Morgan held Molly’s hand as they exited the dance floor, which was packed with partiers who couldn’t get enough of Joe ‘Monarch’ Redfern and his orchestra. He caught sight of Samantha Grace laughing with a small group of admirers and he felt a brief pang of jealousy. He’d carried a torch for Samantha for what like an eon but she’d never returned the favor. He knew she was fond of him but it seemed like she’d avoided cultivating those feelings into anything more. Samantha’s blond hair was piled high tonight, tiny ringlets of curls dangling around her bare shoulders. She wore an emerald dress that hugged every curve of her figure.
Sighing, Morgan tore his gaze away and smiled at Molly. She was an attractive girl with red hair, green eyes and a fine spray of freckles that covered her cheeks. Her father was in real estate and was a good friend of Samantha’s parents, which was how Morgan had ended up becoming acquainted with her. “I’m glad you asked me out again,” she said, steering him towards their group’s table. Eun Jiwon and his roommate, a dockworker named Edward Lee, were leaning close to one another, and whispering something that left both men with broad grins. Morgan and the other members of Assistance Unlimited knew that Eun was a homosexual and it didn’t change their opinions of the young Korean in the least. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said of everyone else in the world, forcing the Eun and Lee to hide their feelings when in public.
Morgan squeezed Molly’s hand before pulling out a chair for her to sit in. “And I’m happy you agreed to give me another chance.”
“How could I resist? Most guys are boring next to you.”
Morgan sat down beside her and regarded her with a curious expression. He was nearly twenty years her senior but he knew that he was fit enough to pass for a man nearly a decade younger. And with his pencil thin moustache, he cut a rather dashing figure. But even with all that, he was surprised to hear Molly speak of him in such flattering terms. “You weren’t frightened away by what happened last time?”
“Of course not! I’m friends with Samantha, remember? She doesn’t give me all the details about your exploits but she’d told me enough to whet my appetite. Don’t get me wrong, I was pretty shaken up after our first date. I mean, I’ve never had a man show me the scar where his heart used to be… it kind of takes a girl’s breath away. But when it was all said and done, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.” Molly’s eyes glittered from the memory. “It was so dangerous!” she added with obvious enjoyment.
Morgan couldn’t help but laugh. Impulsively, he leaned forward and kissed Molly on the lips. She blinked in surprise and blushed attractively. “I’m sorry, Molly. I hope you don’t think I was impertinent…”
“No. It was nice,” she replied quickly. Morgan leaned in for another peck but she caught him short with a hand on his chest. “That doesn’t mean I’m that kind of girl,” she added, a mischievous grin on her face. “You have to work for another kiss.”
Morgan nodded, enjoying the game. “I’m a hard working man.”
“They’re a cute couple,” Edward whispered, his eyes flicking over to Morgan and Molly. He had a hand on Eun’s leg under the table, safely out of view.
“Yes,” Eun agreed. Normally a somewhat sullen person, he was in better spirits than usual. He hated hiding his relationship with Edward but it was good to at least be out with him, even if they couldn’t carry on the way they’d want to. There were several nightclubs in Sovereign that catered to homosexuals but it was dangerous to slip in and out of them. The press followed all members of Assistance Unlimited like bloodhounds and Eun didn’t want to do anything that might reflect poorly on Lazarus. “Maybe it will stop all the tension between Morgan and Samantha. I’m not sure if they should just roll in the bed or have a fistfight half the time. Maybe both.”
“You’re awful,” Edward teased. He fiddled with his tie for what seemed like the one-hundredth time. A simple man who made his living with his hands, Edward had never been in a place as fancy as this and it was making him uncomfortable. His eyes roamed over the crowd, recognizing celebrities at every turn. He was about to point out a woman who bore a strong resemblance to actress Evelyn Gould when someone else caught his eye: a man dressed in a black suit that resembled an undertaker’s. He was leaning heavily on a walking stick that was topped by a roaring lion’s head. His eyes were narrow slits that radiated such anger that Edward was surprised smoke wasn’t issuing from them. But most terrifying of all was the fact that half the man’s face was a mass of twisted tissue. The horrific scars were enough to turn even a strong man’s stomach and Edward noticed that many women gasped as he moved through the crowd, averting their eyes.
“Eun,” Edward said, tightening his grip on his lover’s leg. “That man over there… he looks like that German you described to me. The one from Lazarus’s past.”
Eun followed Edward’s gaze and immediately stood up, moving so quickly that he bumped against the table, causing his glass of water to spill. The action caught Morgan’s attention and the older man whirled about to see what had caused Eun’s obvious distress.
“Walther Lunt,” Eun hissed, saying the words like they were a curse. “What’s he doing here?”
Morgan was on his feet now, standing protectively in front of Molly. The red-haired girl was watching him curiously, not realizing the danger that the German posed. Morgan’s entire body tensed as he spoke to Eun. “From the looks of it, he’s here to see Samantha.”
Indeed, the German was moving in a beeline towards the female member of Assistance Unlimited. There was no way that either Morgan or Eun would reach her before Lunt did and it was far too noisy to try yelling for her attention. Both men set off at a steady clip, rushing towards Samantha, who remained blissfully unaware that one of their worst enemies was bearing down upon her.
Samantha was enjoying herself though she couldn’t help but wish that Lazarus had joined them. She knew that something was eating away at him and it was part of her nature that she wanted to soothe his troubles. Still, this evening was turning out to be a fun one. There were a number of suitors eager to catch her eye and she was enjoying the chance to see Eun and Morgan loosening up a bit.
Roderick Remington, the son of a wealthy industrialist, was currently chatting her up. He was handsome enough, with straight white teeth and piercing blue eyes. But when you got down to it, he wasn’t in Samantha’s league and they both knew it. She was a master of acrobatics, martial arts and most arts and sciences. She could speak a handful of languages fluently and bluff her away through another half dozen. Roderick, however, was not one to give up easily and Samantha found the trait endearing.
When Roderick’s eyes suddenly widened and he paused in midsentence, Samantha took notice. He’d barely shut up all night, after all. Turning, she caught a quick glimpse of Eun and Morgan speeding towards her, alarm clearly evident on their faces. She then saw what had so upset them: Walther Lunt was bearing down upon her and would reach her in seconds. She tensed and positioned herself in front of Roderick — if Lunt launched an attack, she’d be prepared to defend him.