I huff out an irritated sigh as he leans into Aaliya again and points at someone. He remains close to her, but she takes a step away from him, maintaining a slight distance between them. She’s completely aware he’s trying to charm her, but he’s not the one she’s interested in. Her eyes drift to where I was standing earlier and I smile at the frown that forms on her face when she doesn’t find me there. She swivels, searching for me through the crowd. I wait for her to find me and give her a grin when our eyes finally meet again. She blinks and turns to Jonathan.

She nods at something he says and her eyes seek mine, again. She smiles at me, a slight upward curve of her sexy lips and then she concentrates back on him. This fine dance between our eyes continues—she looks at me, I look at her and then her eyes drift away, only to return and the same thing repeats. It’s scintillating and has me engaged.

I sip my whiskey as Gabriel comes to stand by my side.

“How’re you doing since yesterday?” he asks.

“If you’re asking about Celia then I can’t even think of last night with her without making my skin crawl. And if you’re asking about the note then I guess it all feels more real now.”

Gabe swirls the whiskey in his glass, the ice cubes clinking at the movement. “Everyone you meet is a possible suspect. Trust no one and inform Mike if you suspect anything even remotely. You need to be careful, Damien.”

Frustration settles like a rock in my gut. Or is it fear? How can I move on in life when I am unable to find myself first? I can’t even think of a future when I’m still at an impasse about the mystery surrounding my accident and my forgotten past.

I puff out a breath. “As if my life isn’t fucked up enough already! Every time I meet someone new, I have to scan my brain to try and remember if I’ve met that person before and now, I have to add him or her to a suspect list! It’s fucking insane!” I raise my glass to my mouth and take a long gulp, relishing the burn of the alcohol. “I know I got lucky once but the next time, I may not. We need to find who is behind everything and soon before the next strike.”

“I do understand.” Gabe gives me a consoling nod. “And we will find them.”

I shrug.

Gabe splays his hand out. “So, how do you feel about all this? Your first social appearance as the new Duke?”