Gaslight (Crossbreed #4)(27)
Niko reached across the table and then cupped his hands around the breaded sticks. Moments later, they were steaming.
Christian’s jaw set. “Well, isn’t that astonishing?” He briskly turned away and muttered, “Show-off.”
God love that man. He was just as bullheaded as I was.
“Niko, can I ask you something?”
He smiled with closed lips. “Has anything ever stopped you before?”
I chuckled. “Nope. Why don’t you invite those women over to our table?”
“I wouldn’t know what to say to them.” Niko lifted his glass and swallowed a sip before setting it back down on the napkin. “I can’t see them to compliment them, and I can’t dance. You tell me what the conversation starter is.”
“Hi, I’m Niko. I smelled your perfume and couldn’t resist coming over. Would you ladies like to join me for a drink?” I hopped out of my seat and tugged on his shirt. “Come on. You’ve spent so much time around Breed that you’re out of touch. Do it for me.”
The redhead perked up when she saw Niko rise from his seat. Her eyes were as green as shamrocks, and when he turned to face the women, a blush tinted her fair complexion.
I stood behind Niko, my voice low. “There’s one round table between you and them. All the chairs are pushed in except the one on the left, so go around the right side. That’ll take you closer to the girl who’s paying special attention to you. I’d tell you she has red hair, but that wouldn’t make a difference.”
“She’s the yellow one,” he said. “On the right?”
I chuckled and patted his back. “Yeah. Yellow. Now go say hi. Just don’t show her your sword.”
He turned halfway around. “I don’t know, Raven. She’s human.”
“It’s not like you’re going to marry her. Just say hello. If you don’t, I’m pretty sure they’re going to tackle you in your chair. Better to be the one who makes the first move. I still need to check out the bar before we leave. Good luck.”
Niko hesitated for a moment before making his way over. He’d already given us his assessment of the club and confirmed there weren’t any immortals on the premises, so I figured he might as well have a little fun while I gave the main bar a second look. As a creature of habit, I liked to memorize my surroundings. Now that I had a better sense of the space, I was more confident about pulling off this job. If anything went wrong, I knew which way to run and how many bouncers were on-site.
I neared the bar, and a feeling of dread came over me when I spotted a familiar face. Not Breed, but someone from my former life. His brown work boots were dirty and worn, as were his jeans. He was either on a work break from a construction site or not doing very well in life to be drinking in the middle of the afternoon. His blue eyes were still as piercing as I remembered, but the mole on his cheek that girls used to find endearing had now darkened in appearance. Time had done a number on his receding hairline, but it was unquestionably the same motherfucker who’d invited me to a dance only to leave me on the side of the road. More of a beer belly, and he’d lost his boyish features. But that was Kyle.
Fuck.
Once in a blue moon, I ran into an old classmate. Only two had recognized me, but they had avoided me instead of asking what I’d been up to all these years.
Nothing special. Just killing criminals and living on the streets.
Please don’t let him recognize me.
“Had your fill of the grand tour?” Christian asked, startling me.
I spun around, my neck and chest suddenly flaming hot. His eyes flicked down as if he could read my mind, but he said nothing.
“Yeah, let’s get out of here.” When I sidestepped to walk around him, he blocked me from going anywhere.
“What vexes you?”
I turned my mouth down and shrugged as if I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. “Humans. Their low energy gives me the willies.”
He canted his head and glared at me in such a way that the hair on my arms stood up. “Says the woman who spent years avoiding Breed. Is there someone you know here?”
When I shook my head unconvincingly, his gaze dragged up to the bar. He scanned the group of men gathered around, half talking and half watching a game on the muted TV in the corner. It dawned on me that it must be the weekend. It’s easy to lose track of time when you don’t live by the calendar.
In a blur, Christian spun me around so unexpectedly that I gasped. From behind, he snaked his left arm across my middle and crossed his right arm higher until his fingers were touching the side of my neck.
His dark voice sent a shiver down my spine. “Who am I looking for?”
“Drop it, Christian. It’s not a big deal. I just wasn’t expecting to see anyone I knew here.”
“And who might that be? An old lover?” After a beat, he said, “No, that’s not it.”
Christian could read a heartbeat like braille, so I tried to keep mine steady.
“Did this person hurt you?” His grip tightened ever so slightly. “Which one?”
“You can’t kill a human. It’s against the law.”
“Who said I wanted to kill anyone?” he asked darkly.
“Remember the story I told you about the kid who faked a date with me a million years ago—the one my father got his revenge on by ruining his car? He’s in his thirties now, and he’s probably got a family. People change. Just look at me.” I snorted at the thought. “Now let me go. It’s water under the bridge.”