Kill Switch by Penelope Douglas

I tipped my head to the side, hearing my neck crack, and
took a drink of the Stoli in my glass. I said I would stay at this
party for three minutes. It had been eight.
They got engaged two years ago, and they were finally
celebrating it? Maybe Rika had wanted to finish school first or
Michael’s schedule had been too busy. Whatever.
Pods of people loitered around the art museum, dressed in
their best and here to wish Michael and his little monster a
happy little life. But really, it was just a precaution. Michael
and Rika were American royalty and would inherit a lot of
power, eventually. Best to pay your respects in hopes of
earning a seat at their table one day.
GGlasses clinked, chatter melted together, sounding like a
flock of birds, and everyone was smiling, except me. They all
avoided me. Even though two of my friends went to prison
with me, I was the only real criminal here. I was the rapist.
The sexual deviant. The sick one. Lock up your daughters,
wives, sisters, and moms. Hell, lock up GGrandma, too.
I caught their sideways looks at me, and then they’d freak
out when I looked back, and they hurriedly turned their heads.
I laughed to myself and emptied my glass. Jesus Christ.
Crane, my head of security, approached my side, and I set
the empty glass on a passing tray, picking up a new one.
“Where did she disappear to the other night?” I asked him.
“Coldfield,” he reported low for only me to hear. “The new
haunted house. With her friends. No men with them.”
I scanned the room slowly, looking for Winter but not
finding her. “Did she like it?”
I didn’t know why I cared. Maybe it would tell me if I
needed to up my game when the time came.
“I think so,” he said. “I lost track of her for several
minutes. Her friends did, as well.”
I spotted Arion and her mother talking to a group of older
ladies. Vicious cunts like the rest of the matriarchs in this
town.