She shook her head. “No, she’s asleep, but if she finds out, we’ll tell her it was to talk to Azriel. You know she won’t be too happy to find out we went there for fun. She’s a bit too serious sometimes.”
I shook my head. I knew there had to be a reason she wanted this so bad. Ryoko left and shut the door behind her. Yawning again, I looked at Raikidan. “Basically, what she asked was, do you want to go to the club?”
“I figured that much out. I remember being told Twilight was a club you guys owned. But what is a club?”
“It’s a place you go to for dancing, drinking, and having fun. Human stuff.”
He raised an eyebrow with interest. “And you do this?”
“Not unless I’m told to. But Azriel is there, and I’d like to stop in and see him.”
“All right, now tell me why is it that Ryoko has to pick out my clothes?”
“Because Ryoko thinks we need to wear a specific style of clothing while at clubs. I’ve learned not to question it and accept it, so you should, too.”
Raikidan shrugged. “All right, fine. What do I have to do?”
“Nothing more than to act normal. Follow Rylan’s lead if you need to, but honestly, it’s not that hard to fit in. There are a lot of different types of people who congregate there.”
“Sounds good to me. But pretending I’m someone I’m not isn’t easy for me,” he admitted.
“You get used to it.”
He raised an eyebrow at me.
I sighed. “Undercover missions, remember?”
“Right.”
Ryoko tapped my door before strolling in. “His clothes are all laid out. Rylan said once Raikidan’s ready, they’ll head out and we can meet them there.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” I scooted to the far side of the bed. “I don’t like the sound of that one bit.”
She smirked. “Don’t worry, Laz. I’ll be good.”
“No, you won’t. You’re never good.”
She laughed. “You’re right. Oh well, I promise I won’t put as much makeup on you as I did for the mission.”
Raikidan growled quietly as he reached the door. “No makeup. She doesn’t need it.”
Ryoko blinked. “How about no cover-up, but eyeliner, eye shadow, and mascara?”
“No.”
“How about eyeliner and mascara? To make her eyes stand out?”
“No.”
“Just mascara?”
Raikidan headed out of the room. “No.”
Her eyes narrowed, the wheels turning in her head. “How about lip gloss and eyeliner?”
There was a small pause. “That’s fine.”
“Raikidan!” I shrieked. “You’re supposed to be completely on my side on this!”
I didn’t receive a reply. Ryoko shut the door and looked at me, a grin spreading ear to ear. “He likes you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t even start with that.”
“What? He voiced how much he likes you without makeup. He fought with me over it, in a way. I think that merits liking.”
“Please, it just means he hates makeup as much as I do.”
“But he said nothing about me wearing it.”
“You didn’t say you were going to. Now, are you going to pick out my clothes, or am I going to have to guess what would be good?”
“No, I’ll do it. I want you to look amazing and make the men drool.”
I spun my finger in the air. “Oh, I can’t wait.”
She laughed and went to work. It wasn’t long before I was in a form-fitting, one-sleeved forest-green shirt that showed off my midriff, tight, blue, low-ride denim pants, and cork platform shoes. Instead of my typical arm sleeves, I wore the metal bracelets Ryoko had allowed me to wear earlier on the assignment. My lips were coated with lip gloss and my eyes were lined with black liner, while various spots of bare skin were coated in a thin layer of roll-on glitter. My hair was brushed and, to Ryoko’s delight, teased to perfection. I was ready, and so was Ryoko.
I had chosen her outfit, and although she liked it as a club style, I had to fight to get her to wear it. Her shirt was a shiny blue halter that cut low in the front and had no back except for a string that was tied to keep it from falling open. She wore blue low-rise denim pants and black knee-high boots.
I clasped a black choker around her neck at the last minute, and stood back to take her in. “Perfect.”
She looked herself over the best she could without a mirror and fidgeted. “I’m not so sure about this.”
I sighed and pushed her out into the living room. “You look perfect. You’ll have the men drooling in one glance.”
“But I don’t want men drooling over me.”
I grinned. “You’re right. You only want one particular man to drool over you.”
Her cheeks flushed several shades of red. “Laz!”
I chuckled. “Don’t even try to hide it with me. You know I know.” I leaned closer to her. “And trust me, he’ll be drooling.”
She didn’t say anything, but then again, she didn’t have to. Her thundering heart said everything for her.
“Have fun, you two.” Argus waved at us as I pushed Ryoko toward the basement. He was sitting on the couch with a strange watch-like object in his hand and tools spread across the coffee table.
I tilted my head. “Guess you’re not coming with us?”
“Nah, you know me. The club scene isn’t really my thing.”
I chuckled. “Right. Your thing is working out at a gym or fiddling with some sort of gun or gadget.”
“You know it. Hey, Ryoko, catch.” He tossed a small blue object to her. From the looks of it, it was a compacted helmet. “Zane did a little work on your bike. I made you a new helmet to go with it. You should also be able to communicate with Eira. Let me know if it works if you get the chance to try it out.”
“Um, thanks?” Ryoko said. “When did you two start doing this?”
He shrugged. “A little after we started Eira’s. You rarely use it, so we figured you wouldn’t notice it missing. When Eira told me her helmet’s features worked fine, but the communication was an issue, I changed the structure design back to an original helmet but added a communication feature instead. I then made your helmet and connected the two. If they work together, they should also work with the communicators with some minor tweaks.”
“When do you find time to do all this?” she asked.
“I… I don’t sleep much these days…”
“That would explain why you’re awake now, wouldn’t it? Well… have fun. We have our own fun to have.”
She grabbed my arm and pulled me down the stairs. Ryoko let me go to allow me to make my way over to my motorcycle. My helmet was compacted and sitting on the seat of my bike. I snatched it up and placed it behind my head. Holding up my hair, I pressed the button, and the helmet formed around my face.
I sat down on my motorcycle and watched as my visor slid down over my face and made rapid calculations. Once the readings accepted me, my motorcycle roared to life.
“Can you hear me, Laz?” Ryoko called in.
“Loud and clear, Ryoko.”
“Great! This is a neat invention Argus made. I see a lot of potential coming from it.”
I murmured a low agreement and revved the throttle. Hearing Ryoko rev her motorcycle in response, I pulled out of my parking space and zipped through the garage. Ryoko pulled up beside me, and together we raced out into the city.
The ride to the club was easygoing—low traffic and no crazy drivers, surprisingly. When the lights started to change from the typical streetlights to neon lights, I knew we were getting close, that is, if the beat of the music playing at all the clubs hadn’t been a giveaway on its own. It pounded in my chest as it rushed through the ground. I would hate to be the poor souls who were forced to live in the area. I could only guess what their sleep habits were like.
“Think your boyfriend will be waiting for you?” Ryoko teased.
; I snorted. “He’s not my boyfriend, Ryoko.”
“Obviously he is if you know who I’m talking about.”
“How could I not when you’re always assuming he is?”
“Damn, I can’t argue with that.”
The club came into view, and I chuckled when I caught a glimpse of the boys. “Hey, Ryoko.”
“Yeah?”
“I think your boyfriend is waiting for you.”
“Laz, he’s not my boyfriend!”
“No, but you want him to be.”
She muttered quietly, making me laugh.
“Do me a favor when we park?” I said.
“What’s that?”
“Remove your helmet by pulling it off.”
“Why? All that’ll do is mess up my hair.”
“Just trust me, all right? If there’s one thing I was forced to learn from Shva’sika that wasn’t shaman related, it was how much she knew about how to get men going.”
“But—” She sighed. “This is all embarrassing, that’s all. It’s hard being the only woman in the house that seems to be able to have feelings for someone else. Not to mention that someone else is supposed to be my comrade and second-closest friend.”
“But you do want to catch his attention, don’t you?”
She sighed. “Yes…”
“Then as your closest friend, trust me on this one. Your hair will get thrown around a little when you remove your helmet, which will show your femininity. While you walk, sway your hips more than normal and look as confident as possible, even if you don’t fully feel it. This’ll give you a sexier look. If you do this, you’ll keep his attention on you for quite a while.”
“Hearing this from you is a little weird. Figured I’d share that.”
I laughed. “The feeling is mutual.”
“You’ll do this with me, right?”
“Sure. I may not have a reason to, but if it will make you feel better, then I will,” I said.
“You have a reason.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. He’s a tall, mysterious guy whose name starts with an R and ends with an N.”
I chuckled. “You know Rylan’s name is like that too, right?”
“Oh shit, you’re right.”
I laughed.
“But I still stand by my statement, for the most part at least,” she said. “He is tall and mysterious and should be a reason you do this with me.”
I sighed. “Ryoko, we’ve been over this. He is not a reason for any of my actions or thoughts, and never will be. Just like any man”—or dragon—“who will come into my life. End of story.”
“That’ll change; I’ll see to it. Just you wait.”
I shook my head. She was too stubborn for her own good sometimes. This wasn’t a battle she was going to win. She just couldn’t understand that my heart couldn’t beat for anyone. And even if it could, Raikidan was a dragon. And humans and dragons weren’t compatible.
Ryoko and I pulled up to the club on the opposite side of the street. There was a long line to get in, but that wasn’t unusual. Twilight was one of the most popular clubs in the city, although it wouldn’t be a problem for us.
I kicked down my kickstand and listened for Ryoko to do the same behind me. My motorcycle engine cut as I swung my leg over my motorcycle and removed my helmet. My hair sprang free and flowed across my shoulders. I need to remember to cut my hair. It’s getting too long.
Resting my helmet on my handlebar, I looked at Ryoko with confidence and grinned. She looked at me slyly and grinned back. She was doing exactly what I had asked, and as long as she kept her confidence this high, she would be golden.
Together we strolled over to the entrance. Trying to appear indifferent as usual, I allowed myself only brief glances at the boys. Blaze visibly swallowed, and Rylan also looked taken aback by what he saw, although his reaction to the situation was much more reserved. Typical of him, but it worried me that Ryoko wouldn’t notice his reaction.
Raikidan, as I expected, appeared unaffected and uninterested. At least that would prove to Ryoko that there really wasn’t any hope, if nothing else. I could just tell her he was a dragon and put it to rest once and for all, but it wasn’t my place to tell.
“Boys,” I greeted as we walked past them.
None of them uttered a word as we walked by, that is, until Blaze saw Ryoko’s backside. “Nice ass, Ryoko.”
Ryoko rolled her eyes and shook her head with a grin but took it in stride. If he had mentioned her breasts, I was sure her reaction would have been much different and less confident. The shirt I had picked out, while nice, really was a risky move due to her chest size. I only hoped it wouldn’t become a problem if she hit the dance floor.
The two of us walked up to the roped-off door, where a tall, muscular, dark-skinned man stood. He glanced our way with his golden eyes and grinned. I waved my fingers at him as we strolled up.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my favorite ladies, Eira and Ryoko.” His voice was deep and silky smooth. “Been a long time since I’ve seen you around here, Eira.”
I smiled and hugged him around his neck. “It’s good to see you too, Orchon.”
“Where have you been, girl?”
I shrugged. “Around.”
He laughed. “Obviously it was important for you to not show up all this time.”
I nodded. “You know me, always busy with important things.”
He chuckled. “I suppose you want me to let you in?”
I smiled. “If you’re nice, you will.”
He placed his hand around my shoulder. “I’m always nice to you two ladies. Besides, Azriel would have my head if he found out I made you wait.”
I winked at him. “Thanks, Orchon, you’re a doll. Mind letting the boys in, too?”
He looked over to the men. “I can do that, but I have a question about the new face.”
“A new friend. Don’t be too harsh with him. I like this one.”
He chuckled. “Sure thing. Just do me a favor in return and don’t get into trouble, all right?”
Ryoko and I smiled at him. “All right.”
Orchon lifted the rope to let us by. A bunch of waiting citizens protested, but I ignored them. It wasn’t my problem they didn’t have VIP privileges.
The music was loud, and the bass thumped in my chest as the two of us descended the stairs leading into the club. The place smelled of alcohol, people, and horribly chosen cheap perfume. It wasn’t the most pleasant mix of smells, but as long as I was here, I’d have to deal with it.
Ryoko nudged me. “You like your new friend, eh?”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t start.”
She narrowed her eyes but didn’t press… for now.
Ryoko and I walked up to the bar. It was a large area, fit for accommodating up to five bartenders. Liquor and juices of all colors and bottle sizes lined shelves in a particular color-coded pattern. Clean glasses were stacked up neatly on shelves in front of a large mirror.
I leaned against the bar. There was a tall, muscular man with two sets of ears, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and black denim pants working it, but his back was turned. “Hey there, stranger.”
The man turned around and blinked. He had olive-tan skin, short dark-brown hair, chocolate eyes, and well-kept facial hair. A pair of silver dog tags hung around his neck, and a single earring pierced one of his ears. He held a glass and rag in his hand. I assumed he had been cleaning it before I disturbed him.
His back straightened. “Laz?”
I smirked. “Hey there, Azriel.”
Placing the glass and rag down, Azriel rushed over to our side of the bar and embraced me in a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe. I’ve done nothing but worry since you left.”
I chuckled and hugged him back. “No scolding for not coming by sooner?”
He pulled away and flicked me on the nose. “I was getting there.”
I rubbed my nose and grumbled.
Azriel
slipped behind the bar again. “So, what can I get you?”
I sat down on the barstool. “You know what I like.”
Azriel looked at Ryoko, who smiled. “Surprise me.”
He turned his back to us again and went to work. Raikidan sat down next to me and looked around warily as he made himself comfortable. He had his arms crossed on the bar and leaned close to me. This was the first time I let myself have a good look at him. He was wearing his typical layered men’s tank look with cargo pants, but he had a leather jacket over that and instead of boots he sported standard sneakers. Although simple, it fit him, and I couldn’t lie to myself. I liked the look—a lot.
“Just relax, will you?” I whispered.
“This place is weird. It’s loud and smells funny.”
I chuckled. “You’ll get used to it. Just put up with it tonight and I won’t make you come back here again.”
Raikidan grunted. Azriel turned back around and gave Ryoko and me our drinks. He looked at Raikidan and grinned. Oh boy, there’s that look. Things were going to get interesting.
He leaned against the bar, his full attention on Raikidan. “Well, who do we have here?”
“This is Raikidan. I’m sure you’ve been told about him once or twice by Rylan or Genesis.” I looked to Raikidan and gestured to Azriel. “Raikidan, this is Azriel. I mentioned him before.”
Azriel feigned hurt. “Only mention? You wound me.”
I smirked. “I just thought it’d be better to introduce you two, as your vibrant personality likes to speak for itself.”
He chuckled. “Cheeky. I’ve missed that.” He focused on Raikidan again. “Now, is there anything I can get you?”
Raikidan’s expression remained impassive. “No, I’m fine.”
“Really?” Azriel leaned closer. “Nothing at all?”
Raikidan’s brow twisted and he looked to me for clarification. I snickered and Ryoko flat out rolled with laughter. Rylan shook his head and ordered some scotch from another bartender working.
Azriel looked to me for answers and I snickered some more. “You’re not going to get anywhere with him. He’s quite clueless in that department.”
A devious smile spread across his handsome face. “I could teach him a thing or two.”
Destiny (Experimental Heart Book 1) Page 51