Chapter 25
Vanover Castle; October 8th, 19:44 GMT+1
Alex adjusted his bowtie as he entered the ballroom to find it already buzzing with guests. He was hoping to get here early enough so that he could discreetly slip away later. He wanted to make sure he was fully prepared for his planned heist. It was going to be his final performance per se and he was not about to be caught.
"Mister Bristow," Grace greeted him from behind, causing him to turn around. "You are looking very dapper tonight. Where's your mask?"
"It's here in my pocket, Miss Burke," he replied, patting his jacket pocket.
"Be sure you wear it tonight," she reminded him, wagging her forefinger at him as if scolding him. The mischief in her eyes was hardly rebuking. "This is a masquerade party after all and Master Vanover wanted to make certain everyone has a marvelous time this weekend."
"I assure you I will put it on," he promised her with a charming smile, wanting to make sure that no one caught on to his real reason for being here. "I'm just looking for someone in particular. I want to make sure that I find her."
"Ah, it wouldn't happen to be that lovely brunette you've been spending time with would it?" she perceptively inquired with a knowing grin.
Alex dipped his head slightly, attempting to appear like a man completely infatuated. "It might be," he sheepishly confessed. He shoved his hands into his pants pockets, portraying a very innocent air. He didn't want to draw any unwanted suspicion.
"Well, I think you two make a very lovely couple," Grace told him, patting him on his arm in a motherly manner that reminded him so much of Annaliesa. "Master Vanover would be thrilled to think this weekend event that he'd planned out had brought to people together."
"She is a special woman," he agreed, his eyes lifting to the entrance to the ballroom as the woman they were talking about entered the ballroom.
While he held no romantic interest in Selina Kyle, it did prove helpful for covering up his true intentions for being here. He watched as she entered wearing an emerald green dress that fit her like a glove, hugging her feminine curves. Her brunette hair was pulled into an intricate hairdo, her mask lacy and black. She looked incredibly sexy, exuding sensuality with every step she took.
It was quite obvious that she was intent on making Bruce Wayne very jealous tonight. The problem lay with the fact that Bruce was quite obviously in love with Diana and had moved on from whatever he'd shared with Selina. The chances of Selina being able to win Bruce back now were negligible.
"I believe your special someone has just arrived," Grace knowingly said. "Have a good evening, Mister Bristow."
"Thank you, Miss Burke," he absentmindedly murmured.
Selina caught a glimpse of him at that moment, their eyes meeting. The corner of her red lips curved as she slowly began to make her way towards him. The sultry sway of her hips was hypnotizing, the deadly slit of her dress exposing plenty of leg to make sure that she invaded the dreams of a certain Gotham billionaire playboy if she played her cards right. It didn't hurt spending time with Alex in order to make Bruce jealous.
She came to a stop before him, her smiling dazzling. "You look very handsome," she commented, "but I do believe that you're missing something."
"It's in my pocket," he murmured.
Selina reached out, her hand finding his tux jacket pocket. Her fingers slipped inside to find his mask, pulling it free. She unfolded it before carefully reaching up and putting it on for him, adjusting it to make sure he could see out of it. "There," she murmured, pleased. "The masked man from London."
"You look beautiful tonight, Selina."
"Thank you," she replied, wrapping her hand around his arm. "Care to get something to eat? I'm positively starving."
"I'd love to," he agreed, allowing her to lead him to the buffet table.
Selina couldn't help wondering if Alex was the thief that Bruce had been chasing. There was just something about him…something familiar about the way that he moved and his knowledge of a vast array of art and jewels. He reminded her of Bruce in many ways, but he also reminded her of herself.
There was also something that he had said earlier today when they were inspecting the Egyptian artifacts that had captured her attention and piqued her suspicions. He had grown very solemn as he'd held an Egyptian amulet, his eyes growing distant. She'd asked if he was all right and he'd confessed to her that his mother had been fascinated with Egyptian culture and antiquities.
She wasn't sure that he was even aware that he'd said it, but it had definitely caught her off guard since he had been at the Gotham Museum the night the Egyptian artifacts had been stolen. She wondered if he would ever reveal the fact that he had ulterior motives for being here.
Taking a drink of her wine, Selina caught sight of Lex Luthor entering the ballroom sans mask, a smug expression gracing his face. She scowled darkly at him, hoping that he'd gone home. She had seen him earlier perusing the various items going up for auction and hitting on Madeleine Sandoval. It had made her wonder what exactly he was up to. She'd never pegged him as someone interested in antiquities or jewels. He was more interested in destroying Superman and ruling the world.
"Do you know that man?" Alex asked her, noticing the way that she had stiffened with his appearance.
"Unfortunately," she confessed with a frown, turning her attention back to her dinner companion. "Do yourself a huge favor and avoid him at all cost. He'll only end up getting you into trouble."
"I take it that you haven't had a very good experience with him," Alex guessed.
"That's putting it mildly," she muttered, her annoyance only escalating with the sudden arrival of the Amazon princess.
Diana looked stunning in a floor-length black evening gown that fit like a second skin and a matching winged mask, immediately capturing the attention of everyone in the room as she entered. Selina ground her teeth as she watched her, still nursing the bitter sting of being scorned by Bruce, but she would in the end.
He'd practically tossed her aside for the Amazon, pushing her away in hopes of bedding the princess. He'd been more than content kissing her in the cave over a week ago, more than ready to have sex with her before they'd been interrupted by Alfred.
Now this week, Bruce's sights were set on the princess, hoping to seduce her like he had done to her. It was pathetic really…a romantic liaison destined for disaster. She was more than anxious to watch the train wreck that was no doubt about to come when things fell apart.
"Do you feel threatened by Diana?" Alex inquired as if reading her thoughts as he leaned in close to her.
"Not at all," she snorted dismissively as she turned to meet his curious stare. "Just wondering what he actually sees in her."
"Isn't it obvious what he sees in her?" he asked. "She's gorgeous, intelligent, warmhearted. What's not to love about her?"
"Quite a bit actually," she bit out, not really wanting to talk about it with him.
Alex didn't have a chance to ask her what she'd meant by that as the one person Selina had hoped to avoid decided to greet her. "Selina, always a pleasure to see you," Lex drawled, his lips twitching with amusement as he came to stand by their table. "I see that you've traded one mask for another."
Selina glared darkly at him, practically daring him to try something with her right here in front of everyone. "So what made you slither out of your hole and fly to England?"
"Just some particular items that interested me," he cryptically replied. "I have to say that I'm rather surprised to see you here. Of course, there are quite a few jewels here just waiting to be stolen by someone. I'm sure the temptation was far too great for you to ignore."
"I promised the judge I'd change my ways…unlike you I'm sure," Selina countered, wondering what Alex thought of this little exchange. "So what world conquering scheme have you devised this time?"
"I assure you that I've changed my ways," he insisted.
"Oh, did hell freeze over?"Selina innocently asked. "I'm afraid I missed that bit of news."
The smile on Lex's face was incongruous with the annoyance burning in his eyes. "Anyway, there is someone far more appealing I'd rather talk to," he uttered with frown, his gaze falling on Diana who was talking to Grace Burke. "Have a nice evening."
Lex turned away from them, missing Selina's sneer as he made a beeline for Diana. Thankfully, Bruce Wayne was nowhere in sight yet. Plastering a beguiling smile on his face, he approached her as Grace began to walk away, leaving her alone and vulnerable prey for him to pounce on.
"So we meet again, Miss Prince," Lex smoothly addressed her, automatically reaching for her hand and bringing it to his lips to kiss.
Diana swallowed back the string of Greek curses that danced on her tongue begging to be expressed as he pressed his lips to her knuckles. She despised this slimy man with every fiber of her being. He had a way about him that made her skin crawl and that was on top of the fact he was constantly trying to find ways to destroy Superman and the League.
"I'm afraid so," she replied with a clipped tone, refusing to mask the fact that she reviled him.
Lex's smile only grew broader, appreciating her fiery spirit. "You look positively ravishing tonight," he complimented her in that deep voice of his, keeping a firm hold on her hand. "I can't believe that fool Wayne would leave someone as beautiful as you to fend for yourself like this. Good thing I'm here to take care of you."
"I assure you I can take care of myself," she coolly informed him, pulling her hand free from his hold. "Bruce needed to take care of some business. He should be here at any moment."
"Well, I guess I can have you all to myself until he arrives," Lex readily decided. "Maybe I can persuade you in that time to dump Wayne and give me a chance. I'm promise you I'm far more exciting and stimulating than that oaf."
The corners of Diana's lips curled slightly, her disgust for this man escalating with every moment that she spent in his presence. It was taking every bit of restraint that she had not to punch him in the face right here, but she had a secret identity to maintain regardless of how much she loathed this pitiful excuse for a human being.
Still, she couldn't help wondering what he was doing here. She knew it couldn't be anything good. Could he possibly be in collusion with the thief that they'd been chasing? She highly doubted it, but she really couldn't put anything past Luthor. She was determined to stop him as well this weekend.
"I have no interest in ever going out with you," she firmly stated, her eyes narrowing behind her mask. "Now, if you'll excuse me."
Diana began to turn away only to be stopped by a firm grip on her forearm. She turned to glare menacingly at the bald-headed man who had the audacity to try to restrain her. Her anger flared hotly inside of her, her teeth grinding in an effort to keep from ripping his arm off and beating him bloody with it.
"No one walks away from Lex Luthor," he ground out with a threatening glare.
"Let go of her, Lex," Bruce angrily growled, intervening at the right moment to keep Diana from losing her temper. He was stepping in to save Lex at that moment, not Diana.
Luthor reluctantly released his hold on Diana, a smug grin spreading across his face once more. "Only because I have better things to do than waste my time on used goods," he replied, looking Diana up and down before turning and walking away.
Diana immediately took a threatening step towards him, her hands balling into fists at her sides more than prepared to make him pay for his insolence. In one swift motion, Bruce pulled her into his strong arms, his lips against to her ear. "Let it go, Princess," he whispered. "He's not worth it."
He could feel her relax minutely with his words, her hands unclenching before coming to rest on his shoulders as she finally met his gaze. "Fine," she ground out, "but the next time he causes trouble, I get to be the one to pummel him senseless."
"Deal," he readily agreed, pulling back to gaze into her masked face to kiss her softly. "Let's get something to eat."
Releasing an angry huff, Diana relented as she took his hand, allowing him to lead her to the buffet. Filling their plates, they settled in at a small table, Bruce unable to take his eyes off her. He watched as her eyes fell closed as she took a bite of her food, noticing the way she always found pleasure in the simplest things in life. It was so refreshing…endearing, forcing him to always pause and take notice of simple pleasures too.
Diana swallowed the moan that she felt rising up in her throat as she savored the pork medallions smothered in mushroom sauce. She was beginning to think that Alfred had learned his amazing culinary skills from whoever the chef was here at the castle.
She glanced at Bruce to find him staring at her with eyes growing darker with desire, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "What?" she asked, slightly embarrassed.
"You look incredible tonight," he confessed. "You have no idea how much that dress is turning me on right now."
"If you're lucky, I'll let you remove it later," she teased, her foot intentionally running along his shin.
Bruce groaned as images of removing her dress took shape in his mind, a wicked grin spreading across his handsome face. "I always get what I want," he flirted.
"Well, you look very handsome yourself," she told him, appreciating how striking he looked in his tux with his half mask that only covered the upper left side of his face. It reminded her of her favorite play Phantom of the Opera.
"What was Luthor saying to you before I arrived?" he asked. Not only did they have their thief to capture, but now they had Selina and Luthor here with the potential to cause a lot of trouble if they weren't careful.
"Just trying to seduce me," she revealed. "He's a pathetic…"
Diana digressed into a Greek rant that put a smirk on Bruce's face. "Tell me what you really think of him," he teased.
"I'm telling you, Bruce, he's up to something," she replied with a frown. "He's not here for the auction. There's something bigger he wants that we don't know about yet."
"I agree, but we're going to have to figure out what that something is fast because if the thief is going to strike, it'll be tomorrow night."
"Well, he got a good look at everything going up for auction tomorrow," she said. "I doubt that he's going to want to sit back and watch his prizes being auctioned off to others."
"Unless he's waiting to see where all the pieces he wants are going so he can steal them later," he cryptically murmured, his gaze shifting to Alex and Selina who were still talking and laughing at their table on the other side of the room. He didn't like the idea of that collaboration in the least.
Diana followed Bruce's gaze, her lips curving into a frown. "You think it's Alex, don't you?"
Stunned by her words, he turned sharply to meet her gaze, finding sadness reflecting in her eyes. "What makes you think that?"
"First of all, Alex told me has no family…only a housekeeper to look after him and his home," she thoughtfully responded as she considered how she'd come to the same conclusion. "Secondly, he has to do quite a bit of travelling all over the world for his work, lending him the opportunity to pick up pieces for himself as well his clients.
"Thirdly, I caught a brief glimpse of sadness in his eyes when he was inspecting the sapphire collection. I don't think he meant to let it slip, but I caught something in his expression that led me to believe he had a very special attachment to the jewels."
"Is that all?" he asked, rather impressed with her deductive reasoning.
"I also realized how much he reminds me of you and that got me thinking…what if he's the direct opposite of you," she continued. "He confessed to me that he had no family and that he was alone. It made me wonder if maybe instead of becoming a hero like you, he chose a completely different path…one of crime instead of justice."
"Very good," he praised her, his gaze wandering the crowd and noticing Alex and Selina stepping out onto the balcony for some privacy. "There just might be hope for you yet."
She gave him a playful glare, one that held little heat to it. "You do remember that I'm blessed by Athena, right?"
"I always knew you were very intelligent…almost as gifted as I am," he admitted with a playful smirk. "With a little guidance from me, you just might become a decent detective someday."
Diana rolled her eyes, a faint chuckle escaping her lips. "You're about one more comment away from finding yourself sleeping all alone on the couch tonight," she threatened.
He leaned in, his nose and lips nuzzling her earlobe in an attempt to drive her crazy. "I'm pretty sure I could find a way to persuade you to let me back into that bed with you, Princess," he huskily murmured in her ear. "If you thought this morning was amazing, you haven't seen anything yet."
She turned her head, her lips briefly grazing his. "I could say the same for you too."
"You're making it difficult not to forget this whole case and just take you up to our bedroom right now."
"How about if we dance instead?" she asked, knowing they needed to keep their focus on their mission. They could ravish each other later once their thief had been caught.
"Fine; I guess this will have to do for now," he relented, standing to his feet and offering her his hand. "At least I'll get to hold you close."
Diana took his hand, following him out onto the dance floor. Her gaze fell on Luthor, her stomach churning with the way that he was still leering at her. She looked away from him, pressing her cheek against Bruce's and wishing she could be alone with him right now.
She couldn't have been any happier about the recent development in their relationship. They had taken a huge step this morning in acting upon their feelings for each other. Now, she found herself more than anxious to see how their relationship would continue to progress. She just prayed that Bruce didn't get cold feet the second they returned to Gotham and their duties.
Here in England, they could just be Bruce and Diana, leaving Batman and Wonder Woman behind them for a few days. They would have to return to real life in a couple more days and the respective responsibilities that awaited them. She greatly feared this would all come to an abrupt end the moment they returned home, the fantasy come reality crashing down around her.
"Do you have a visual on Luthor?" he whispered in her ear.
"Unfortunately," she confirmed. "He's at the bar talking with Madeleine Sandoval, his hand on her thigh. I have a sneaking suspicion they're up to something."
"I have to agree with you on that," he said. "I have Oracle looking into Madeleine's activities. She's supposed to get back to me later tonight."
"I hope she doesn't interrupt anything salacious that might be taking place in our bedroom tonight," she replied. "I'd hate to have to share you."
"There is definitely plenty of me to go around," he teased, earning a tight squeeze on his hand that told him she did not like his response in the least.
"There is no more of you going out with anyone else from now on," she firmly stated.
"Yes, ma'am," he murmured before turning and kissing her softly.
He felt her shiver in his arms as his hand slid lower down her back to rest just above her backside, pulling her a little more firmly against his pelvis. A soft gasp was his reward as she brushed her cheek against his, her fingers caressing the nape of his neck.
She pulled back, noticing that Luthor was leaving. "Luthor and Madeleine are on the move."
"Follow them and see what you can find out," he told her. "I'll keep an eye on Alex and Selina. Just don't let him see you. I don't want you breaking Luthor if he tries to make another pass at you."
Diana gave him a look that told him he was pushing it. "Really, Bruce?"
"Meet me back here," he told her, reluctantly releasing her in order to chase their prey. "Contact me if you need backup."
"I'm sure I can handle it," she reassured him with a roll of her eyes.
"Just don't break Luthor," he reminded her. "You're Diana Prince, not an Amazon."
"It's you who is going to be broken if you don't stop treating me like a rookie," she huffed with growing annoyance.
Bruce watched as she walked away, the graceful sway of her hips making his mouth water. It didn't help that she looked positively deadly in that form fitting dress, the back covered in black mesh that allowed a subtle peek at the toned muscle beneath. She was all warrior and yet very much all woman wrapped up in a Greek goddess that was all his. It felt like a wonderful fantasy.
He was more than anxious to get this evening over with so he could have her all to himself in that bed all night long. He was practically aching for more of her, to explore every inch of her all over again, but that was going to have to wait. Right now, they had work to do.
Smiling to a couple of guests that he'd met earlier, Bruce worked his way through the crowded ballroom towards the balcony. Thankfully, one of the four bars that occupied the room was situated right by the balcony doors that Alex and Selina had just passed through.
He knew no matter what he did Selina was going to be suspicious of his motives, assuming that he was spying on her out of jealousy or mistrust. Tonight, jealousy had absolutely nothing to do with it. He didn't trust her as far as he could throw her. He'd tried too many times over the years only for her to play with him and his heart.
There was a definite reason for her being here and it had nothing to do with Alex Bristow. That was no doubt Alex was just an unexpected bonus as far as she was concerned. It was only a matter of time before she used him as well, tossing him aside and moving on to the next man who could help her get what she wanted.
He had a sneaking suspicion that she had her sights set on some particular jewels. The more they glittered and shined the more the feline thief was interested in nabbing them for herself. He had a sneaking suspicion this time would be no different.
Alex and Selina stopped at the edge of the balcony, Alex leaning on the stony wall that lined it. "So have you decided what items you'll be bidding on tomorrow?" he ventured.
"There are several necklaces that caught my eye, but I'll have to see how the bidding goes," she replied. "What about you?"
"I have four different items that my clients want me to bid on for them," he revealed.
"But what about you personally?" she pressed. "I'm sure there's something here that you wouldn't mind getting your hands on."
He straightened up to look at her, his eyes narrowing. "I'm not certain there is anything I personally want," he tentatively said.
Selina's lips curled into a mischeivious grin. "Oh, come on, Alex," she responded with a chuckle. "You don't have to play coy with me. I know that you are a thief just like me."
Alex grew tense, his brow furrowing as he stared at her. He paused to glance around at the balcony to find they were still alone. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."
"It's all right, Alex…you don't have to answer," she told him, turning to gaze out over the gardens lit by landscaping lights. "I already know that you are. I saw the way that you were looking at some of the artifacts and jewels today. I know that look all too well."
"Selina—" he began only to be cut off by her.
"I have to say that I was very impressed with the heist at the Gotham Museum," she continued, not allowing him to deny it again. "You are very good…just as good as me if not better."
Alex remained silent, his mind racing as he leaned his forearms on the stone wall again. He had made a mistake at some point since meeting her, allowed something to slip through that he shouldn't have. Was it a look in his eye when he'd been inspecting the sapphire necklaces this afternoon? Or was it something that he'd said while assessing the Egyptian artifacts?
No matter the mistake he'd made, Selina was on to him and he didn't like it one bit. On the other hand, she didn't exactly seem inclined to alert the authorities about it. Maybe it was because she too had plans of her own in mind that she didn't want any extra attention drawn to them.
"I'm not certain whether I should be offended that you think I'm a thief or flattered that you believe I'm such a good one," he lightly replied, choosing his words carefully.
"Relax," she told him, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder. "I'm not going to turn you in or tell anyone else about it. In fact, I'm interested in how you plan on accomplishing the heist. The security they have on that room is tighter than Fort Knox. I can't see how anyone could get in or out without getting caught."
A gleam of excitement sparked in Alex's eyes as he considered his plan, knowing it would be his most dangerous and daring theft to date. Still, he wasn't about to comment one way or another about it. It was far too dangerous and he had come too far without having been caught. Now was definitely not the time to let his guard down.
"It's been a lovely evening, but I believe that I'm going to retire early tonight," he told her, turning to face her. "Have a good evening, Selina."
"Good night, Alex," she said with a small smile as he turned to leave.
Despite his lack of confirmation, she was still convinced that he was the thief that Bruce had been looking for. The real question now was what she was going to do with that knowledge. She wasn't about to tell Bruce, deciding that he and his new girlfriend could figure it out on their own.
No, she had her own plans for this weekend, one that included a few diamonds that would look very nice with her collection.
Vanover Castle; October 8th, 21:02 GMT+1
Luthor glanced back over his shoulder to make sure that no one was following them. Finding the hallway clear, his gaze returned to the blond woman in the fitted blue dress before him. If he couldn't get his hands on Diana Prince, he was most definitely going to get his hands on Madeleine Sandoval.
Diana followed from a safe distance, using her enhanced hearing to make sure she didn't lose them. She knew they were up to something, but it was also obvious that Luthor was interested in far more with the way that he had been leering at Madeleine all evening.
She decided Madeleine must not be that bright if she didn't know that Lex Luthor was not someone to form a partnership with let alone get involved with romantically. He would turn on her at the drop of a hat and not think twice about it, stabbing her in the back when she least expected it in order to save his own skin.
Peering around a corner, she spotted Luthor and Madeleine turning the corner at the end of the hall. She quickened her pace, not wanting to lose them. Thankfully, the halls were empty, all the guests partying and drinking at the masquerade ball. It allowed her to follow Luthor without being spotted or questioned.
She continued to trail them through the castle towards the north end where she'd been told Leo Vanover had mainly lived. She was somewhat surprised by this realization, believing that they'd be heading to where the items going up for auction were held. It only seemed to confirm in her mind that he was up to something other than the auction.
Reaching the end of the hallway, Diana paused for several seconds before peeking around the corner to find Luthor and Madeleine talking in the hallway. Luthor was gazing at her with a smug grin on his face, Madeleine completely taken with him. It made Diana want to vomit.
"You're sure you have what I want?" Luthor asked her, reaching out to caress her cheek with the back of his fingers. "If you don't, I'm not going to be very happy."
"I promise you'll get it tomorrow night after midnight," she reassured him, closing the distance between them. "Do you have what I want?"
Lex patted his tux pocket. "Right here, my dear," he told her. "You give me Excalibur and the money is all yours."
"Good," she said with a nod before leaning in and kissing him.
Luthor wrapped his arms around her, fully returning the heated kiss. "No one else knows about it, right?" he questioned her breathlessly, keeping her in his arms.
"You are the only one that I've discussed it with it," she insisted, her lips trailing along his jaw to his ear. "Excalibur will be all yours come midnight tomorrow night."
Luthor quickly pulled her into a side room; Madeleine grinning from ear to ear as she readily followed him inside, closing and locking the door behind her. Diana quickly made her way towards the room, needing to confirm what they were up to and that nothing else was going on.
Coming to stand outside the door, Diana wrinkled her nose in disgust as she listened to them, silently cursing Bruce for sending her to follow Luthor. He was going to owe her big for this one, deciding that he had gotten the better end of the deal following Selina and Alex than listening to Luthor and Madeleine having sex.
Deciding that she'd had more than enough, she silently slipped away, not wanting to hear anymore. She needed to get back to Bruce and find out what this Excalibur was that Luthor was after. She highly doubted that it was the mythical sword that they had been discussing, but, at this point, nothing could be ruled out especially when Luthor was involved.
She couldn't believe how this weekend had spiraled so far beyond what they had believed it would be. They had started out trying to catch their mysterious thief that they'd been chasing for weeks only to have a jealous Selina show up yesterday followed by none other than Lex Luthor today.
Now, they had another mystery on their hands to solve and they only had until tomorrow night to discover what Excalibur was. She sighed heavily as she made her way back to the ballroom. She had a very bad feeling this was going to be a long night.
A/N: Excalibur? What is Luthor up to now? Selina is on to Alex. Will that make Alex change his plans for his last heist?
UP NEXT: Things get hot and heavy again between Bruce and Diana. John learns what happened to Shayera after she left him standing on that cliff with a broken heart. Alex has second thoughts.
Thanks for reading and reviewing! :)