“You know him well,” she agreed with a laugh. “All right, I won't ask if the stories are true. I must admit, I'm not sure if I should be nervous or impressed anyway.”
“Maybe one of these days I'll tell you,” he teased. “I'd like to make it through one evening with you before scaring you away though.”
“I don't scare that easily.” She took another sip of her wine but kept the water glass close. “Now you have me very curious.”
“No, I think you're right. You don't scare easily,” Hayden replied with a thoughtful expression. “I thought for a long time you were just shy, and that's why you avoided going out with our social group. That's never been the case, has it?”
Ariana shook her head, unsurprised by his assumption. Sadly, many people believed the same. She enjoyed being around people, but certain circumstances made it uncomfortable, especially since no one had known about her talents for years. It's impossible to guard against something if you don't know it's a possibility.
“No. I wouldn't say I'm shy, but it's sometimes easier to be alone. Some people are more difficult to be around than others, and too many people in close quarters can become overwhelming.” Ariana gazed out at the tiered dance floor. “They look like they're having fun, but I don't think I could ever join them.”
“Would you want to?”
She took another sip of her wine and shrugged. “I've never considered it. In a way, I suppose I've missed out on a lot of experiences. I've been trying to make up for them lately, but there are some things that will probably always be out of reach.”
He was quiet for a moment and then said, “I might have a solution.”
She tilted her head, curious to hear his suggestion.
“How about dancing with me right here? You won't be out there with all of them, but you can still have the experience.”
“Here?” She looked around in surprise.
“Yes. It's my club. I can make up whatever rules I want,” Hayden said with a grin. He stood and held out his hand to her. “Come on, Ari. Dance with me. Let's give you another experience.”
Ariana laughed and placed her hand in his. It was a little unconventional, but she'd had a lifetime of convention already. A little fun wouldn't hurt.
Sergei tossed back his drink and motioned for the bartender to refill it. He'd been sitting at the bar for almost an hour, listening in on various conversations. One thing had become perfectly clear: Omnis didn't know how to handle their liquor. He'd overheard some rather unusual conversations and received more than a few blatant sexual offers, but other than some hints at shady happenings, there was nothing concrete.
He eyed the strange bracelet they'd fastened on his wrist when he entered. It identified him as a non-sensitive, and he was beginning to suspect he'd need to remove it to find out anything significant. He'd watched more than a few Inner Circle members speak in hushed whispers to a staff member, pocket something they received, and disappear into one of the backrooms. When they emerged a few minutes later, their walk was a bit more buoyant and their eyes shone a little brighter.
A dark-haired woman approached him and leaned against the bar. She glanced over her shoulder before addressing him. “You're with the Coalition, right?”
He arched an eyebrow, studying the woman for a moment. Although she was dressed in a rather skimpy dress, her body language was rigid as though she were unaccustomed to wearing such clothing.
“I am,” he agreed, alarm bells beginning to go off in his head. Something wasn't right.
She let out a relieved sigh. “Sorry. Charles couldn't make it tonight. He asked me to come instead. He sends his apologies. We've managed to get everything arranged—”
“Hey there,” a buxom woman interrupted and sidled up alongside them. She giggled and trailed a fingernail down his arm. “You're that Sergei guy, right? The Coalition ambassador? I've seen you on videos. You're even hotter in person. I'm Lexi.”
The other woman's eyes widened, and she backed away quickly, muttering something under her breath about having him confused with someone else. Sergei's eyes narrowed as he watched her retreat. It was tempting to investigate, especially since she'd obviously been meeting one of his people here, but he had other priorities at the moment. Besides, without any evidence of wrongdoing, he had no cause for suspicion.
Tabling his concern, he glanced down at Lexi's wrist, spotting her bracelet. Another dead end. He narrowed his eyes at her, making it clear he wasn't interested. If she'd been an Inner Circle member, he might have feigned interest long enough to see what she knew. The woman hesitated, blinking up at him through a drunken haze. Weaving slightly, she giggled again.
“You know, since you're new to the towers, maybe I should take you back to my place and give you an official OmniLab welcome.”
“No,” he replied in a cold, clipped tone and turned back to stare down the bartender who was taking a bit too long. The bartender refilled his drink, and Sergei picked up the glass, tossing it back and swallowing the cool liquid. The woman finally got the message and wandered away to try her charms on someone else.
“You've always been skilled at making friends,” Lars observed from behind him.
Sergei scowled and placed his glass back on the bar, waving over the bartender again. He was tempted to insist the bartender leave the bottle behind. “She knows nothing. A drunken fool, nothing more.”
“You're probably right.” Lars leaned on the bar and looked over the room. He spoke in Russian, keeping his voice low enough to avoid being overhead by any translating devices. “I've heard some whispered talk, but these people don't know me or trust me. I can't get anything useful out of them.”
Sergei smirked. “Now who is skilled at making friends?”
Lars snorted but didn't disagree. “I called Brant. He says there are no security cameras in several key places, most likely by design. He's on his way here to show us which areas. Perhaps he'll have better luck getting someone to talk. At least these people know him.”
“Perhaps,” Sergei conceded, lifting the glass the bartender had just refilled. He'd tried engaging the bartender in conversation when he arrived, but one glance at his wrist had them moving on to serve the next patron. “The Shadows are not accepted either. We will need a regular Inner Circle member to discover what they are being given.”
“Maybe we can get—” Lars cut off, straightening to peer over the crowd. “Oh, fuck. Is that Ari? I thought Hayden was taking her to dinner, not bringing her here. Alec is going to lose his fucking mind.”
Sergei turned in the direction Lars was staring. It was. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of Ariana sitting with that mudak. He picked up his glass, tossed back his drink, and pushed away from the bar. This was not a place for one such as her. If she were in the slightest distress or had been harmed in any way, Sergei would make Hayden pay. For every step he took in their direction, Sergei thought of more than a dozen inventive ways to kill the man.
“We need to be careful,” Lars advised, continuing to speak quietly in Russian as they pushed through the crowd. “This is his club. If we go storming over there, we're going to get tossed out on our asses.”
“Can you get us into that area?” Sergei glanced at the roped-off area guarded by security.
“Possibly,” Lars said. “If it's open to all Inner Circle, yes. If not, maybe we can get Ariana's attention.”
“Do so,” Sergei ordered, assessing the security officers standing nearby. “I do not want her here.”
“You and me both,” Lars agreed, moving forward to speak to the security officer.
Sergei stayed back several steps, waiting to intervene only if Lars couldn't handle the situation. When the security officer shook his head and started to motion for Lars to move back, Lars waved his hand toward Ariana and called her name.
Ariana turned her head in their direction, her eyes widening a fraction before a huge smile spread across her face. She stood, her delight at seeing them evident, but her companion wa
s less than pleased. Hayden scowled at them, obviously debating whether he could get away with having them thrown out without upsetting Ariana. Sergei resisted the urge to smirk. No matter which option Hayden chose, his date with Ariana had just come to an end.
The security officer stepped aside enough for them to enter, and Ariana started walking in their direction, a radiant vision of shimmering silver that made her eyes even more striking. Her dark hair spilled over her shoulders in a tumble of midnight waves, drawing attention to the low cut of her dress. The silken material caressed her soft curves as she moved, leaving very little to the imagination. Sergei had taken several steps toward her before he even realized what he'd done, and he inwardly kicked himself for not taking the damn bottle from the bartender.
“Lars,” she greeted, taking both his hands and pressing a kiss against his cheek.
Lars said something that was too low to overhear, and she laughed, a light, musical sound that warmed Sergei from within.
Ariana turned toward him next and whispered his name, her eyes lighting up at the sight of him. She held out her hands and he took them, taking the opportunity to draw her against him while Hayden glared at him from behind her. Sergei didn't bother to hide his smug grin and leaned down to kiss Ariana's cheek. He inhaled deeply, smelling the light floral scent that filled the air whenever she was nearby. It was a welcome distraction from the sweat and alcohol that permeated the air around the bar.
“You are stunning, solnyshka,” he whispered near her ear.
She beamed up at him. “I didn't know you and Lars were going to be here. I thought you might still be on the surface at one of the Coalition camps.”
“My business finished earlier than expected,” he admitted, not wanting her to know she was the reason he was in this club. “I am surprised to see you here. Are you feeling well with so many people?”
“You were both worried about me?” she asked, her gaze softening.
“Of course,” Lars answered.
Hayden approached and stood a little too close to Ariana for Sergei's liking. “You needn't have worried. I've asked her to let me know if she has any discomfort. So far, we've had a very enjoyable evening.”
“Hayden's been very kind,” Ariana agreed with a small smile. “It's not too bad right now, but I've been drinking a lot of water. I'm sure the server must think I'm severely dehydrated or something.” She gestured to the different tiers. “I've always been curious about going to one of these clubs. My friend Kendra talks about them all the time.”
“Indeed,” Hayden said, putting his hand on Ariana's lower back. “Kendra is a frequent patron. If you'd like, we can invite her and Jason to join us next time.”
Ariana nodded. “They would both love that.”
Sergei's eyes narrowed on Hayden's hand as he slipped it even lower and began stroking Ariana's back through the thin material of her dress. There were twenty-seven bones in the human hand, and Sergei was about to double that number by breaking each one in half.
Ariana tilted her head to look at Sergei curiously, a small frown on her face. He forced himself to take a deep breath and slowly released it, focusing on centering his thoughts and releasing his emotions. Ariana had told him he was difficult to read. He needed to keep it that way.
A club security officer approached the group, trying to catch Hayden's eye. The nightclub owner paused for a moment, watching as the security officer gestured toward one of the back rooms. Hayden frowned. “Will you excuse me for just a moment, Ariana?”
“Of course,” she replied, nodding.
Hayden and the security officer moved to stand a short distance away but not close enough Sergei could easily overhear them. Hayden's eyes narrowed as the security officer spoke, the tension in his shoulders making it clear that whatever news he was receiving wasn't good.
Ariana frowned as she watched the two men speaking. Sergei stepped forward and put his hand against Ariana's back. The back of her dress dipped low enough he could easily touch her bare skin. Now that he thought about it, he might have to triple the number of bone fragments in the man's hand.
“Tell me about this Kendra,” Sergei suggested, hoping to distract her from whatever emotions she was picking up, either from himself or the argument happening nearby.
“Oh!” she said, turning back to them. “Kendra's a lot of fun and one of my dearest friends. I'll have to introduce you. She's a little flighty, but she has a wonderful heart.”
Lars glanced over at Hayden and back at Sergei, catching on that he was trying to distract Ariana. “Kendra? Petite redhead with green eyes? Always getting into trouble?”
Ariana laughed and nodded. “Yes. It sounds like you know her well.”
“Hmm. Yes. She set my parents’ couch on fire when she was about ten because I didn't move quick enough,” Lars said, his frown deepening. “When you were children, you two and my sister were thick as thieves.”
Ariana bit her lip and lowered her gaze, trying to quell her laughter, but her eyes danced with amusement. “I want to say Kendra's changed since then, but that's not true. She just doesn't get caught as often anymore.”
Hayden walked back over to the group. “My apologies, Ari. Something's come up, and I'm afraid it can't wait. If you'd like to accompany me to the back, you can relax in my office while I handle this matter. There's a viewing area where you can watch all three levels. It shouldn't take long.”
She put her hand on Hayden's arm. “Is everything all right?”
Hayden put his hand over hers, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. “Just a small situation with an overly enthusiastic patron, I'm afraid.” He lifted his head to regard Sergei and Lars more coldly. “If you'll excuse us, gentlemen, I'm sure you can find your way out.”
“No,” Sergei replied and crossed his arms over his chest, not about to let Ariana disappear with this man.
Lars shot him a warning look. “What Sergei means is, we're more than happy to keep Ariana company while you attend to your business. Besides, if she begins to suffer from any problems being here, we can escort her back to her quarters.”
Hayden looked ready to argue, but Ariana lifted her head. “Lars is right, Hayden. I should probably head out in a few minutes. I'm afraid I may have overextended myself this evening.”
“Sir, our guest—” the security officer began, but Hayden held up a hand to cut him off.
“Are you sure, Ari? If you'd like to wait here, I can finish up my business quickly and escort you home.”
“That's not necessary,” Lars advised. “You have my word I'll take the same level of care with Ariana as I would if she were my own sister.”
Hayden regarded him skeptically but didn't argue. He lifted Ariana's hand and pressed a kiss against it. “Is that what you want?”
“It's probably for the best,” she admitted and stood on her toes to press a kiss against his cheek. “I've had a wonderful time with you tonight, Hayden. Thank you for showing me your club and for the dance.”
His eyes warmed. “I'd like to call upon you tomorrow, if you don't mind.”
When she nodded, he gave her a brief bow and turned toward the back rooms with his security officer.
Ariana frowned at Lars and Sergei, watching as they exchanged a meaningful look. They were both shielding so hard, she was amazed they could stand upright. It was even more impressive that Sergei was able to do it. But it just reinforced her earlier belief that they were up to something.
Lars walked over to the table she'd shared with Hayden. He picked up her water glass and handed it to her. “Are you feeling well enough to remain here a few minutes longer?”
She took a sip of the water, threading it through her mental barrier. “Yes. Will you tell me what's going on?”
“Wonderful,” Lars replied, not answering her question. “I just need a few minutes to check something out.”
Without another word, Lars walked out of the VIP area and down toward the bar. Sergei put his hand on her back again and rubbed
his thumb up and down her spine, sending a slight shiver through her.
She lifted her head to regard him, but he was busy watching Lars. Without looking away, Sergei said, “I have a request, solnyshka.”
“What request?”
Sergei glanced down at her. “When I tell you to, smile and wave at Lars.”
Her brow furrowed. “What in the world are you two up to?”
His thumb stopped its movement. “Now, Ari. Smile and wave.”
Confused, but not seeing any harm in the request, she lifted her hand and waved to Lars, who was now gesturing toward her. The staff member nodded, pulled something out of his pocket, and dropped it into Lars's hand. Lars turned and trotted back to them.
“Got it,” Lars announced and motioned toward the exit. Whatever the staff member had given him had disappeared into a pocket. “We need to get out of here.”
Sergei plucked Ariana's glass from her hand and put it on a nearby table. He draped an arm around her shoulder, tucking her against his side, and ushered her toward the door with Lars walking on her opposite side. Once they were outside the club and halfway down the corridor, Ariana stopped in her tracks and put her hands on her hips, regarding them with suspicion.
“I'm not going another step with either of you until you tell me what that was about. What did that man give you? Why did I have to wave for him to give it to you?” Frowning, she demanded, “Is there a problem happening in Hayden's club? Does he know?”
Ariana wrinkled her nose. Emotions of guilt wafted up from both men like the pungent odor of sulfur.
“Apologies, solnyshka. It is better you do not know too much. Will you trust us?”
She hesitated, looking back and forth between Sergei and Lars. Neither one had done anything to hurt her, and they'd even been concerned about her welfare that evening. Maybe it was foolish, but she did trust them.
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