Jay looked super cute from across the club in his backward hat and freshly shaven face. The DJ booth was raised up at the edge of the dance floor, and Jay held headphones to one ear with his shoulder while he changed CDs and adjusted dials. From the corner of my eye I saw Marna staring. Hard.
A group of guys in tight shirts flanked us when we walked in.
“Piss off,” Ginger said.
Apparently American guys were just as magnetized by an English accent as we American girls were, because they went a little goofy.
“You’re British?” one of the guys asked, starry-eyed.
Judging by the look of annoyance on Ginger’s face, she didn’t think it was cute. She grabbed Marna’s hand, who in turn grabbed mine, and we moved past them. I shot an apologetic look over my shoulder, because, well, I understood.
As Ginger wove us through the crowd and onto the dance floor, my mouth watered at the sight of people’s drinks held high. After the week I’d had, my system was begging for alcohol, but as the daughter of the Duke of Substance Abuse, one drink would only fuel my longing for a whole lot more.
I focused on the DJ booth instead.
Ahead of me I heard Ginger ask Marna, “Are you sure about this?”
Marna’s head nod was small, but certain.
The girls stopped just as a dark, sensual song with a thumping bass came on. It was the kind of song that made you want to move your body, but all I could do was stand there and gawk with everyone else as the twins broke into a smokin’ hot dance.
Red auras popped up in fizzing bursts all around them as they moved against each other in perfect sync. I glanced up at the DJ booth and found Jay’s aura blowing up like a firecracker, orange, yellow, and red. He tore his eyes away from the girls and found me, which seemed to settle his aura a little. And then a strand of grayish guilt crept in.
He gave me a wide-eyed look that seemed to ask, What are you thinking?
I gave him a small smile and shrug. The twins were only here for a night. It wasn’t like Jay and Marna were going to fall in love or do anything crazy in a matter of hours.
When the song ended and the twins were applauded, we left the dance floor and found a table.
“I’m getting a drink,” Ginger said. She gave us pointed looks, I suppose as her way of asking if we wanted anything.
“One for me, as well,” Marna said.
Yes. “No, thanks,” I told her.
As Ginger left, Marna lifted the hair off her neck and fanned herself. “Jay’s looking fit.”
The way she gazed at him was sweet. “He’s single. In case you’re wondering.”
She dropped her hair, and her big, rounded eyes sparkled. “Are you being serious?”
“Yes. But Marna . . . it just happened today.”
Her face fell. “Oh.” Brokenhearted boys on the rebound were not a good idea, but they held a certain appeal.
Ginger came back with two identical red mixed drinks and set one in front of her sister. They made a silent toast and both drank. I allowed myself a few seconds of envy before looking away.
Fifteen minutes later Jay was handing over the reigns to another guy and joining us. Marna didn’t try to hold back her beautiful smile. She stood, bouncing on her toes, and ran to hug him.
“Way to play hard to get,” Ginger mumbled.
Jay held her with his eyes closed. He was a good bit taller than her now. They pulled back enough to look at each other, and my heart gave a squeeze at the way they gazed with open adoration.
“This kid is not good for her,” Ginger said under her breath.
I didn’t respond. What Ginger meant was that Jay was good for Marna, but in our world, good was bad. Marna couldn’t afford to fall in love when she was expected to work as an adulteress. Kaidan and I posed a huge danger to each other, but we’d chosen to be together anyway. Jay knew nothing about angels, demons, or Nephilim. Starting something with him would only end up in heartache for Marna and him both.
I should have probably thought this through better.
“What are y’all doing here?” Jay asked. He looked down at Marna’s uniform. “Layover?”
“Just a quick one. We leave at five a.m.”
Jay whistled. “Well, this is a nice surprise. It’s great to see you.” He smiled, but the edges of his eyes drooped from the day’s emotion.
Marna patted his cheek. “Come on, gorgeous. Let’s get out of here.”
The four of us left together, Marna never letting go of Jay’s hand. Ginger glared down at their joined hands from behind them. I understood her worry about Marna, and I had my own worries about Jay’s vulnerable, human heart, but I also knew it would do no good to try and come between them.
We exited into the hot, muggy night, and Ginger wrinkled her nose.
“It’s bloody stifling here in the summer.”
“Yep,” I agreed, though I was used to it.
“What do you guys wanna do?” Jay asked. “There’s a diner on the corner that makes awesome milkshakes.”
“Ooh!” Marna clapped her hands.
“I’m beat,” Ginger said.
“You can go back to the room,” Marna told her.
Ginger narrowed her eyes. “Not without you.”
I expected Marna to cave to her sister’s forceful wishes, as usual, but she held her ground. “You can stay or leave, but I’m not ready to go.” Marna lifted her chin.
Ginger’s little nose flared in annoyance as they battled in a silent stare-down. Then she snapped, “Don’t stay out late.”
“Bye, Ginger,” I called as she sashayed away.
“See ya,” she answered, not looking back.
“You seem tired, too,” Marna said to me with a sympathetic tilt of her head.
Dude. I was pretty sure Marna had just told me to get lost. I was beyond exhausted, now that she mentioned it.
“Yeah, I am.” I looked at Jay. “You okay?”
His mouth went up on one side in a half grin. “Sure.” He threw an arm around me and pulled me in, then the three of us walked to the diner, which was a few blocks from my hotel.
“I’m gonna head out,” I told them. “Please be careful.”
“We will,” they answered together.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I said to Jay, then I walked to the hotel with a dainty switchblade in my closed fist, eyeing every shadow until I was safe in my room. I checked the bathroom, closet, and under the bed before flopping down on it.
I texted Patti to let her know I was safe, and she texted right back. We kept the messages brief and generic, but I still deleted them.
Without bothering to stand, I stripped off my jeans and tossed them to the floor. As I was about to climb under the covers and call Kaidan, I got a devious thought.