falling. “I want to tell you but I can’t say it here.” She wiped the pools from her swollen eyes. “There are too many ears listening. Too many people with competing agendas.”

My brow furrowed as I took her face inside my hand.

Planning our escape inside my head, I turned to look toward the sink.

My mouth went dry when my eyes landed on the evidence confirming what I thought was happening here tonight.

Slowly, I stood and strode to the counter. There, next to the sink, was residue from the lines of cocaine someone had snorted. Dabbing the tip of my pinky finger against my tongue, I swiped it through the white powder before sucking it off my finger. My numb tongue confirmed my suspicions. Closing my eyes, I sighed.

There was no time to waste.

Turning around, I faced Kendra with fear shattering my heart. I worried that she could have been the one to do this. “Was there anyone else in here with you?”

Her eyes were swollen and round, mascara running down her cheeks, when she glanced up at me. She’d caught her breath and stopped crying but her hands still shook. “This is all your fault.” She stormed across the floor, pushing me into the sink. “If you would have arranged for us to enter through the back like Giselle did with Drake, then he wouldn’t have known we were here.”

Pinning her arms to her sides, I looked her in her eyes and asked, “Who?”

Her eyes danced with mine and I knew she wasn’t high. “The reporter who has photos of us at Echo.”

My gaze drifted off to the side as I thought back to the way he’d kept his eye on me. “What did he say?” I feared the worst.

“He knows about my uncle. My past.” Kendra’s body went limp in my hands.

Suddenly, it all made sense. Her breaking down. Her wanting to flee. The fact that she was hiding out in here when the party was happening on the other side of the door.

Another knock on the door broke our silence. “Occupied!” I yelled.

Standing Kendra straight, I threaded my arm underneath hers and latched onto her hip. “They’re going to take everything I own. And when Madam takes me away from you,” her sad eyes found their way up to mine, “I won’t have anything left.”

“C’mon. Get up off the floor. You can’t be seen like this,” I said, knowing that Kendra might be right. Something bigger was at play and I was yet to find out if it was Madam or Stone behind it—perhaps a little bit of both.

“I don’t care. It won’t stop them from spreading lies about me.” Her knees gave out.

I picked her up and set her on the countertop. “Collect yourself.”

Her head swayed back and forth.

Pinching her cheeks, I forced her to meet my eye. “We’re walking out of this bathroom.” I pointed to the door. “And when we do, you’re going to act like nothing happened.”

She blew out a shaky breath.

“We’re done here.” I brushed her cheek with my thumb. “We’re going home.”

Wiping her cheeks dry, she nodded. Her feet fell to the floor and she turned to the mirror to put herself back together.

Diving my hand inside my pocket, I put out a quick call to Maxwell. He answered on the first ring and I told him to get the car ready, we were leaving. Then I stashed my phone away by the time Kendra had shaken off the last of her uncertainty.

Her eyes found me in the mirror. “What is Madam up to?”

Rubbing a hand over my jaw, I raised my brows.

Turning to face me, she said, “Whatever it is you have planned, I want to help bring her down.”

Thinking back to the proposal Stone made me, I asked, “You don’t want to get involved.”

“I’m right, though, aren’t I?”

I pushed my splayed fingers over her ear, cupping the back of her skull. “I promise this will all be over soon. And when it is, you won’t have to worry about any of this.” Pressing my lips against hers, she swept her tongue into my mouth.

“Kelly, don’t forget.” Her eyes twinkled. “You were the first to suggest that we kill Madam.”

Taking her hand, we snuck out the back and found ourselves sliding into the back of my SUV without any paparazzi or members of the media sniffing us out. A thrill of electricity kept our hearts slamming inside our chests as I caught her seductive gaze already planning her next move. I’d come here tonight for one thing—to talk to Angel. Now that that mission was complete, everyone else could go fuck themselves.

As soon as the door shut, Kendra pushed me back into the corner. Climbing up my body, she crashed her mouth over mine. Her lips worked feverishly as I sucked her tongue deep into my mouth before swirling my tongue into hers. Reaching my hand to the door panel, I hit the partition button and listened as it closed us off from Maxwell.

Kendra undid my belt, reaching her hand inside my pants.

Lifting her dress up over her hips, I knew that what she was doing wasn’t healthy—I should have taken the higher road and stopped it before it went any further. But I knew what she needed. I knew that what she wanted was for me to get rough with her.

My muscles jumped and the pain of my arousal was real.

Pushing her off of me, I pulled her knees to the floor and shoved her head into the seat as I positioned myself behind her. Sliding her panties to the side, I nudged the tip of my manhood at her asshole and worked myself through the tight ring of muscle.

Kendra whimpered and cried out.

Fisting her hair, I rocked my hips hard and fast, getting off on her pleas to fuck her harder. Soon, bright lights flashed as our universes exploded into a million tiny stars.