Page 26

Now we wait, I thought.

I turned back to the window, counting the seconds down in my head. It had gotten quicker every time.

1…2…3…4–

“Hey there, beautiful. Can I buy you a drink?” A voice asked from behind me.

A new record.

I felt his hands slip onto my lower back, and it took everything in me not to tear into him right then and there. My body tensed at his entitlement, but I quickly righted myself. Turning to meet his gaze, I pushed away any signs of annoyance and flashed my most seductive smile.

As I looked him up and down, the smell of his darkness billowed, thick and sweet, but also…familiar.

“You can try,” I said, my eyes dissecting him. “But, I’m not so sure you deserve it.” My gaze lingered on his, my words hanging in the air between us.

His face seemed surprised, but delighted. "Feisty," he said, leaning close enough that I could smell the mix of vodka and expensive cologne.

Gross.

Up close, I could see the faint white residue beneath his nose and a slight twitch in his jaw.

“What’s your name?”

“Evelyn,” I said, something so familiar but also laced with lies now. It wasn’t even till recently that I’d started using my real name. On my first few hunts, I had been worried about saying it, but that quickly faded at the reality of my situation. They’d be dead soon enough, and I had no ties to anyone on land anymore.

Just another dead girl.

Something flickered across his face, a brief tightness around his eyes as they narrowed, as if he were trying to recall something he’d forgotten.

He cleared his throat, a grin returning. “Never met someone with that name before. I’m Jake McKinney. I work at Willows Realty in Corporate Law.” He paused and smiled, eyebrows raised in anticipation, searching my face for a hint of admiration.

My smile dropped, and he straightened, brow raised.

“I run the legal department,” he continued. “I know the CEO and stuff.”

The name crashed into me like a wave. Willows Realty. My stomach sank, and the room spun around me, the music fading to a distant hum.

Preston’s family’s company.

The same company that had slapped a FOR SALE sign on the door before Dad’s body had even gone cold.

This bastard. I knew I sensed something familiar…his darkness reminds me of Preston.

My smile returned, despite the sinking feeling that bloomed in my stomach. Tonight was no longer a regular night of hunting. This was the moment I’d been waiting for since I took my last breath.

It hadn’t been easy trying to find Preston, given that I only knew the name of his family's company. That, and I only had limited time after feeding before my glamour would begin to fade, forcing me back to the water.

I snapped back to the moment, sarcasm dripping from my tongue as I replied, “Ohh, corporate lawyer—so you’re a bigshot then, huh?” I could tell my sarcasm and confidence had caught him off guard, and he seemed unsure of how to respond. He was probably used to women fawning over every self-entitled word that spilled from his mouth.

Silence lingered between us. His darkness pulsed off of him, thick and eager. It wasn't hard for me to guess what was going through his mind as his eyes raked over my body. The fact that Jake worked for Preston's family felt like fate.

He broke the silence, leaning in closer, his hand returning to the slope of my back, pulling me towards him. "I mean, what can I say? Confidence is important." He motioned towards the bar. "How about that drink?"

I paused, letting the anticipation build within him, wanting nothing more than to break his fucking arm. Leaning closer, my breath icy cold against his ear, despite the warmth that hung in the air. “Drink later. First…you show me what you can do out there,” I said, pointing towards the dance floor.

I wasn't one to play with my food—but I’d make an exception for him.

Before he could respond, as if he even had a choice, I grabbed his hand and led him out into the swarm of bodies that pulsed to the beat of the music. The crowd parted like water as we made our way towards the center, as if I were commanding the seas themselves.