Page 74 of Destroyed With You

“I was also saying that you need to show up to a party like this in style. Believe me, I’ve been dragged to several of these things.”

Linda leaned forward. “You said the staff usually stays until about midnight, then the host urges them to leave?”

“The staff will be offered incentives to go home or look the other way. Since you need into the back offices, that’ll be the time to do it. You won’t be the only ones, though. Not everyone wants privacy at a party like this, but some prefer to at least have their own dark corner.”

“Like this?” she repeated, then looked at Winston. “Like what?”

He held up his hands. “First I’m hearing of it.”

“Yeah, it’s one of those kinds of parties. I assume you two are at least good friends.”

Linda eyed him, and if he wasn’t mistaken, she looked a little smug. So much for his plan to shut it all down. “Yeah,” she said slowly. “We’re friends.”

“Good to hear. Okay, we’re almost there. I’ll go in with you if I need to, but I got you on a list. So I’m not staying unless you need me for your operation.”

“Thanks, but we’ve got it under control.”

Renly nodded as Linda asked, “Why not stay? A Hollywood party, and you’re in the industry.”

He shook his head. “No.”

Winston waited for him to elaborate, but Renly stayed silent. “Well,” he said as the valet came to open the limo’s door. “We’re here.”

As the uniformed man helped Linda out of the limo, Renly lowered his voice. “The alarm is disabled during these parties, but it turns back on at four. And there’s a guard who patrols the back area. Mostly the offices past the vault, so he shouldn’t be in your way. But he does do a sweep or two in that back hallway. Avoid him. I don’t have his schedule. I just know his shift ends at six.”

“We’ll be fine.”

Renly nodded. “Remember, get to the back room when the staff leaves. You’ll exit out the far side and follow the hall to the vault room. Don’t shut the vault door. My source didn’t know if it has countermeasures if accessed after hours. You might get stuck inside.”

“But the entry code?” Winston asked. “Does it trip a silent alarm?”

“Ninety percent sure it doesn’t, but you’re going to have to live with that ten percent.”

He wasn’t happy about it, but he nodded. “How’d you get the code anyway?”

Renly shrugged. “I have my ways. And I’ve learned that even though I have no actual power in this industry, I am clothed with the illusion of power. I figure it’ll come in handy working for the SSA. I figured I’d give it a test run.”

“There’s a woman working in there who spilled a few secrets, isn’t there?”

Renly only grinned. “Good luck.”

“I owe you one,” Winston said, then slid out of the limo to take Linda’s arm.

She turned to meet his eyes, hers bright. “I’ve never been to a party like this. Shall we?”

He hooked his arm through hers. “Let’s do it.”

The limo had pulled into a private entrance in the hills behind the hotel, and not the more visible public entrance on Sunset.

Two doormen took their names—fake—then pulled open the glass double doors and ushered them into the dark boutique hotel. The dim lighting was at the perfect level to keep people from stumbling in the dark while still showing off low-cut dresses, skin, and sultry glances. Even just two steps inside, it was clear this would be like no party he’d been to before.

“See anyone familiar?”

Winston looked around, noting at least a dozen Hollywood B-listers and a few top stars as well. “It’s definitely the place to be,” he said, rattling off the names.

She grinned, but said nothing.

“What?”