Warily, she rubbed her neck and studied the alley. A shiver darted along her spine. She banged the heavy, metal door, and a tattooed bouncer opened up and waved herinside.
Avoiding the groupies hanging out in the corridor near the backstage area, she made her way into the noisy club instead, still a little uneasy. And at the sudden blast of music, she stumbled into twoguys.
“Hey, beautiful.” One smiled drunkenly. The other one’s gaze rested on her cheek. “Dang, girl, that thing sure ruins thelook.”
Asshole. Instantly, her hand went up to block the scar on her face. Oh, she was aware of it, and it hurt when she smiled or when some dickhead spewed out shit like that. Uncle Lem had said she could get it fixed with a good plastic surgeon, but she’d refused—not until she found her mother. The scar her reminder of what she was responsiblefor.
Smoothing her long, wavy hair over her cheek, she texted Ash,I’m at the bar, need adrink.
And got an immediate response.See you in afew.
Ash’s band usually played the second half of the night so he had time. Shae pushed through the throng of people, squeezed in between a heavyset man and another guy, and ordered her drink. The moment she got her vodka tonic, she gulped back some of the fiery liquor, the burn soothing her a little, and watched forAsh.
She’d met him six years ago during his short stint at University, and they’d become fast friends. For a moment, she’d thought he liked her, too. But that had just been her imagination. Considering his notoriety when it came to women, it was probably for the best. So she’d shut away those feelings and moved on. She’d dated, but her one serious relationship had ended a yearago.
Then, all the craziness started. With the constant heat swirling inside her—and her mother taking off—socializing had been the last thing on her mind…except for those few dates she’d had withAza.
Shae took another sip of her drink. As her sight adjusted to the flashing laser light, a man half hidden in the shadows of the dimly lit seating area adjacent to her caught herattention.
So tall, with his arms folded over his chest, he surveyed the dance floor, his face barely visible. The people around him gave him a wide berth where he stood near the steel railings, probably at the perilous air he seemed toexude.
As if sensing her stare, his head turned, and he went utterly still. Goosebumps spilled across her skin. Hastily, Shae shielded behind a bulky guy and his girlfriend walking past, her heart thudding rapidly. How she knew he was looking at her, she had noidea.
Ugh, with all the madness she’d had to deal with recently, she was probably overreacting. She’d never seen him before. He had to be looking at someone behindher.
Her head buzzed. She set her glass down and rubbed her temples. Hazy images that’d haunted her sleep last night resurfaced, seeping through her mind. A blurred face…lips kissing her throat. Heat flowed through her body, desire awakening—noooo!
The air in the club drained. Her lungs shut down. Unable to breathe, she shoved and pushed her way through the crush of bodies, desperate to get to the entrance before she passedout.
After what seemed like forever, she stumbled into the cool night. Some distance away from the congested entrance, she slowed down and pressed her back against the grimy wall, desperately inhaling the rancid air.Havta calm down, havta calmdown…
A scrawny cat hissed, darting past her, almost yanking her heart out of her throat. Jesus! She rubbed a hand over her face then popped a strawberry Dextrose into her mouth. She retrieved her cell from her pocket to text Ash that she was leaving, only to stop and stare at her hands. In the moonlight, her pale skin appeared chalk-white. No wonder people thought her fragile, breakable. That was their firstmistake.
“Dammit, Shae, you don’t go taking off like rabid dogs are after you and scaring me,” Ash groused, stomping up to her, his lean face creased in worry. “It’s not safe out here. Didn’t you hear me yell after you? And aren’t you staying for theshow?”
Meeting his concerned gaze, she realized then that it wasn’t Ash’s fault but hers for prolonging this insanity—for meeting up whenever he called. She settled for, “I was, but Harvey wants to see me. Go back to your fans, Ash. I’mleaving.”
His lips tightened briefly. He didn’t like Harvey, which she didn’t get. It wasn’t like he knew what Harvey was or that Others inhabited this world, too. “Fine. Let me call you a cab atleast—”
“Yo, Ash,” one of the band members yelled. “The manager wants to speak toyou.”
He glanced in the direction of the club’s back entrance and cursed under his breath. “Give me a minute, okay?” He hustledoff.
Shae sagged against the building. God, she needed a break, a moment of peace. No buzzing heat in her mind, move past Ash and find a way to locate hermother.
It wasn’t such a tall order, was it? She slid her eyes heavenward to the night sky. No answer there. Guess she was all on her own, then. Pushing away from the wall, she took a step toward the main street and froze at the tall, dark figure heading herway.
Him.
The man from theclub.
Instinctively, she shrank back into the shadows. It wasn’t as if he were even aware of her, just because she was of him. Her cell rang. Harvey. “Hey.”
“You didn’t callback?”
“I’m sorry, things got a littlehectic.”
“No problem. I’m guessing you’re at Club Nocte. Be there in ten minutes. We can catch some of RockinHell, and then do the summoning atmidnight.”
