“Excellent. Unprepared and scared is how I roll.” Anna opened the door and shook her head at Z and Sly. “Did you guys get kicked out of the warlock group because you’re not right in the head?” she asked them. They were dressed head to toe in leather. Both had put on eyeliner and fake piercings. Anna didn’t know whether to laugh or lock them in the motel room and gowithoutthem.
“Alright then,” Jewel said with a sigh. “If that’s what we’ve got to work with, we’ll just have tomakedo.”
“Or we could leave them here,” Annawhispered.
“Hey,” Sly said, his brows scrunched up on his forehead. “We’re standingrighthere.”
“I know,” Anna saiddryly.
“You need us to go with you,” Z said. “What if you run into some guys who don’t understand the meaning of no? We’re yourmuscle.”
“Fine,” Annagrumbled.
They haled a cab and told the cabbie where they wanted to go. He didn’t even bat an eye at how they were dressed. Anna guessed he was used to seeing outlandish things. Her eyes widened as she looked out of the cab window at the famous city. The bright lights of Los Angeles were pretty, but she would never pick it over her native NewOrleans.
Gradually, as the cab continued on its way, the lights began to fade, and they were swallowed in the growing darkness. Anna felt her heart beating a little faster as she looked out the back window to see they were driving further and further from thelights.
Just when she was about to ask the driver where they were, a sign lit up the darkness. Letters in red declared the dark building to be Pure Indulgence. There were cars parked across the street, a lot of cars she hadn’t noticed. There was a line to get in, though it wasn’ttoolong.
The cab stopped, and the four of them climbed out. Sly took care of the fare, and then they were standing shoulder to shoulder staring at the club entrance. The people lined up waiting were dressed very similar to what they were wearing, only tighter, shorter, and covering evenlessskin.
“Looks like we got the dress code right,”Annasaid.
Z wrapped an arm around Anna’s shoulders and began walking them to the end of the line. Sly did the same withJewel.
When Anna started to pull away, Z leaned closer to whisper to her. “I’m not hitting on you, Little Annie. I’m protecting you. You and Jewel have already caught the eye of more than a couple of the men inthisline.”
Anna’s mouth opened in to anO, and she nodded. “Gotcha.”
The line moved quickly, and within a matter of minutes, they were just a few people away from the bouncer. Anna noticed the woman at the front of the line pulled an ID from her bra.Crap. “We don’t have ID,” shetoldZ.
He dropped his arm from her shoulder and reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a wallet, and inside were two driver’s licenses—one for her and one for him. She saw that Sly was doing the same thing, handing Jewel her ownidentification.
“Thanks,” shetoldZ.
He shrugged. “That’s what we’reherefor.”
Anna didn’t say anything in return. She had a feeling the warlocks were with them for a lot more than just protection. There was something deeper going on, but she couldn’tguesswhat.
When it was their turn, Anna held her breath as she watched Jewel hand the bouncer her license. She needn’t have worried. The burly doorman barely glanced at it. Instead, he took her in from toe to head. Appearing satisfied, he made a subtle motion with his head for Jewel and Sly to go inside. He repeated the process when she and Z presented their own IDs. Apparently, she, too passed the visual pat down, because they were both ushered inside behind theirfriends.
The darkness immediately enveloped them. The foursome walked through a dark, winding hallway that seemed to go on forever. Finally, Anna saw flashing colored lights and began to hear the beat of a loud bass. The hallway ended in a set of swinging doors, and when Z pushed them open, the group was hit with a blast of sound, bright colors, and swayingbodies.
“Whoa,” Annawhispered.
“It’s a little overwhelming, isn’t it?” Jewel said, coming up beside her and leaning in close so she could beheard.
Annanodded.
Z took Anna’s hand while Sly took Jewel’s and led them further into the mass of humanity. They moved to the bar and found two empty stools. Anna and Jewel sat while Sly and Z stood protectively nexttothem.
“What now?” Annaasked.
Jewel pursed her lips as she slowly scanned the room. “We find a girl who looks lonely. Someone that no one here would noticeleaving.”
It didn’t take long until Anna and Jewel both noticed a brunette sitting by herself at a table on the far right side of the room. They watched her for a half hour and no one sat with her or approached her. She looked bored, but Anna could see past the boredom to the loneliness inhereyes.
“Sly,” Jewel said. “Go hitonher.”
