It wasn’t really the clothes, the hair, the shoes, or cosmetics. Nina thoroughly enjoyed a little bit of glamour now and again, even if she was eternally grateful that looking pretty had never been necessary for her job. It was the idea that in order to convince them that they had to support rescinding the law, she had to make them think she was somehow . . . less.

Her pride was never going to make this easy, she admitted to herself as she forced a wide, bright, and slightly vacant smile and took Ewan’s arm so they could enter the ballroom. Yes, the enhancement surgeries had given her the ability to use her body in ways none of the people in here would ever be able to. Yes, too, she needed the upgraded tech to keep herself not only capable of using those enhancements, but also to keep herself cognizant and alive and functional. It still rankled that she had to play on their sympathies, to portray herself as someone who was in any way, or who could ever be, helpless.

It was worse because in some ways, that was exactly how she felt. Nina knew how to train her body to keep it working at top efficiency, but she continued to struggle with the constant ebb and flow of her emotions. They assaulted her, switching in the span of a heartbeat. She’d grown used to simply hiding them all, which left her so drained by the end of the day that she wanted to collapse into bed, where Ewan was usually waiting, eager for her body in ways she never wanted to deny. The highs were no easier to handle than the lows—right now, she was on the verge of tears because the sight of the crinkles in the corners of Ewan’s eyes had her loving him so much it felt as though she might die from the glorious agony of it.

“Ewan!” The tall woman approached him with open arms and accepted a kiss on each cheek before she turned to greet Nina as warmly. “Nina. So good to see you. Your gown is exquisite.”

“Thank you, Katrinka,” Nina said. At least she’d managed to get the right tone down. Blandly, vaguely, ditzy. All of them spoke that way, men and women alike. It was almost like a regional dialect, and she’d studied it the way she would have a different language. “Yours is gorgeous as well.”

Katrinka beamed and tugged Nina’s arm to unlink it from Ewan’s so she could loop it through her own. “I’m going to steal you away from him now so I can introduce you all around the room. Ewan, that group of blowhards over there in the far corner has been waiting all night to talk to you. I think most of them are in support, but you know there are always that one or two that need to feel courted.”

Ewan looked in the direction she pointed, then at Nina, his expression clearly asking her if she’d be all right without him. She would, of course. It was he who might run into trouble without her by his side, she couldn’t stop herself from thinking as Katrinka swept her away.

“If I’d ever had a man who looked at me the way that man looks at you,” Katrinka said, “I wouldn’t want to be pulled away from him, either.”

Nina let out a trilling laugh completely unlike her own. “It’s not that, although I won’t lie, he is awfully nice to be around.”

“You’re worried about him?” Katrinka murmured as she grinned and greeted everyone they passed without stopping for more than a second to speak to any of them. So much for introducing Nina all around the room. “You think someone might try to hurt him.”

“Old habits,” Nina said.

Katrinka gave her a sideways glance. “We have very tight security here. One of your own is on board tonight, in fact. I think you know Allegra Chastain?”

Nina looked in the direction Katrinka had nodded and recognized Al at once. Tonight she wore a dark maroon tunic spangled at the throat and sleeves with black beads and a matching pair of wide-legged trousers. She’d made the smarter choice of black boots instead of spiked heels like Nina’s. Al didn’t wear a harness the way Nina always had while on a job, but a slim-fitting belt carried Al’s choice of weaponry. Nobody would mistake her for a simple party guest.

“Are you asking Al to give a speech, too?”

Katrinka’s laughter tinkled like a fountain, and she waved a hand delicately, gesturing at nothing. “Oh, my. No. That would be imprudent, wouldn’t it?”

“Al’s enhanced, the same as I am. She’s got as much of an interest in this happening as I do. As we all do.” Nina knew exactly what the other woman meant, but it rankled.

“You, my dear, have been made the face of this effort. The beautiful, least-controversial face. You’re here to make an impression,” Katrinka continued in a low voice completely at odds with her light-hearted expression. “And not the kind you made when you punched my son.”

Nina glanced at Al, who was rummaging through the buffet table, loading up her plate with stacks of appetizers. Al shoved a piece in her mouth, chewing rapidly as she balanced the plate in her other hand and perused the room, eyes narrowed, rocking on her heels. Al looked antagonistic. A little dangerous.

Nina sighed. “I understand that.”

“Please, don’t misunderstand me.” Katrinka had pulled them both toward the side of the room and an empty spot in the crowd. “If there’s anyone else in this room you can count on not to judge you based on what’s been installed inside your head, it will be me. Tech that changes the color of your eyes every time you blink is wildly popular, but I’d far rather have some that allows me to see in the dark so I don’t stub my toes when I get up in the night. But I’ve worked with these horses for years, and I know how to lead them to the water they would otherwise refuse to drink.”

“I’m glad to know that.” Nina kept her own smiling expression bright as she looked out at the crowd and watched for anyone approaching them who might overhear their muttered conversation.

Katrinka leaned a little closer to speak into Nina’s ear. “I’ve been a supporter of Ewan’s for years. Tech, environmental, almost any cause he’s ever had. Why do you suppose that is, Nina? Because it’s certainly not that I’m in love with him, although I can understand completely why you are.”

The other woman thought she understood, but she’d never know the full depth of it, Nina thought.

“It’s about the money,” Nina said. She found Ewan with her gaze across the room, making sure he was all right. She took in the sight of everyone around him, looking for any tension, but it looked like all laughter and back-slapping and wink-nudging.

“Yes. It’s about the money. Isn’t most everything?” Katrinka laughed lightly. “I’m quite a fan of wealth, particularly that which I can gain through the efforts of others, because I am a lovely, lazy lady. Ewan Donahue knows how to make money, and he knows how to get others to help him do it.”

“You don’t care about the causes?” Nina snagged a glass of sparkling wine from a passing waiter, along with one for Katrinka.

“Not really. Honestly, if I truly cared, would I be doing this now? For you? If I’d really believed in the beginning that the enhanced shouldn’t be allowed to exist or that you were somehow less than human . . .” Katrinka trailed off at the sight of Nina’s face. She didn’t smile or laugh. “I never believed that, by the way, and surely you understand that Ewan didn’t, either. He never approached it from that angle. That came after, from other people with louder voices who thought they were entitled to scream.”

“I know that. I wouldn’t be with him if I truly believed he thought I wasn’t a real person. How could I be?”

Katrinka inclined her head and gave Nina a steady look before saying, “There are many reasons people get together and stay together, and so few of them have any base in love or admiration, Nina. I ought to know, I’ve been married four times.”

“That doesn’t sound like an endorsement.” Nina lifted her glass using the hand upon which the sparkling engagement ring glittered. She still wasn’t used to the idea that it meant they were going to get married. They hadn’t even started planning.

“It’s honesty,” Katrinka said. “Marriage is an outdated institution designed to remind us that we as human beings are born and die alone, no matter what relationships we forge along the way. It’s the bitterest reminder, as a matter of fact.”

Nina winced. “Yikes.”

“Oh, I’d do it again in the blink of an eye, if it benefited me. Or if I fell in love, I suppose. The best thing to come out of my marriages has been adding to my financial portfolio, and I certainly don’t regret any of that.” Katrinka sipped some sparkling wine and shook her head with a moue of distaste. “This should be more chilled.”

“What about your son?”

Katrinka didn’t laugh. “Jordie is his father’s child, through and through. If I hadn’t had the entire ordeal of his birth recorded in high definition, I daresay I would scarcely be able to believe he ever came out of me at all. I might have thought him switched at birth, aside from the identity chipping we had done in utero.”

“You had . . .” Nina cut herself off. Of course Katrinka would have had her unborn child chipped. She’d likely chosen his gender and genetics, too. So many of Jordie’s odd personality quirks made sense, now. It was more than the candy. The kid’s brains had been scrambled before he was even born.

“Controversial, yes. I know. There’s a reason why they’ve quietly outlawed the use of pre-birth ID chipping and all the rest. Those laws never got the kind of attention as the Enhancement Repeal Act, but to me they seem quite similar. They both deal with implanting tech inside people who were unable to give consent, and arguably, it has changed them in ways that left them impaired.” At Nina’s obvious bristling, Katrinka held up a hand. “Your impairment is the need to rely on upgrades in order to keep functioning without pain and distress. Surely you can’t argue with me on that, Nina.”

“So you do think the tech should be outlawed?”

“If I did, why would I be working so hard to change the act? Money aside, if my convictions were that strong, would I be able change my mind now?”

“What about the rest of them and their convictions?” Nina sipped her wine and tipped her chin toward the rest of the room.

“They need convincing, but not about your humanity. They need to be persuaded that changing the law will somehow benefit them. The ones who truly think the tech is wrong will never be induced to change their minds no matter how pretty you look all dressed up, so why bother with them?”

Nina frowned. “Members of the League of Humanity, for example.”

“Oh, them.” Katrinka waved a dismissive hand. “Bunch of crackpots. None of them have been invited to this party, I can assure you. I’m talking about the people who have the actual ability to affect the government. People we can either convince nor buy, Nina. It makes no difference to me how we do it, only that we do, and to the tune of clinking change.”

Nina smiled. “Thank you.”

“For . . . ?” Katrinka looked bemused.

“I don’t care what your personal reasons are for getting behind any of this. But thank you for doing it.” Nina looked up to see a couple approaching them with expectant expressions.

It was time to meet and greet.

She did that for a while, falling into a rhythm of shaking hands and kissing cheeks, commenting on gowns and trying to fend of the awkward flirtations from both men and women as best she could without offending anyone. When she found herself finally next to the appetizer buffet, her stomach was so empty it was starting to eat itself. The only thing Nina wanted to do was pile her plate with snacks and dig in. She settled for taking a handful of crackers and cheese to nibble on while she waited to be swarmed again.

“Great party.” Al grinned but didn’t try to hug her, shake her hand, or air kiss her, and Nina would be forever grateful. “I figured you’d be making a speech or something, though.”

“In a few minutes.” Nina shoved a piece of cheese into her mouth and chewed. “Trying to refuel. Are you having fun?”

“So much fun,” Al said cheerfully. “I haven’t had to break anyone’s fingers yet. Or escort them out in a chokehold. Heck, I haven’t even had to reach for any of my weapons. This party’s kind of a bust.”

Nina laughed. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. To be honest, I’m looking to get out of the business.” Al kept talking to Nina, but her gaze continually swept the room. Assessing the situation as Nina had done so many times herself. “I’m here by special request.”

“Interesting . . . Katrinka Dev requested you, in particular?”

Al tilted her head. “You know something, I didn’t really ask. Boss said they wanted me specifically, I didn’t really ask who ‘they’ were. I’m only going to take a few more jobs after tonight, and then I’m done. I swear it. I’m going to retire and devote my life to a cornucopia of cats and take up knitting.”

“Sounds boring,” Nina said.

Al chortled. “Yeah, you’re probably right. What about you? Looks like you’re giving up the life for a very different path. What’s up next for you? White picket fence, adding your ID number to his accounts? Maybe a baby or two?”

“Nothing quite that drastic,” Nina said, even as she looked automatically toward Ewan. He was looking back.

“ . . . Yeah, so you’re practically getting pregnant right in front of me from all the way across the room,” Al said. “Whoa.”

Nina had never been one to blush, but she did now. “Sorry. I’m just making sure everything’s still all right over there. It’s weird to be at this party and not be working it at his side.”

“Don’t ever be sorry,” Al said seriously. “Never apologize for love, not when it makes your face look like that. You two are clearly a perfect match.”

Al’s declaration surprised Nina. “I didn’t know you were such a romantic.”

“Meh.” Al shrugged. “I consider myself an optimist. Maybe one day I’ll find someone who makes my face do that thing yours is doing.”

“We’ve had our problems. It’s not all perfection,” Nina murmured as she polished off the last of the cheese and crackers. She spotted Katrinka heading her way with a determined expression. She grabbed another couple pieces of cheese, determined that whatever Katrinka wanted from her, Nina was going to do it on a full stomach.

“Nobody ever said it had to be perfect,” Al said.

Nina paused for a second, thinking about that. “That’s good advice.”

“Not that I know what in the random hells I’m talking about,” Al added. “I’m categorically untamed, myself. Looks like you’re about to get yanked away. Go get ’em. The sooner you’re allowed to be fitted with those upgrades, the better for all of you.”

“You’ll be allowed to get them, too, you know.”

“I . . .” Al shrugged and cut herself off as Katrinka reached them. Her gaze met Nina’s steadily for a long moment before she waved a hand. “Go.”

Katrinka barely gave Al a glance, an irritating dismissal that annoyed Nina. “Ready?”

“You’ve met my friend Al?” Nina asked deliberately. “You hired her to work this event? Al and I were in the hospital together.”

“Nice to meetcha,” Al said.

Katrinka’s perfectly glossed lips curled into a smile, but only for a second before she was looking determined again. “Any friend of Nina’s . . . but Nina, darling, it’s time for your speech. We really need to get you up there.”

“See ya later,” Al said.

Nina had stood in front of many groups of people, giving speeches on the subject of the enhancement surgeries and how they’d changed her life. She’d presented her opinions about the necessity of upgrades, the ways to counteract hacking and more. She’d never been as prominent or well-known a supporter of the tech as Ewan had been a detractor, but she’d done her share in the past to make her voice known

Why, then did she feel so uncertain, now?

Nina took a deep breath, checking automatically for any signs of new memory loss or other distress. She remembered what she’d eaten for breakfast today; that was her touchstone, and it was still there. She didn’t want to be thinking of that now as she went up the stairs to the riser set up at the back of the room, careful not to trip on the hem of her dress and make a fool of herself in front of everyone.

Still, looking out at the crowd, it was impossible for her to put aside how it felt to forget.

“Hello, everyone,” Nina said aloud. “Thank you all so much for coming tonight in support of what to many of you must feel a bit like a weird dream.”

She waited for the crowd to settle and turn to her. Drinks in their hands. Some with smiles, others with blank expressions. Waiting for her to change their minds. Some of them willing, needing only a nudge. Others would need more than that, and she wasn’t sure she could do it, but she had to try.

“Several years ago, a revolutionary advance in tech saved my life. I’d been in combat.” Nina kept her voice strong and her gaze steady as she looked around the room, meeting the gaze of anyone she could. “I died in service to this country. A full eight minutes, or so they told me. I don’t remember it, and I’ve always found that to be a blessing. Nobody should have to recall the moment of their death.”

She cleared her throat. From the corner of her eye, Nina could see Katrinka trying hard to catch her attention. Nina didn’t give it to her. She knew what she was doing. She was speaking her truth, and if it was too harsh for some of these people, well . . . she had to do it. Money and support were important, but not if she felt compromised by it.

“I survived, solely due to the implantation and activation of that tech. It was experimental, but I’d signed an agreement before joining the army. Truthfully, I didn’t know when I signed it what would be done to me, but I can take the blame for that. I woke up in agony, bed-bound. But I woke up, and I will never regret that. There are some who believe the enhancement tech changed me into something different. Someone different. I can’t say that’s not true, to be honest.”

She paused, giving them time to murmur and shift, to make them a little uncomfortable. She looked out over the room to find Ewan, whom she’d barely talked to all night. He was front and center, a drink in one hand, the other tucked into his pocket. His gaze on hers. His smile, encouraging but serious.

“But then, doesn’t everything that happens to us change us into something new? If you’re lucky, you end up stronger. Better. A new and improved version of yourself.” She paused again to give her next word the maximum effect. “Enhanced.

“Ewan Donahue invented the enhancement tech to help his sister, Katie, who suffered early onset dementia. He meant for the tech to help her, and anyone else like her, to be able to hold onto their memories. Because memory is what makes us who we are, isn’t it? More than the way we laugh or how we look, or our political opinions or our favorite flavor of ice cream, it’s what we remember. It’s who we remember.”

She continued quickly, watching the crowd’s reactions. There were some nods, but also a lot of frowns. Side-talking and murmurs. She kept going, even when she saw some disgruntled faces.

“So many people think the enhancement tech is about forgetting,” Nina said quickly. “But it’s not. It’s for remembering. Yes, it’s true that the tech allows my short-term memories to be reset, but only in certain, specific, and mutually agreed upon cases. I signed up for the possibilities of experimental surgeries without understanding what that could mean for me, but I’ve never once been reset without knowing beforehand what it would be like and how it would affect my life . . . that is to say, not very much at all.”

Nina cleared her throat. “I’ve been asked many times if I knew what was going to happen to me, would I have agreed to the enhancement surgeries? Would I have allowed them to implant me with the tech? My answer to that is yes. Of course. Always. Should I have preferred death? Some of you would have thought so, even so recently as a few months ago. Some of you might still feel that way.”

Nina lifted her chin and looked out at everyone, catching eyes where she could. Pretending she was when she could not. The room had gone very quiet.

“I stand up here in front of you all, not to horrify you with all the ways I’m now different from you, but to show you that I could never regret the tech. What I ask of you is support. Understanding. When you look at me, what do you see?”

Predictably, the crowd murmured, but nobody shouted out.

“I was a soldier,” Nina said. “Now I’m not. The tech is still inside my head, though. It needs to be upgraded, the same way your viddy systems and personal comms need updates. If you think it’s frustrating to try to get online when your comm doesn’t have the latest operating system, think about how it feels to have that same thing going on in your head.”

She paused to let the crowd respond. Mostly chuckles. Nods. She kept going.

“Tonight is about good food. Good friends.” She gestured toward Katrinka, not that she really considered that woman a friend, but it looked good to the crowd. “Good drinks. But beyond that, it’s about learning. Growing. It’s about stretching your opinions, and I hope to be exactly the person to help you do that.”

* * *

“Hey, Mr. Donahue.”

Ewan turned, surprised to see Jordie there. The kid wasn’t wearing formal attire, and that would have made him seem out of place even if he wasn’t an unexpected guest. “What are you doing here?”

“My mom.” Jordie grinned and licked his lips quickly, his gaze cutting back and forth from Ewan to Nina speaking at the front of the room. “Hey, Mr. Donahue, do you think you could talk to me privately for a minute or two? I’m kind of having some problems. I hope you can help me out a little bit. Because you’re my mentor and all.”

The kid had been making an obvious attempt at keeping his voice down, but in the way of sugarheads, he wasn’t speaking very softly. Ewan took him by the elbow to lead him away from the group, not wanting Jordie to distract anyone from Nina’s speech. He glanced over his shoulder to see if he could catch her eye, but if she noticed him walking away, she wasn’t able to acknowledge it while she was speaking.

There was no good place to talk privately except out in the hall, which is where Ewan took him. He let go of Jordie’s sleeve and looked at the kid, concerned. “What’s going on?”

“I’m having some personal problems,” the kid said, but then nothing else.

Ewan frowned. “This isn’t really the place to talk about things like that, Jordie. Why don’t you give me a ping tomorrow when I’m at home? You could come by.”

Again, he thought, wondering why he’d offered. The kid was smart but weird, which was not the problem. He was also irritating and needy, which was.

“I know, I know.” Jordie held up his hands, self-deprecating but not convincingly. “This is a party, we should be having fun, not talking about my bad luck with the ladies. But when I saw you were here, I figured, hey, why not ask Mr. Donahue for some advice? I mean, he’s clearly a guy who’s got his business together, right? And I didn’t want to come by the house because, you know, it makes Ms. Bronson irritated. And we don’t need to be getting Ms. Bronson in a bad mood, am I right?”

“I really need to get back in there and hear Nina’s speech,” Ewan said. “Can’t this wait until tomorrow?”

“No, no, Mr. Donahue. It really can’t wait. I mean, I guess to a guy like you, it might not seem important. Girl troubles, I mean.” Jordie shifted from foot to foot. He shoved his hands into his back pockets, then rocked onto his heels. His grin was more a grimace than an expression of humor. His tongue ran along his teeth over and over, a nervous tic that didn’t seem related to the candy use. “Not when you got a great gal like Ms. Bronson. Hyper glorious, the way she is.”

Ewan narrowed his eyes, looking the kid over, wondering at his game. Did he have a crush on Nina? That would explain why he’d come to the house to talk to her after the accident and why he’d seemed so concerned. It didn’t explain why he was cornering Ewan now.

“Yes, she is great,” Ewan agreed. “Which is why I’d like to get back in there and make sure I get to hear her speech.”

He paused to study the kid. The twitching and shifting could be attributed to the candy. Everything else about him pointed to a kind of tension, not quite fear. A nervous excitement of some kind.

“You really just wanted to talk to me about girl problems?” Ewan asked. From inside the ballroom came a low, rising mutter, like laughter. He glanced in that direction, and Jordie stepped between him and the doors to look him in the eyes.

“Well, it’s kind of a girl problem,” Jordie said. “I mean, the girl’s my mom, so it’s not like, romantic. Not like that. But I don’t understand women, Mr. Donahue—”

Another wave of noise came from inside the ballroom. The crowd was definitely reacting to Nina’s speech, and it didn’t sound positive. Ewan put a hand on Jordie’s shoulder, his attention not on the kid, but on the ballroom doors.

“Jordie, you know I’d be happy to talk to you about your problems. Tomorrow. Come by tomorrow,” Ewan said, then gave the kid an ironic smile. “You know where I live and how to get there, and this time, you’re invited. I’ll be expecting you.”

Jordie stepped in front of him again when Ewan tried to leave. Then out of the way. Then back in front of him. “Sorry, Mr. Donahue. Sorry.”

It happened twice more, becoming a ridiculous dance until Ewan took Jordie by the shoulders and stopped him from moving until Ewan could step around him. “I’m going back inside the party. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Sure thing, Mr. Donahue,” Jordie called after him. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Have a great time at the party. Give Ms. Bronson my best.”

“You’ll see her tomorrow, too,” Ewan shot back over his shoulder as his hand reached for the ballroom door’s handle.

When Jordie didn’t answer, he paused, certain the twitchy kid would’ve had another spate of candy-fueled comments. Instead, all he caught was a glimpse of the kid’s back as he headed down the hotel hallway. Shaking his head, Ewan tugged open the ballroom door.

Inside was chaos.

* * *

Nina felt her attacker before anyone in the crowd even seemed to notice there was someone on the riser behind her. A subtle shift in the air temperature. Body heat. A footstep, too close. The specifically metallic clang of a knife being pulled from someplace hidden.

She stopped, midsentence, and turned to block the slash with her forearm. Pain rocketed through her as her attacker slammed a hand into Nina’s rib cage, shoving her off the riser. She hit the floor hard, slamming the back of her head, her elbows, her tailbone.

Painstars exploded in Nina’ vision. Shouts rang in her ears, but she ignored them. She rolled onto her hands and knees, her dress getting in the way until she tore it at the same time as she rolled again to keep out of the way from the attacker attempting to body slam her. The fabric didn’t rip easily, but with a few shifts of effort, she shredded it from the knees down.

Assess.

She was being attacked.

By the time she got to her feet again, Nina had also taken off her shoes. One gripped in each fist, she slashed forward with the spiked heels. Once, twice, striking out at the attacker, who wore a server’s uniform. That explained how he’d gotten so close to her without anyone noticing, as well as the knife as a weapon. It did not explain how he’d managed to get through security in the first place.

Protect.

No client this time. She was the target. She had to protect herself.

One heel slashed the bro’s cheek, laying open a long slice. Blood poured free, splattering her. He grunted and lunged at her with the knife. Over his shoulder, Nina caught sight of the crowd, which had surged into a frenzy.

Eliminate.

She shoulder-checked him into the riser. He hit it with the backs of his knees and tumbled backward. Nina leaped, meaning to knock him back down, but her attacker didn’t get up. He couldn’t; he’d been knocked out cold.

Someone else was coming at her, though. Another of the waitstaff, this time a petite, dark-haired girl Nina recalled had been serving drinks. She avoided the slash of Nina’s heel. Smaller but faster than the first attacker, this one was also better-trained. Seemed more determined, too, her face twisted in a grimace as she grunted and spun to gain momentum for a leaping kick that Nina caught on one hip.

“Got you.” Al’s grim voice came from beside Nina. She went low, sweeping out the attacker’s legs.

The girl stumbled but managed to keep her feet by jumping, arching in the air, and coming down into a crouch. She looked scared now, but too bad for her, because with both Nina and Al coming at her, she didn’t stand a chance. Al took her out with a slap to the back of the head that knocked her flat on her face. Nina added a quick tie-up of her hands behind her back, using a scrap of her shredded gown.

There’d been screams when it all began, but now the room had fallen into a stunned silence. Nobody but Al had come to her aid. Al moved away to nudge the first attacker with the toe of her boot. He still wasn’t moving, but she bent to secure his hands behind him with a set of zip ties from her belt.

Where the hell was all the security Katrinka had bragged about? Heart still thumping although she was forcibly slowing it, along with her breathing, Nina looked around the room. She was still half-expecting another attacker to come at her, or something else to be happening in the room, but everyone had frozen.

Slowly, first one, then another guest began to clap until finally everyone in the room was joining in. The applause rose, thunderous, along with exclamatory congratulations and murmurs of admiration.

“They think you were putting on a show for them,” Al said in a low voice next to Nina’s ear, which had finally stopped ringing. “Better take your bows.”

From the back of the room, a glimmering rectangle appeared as the ballroom doors opened to reveal a male silhouette. Ewan, Nina realized as he hurried toward her with a look of concern. He’d been outside. Had no idea of what was going on. He hadn’t seen any of the attack.

“Everyone, everyone, let’s all remember to thank Ms. Bronson for this admirable display of how particularly important it is to support her and Ewan Donahue in their new initiatives!” Katrinka had appeared to put her fingers on Nina’s elbow, curling them tightly. She leaned to say directly into Nina’s ear, “You really ought to have warned me there was going to be a demonstration.”

There’d be time later to tell the other woman that Nina had had nothing to do with the attack. Right now, what she wanted was Ewan. She shrugged off Katrinka’s pinching grip and moved toward him, dodging the outstretched hands trying to grab her attention.

“I had no idea,” said one woman in a green cocktail dress, her glittering, cosmetically enhanced eyes matching the fabric perfectly. “I’m beyond stunned!”

Another man tried to stop her, a sloshing drink in his hand that splattered as she ducked away from his sloppy attempt at taking her hand. “You move like the wind, the very wind. If you have time later . . .”

“I’m sorry,” Nina cut in, voice grim. “I’m busy later.”

She didn’t care if she’d offended him. What she wanted, needed, was to make sure that Ewan was all right. Someone had come after her in a room full of people. It was obvious it had not been meant as a true attempt on her life—not unless whoever had done it had no real idea of how easily she’d be able to fend them off. But it had been an attack, and on her. Not him.

It was not the first time.

The buzzcycle, she thought. They’d both assumed it had come after Ewan, but that it had run her down instead because she’d been protecting him. Was this more of the same? Why was she the target now? They’d been through this before. Small attacks meant to distract, to threaten, all leading up to something far more deadly. A sinking feeling of dread in her gut pushed her in Ewan’s direction.

“Are you all right?” she asked before he had a chance to get out even a single word.

He looked so confused. More so when she kissed him. He stared down at the ruins of her dress. Her bare feet.

“I’m fine. What the hell happened to you, baby?” He glanced over her shoulder. “Katrinka?”

“We should go home now,” Nina said. “I can talk to you there.”

“Nina, darling, there are so many people here who want to speak to you now, after that demonstration. Ewan, you really should have warned me,” Katrinka said. “I could have been more prepared.”

“For what?” Ewan asked, looking from her to Nina and back again. His arm went around Nina’s waist, pulling her close to him. “What’s going on? What kind of demonstration? What are you talking about?”

Finally, Katrinka seemed confused. “What just happened wasn’t planned?”

Nina shook her head. The aches and bruises would go away soon enough, but the unsettling feeling of being targeted on purpose wasn’t going to disappear for a while. “I thought you said you had security here.”

“Of course there’s security,” Katrinka said, still clearly bewildered but now also annoyed. “We always have security. Security’s the reason you weren’t filleted like a fish!”

“They shouldn’t have even gotten that close. They should never have been allowed in here. How’d they pass the background checks?” Nina demanded.

Ewan had been looking back and forth between them, increasingly concerned. Now he turned Nina to face him. “What are you talking about?”

“Two of the waitstaff attacked me while I was giving my speech,” Nina said, forcing herself to calm down. “Al helped me. Neither of us got hurt.”

Ewan looked toward Al, who’d gone back to standing by the buffet table again, surveying the room. He glared at Katrinka. “We’re leaving.”

“There are still people who want to meet her, especially now,” Katrinka protested. “I mean, even if it wasn’t planned, Nina, it’s admittedly brilliant. All of them have heard about what you can do, but I guarantee you most of them haven’t ever had the chance to glimpse you in action. It’s not what I’d have chosen, it’s in fact the opposite, but I’ve never been afraid to admit when I’m wrong.”

Nina didn’t push herself out his arms, but gently stepped away from him. “This is not about me being in action. It’s about getting them to support the repeal. . . . Listen, I’ve had enough of all of this. I’m barefoot, my dress is torn, I’m starving because the food here was excremental—”

Katrinka let out a shocked gasp and put a hand over her heart. “I hired the best chefs!”

Nina would have laughed at the other woman’s clear affront, but she didn’t have any humor inside her. “And someone tried to stab me. Twice. I’m out.”