Celebration by Ella Ardent Read Free Book Online

at my party, and you’re going to one of them.”
    “What are you planning?” Rex asked, but Athena wasn’t going to tell him anymore.
    “Got to go, Rex.” She smiled at Julius, who was knotting his tie. “I’ve got a dinner date and I’m already thinking about dessert.”
    She waited for Rex to laugh, then blew him a kiss and hung up the phone. It was a good thing her nails were dry, because Julius was looking very sexy.
    Someone had to ruffle his feathers once in a while, and Athena was glad to take on the job.
    Even if they did end up being late for their reservation.
     
    * * *
     
    Rex didn’t know what to expect from Wicked Ink, but he couldn’t resist the temptation to stop by. He didn’t know the neighborhood so took a good look around when he got out of the cab. The street was quiet and dark, the other shops closed for the night. It was late, nearly midnight, and the lights were on inside the tattoo shop.
    His first surprise was the sight of Amanda, checking her email on her cell phone just outside the shop. She squealed at the sight of him and threw herself at him, giving him a tight hug and a kiss on each cheek. “How are you?” she demanded, pulling back to look into his eyes. “Really?”
    “I’m all right,” Rex admitted, feeling better by the minute.
    “Where’s Leya?”
    Rex winced and looked away. “Who cares?”
    Amanda’s eyes narrowed. “Did that witch screw you over?”
    “Amanda...”
    “I knew it,” she said with force. “I never trusted her, and I never liked that it was the Count who recommended her to us.”
    That reminded Rex of something he had yet to do. “Where is the Count anyway?”
    Amanda gave him a level look. “Wanting to get even?”
    “Wanting to make sure he gets what he deserves.”
    “I think Athena made some progress there. Word is that he’s still tied up in his fancy house, at the mercy of his chambermaids.”
    Rex liked that mental image a lot. “Pleasure or punishment?”
    Amanda smiled. “Maybe a bit of both.”
    Rex could believe that. “She wants to talk to you, by the way. Here’s her number.” Rex gave Amanda the card he’d brought specifically in the hope of seeing her.
    “I’m so glad you talked to her.” Amanda turned the card over in her hands and Rex had the sense she was hiding something from him. “This is in London, right?” Amanda’s innocence seemed a bit much.
    “You’ve already talked to her,” Rex guessed and Amanda blushed.
    “She asked me not to say.”
    “Why not?”
    Amanda shrugged. “Maybe because she thought you needed a mission.” Her smile turned mischievous. “Maybe because she didn’t want you to know about her and Julius.”
    Rex shook his head. “As if anyone could miss the clues.”
    “I knew you’d figure it out, even if no one said anything. You are the master of secrets, after all.”
    “I still have a mission. She gave me two, just to make sure.”
    “Did you choose to accept this one?”
    “Absolutely. I’ve got to convince as many Plume members as possible come to Athena’s party in London, two weeks from now.”
    Amanda’s eyes shone. “It won’t be just any party.”
    “I wouldn’t think so.”
    She smiled. “I bought my fare already, and word is people are buying lottery tickets.” She looped her arm through Rex’s elbow. “Come on in. There are people here who seriously want to see you.”
    Rex hesitated. “I don’t know how or when or even if the Plume will be rebuilt, Amanda. Isn’t that what they’ll want to hear from me?”
    She gripped his arm more tightly and gave him a tug. “That’s why you need to see what’s happening here. Trust me. You’ll love it.”
    “What if I promise to see you punished if I don’t?”
    Amanda laughed. “You of all people know that’s not my fantasy. I’ve told you a million times.”
    “Maybe it’s mine,” Rex teased, just as they used to, and Amanda swatted him, just as she used to.
    “I’m too curvy for you,” she