I forced myself not tolower my gaze. I wouldn’t beg, but I had to make him understand. “I need this.”
It was either he let meout or I really would start begging him to take that shirt off again so I couldgawk at his perfection.
His chiseled jaw actuallysoftened. “Okay, I’m off duty tonight. I’ll go with you. I don’t want anytrouble.”
I gave a little excitedjump and wiggle. “Thank you! Can Jayden come?”
He threw his hands up. “Sure,invite all the newbies. I love to babysit.”
I threw him a grin. “You’renot such a bad guy after all.”
He returned my grin witha withering glare. “You can go now so I can finish getting dressed.”
I sighed and left, tryingnot to imagine Ryder replacing the towel with pants. Stupid pants. What usewere they anyway?
I pretty much bounced theentire way back to my room. This was what I had been waiting for since themoment I collapsed at my mom’s place – time to feel normal, to pretend for justone night that I wasn’t some weird, mythical creature that needed bottled bloodto live. Now that I had survived the culling, I was hoping for a lot morenormal moments in my life. I wasted no time smashing into Jayden’s room in ourapartment.
As expected, he prettymuch squealed when I told him of our upcoming field trip from the Hive.“Seriously? Yummy Ryder is escorting us to a club in town?”
I rolled my eyes at “yummyRyder.” Jayden had his own sexy six. He had to stop with all the man greed.
“Yes, get ready,” I toldhim. It was midnight and Ryder would be here soon.
Jayden lurched to hisfeet. “Me get ready? What about you?” He eyed my skinny jeans and tank-top likethey were dirt-covered canvas bags. I flipped him off but he persisted.
“Honey, a body like thatneeds to be showed off. Please, please, please, let me dress you.”
Well shit, Tessa had beenreplaced by her clone. Knowing my new bestie pretty darn well already, I knewhe would not give up. And I was too excited to care tonight.
“Whatever,” I declared,and just like that he attacked me with all of his gayness.
My hair was pulled downand curled in loose waves, my makeup applied with expert precision – darkerthan I usually wore, but still perfect. He finished with a red stain brushedupon my lips. Then Jayden ducked out of the room, he was gone for a bit so Iguessed had headed to the Hive’s clothes stores, before he returned holdingwhat looked like nipple pasties triumphantly in the air.
I put my hands up. “Hellno, I’m not a stripper.” Jayden was even worse than Tessa.
He rolled his eyes. “Duh,strippers don’t wear pasties.”
He dropped the packet onthe bed and whipped out this small black scarf.
“What’s that scarf for?”It was cold outside now. We were well into October, but ash were naturallywarmer than humans. I wouldn’t need a scarf.
He smiled. “It’s not ascarf, it’s a top.” He motioned for me to lift my arms.
With a sigh I complied,somehow knowing I was totally going to regret allowing him free rein here.
Ten minutes later, I waslooking in the mirror –Good lord– wearing a black backless shirt thatscooped so low in the front you almost saw my belly button. It fastened at myneck, and if I leaned forward the pasties were the only thing keeping mymodesty. Jayden let my keep the skinny jeans and ass-kicking boots. My upperhalf was stripper central and my lower half was Lara Croft Tomb Raider. Whichwas actually kind of perfect.
A knock on the doorstartled me. Shit, my eyes flashed back to my outfit.
I had forgotten for asecond that Ryder, and who knows how many other ash, might be at the clubtonight. With my freaky blood, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to have so muchexposed skin.
Before I could voice myprotest, Jayden opened the door and I turned to meet two silver eyes.
The head enforcer tookone of his large strides into the room. He wasn’t alone. His five guys werewith him, the core group of his enforcers, AKA the sexy six.
I took a second to stopand stare, at all of them, but mostly Ryder. This was the first time I had seenhim in civilian clothes. First time I had seen any of the enforcers in civilianclothes.
I already sort of knewOliver and Markus, and had been briefly introduced to the other three. One wasKyle, with his mess of dirty-blond hair and NFL player’s physique. He wasRyder’s second and best bro. Those two were always together. They had epicbromance written all over them. Kyle had been off on a long mission during myculling, so this was the first time for us to really hang out.
