Access Denied: The Bullseye

13. Linnéa & Jon

At first Genevieve was too shocked to speak, so she just smiled. It wasn't anything like she imagined. This was supposed to be a big moment. This was the mission. Get Redstone. Catch him and lock him up. She wondered what would happen if she yelled right now: he's here Flynn! Not the brightest, but certainly not the worst of her ideas. If anything, this was meant to be grand.

At least, it happened in a ballroom. Something was grand.

Then, her hand slipped the shiny pendent into on of her dress pockets. Genevieve hadn't worn many evening gowns before, but she assumed that all of them didn't have deep pockets. Patting down, the side of her dress, Genevieve was sure they were done for now. She had to find Flynn and tell him that they need to leave. Redstone was here. And he had seen her.

Vincent Redstone grinned. A cunning grin, completed with gold tooth and chain. And only one ear pierced. There wasn't a single wrinkle out of place on his face. It was the same face as before. Still smiling, unsure if he was going to kill her on spot or not, her nail dug into her palm. Then he spoke : "Well... that shouldn't be a problem. I can't place where I've seen you before—terribly sorry for that. But if you're looking for someone, you can tell me. I know the guest list like my own name."

Does he know his own name? Is it Rothstein or Redstone? He spoke softly and politely. A legitimate gentleman in front of her, offering to help and assist like he wasn't a ruthless gang leader with his name on top of every agencies' list. At least he didn't recognize her.

"No, that's fine." A more certain smile came up on her face. "I'm sure I can find..." she didn't know what Linnéa Berg would call the man she was rebelliously in love with. Flynn hadn't told her if that was to be revealed. She didn't want to call him her plus one, cause that would be a lie that would make her snicker (she was his plus one). She didn't know if people like Linnéa called their partners, dates. She pursed her lips. "I'll find him."

"Him?" he asked. By the tone of his voice Genevieve knew what he would say next. Something every man said when he found an isolated woman. "Horribly unlike a gentleman to leave his date like this. Especially when the date is this beautiful." Her mouth went dry, but she could still taste the vomit. He held out his hand. "Sorry, you never told me your name."

She extended her hand. He leaned down to gently kiss it. She was sure he would only shake it. At least she was wearing those long white gloves that she only thought was in-fashion for animated princesses. Her hand was numb and shaking. Genevieve could feel it. But for some reason, on the outside, it looked perfectly still and unworried. It was as if all the muscles and tendons beneath her skin shook but still managed to leave her cold and sweaty.

Eyes wandering one final time tried to look for Flynn. Then she resigned herself to fate. She, Genevieve Wilfred, would have to talk to her former employer as Linnéa Berg, a clueless rebellious stepdaughter to some Swedish ambassador.

"It's Linnéa Berg," she replied brightly. "And I left him—only for a while though. Which is why I am trying to find him now." Very politely, she tried to get the message across: Leave me alone.

"Ah... Berg as in the Swedish ambassador's step daughter, right?" Her face didn't have the same control as her hand, because Redstone's smile became smug. "As I said, I know the guest list better then my own name. It is a party honouring my brother after all. I'm Vincent, by the way."

This time her face didn't show shock. Many people in this party knew who Vincent Redstone was. He ran a very profitable gang. She was sure they knew. The rich and famous always did. What she didn't expect was him admitting to her—a stranger—that he was brother of Emerson Rothstein. He told her name. When she knew him as the gang leader he was, he wasn't this happy. He wasn't this accessible either. Surely, if the world thinks your brother is dead, you never admit he isn't. But Redstone just had.