It was everything he could do not to flush in response. “It won’t be a problem.” Even if part of him hoped to see the reason for that disappearance tonight, he had too much self-preservation to have a repeat occurrence. He might not be heir to the O’Malley family, but he had more than enough pride to go around. Plenty enough pride to not chase after a woman who didn’t want him. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

“Yeah, well, we’ll see about that.” Carrigan turned and opened the massive door leading into the mansion.

Rose looked around as they stepped inside. “Whoa.”

“The Morelli family goes all out every year.” Carrigan flicked her hair off her shoulder. “Come along, niece. Let’s find the party and mingle. The goal tonight isn’t the hard sell. It’s simply to warm them up to the idea of attending the benefit next month with their checkbooks in tow.”

Cael wasn’t sure why she’d insisted on bringing Rose, but he was certain of one thing. It wasn’t for the nonprofit. Carrigan might have gone mostly legit in the last thirty years, but no matter what she pretended for her rich donors, the truth was that the O’Malley roots into organized crime ran deep. Cael should know. His father ran their family, their territory, and their people with an iron fist. Rose’s father, Dmitri Romanov, was no different. No doubt they hoped Rose could cozy up to Lucian Morelli and see if he’d be willing to partner in some venture or another. The Romanovs had a lot of ties to the powerful families in both New York and the surrounding area…but not the Morellis.

At least not yet.

They walked down a wide hall decorated lavishly with a dark holiday theme. Trees lined the walls, their bare branches and trunks wound with white lights and giving the impression of leaving the real world behind. A dangerous thought. The conversations and events that happened at this party would have ripples that cascaded through the rich and powerful who attended.

They sure as fuck had last year.

Reaching the ballroom only amplified the feeling. Cael could practically smell the money coming off the people gathered there. Politicians, billionaires, people like him and his family, who didn’t quite land on the right side of the law. All had come to network to further their own interests.

And then, as if by design, the crowd parted and he saw her. Eleanor McKinley. Widow to the late Senator McKinley.

The reason for Cael’s disappearance last year at the same party.