Ceaseless (Existence Trilogy #3)(8)

Dank nodded and his hands slid down further over my hips as he pulled me closer. The smooth easy way his body moved with mine made my heart speed up with excitement. His hands left my waist and circled my wrist. I looked up at him as he took my hands and pulled them up to wrap around his neck, pressing my body closer to his. The dark sultry gleam in his eyes made my breath hitch. I wasn’t experienced enough to play in his world. But no matter how dangerous he could be for my heart, I couldn’t seem to break free from the hypnotic spell he had me under.

“Alright, lover boy why don’t you lay off the heavy with Peggy Ann here. You have places to go and people to see.” Gee’s voice brought me back to reality. I let my hands fall from behind his neck and I took a step back.

“Gee,” the warning in his tone caused me to shiver.

“Don’t go getting all pissy. I’m just reminding you of your plans,” she replied putting emphasis on the last word. What exactly was Gee to Dank Walker?

Chapter Four

Dank

I was going to strangle Gee. Pagan was warming up to me. She was in my arms and I had found a modicum of peace from the fear that had gripped me since the moment I found out I could lose her.

“Dank,” Gee replied saucily. I knew she was right. I hadn’t finished taking souls for the night but I’d known Pagan was here. I could feel her emotions. Her soul still called out to me even though she no longer remembered me.

“Um, I’ll leave you two to work this out. I promised Jay a dance anyway,” Pagan said backing away.

Don’t leave me.

Pagan froze. Damn. I’d spoken to her soul. She’d heard me. The confusion in her eyes as she studied me made me hope she remembered; that her human brain was over-powered by her soul. But she shook her head and continued moving away. “I gotta go,” she said hastily then spun around and fled.

“Smart move, ass**le. You just scared the shit outta her,” Gee said with a sigh.

“Why’d you interrupt us? I know my duty. I don’t need you to screw with this.”

Gee raised both her blond pierced eyebrows. “Oh really? Well, if you would stop lusting over Pagan long enough to remember that you have a job to do. You have to let her make her own choices. If you did that, I wouldn’t have to step in. Yeah, you had her all wrapped up in that sexy, dark-spell thing you have going on. But her soul is connected to Jay’s. She needs to face that. Then she has to decide. You can’t come in and intercept her every time she gets close to him.”

Snarling, I stalked toward the exit. I didn’t need to hear this. She was right and I hated that she was right. Pagan had to get close to Jay again. This was a competition. One I may very well lose. I winced as the pain sliced through me. Losing Pagan wasn’t something I could accept.

I glanced at the dance floor and my eyes immediately found Pagan’s. She was watching me go. Jay wasn’t with her. She stood alone on the outside of the moving bodies, her attention completely focused on me. I stopped and stared back at her. I took in the tilt of her head, the softness of her lips and the interest in her eyes. I’d intrigued her tonight. That was a good thing. Would the Pagan who didn’t see souls on a daily basis, be as accepting of Death as the one who had grown up seeing a part of this world that others were blind to. Jay came up behind her and touched her shoulder and she turned back to look at him. I couldn’t stay to see this.

Pagan

“Am I gonna get that dance now?” Jay asked loudly over the music.

I glanced back at Dank to see if he was still there. He seemed sad or lonely. I wanted to go talk to him. But he was gone. It was not a good idea to be interested in a lead singer. Yes, he was hard to ignore, but it was in my best interest to find a way to get over his appeal.

“Yes, I,” I stopped mid-sentence. The girlfriend was back and she was slipping her hands around Jay’s waist. Jay’s frustration was obvious on his face.

“Come dance with me,” she cooed as she slid both her hands underneath his shirt. Yep, that was enough for me.

“I need to go. It was nice to see you again,” I said quickly and made my escape before he could say anymore. Scanning the bar I found Gee sitting there with her legs crossed and a smirk on her face. Miranda was still dancing with Nathan. As much as I wanted to leave I didn’t want to end the night early for Miranda. She was obviously having a good time. I made my way over to Gee. Maybe I could just get a taxi home and leave her here with Miranda.

“What happened with frat boy number two?” Gee asked as she took another drink of her drink.

“I’m ready to go. If I get a taxi, can you wait around on Miranda?”

Gee shrugged, “Yeah I guess. It’s still pretty early. Why are you heading out already?”

Because the guy I wanted to be dancing with was gone.

“I’m tired. It’s been a long day.” I replied.

“Okay. See ya later then,” Gee replied and wiggled her long black nails at me.

I looked back to check on Miranda one last time; the smile on her face as she talked to the Nathan guy was my answer. She was fine. Good for her.

Smoke was everywhere. I was lost inside of it. I couldn’t panic. If I wanted to survive this I couldn’t panic. My chest felt tight from the lack of oxygen. Slowly I waded through the smoke, praying I’d make it out before the darkness took over. A small light appeared through the thickness and hope pushed me harder. My legs felt heavy. The closer I got to the light the slower my body moved. It was becoming harder to pick up my legs and put one in front of the other. My knees buckled and I realized I wasn’t going to make it. The light was there. So close. But I wasn’t going to get to it. The smoke was going to claim me. I took another strangled breath as my knees hit the cement underneath me.