Avenging Heart

by Desni Dantone

After another few hours of strategy, objective, and contingency plans, I was actually glad when she returned, and it was time to get ready.

  Until I saw the selection of outfits she had chosen.

  Chapter 15

  She tossed Alec a pair of skinny jeans and a black shirt with a skull on the front of it, then turned to me with a wary grimace.

  “Uh, what the hell is this?” Alec interrupted whatever she had been about to say to me.

  “Your outfit for tonight,” she replied curtly.

  “Yeah . . . I don’t think so.” He set the clothes aside with a shake of his head.

  “You need to blend in,” Lillian reminded him, “or you’ll have every Skotadi in the club gunning for you.”

  I feared that might happen anyway, but I supposed Lillian’s suggestions would give us the best chance at avoiding it. We only needed one Skotadi to recognize us. If we didn’t dress the part and blend in, potentially hundreds of them could target us, and we’d never get the job done.

  “Alec,” I chided, forcing him to sigh in submission.

  “Fine,” he grumbled as he retrieved the clothes. Holding them like he suspected them to be laced with poison, he left the room to change.

  Lillian led me into the bathroom, out of sight and earshot of the guys. “I picked out two outfits that will work. I wasn’t sure which one you would be most comfortable with.”

  She laid them on the counter for me to inspect, and I chewed on my lip as my gaze swung back and forth between the short black skirt paired with a deep purple strapless top, and the shorter black skirt paired with a fire red blouse. I picked up the blouse, thinking it looked a little more concealing, but put it back when I noticed it didn’t have a back—only two thin crisscrossing strings.

  I was no prude, and had my fair share of party-approved skirts and blouses in my closet in Boone. But they were nothing like this.

  “I’m thinking the purple?” Lillian suggested.

  “Okay,” I mumbled. It really didn’t matter. Either outfit combined with the high black boots Lillian had set on the floor would make me look ‘street corner on the wrong side of town’ ready.

  Five minutes later, I stood beside Lillian at the bathroom counter as we applied the layers of makeup she had also purchased. Every time I leaned to grab something from the kit, I was forced to tug the skirt back into place. Despite the fierceness with which it clung to me, it had a tendency to drift. I didn’t doubt that my underwear would be visible to wandering eyes with a good angle.

  As bad as the skirt was, the top was worse. As if having no straps wasn’t bad enough, it was also sheer—a fact I hadn’t realized until after I put it on. Apparently, in the Skotadi-fashion world, it was acceptable to wear a black bra underneath a practically see-thru shirt.

  “I look like a hooker,” I muttered to Lillian’s reflection beside me.

  “You look like a female Skotadi,” she corrected.

  I grumbled as I applied another layer of mascara. Lillian had suggested several layers. The darker the better, she had said, but I drew the line before I crossed into tarantula legs territory.

  While she had suggested the fire red lipstick, I had opted for a slightly subtler shade. Still not my style, but not as bold. As I blotted my lips, I saw the door crack open behind me in the mirror’s reflection.

  I didn’t want any of the guys to see me like this, but Nathan was the one I dreaded the most.

  His eyes roamed over me before settling on my legs. “That’s what you bought today?”

  “Told you he’d hate it,” I muttered to Lillian.

  “He doesn’t hate it,” she whispered. “That’s the problem.”

  Watching Nathan’s face as his gaze swept up from my legs to other areas on display, I wasn’t so sure I agreed with Lillian. Then his eyes turned to her.

  “Did the shirt actually have to be see-thru?” he demanded.

  She dropped the makeup brush she was using with a sigh, and turned to shove him out of the room while I peered down at myself.

  “You said it wasn’t that bad,” I groaned once she returned.

  “It’s not,” she promised. “He’s just being . . .”

  “Difficult?” I suggested when I saw that she was hung up on words.

  “Concerned,” she countered softly. A few heavy seconds ticked by as she dusted powder on her face before she added, “He’s having a hard time with the plan for tonight.”

  “No kidding,” I snorted.

  There were too many what-ifs for any of us to feel completely comfortable with it. But it was all we had. Even backed into a corner, with no other options and everyone else against him, Nathan hadn’t relented easily.

  Not that I had expected him to, considering my central role. We were taking a risk. A big risk, but a necessary one. But there wasn’t much I wouldn’t do for Alec or Callie, and they both needed for tonight to be successful just as much as I did. Maybe more so.

  I finished my makeup, and turned to Lillian for her approval. Her nod confirmed it. I looked Skotadi enough for the club.

  As if they all knew how mortified I was to be seen looking like this, all the guys were waiting expectantly in the room when we finally emerged from the bathroom.

  Alec whistled appreciatively. Jared’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. Bruce’s head tilted to the side as if in bewilderment. And Nathan . . .

  His hand rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. Though I couldn’t see his mouth, I imagined it was drawn into a tight line.

  “Let’s get this over with.” I tugged on the skirt as I darted toward the door. As quickly as I possibly could in the hooker boots.

  I hoped I wouldn’t have to do much fighting tonight, because it certainly wouldn’t be easy in these things. It wouldn’t be easy without them.

  Here’s to hoping the plan works . . .

  I said a silent prayer as we marched down the narrow steps, and into the street. The cooler night air hit my bare legs, and brought on a bad case of the goosebumps that didn’t let up even in the car. The hour-long journey was spent checking and rechecking weapons and ammo, and going over our roles until we all knew them by heart. Despite all our preparations, my legs were shaking by the time we pulled up to the club. And it wasn’t all because of the chill in the air.

  Nathan grabbed my arm to hold me back when I climbed out of the car.

  “Are you sure about this?” he asked softly.

  “No,” I admitted reluctantly. “But this is the only option we have right now.”

  His head dropped with a sigh, and I knew he had his own concerns over how this night may turn out. “I don’t like being separated from you.”

  “It won’t be for long,” I returned, and hoped I was telling him the truth.

  He nodded as if trying to convince himself. “You have your phone?”

  “These boots are good for something.” Though the rest of my ensemble didn’t conceal much of anything, the boots proved an ideal location to hide both my phone and my sheathed diamond-coated knife.

  He nodded before dropping his forehead to mine. I melted into the car at my back as I welcomed his lips. What started off as a soft brush quickly intensified into something fierce. It could have even been a heated goodbye, but I refused to believe that.

  I smiled at the smudge of color left on the corner of Nathan’s mouth when he withdrew, and wiped it away with my thumb. “Red is not your color.”

  I didn’t even get a half-smile when he released me. That was how worried he was.

  Behind him, Alec and Lillian were waiting, and I knew I had to go. It was harder than I had expected it to be. Perhaps that should have been my first clue that I wasn’t entirely convinced tonight would go smoothly? I shook the negative feeling off before it took root.

  My hand grazed Nathan’s cheek. “I’ll see you soon,” I promised before I stepped around him to join Alec and Lillian.

  Together, we rounded the corner to the front of the club. Before moving out of sight, I glanced over my shoul
der to find Jared and Bruce gathering what they needed from the back of the vehicle. Nathan stood frozen where I had left him.

  “Focus.” Alec grabbed my arm to pull me back to our task.

  “I got it.”

  Alec and I trailed behind Lillian as we approached the entrance. One Skotadi stood at the door, beefy arms folded across his chest, and gold-ringed eyes peered down at us with disgust.

  As Lillian stepped forward to greet him, Alec grabbed my hand. “Show time, sweetheart,” he whispered.

  And then he kissed me, hard and full, on the mouth. Though I knew it was coming—as per the plan—the way Alec jumped right in to a full-on steamy kiss with no build up whatsoever caught me off guard for a moment. Once my brain started firing on all cylinders again, I did my job of making it look believable.

  I put up the glamour to make Alec and I appear human, if the Skotadi guard bothered to look closely enough. Our mindless groping, and apparent oblivion of our surroundings, made us optimal Skotadi prey. Lillian barely needed to say anything before he ushered us inside.

  We stepped into a narrow hallway that overlooked a grand oval pit beneath us. Multi-colored strobe lights flashed to the beat of the music pouring from the speakers on the walls. Easily two hundred Skotadi and unsuspecting humans gyrated against each other on the dance floor. Another large group crowded around the long bar opposite of where we stood. Beyond that, the club darkened into shadows.

  “Any last questions?” Lillian asked us.

  Alec and I shook our heads in unison. We had gone over everything extensively.

  With a nod, Lillian turned to leave, then stopped when Alec called out, “Hey Lillian, make sure they stick it out.”

  Code for: keep Nathan the hell out of here.

  With nothing more than a calculating look, Lillian left Alec and me on the balcony.

  I dropped the glamour so that Alec and I looked like our true selves. Alec grabbed my hand and steered me toward the flight of stairs that spiraled down to the pit. We bumped elbows with many Skotadi along the way, but no one gave us a second glance. I supposed no one expected the two Most Wanted Skotadi rebels to show up at Club Red.

  The longer we went unseen, the more the bundle of nerves in my gut unfurled and I started to believe we might actually make it out of here. The plan might actually work. If a certain Skotadi was in attendance tonight.

  At the bar, Alec handed me a glass of a light brown beverage . . . on the rocks. I took a sip, and forced myself not to make a face at the bitter taste.

  Of course Skotadi would only drink the hard liquors. I wouldn’t be getting any cocktails here.

  But I also wasn’t supposed to get drunk. Only . . . blending in.

  Alec pulled out a stool for me to sit on, and leaned close to yell in my ear. “See anything yet?”

  I swept my gaze around the pit, but only saw humans and Skotadi in various stages of foreplay on the dancefloor.

  “Nothing.” I tugged on the skirt in a desperate attempt to keep the dancers from catching a peek of my underwear, but the damn thing wouldn’t budge.

  Alec’s gaze dropped, and he grinned wickedly.

  “Don’t you dare say anything,” I warned.

  His lips pressed together to hold back the words I knew he desperately wanted to say. Instead, he extended a hand to me, and shouted, “Maybe we should dance?”

  I eyed him suspiciously as I sipped on my drink.

  “I’m not going to lie, Kris. You sitting there in that skirt is messing with my ability to think clearly.”

  Because he had to lean in for me to hear him, I expected to feel his breath on my neck. I did not expect to feel his mouth press against the sensitive spot behind my ear. I nearly jumped off the stool before his hands came down on my hips to still me.

  “We’ve got an audience,” he murmured. “Come on.”

  I slid from the stool, and let Alec lead me out on the dance floor. Wedged between several couples, we fell into a rhythm that rivaled the other dancers. The music wasn’t anything I recognized, but was fast and easy to move to. It didn’t take me long to realize that Alec had dance skills.

  One hand splayed possessively on my waist as we moved together, while the other moved to my neck to bring our heads together.

  “Back wall . . .” he told me. “Beside the door.”

  As we spun to the beat, I caught a glimpse of the door, and the tall Skotadi standing next to it. I looked away quickly, because he was staring right at us.

  Bingo.

  He matched the description Lillian had given us of Marcus. But she had failed to mention just how freakishly scary he looked. With slick black hair, a tightly drawn mouth, and eyes narrowed on us in disgust, he looked the epitome of evil.

  I snuck glances around the pit, searching for anyone else who may have recognized us, or a pack of beefy guards coming to apprehend us. Nothing. We went completely unnoticed, aside from Marcus.

  As we continued to dance, Alec and I took turns watching him, waiting for him to make the move we were waiting for.

  “Damn, Kris,” Alec muttered.

  “What?” I glanced away from the back wall to find Alec staring down at me.

  “I had no idea you could dance like this.” His grip on my waist tightened, and I knew he liked it.

  “I had a slightly wild streak before you met me.” Sneaking into clubs had been one of my and Callie’s favorite after school activities. Though none of the clubs in Eastern Tennessee were like this.

  He grinned. “Maybe that’s why I liked you so much.”

  “You and your bad girls . . .” I shook my head.

  His eyes shifted from the back wall, met and held mine. “You’ve made me reconsider my preferences. I kind of have a thing for the good girls now.”

  “So how is that working out with Lillian?”

  He shrugged noncommittedly. “We had some fun . . .”

  “But?”

  “It ran its course,” he replied simply.

  “It’s over? Just like that?”

  “Not into it anymore.”

  “Lillian? Or meaningless relationships?”

  He spun me around to the music, effectively avoiding a direct answer. I suspected I knew why. I also knew he wouldn’t come right out and admit it without some trickery on my part. Clasping my hands behind his head, I swayed my hips to the beat, and pretended to not notice Alec’s evasiveness.

  “Do you think you will ever settle down?” I asked casually.

  He lifted one shoulder. “For the right girl. Eventually.”

  Alec’s eyes darted around as he looked everywhere but at me. A shy Alec was something I had never expected to witness. But there he was, standing in front of me, doing everything he could to avoid eye contact.

  Alec’s lips moved, but I couldn’t hear what he said over the music. I pulled his head toward mine, and shouted, “What?”

  His forehead bumped against mine. “It’s almost over. We’re almost free.”

  “We save Callie, and then it will be over,” I added.

  Our eyes met. I smiled brazenly. He frowned.

  He realized I knew.

  His grip on my waist tightened, and he focused on a series of dance moves as he avoided the direction our conversation had turned. Finally, I got a lopsided grin out of him. “I’m not going to say it.”

  “You don’t have to,” I returned. “But just so you know . . . I like it. A lot.”

  His head lowered as he absorbed my words. When his eyes lifted to peer up at me, he looked the most vulnerable I had ever seen him. “You do?”

  “My two best friends? What’s not to like?”

  He chuckled as he pulled me closer—a feat I had thought impossible considering how close we already were. “Sunday dinners with you, Nathan, Callie, and me,” he mused wistfully.

  That was exactly what I wanted. I didn’t care where I went, or what I did once this was over. All that mattered was that I got to share it with the most important people in my life. />
  “We’ve got action,” Alec suddenly declared. It took me a moment to shake off my melancholy, and realize what he was referring to.

  Alec retrieved the phone from his pocket and sent a swift text. I glanced at the back wall, and spotted Marcus with a phone to his ear.

  “Done,” Alec announced.

  My eyes were wide when they met Alec’s. Neither of us said anything. We didn’t have to. We both knew. Everything was going down tonight.

  Chapter 16

  ~ Nathan ~

  Despite the steady ticking of the hands on my watch, time had stopped. Each slowly passing minute with no word on what was going on inside the club pushed me one step closer to irrational. I was seconds from tossing in the bag on this plan, and storming inside to drag Kris out here, where it was safe, when a click at the back door stopped me.

  Lillian took one look at my face, and said, “It’s done. They’re okay.”

  Her reassurance didn’t do much to calm my nerves. Kris was still in there. Alec was still in there. I wouldn’t fully relax until we were all together again.

  For now, I kept it together long enough to do what I needed to do. I needed to follow through on my end, I knew that. But dammit, I hated the thought of Kris and Alec at the mercy of hundreds of Skotadi. If something went wrong . . .

  I hated being in a situation that rendered me powerless to help them. Maintaining my position outside the rear entrance, following through on my end, was the only way I could help them now.

  As long as everything transpired the way we hoped it would . . .

  Sprawled on my stomach behind the dumpster, my eyes fixed on the door, all I could do now was wait for everything to play out, and hope it went our way.

  I laid my head in my hands with a groan, causing Lillian to turn and look at me with concern.

  “What if something goes wrong?” I asked her. I hated the desperation I heard in my voice, but I couldn’t shake it.

  I had never felt more desperate, more helpless.

  Lillian said nothing. Because she knew as well as I did that there was a good chance of this blowing up in our faces.

  Minutes passed as I stared at my phone, waiting for either the sign, or a call for help. I wasn’t sure which I would prefer. To go through with our wildly unpredictable plan and hope it worked out in our favor, or cut our losses and fight our way out of here now.