Shattered Lies (Web of Lies #3)(31)
“What the fuck is taking so long,” she heard Dalton ask as they got ready to leave. The door opened and they walked out, each holding onto one of Sebastian’s arms. “Holy shit. I wouldn’t know that was you, and I sleep with you.”
They got into the limousine as Lizzy blew Dalton a kiss. It was late now, well after midnight as they made their way through the gates of Laughlin Park. They wound their way through the old neighborhood and stopped in front of the wooded drive leading to Kerra Ruby’s house.
“We’ll get out here,” Sebastian told his driver. “Ladies.”
Sebastian got out of the car and held out both arms. Valeria and Lizzy didn’t think twice as they hooked their hands into the crook of his arms. Sebastian, no matter his faults, was someone who drew attention. Tall, handsome, wealthy, and powerful—a lethal combination to the women at the party tonight.
“We are on the street closest to the back of the property,” Dalton’s voice said over the coms as they walked to the guarded entrance.
Three security guards stood at the entrance with clipboards, walkies, and stun guns. “Name,” the tall man with no neck and bulging muscles demanded.
“Abel.” Sebastian said calmly as he handed over his invitation.
The guard looked at Lizzy and Valeria and back at the clipboard. “Okay, you and your guests are good to go. Enjoy your evening, Mr. Abel.”
The house came into view after a short walk along the heavily wooded driveway. It was a tan stucco Spanish colonial with red clay shingles and iron light fixtures. The sound of music grew louder as they walked around the fountain in the middle of the circular drive, which showed off Kerra’s expensive cars all lined up.
People stood talking in groups out front, inside the entrance to the mansion, and packed in the hallways and living room leading out to the pool area. Valeria saw actors, directors, models, singers . . . basically the whole list of people Tate had discovered were the influencers for Mollia Domini. And tonight Mollia Domini was on everyone’s lips. Even if they didn’t say it by name. They used the Stanworth name instead. Everyone was discussing what would happen now that Stanworth and Helena were dead. The morning news had reported they’d been identified by George’s son, Auden.
“Blythe is, like, so brave.” Valeria heard a group talking as they strolled by.
“Totes. And I even hear she’s going to go to battle with her uncle over control of the company.”
“OMG! So brave. Like, all that money could be hers.”
“Then maybe I could get a lead in one of the movies. Blythe and I are like besties.”
No one seemed sad that George and his daughter, Helena, had died. They were more concerned about profiting from their deaths. Of course, Valeria was thinking the same way.
“I see Roland. He’s talking to Manuel and Trip Kameron,” Sebastian said as he lowered his lips to her ear. “Giggle.”
Valeria giggled. Then Sebastian whispered to Lizzy and she giggled. Somehow the sounds of them giggling seemed all wrong. They weren’t the giggling type.
Sebastian strutted forward and stopped. They were only a couple yards away from them when he used his arms to pull them toward him, forming a triangle as he lowered his head. Lizzy and Val did the same so they could hear him.
“What are we doing?” Lizzy whispered with a smile on her face even though she was just as confused as Val.
“You always let what you want most come to you first. Now, ladies, it’s time to play your cover.” Valeria saw Lizzy’s eyes momentarily flash as Sebastian’s hand dropped to her ass. Before she knew it, Sebastian had pulled Val to him and his lips were on hers as his hand grabbed her ass and squeezed. She thought about kneeing him in the balls, but the sound of Trip Kameron’s laughing yell of, “Sebastian, you’re my fucking hero,” stopped her.
Sebastian raised his head slowly as if he were mad at Trip for interrupting. Lizzy had moved her hand to Sebastian’s chest as she looked up longingly at him. Valeria looked back as Sebastian took a handkerchief and wiped the lipstick from his lips. Sebastian had made Trip look, resulting in Manuel and Roland also looking. They recognized Sebastian and waved him over.
Sebastian dropped his arms to their waists and maneuvered them the ten feet or so to the small group of men. Manuel dismissed Val and Lizzy after one appreciative glance.
“Apparently, we are hermanos,” Manuel said, welcoming Sebastian into the group.
“You get that, too?” Sebastian said, sounding slightly annoyed.
“Sí.”
Sebastian didn’t react. He also didn’t bother introducing Val or Lizzy, which was probably a good thing since it was Valeria who had told both men they looked alike.
“Sebastian, good to see you,” the man Val recognized as Roland Westwood said, holding out his hand for Sebastian to shake. Roland was exactly what a rich heir to a banking empire would look like. His body was money-bought. Rich clothes, rich haircut, the whitest teeth anyone had ever seen, and a body made by a private chef and a personal trainer. And underneath all that, he was a cocky bastard.
“Roland. How’s my money doing?”
Roland laughed and tossed back a whiskey. “You’re still rich. Richer than me, at any rate.”
Valeria knew how much each man was worth, as best as she could tell. But there were always ways to hide money, and she was sure they all did. It was still a shock to think about how much Sebastian had made on his own. She might even be impressed if he weren’t such an asshole. It was more than Roland had inherited, and it was more than Bertie Geofferies, who had once been the richest man in the world, obtained.