“I think I understand the need for downtime. I’m sorry,” Forge adds, his jaw tightening.
“How is Bruce?” Night asks about Forge’s son.
I roll my eyes. I’m done with this meeting. “I—” I start to say, as Death appears on the far side of the table.
“What did I miss?” He looks at his watch. “Sorry I’m late.”
“Everything,” I say. “You missed all of it.” I stand.
“Damn!” Death shakes his head, looking disappointed, his gaze dropping to his shoes. “Souls,” he half-whispers. “Sorry, but they can’t wait.”
“You didn’t miss much,” I say.
“So, she’s not the harpy,” he says.
“No. She’s my new PA. The harpy-lookalike thing is a coincidence.” It mostly is. I’m not really lying. Then I realize that he said it more as a matter of fact than as a question. I frown. “You knew that, though.”
He half-smiles and does this thing with his eyebrows, which I take as a yes.
“Gabby is in the Underworld?” My voice is animated. “Why didn’t you say something? Did you take her yourself?” I’m sure to tone it down.
He just looks at me.
I wave my hand. “Forget it! Forget her. I don’t care.” I shrug. “I’m heading home. It’s been a long week, and I have work to do.”
“Let us know if you need anything,” Forge says.
“Yeah, call me,” Night says to my retreating back.
I wave. “I’m fine.” Why does no one believe me? Okay, that’s not true. A couple of them believe me. My closest friends think I’m about to have another meltdown. I’m not! I haven’t pushed Miss Shaw again. Things have been strictly professional, and it’s driving me nuts. I’m going to ignore the fuck out of their advice.
24
Later that night…
Ashley
We wade through what feels like a thick wall of never-ending people. “You were right!” I shout. “This place is amazing.”
“I told you,” Candice shouts back.
“A little busy, but amazing.” I cup my hand and talk directly into Candice’s ear.
She holds up a drink. “We’re all good now!”
I hold up my drink and nod. We decided to go for ciders, easier to hold onto without spilling, since we’re on our way to the dancefloor. It took us half an hour to get ourselves a drink at the bar. So long that we also had one of those ridiculous sweet shots when we finally managed to get the attention of one of the bartenders.
We started off at a little cocktail bar up the road, so I’m already buzzing. I don’t think I should drink any more after this cider. I look down and realize I’ve already finished half of it. On second thought, I’ll get myself some water after this. I’ll need it by the time I’m done. For now, we’ll dance. I haven’t danced in the longest time.
“I love this song!” Candice shouts, swaying her hips.
“Me too!” I shout as we reach the dancefloor.
We dance and dance. Every now and then, a guy tries to cut in. No one interests me in the least. After Bolt, regular guys are…they’re regular. It irritates me so much. Nothing has happened between us, and I already compare everyone to him.
Candice doesn’t seem interested either. We’re having too much fun together. We don’t need men to make us happy. We finish our drinks but decide to keep dancing for a while before trying to fight our way to the bar again.
I know I look great. I was feeling a little self-conscious in this dress, but any reservations have evaporated – alcohol has that effect. Candice loaned it to me. The dress is red and clingy, with straps over the shoulders. It comes to about mid-thigh and seriously showcases my boobs. It’s not really something I would normally wear, but I’m glad I did. I’ve noticed several guys give me the once-over. I feel sexy – not that I’m going to do anything about it. It’s nice to feel good about myself. I’m enjoying it.
A waiter suddenly appears out of nowhere. He has two shots on a tray. There are two lemon wedges on a saucer next to the glasses, covered in either sugar or salt. I’m not sure which. He holds the tray out to Candice. She shakes her head and says something in his ear. I’m going to assume it’s to tell him that we didn’t order the shots.
He says something back to her, and she frowns. He points up behind us to a balcony. There’s a guy standing there. For a moment, I think it’s Bolt. The guy is that tall and built. There is something about him that is unlike most guys on the planet. Then I take in the finer details. Balcony guy has bleached-blond hair, and he’s grinning. Not Bolt! He gives us a wave. Candice waves back. She picks up her drink and toasts him. He gives a nod and toasts her back with his…it looks like a beer. She turns to me, a huge smile on her face. “Oh, my god!” she shouts. “That’s the owner of the club. These drinks are from him,” she says the last into my ear. “He’s gorgeous. Did you see him?”
“Yes.” I nod. I give her two thumbs up.
“Let’s drink!” she shouts.
I want to turn her down, but she seems too excited, so I nod. We chink our glasses together, and then we down them. Afterward, we grab a lemon and squeeze it into our mouths. The crystals are sugar. The shots are both sweet and tangy lemon sour.
Candice widens her eyes and smacks her lips. “Yum.”
I giggle.
We thank the waiter and get back to dancing. It isn’t more than twenty minutes, and the waiter is back.
“Oh shit!” Candice says. “I think he’s flirting with me.” She waves at the guy on the balcony, and he lifts a hand. She’s probably right. Candice is gorgeous, with her long blond hair and willowy figure.
There are another two shots on the tray. They’re multicolored and look really good.
She laughs and points at one of the glasses then at me.
I shake my head.
“Please,” she begs. Candice leans forwards. “We can’t send them back. I want to meet him. I think he might be interested.” She looks up over her shoulder at him.
The guy is hot. Not in a smoldering way, like Bolt. He smiles as soon as she looks his way.
“I think you might be right about him being interested,” I say in her ear. “Okay, but I can’t have any more after this.” I really shouldn’t even have this one. I widen my eyes to try to show her the severity of the situation but end up laughing when I see her naughty-as-shit smile.
“Last one,” she agrees. We both pick up a glass and chink them together. Then we drink down the contents.
Yum!
I have to say, the club owner has good taste in drinks. This one isn’t too sweet either, and it’s icy cold, which is great considering we’re in a packed club. We get back to dancing. The music is fantastic. We’re having a ball.
“Hey, gorgeous,” some guy says in my ear. He steps back, and I notice that he happens to be wearing a full suit, complete with tie.
In a club?
Really?
There was a time I would have found a guy like this obscenely attractive. Not anymore. Bolt has ruined me.
I smile at him but keep on dancing.
Candice’s eyes go wide, and her mouth falls open. She gives me the ‘go for it’ signal.
“Can I get you a drink?” he asks.
I shake my head and keep dancing.
“Can I at least dance with you...please?” He starts to move, and I have to say, he can dance. I still feel nothing. I hate Bolt. I. Hate. Him. He has destroyed how I will see men from now on. They’ll all seem weak, unattractive, and lukewarm.
I’m buzzing. Okay, more than buzzing, so I decide that a dance will be fine. Come on! I need to get over Bolt and move on. I nod, and we start dancing. I can feel the shots going more and more to my head. It’s fine! We’re only dancing. Candice is here. I don’t plan on doing anything. Forget it! I’m too hung up on Bolt. The asshole! I’ll dance and relax, and then I’ll head home…alone!
Bolt
My phone rings. I’m in bed, trying to sleep and not succeeding. I’
ve been trying for the last two hours. Who would call me now?
Miss Shaw.
What if it’s her? Maybe she needs help. Maybe… I grab my phone from next to my bed. It’s Tri. What does he want? He probably wants to get me out of the house. Does he realize it’s nearly twelve? I’m irritated at the flood of disappointment because it’s not her. I sigh and swipe a hand over my face.
“Fuck him!” I mutter to myself and put my phone back down.
Maybe he wants to talk. Whatever it is, it can wait. I have a full day of work planned for tomorrow. I need to sleep. I’m just pulling a pillow over my head when I hear my phone vibrate with a message.
I push out a heavy sigh. I have to see what he wants. It could be important. Probably not, but I won’t be able to sleep until I know for sure.
Tri: Your harpy lookalike is here.
I sit up in bed. What? What the fuck? I dial Trident. He picks up almost immediately. I hear loud, thumping music in the background. He laughs.
“She’s there?” I practically shout. It sounds like he’s at his club.
“Yep. I’m at The Lagoon. I thought I would let you know.”
“How long has she been there?”
“I thought you didn’t care.” He laughs some more, and I swear, if he was in the room with me, I would pop him a shot in the jaw.
“How long has she been there?” I growl.
“Um…er…about an hour and fifteen minutes.”
“What?” I shout. “And you’re only telling me now?”
“Again, you made it sound like you guys have a strictly working relationship, and that it’s not a big deal.”
“It’s a big deal, okay? A big fucking deal.”
“Well, then you had better hurry. She’s wearing this slinky, red dress.” He whistles low. “The guys can’t keep their eyes off her. Some asshole is dancing with her right now, and…” He doesn’t say anything more.
“And what?” I push out.
“I might have fed her a couple of shots.” He laughs.
“What? She can’t handle her alcohol.”
“I suggest you get your ass here, then. They definitely didn’t come straight from home, and I saw them do a shot at the bar soon after they arrived.” He laughs again, loving every minute.
“I’m going to kill you!”
“Relax, I’ll keep my eyes on them. Her friend is cute. Nothing will happen. Just get your ass here ASAP.”
“I’m not using the front entrance,” I say.
“You need to park at the back of the club. I’ll have someone waiting to take you into VIP.”
“Thanks.” I put the phone down and jump out of bed. Fuck! Miss Shaw is at The Lagoon, half-drunk, and dancing with some asshole who only wants to get into her pants.
I dress quickly. I’m in one of my cars ten minutes later. I choose the Bugatti for speed and reach the club six and a half minutes later. I park around the back, frowning for half a second at the thought of leaving my car here. I quickly dismiss the thought when I think about Miss Shaw in a red dress dancing with some fucker.
“Bolt,” the big guy at the door says as I close my door and lock the car.
“Yes.” I nod once, walking over to the back door, which is opened for me. Light spills out.
“This way,” the guy says. He’s big, for a human. He’s wearing a full suit, all in black.
I follow him down a long hallway. It leads to a large, stylish office. I’m going to assume it’s Tri’s. There is a dull, thumping sound pounding off the walls. The big guy pushes a button, and the elevator doors slide open. We go inside. Half a minute later and the doors open again. The music is much louder. Pounding out a beat.
I step out and scan the area. I’m going to assume this is the VIP zone. It’s above the club, on a balcony section. It’s a large area with very few people. There is a crowd gathered to my right. Mostly scantily-clad women. They’re surrounding two guys. There’s a bar. I think it’s made out of ice, which would impress me if my stomach wasn’t clenched tight. I spot Tri standing at the railing. He’s looking down at the dancefloor.
I walk up beside him and spot her immediately. I growl low. Tri laughs. “Glad you could join us. Can I get you a drink?”
I shake my head. Fuck! That dress!
“I have to say,” Tri says, “she’s beautiful. No wonder you fell for her.”
I’m frowning hard. “Fell for who?”
“The harpy, you asshole. Who else?”
I set my jaw. “I got poisoned by the harpy, I didn’t fall for her. Actually, Miss Shaw isn’t anything like that bitch.” There’s a growl to my voice because I notice how close that suited up jerk is dancing with her. His eyes are roving all over her body, lingering on her breasts.
Tri shakes next to me, and a laugh bursts out of him. “So,” he laughs some more, “you’re telling me that you’re not fucking her?”
I shake my head. I can’t take my eyes off of Miss Shaw. Her hips are gyrating to the music. There’s this carefree smile on her face. She frowns when the guy leans in and says something. She shakes her head and keeps dancing. Then she puts her hands in the air and sways her whole body. That smile is back. It’s…dopey.
“How many shots did you feed them?”
“Two, but they had a drink and at least one shot when they got here.”
“Fuck!” I growl. I’m pretty sure she’s wasted. Not to the point where she’s falling on her face, but… She stumbles a little, and the bozo puts a hand on her hip to steady her.
That’s my job, fucker!
“Why are you here, then?” Tri asks. “You should get down there.”
I realize I just said that out loud. I’m a little worried about how she will react when she sees me. I’m not entirely convinced she’ll be happy with me being here.
“I could send a staff member to ask them if they’d like to come up to VIP?” Tri asks me. He knows I don’t particularly relish going out in the general public.
I don’t answer. I’m too busy watching the jerk. He keeps his hand on her hip, even though she’s fine. Miss Shaw is frowning a little. He leans in again and says something else to her.
She shakes her head and gives his chest a light shove. Bozo motherfucker doesn’t get the hint. In fact, he puts his other hand on her other hip and steps in closer.
Miss Shaw might have had too much to drink, but she isn’t completely out of it. She shakes her head harder, keeping her hands on his chest. She’s trying to push the scum bucket off her.
Fucker!
With a low growl, I turn and head for the stairs. I take them three at a time. The bouncer at the bottom moves out of the way just as I’m about to bowl him over.
I shouldn’t be doing this. Anyone can snap a picture of me at any time, but fuck it. I’ll be damned if I can sit by and watch that dickhead paw her.
People seem to know what’s good for them because they part as I walk, taking big strides. I don’t blame them. My fists are clenched. I can feel a scowl on my face. My teeth are gnashing together so hard, I think I hear a molar crack. That fucker still has his hands on her. I can see she doesn’t like it by the way she’s arching away from him. He doesn’t seem to notice because his eyes are on her chest. I want to hit him so badly, but I can’t make a scene. My PR manager would hate it if I did. More importantly, Miss Shaw would hate it.
“I’m cutting in!” I snarl. My voice is so deep I’m worried my eyes might be glowing. Scales could pop out at any second.
The jerk’s eyes widen to comical proportions. Yes, I’m talking to you, fucker! I mean business!
I think he’s a little shocked because he doesn’t obey me immediately, which pisses me off. “Now,” I growl.
He lets her go and steps away like he’s been burned.
It takes a second for her eyes to lock with mine. A goofy smile breaks out on her gorgeous face. “Bolt!” she yells, jumping into my arms and wrapping her arms around my neck. She buries her face in my chest. Yeah, she’s drunk.<
br />
“Go away!” I growl at the jerk, who is standing there like he might still have a chance.
He turns and runs. Good! Fucker was going to take full advantage. I bet he was trying to buy her more drinks. I know guys like that. Asshole!
“You smell so good,” Miss Shaw says against my chest. “Oh, my god, but they should bottle this.” I watch her little nostrils flare as she sniffs me. “Companies…you know…the ones that make…make… What’s it called? Oh, yes! The ones that make cologne. They should bottle you.” She smiles wider. Her eyes have this hazy look. She sniffs again and groans. “They should totally bottle you all up.”
I smile, biting back a laugh. “Let’s get some coffee into you.”
She shakes her head so hard, I think she would have fallen over if she wasn’t holding onto me. “No…no coffee.” Her eyes go wide. “They have amazing shots here. Isn’t that right, Candice?” She lets me go and grabs the arm of a nearby blonde.
Candice. It’s her best friend. Her eyes widen, and her mouth drops open as she sees me. “You’re…you’re him.”
How much does she know? I push out a breath. I know Miss Shaw, she wouldn’t have said anything. NDA aside, I asked her not to, and I trust her. I put out my hand. “I’m Bolt.”
We shake. “Um…Candice.”
“Follow me,” I tell her. “We’re going to VIP.”
She nods. I put my arm around Miss Shaw and pull her close. “Can you walk?”
“Yes. Why? Do you want to carry me?” She giggles. “You’re strong enough. You know that? You have all those muscles. I think you could carry me without hurting your back. Most men wouldn’t be able to carry me on account of these.” She cups her breasts, and I swear I almost come in my pants right there in the middle of the fucking dancefloor.
I’m going to kill Tri. I send him a dirty look. I see him laughing his ass off.
I pick her up, and she squeals. We’ll get out of this mob quicker if she’s in my arms. “Hold on,” I tell her as we head to the stairs. I glance back to check on Candice. I’m happy she’s keeping up. Although she has a broad smile on her face, her coordination is fine.
Lord of Rain (The Dragon Demigods Book 5) Page 20