“Shots!” someone shouted, and trays appeared like magic, crystal glasses lined with vodka, tequila, and gin, catching the garden lights. Glasses clinked, throats burned, and the afterparty snapped alive in a rush of sound and color.

With the “old folks” gone, just like Jay had declared, the energy shifted instantly. The polished reception dissolved into something reckless, raw, electric.

Jay wasted no time. He was already on the floor, zeroed in on Henry’s associate’s daughter. ...