He kissed her again and gave me a wink before returning to the games, stopping to shake hands and receiving pats on the back the whole way.
Michelle turned away and went straight to her friends. They couldn’t read her aura, but they could probably tell from her body language that she was not happy about having to babysit Blake’s little friend.
“Anyone else ready for another drink?” Michelle asked. The girls crowded around the cooler and I watched the dirt arena. I wished I could crawl back over to the shade of the tree to contemplate the fact that Blake had a girlfriend. It made sense, as far as working went, for him to have the devotion of the most beautiful girl. But his affection for her had been genuine. And she loved him.
My heart suddenly hurt for Ginger.
“So, how long have you known Blake?” Michelle sat next to me, one slim leg outstretched and one bent. Her legs were golden and shiny next to mine in the bright sunlight. She twisted the cap off the hard cider and threw it in the grass.
“A while now,” I said, purposely vague. “How long have you guys been together?”
“A year,” she stated. We stared at the motocross lineup of competitors, getting ready for the trick competition. “A whole year, and you didn’t know about it. That’s interesting, you being a good friend and all.”
I tensed at the passive-aggressive comment and looked at her, but she was watching the dirt trails. Through her big sunglasses I could see unnaturally long eyelashes framing light eyes. Her face was a perfect oval and her lips were plump and pouty.
“We’re family friends,” I explained. “I haven’t seen or talked to him in over a year. I’ve been out of the loop.”
“How old are you?” she asked.
“Eighteen.”
“Oh. You look younger.” She sipped from the dark bottle. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
I almost said no, out of habit, and an uncontrollable smile leaped to my face. “Yes,” I answered.
She relaxed at that, leaning back on her elbows and taking another drink. “Want one?” I was roasting, and the thought of a cold drink sounded really good. When I hesitated, she said, “Nobody’s paying any attention, it’s okay.”
I swallowed hard. “No, thanks. I have to drive soon.”
She shrugged. We watched and clapped as the bikers performed insane and impressive feats. The crowd hissed and flinched when stunts didn’t go well. Blake never fell. He had no fear, and the fans were crazy for him.
He came to us after the awards ceremony, laden with trophies. I slinked back to the shade of the tree while Blake was approached by spectators giving congratulations. Michelle never left his side, beaming at Blake and his fans. Her prideful aura bothered me. The purple was so dark and thick that it overlapped the pink of her love for him. I couldn’t look at pride without thinking of Duke Rahab, the most loathsome of hell’s workers. My skin chilled at the memory of how he mentally tortured Gerlinda before killing her. Despite the day’s heat, I shivered.
When the crowd began to disperse, I joined Blake and Michelle. He was explaining to her that he needed to do the “family thing” for a few days. Her bottom lip plumped fuller.
“All right then,” she said, sighing.
He tipped her head up by the chin and she raised her puppy dog eyes.
“It’s all good, Chelley. I’ll see you in a couple days.”
“I’ll miss you, baby,” she said.
“I’ll miss you, too.”
Gag.
He kissed her until a stream of red was roused into her aura, and I had to look away. I wasn’t sure what kind of game he was playing with her, but it made me uneasy.
I followed Blake to his house; he drove a shiny new truck with the dirt bike strapped in the back. Being at the Duke’s house again made me nervous, even though I knew he was in Vegas. The summit could drag on throughout the day, but my paranoid instincts had me worrying it would end soon.
Blake was quick about showering and getting ready, coming out in dark jeans and a backward baseball cap.
“So, what’s up?” he asked.
I exhaled, so glad not to be alone. “If you don’t have plans, I could use your company. My dad sent Kai on a mission with Kope.”
“For real?” His eyebrows shot upward and he half grinned. “Awwwkward.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Can you come to L.A. with me? Just until they get back? I can tell you everything while we drive.”
“Yup,” he said. “On one condition.”
“Uh-oh.” I eyed him as he twisted the barbell in his brow, looking devilish.
“I get to distract you any way I want. And you gotta be a good sport about it.”
That was a frightening condition. Knowing Blake, he’d have me parachuting from a plane. But I agreed, thankful for his company. He ran back in the house to pack some things before we set off in Kaidan’s SUV.
I told him everything about the mission, careful to keep my eye off the speedometer. He was an even scarier driver than Kaidan. But at least he couldn’t pop a wheelie.
“They’ll be fine, Anna,” he assured me. “Seems like a cut-and-dried scenario to me. I know you’re scared, but I’m gonna try to keep your mind off it, okay?”
I chewed the inside of my lip. Nothing was cut-and-dried about this situation, but I appreciated his efforts to ease my worry. Talking helped.
“What’s a changing of the guard?” I asked. “My dad said that’s what they’re doing this summit.”
“Ah. Yep, that makes sense. It’s where the Dukes change positions, move to other parts of the world, get new bodies.”
Ick.
“All of them get new bodies?”
“Nah, just the ones whose bodies are getting old. Like my pops. He mentioned he’s due for a change. That’s gonna be weird. Pretty soon me and my father could be the same age. He could be even hotter than me.”
He laughed. I wondered if my dad would have to change, too.
“Will you have to move?” I asked.
“Probably not. Some Dukes make their offspring follow them wherever they go, but my father usually doesn’t. He let my brother stay in Panama—”
My head whipped toward him. “Your brother?”
“Yeah.” He looked surprised by my shock.
“I never knew you had a brother.”
“He’s, like, forty. I have a sister in Belgium, too. She’s real old.”
I stared at him. How could I not have known this? “Do you think they would be willing to ally with us?”
He scoffed and shook his head. “No way. My sister is ninety and my brother hates humans. He came around during my training to work with me, and I couldn’t stand the dude.”
“He helped train you?”
“It’s usually the older siblings who do the training if they’re around. If it’s an older sister, she’s the one to raise the younger Neph. Kope and his brothers were raised by a sister. She’s gotta be pretty old, too, by now.”
“Who else has siblings?”
“Not Kai. His last sister was killed when he was real young. She was in her thirties, and some stalker dude she was dating murdered her. I’m not sure, but I think Pharzuph’s kid before her was a sister, too, and she got pregnant.”
I didn’t need to ask what happened to her or the baby. It put my stomach in knots to think of the cruelty of the Dukes.
I didn’t ask any more about siblings. In my mind family should share a certain bond, but we clearly weren’t dealing with the same dynamics as human brothers and sisters, with the exception of Marna and Ginger.
“So . . .” I cleared my throat. “You have a girlfriend, huh?”
He sniffed and switched hands on the steering wheel.
“Yeah. Kai’s always busting my balls.” He tried to keep his voice light, but I sensed the slight falter in his words. “It’s something to do, you know?”
Something to do. Right.
“You love her?”
“Nah. I mean, she’s cool. She’s got issu
es, but she can be sweet. We have fun.”
“But . . . why not just date? What made you decide to be with one girl all this time?”
He took off his hat and rumpled his shiny black hair, driving right-handed.
“It’s the only thing my pop’s ever demanded.” He sighed, a sad and defeated sound. “He says I need a trophy wife, and it has to look perfect to the outside world. I’ve been dragging my feet about it, but I can’t put it off much longer. After ten years or so, he’ll want me to trade her in for a younger model. My brother’s on his fourth wife now.”
I closed my eyes, shaking my head.
“Don’t say anything to Ginger,” he said quietly. “I want to hold off as long as possible.”
That, I could understand. Even if the marriage was forced, it would still change things. Knowing Blake was attached to another girl in such an intimate way would drive Ginger insane.
“Well,” I said, needing to lighten the mood for him, “next time Kai tries to, um, bust your balls, you can give it right back to him, because he’s got a girlfriend now, too.”
His almond eyes rounded for a moment and he held out his fist.
I bumped his knuckles with mine and he started snickering, bringing that same fist to his mouth.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“You said balls.”
“Shut up.” I hit his arm, unable to keep the smile from my face as he cracked up.
“For real, though,” he said. “I’m glad you two are together. He’s been such a punk, all heartbroken and shi—iiiz.”
I rolled my eyes. “Not this again, Blake.”
“I’m tryin’ to be good! Consider it a personal challenge to myself.” He grinned. “And I meant what I said about you and Kai. You just gotta be careful. I worry about him when it comes to . . . you know.”
“What?” I asked. “Work?” Or lack of . . .
He nodded, appearing serious.
“I know,” I agreed. “Me, too.”
We made it to Kaidan’s apartment in record time. Part of me wanted to curl up in his soft sheets and nap, but Blake wasn’t having any of that. He went to the entertainment center and when he hit the power button we both jumped back at the ear-blasting, screaming lyrics: “Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage . . .” Blake fumbled for the volume control while I winced. “Then someone will say what is lost can never be saved . . .”
He finally figured it out, cutting off the jarring song.
“Dude,” Blake mumbled to himself while he sifted through the music, “someone’s got anger issues.”
He found something with a techno beat. The sound of it immediately started his feet moving, followed by his arms and hands in smooth motions.
“That’s more like it. You ever dance, Anna?”
Oh, gosh. I liked to dance, but I remembered Blake breaking it down on the dance floor at that New Year’s party in Atlanta. He had definite moves that put my hip-shaking, arm-waving “dancing” to shame.
“I don’t know,” I said as he moved closer, taking my hands. I wanted to pull away and break into giggles. Jumping from a plane might be less embarrassing than this.
He moved one hand around to the small of my back, bringing us closer. When our thighs and hips met, it felt unnatural to stay still while he was in motion. My body tried to match his, which matched the beat of the song. The next thing I knew, we were dancing. It was sexy, but not sexual. It made me feel good to move, but I knew his intentions were only friendly.
“That’s it, girl.” He spun me so my back was against his chest, guiding my arms to the side and above my head. “Hey, I know what we’re doing tonight,” he said, suddenly breaking away and snapping his fingers. I spun to face him, watching a joker-faced grin spread across his face. I put my hands on my hips.
“Should I be worried?” I asked.
“Nope. You’re gonna love it.”
I should have been worried.
Blake was taking me clubbing. He’d done an excellent job so far of occupying our time, and though thoughts of Kaidan were always present at the forefront of my mind, the anxiousness was kept at bay. It was difficult to worry when you were trying so hard to learn an impromptu dance routine. We’d spent three hours getting the moves just right, laughing hysterically when my feet tangled with his and I went sprawling. He never lost his balance. Ever. It was kind of freaky.
“Dude, you’re a good dancer,” he’d told me, sounding surprised. “You just gotta channel that inner sassy girl when you feel the beat.”
I gave him my best rawr!
He frowned and clucked his tongue. “You can’t be smiling when you do that.”
Dang it. I shook out my arms. Okay, enough roaring. Time to move.
Once we had the dance down, we left to find the perfect outfits. Blake knew just where to go—swanky, over-the-top stores with glittering shirts for women and tight shirts for men. Only certain types of boys could pull off the club look, and Blake was one of them.
The night was hot, but I felt self-conscious in the backless halter top Blake picked out. I kept trying to hike up the low-rise black pants, to no avail.
“What if this thing comes untied?” I asked, feeling the bow at my neck and lower back as we walked down the darkened sidewalk. “Are you sure you can’t see in through the sides? I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”
“Don’t worry, I double-knotted it, and all your goodies are safe. You look hot. Kai would kill me if he knew I let you out in that.”
My self-consciousness waned as we entered the club and I saw that my outfit would not be getting any special attention. The giant room was three stories high, with balconies tapering down to a view of the dance floor in the center. Next to me, Blake hollered so I could hear him over the blasting music.
“Ever wondered how it would feel to have thousands of eyes on you? ’Cause you’re about to find out.”
He started forward and I grabbed his hand, suddenly terrified.
“Relax, girl.”
“I’m not ready!”
He shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe you need a drink?”
I gave my head an adamant shake, while that greedy little voice inside me had a tantrum.
“Look, Anna. I’m not trying to be a creeper here. I got your back tonight. You can drink.”
I bit my lip. It would be so nice to let go, and I knew Blake had no expectations except that I have fun and be willing to take risks. He may have been the world’s biggest flirt, but I didn’t get any vibes of attraction from him. He was safe. It was my own self I didn’t trust.
“I don’t want to get drunk,” I told him.
“I won’t let you.”
“Once I start drinking, I want more. And I’ll get mad and sneaky. I might be mean if you don’t let me have more.”
“You think you can take me?” He laughed. “I ain’t scared of you, girl.”
“But . . .” I felt my argument weakening. “I don’t have a stamp like you.” I pointed to his hand. I could have used my fake ID, but I hadn’t been planning on drinking.
“Nobody’s paying attention. Trust me. Come on.”
I rejoiced on the inside. He was the exact friend I needed at my side tonight.
Blake got me a beer, then scared away a guy who tried to hit on me, telling him to step away from his best friend’s girl. It warmed me to know Kaidan had a best friend and to hear Blake call me Kai’s girl.
By the time I’d had my drink and we made it to the center of the dance floor, I was relaxed and ready to go. Blake had requested the song we’d practiced to, and when it came on Blake got serious while I attempted not to break into laughter. It didn’t take long for the crowd to spread, creating an opening where Blake and I were in motion, synchronized and more fluid than when we’d practiced at Kaidan’s place. I could not believe I was doing this. Veronica would freaking love it. Having an audience made me tighten my moves and halfway through I finally lost my nervous smile. I found myself pla
ying it up the more people cheered.
I’d worn my hair down and straight. Blake said hair was a girl’s best prop. Mine swished with my movements. I understood what he meant now, and I used all my assets to give these people a show. Everyone whistled and cheered. The song ended and I hugged Blake, laughing and out of breath.
And so the night went, with Blake keeping me at a steady buzz, never letting me stop moving long enough to overthink or overanalyze what might be happening on the other side of the world. Even after we got back to Kaidan’s place, Blake was intent on wearing me out. He made me change into my bathing suit, while he borrowed Kai’s swim trunks, and the two of us went swimming in the middle of the night. We weren’t the only ones there, but when Blake began doing trick flips and dives, others came out of their apartments to watch. Someone turned on music and brought drinks, making it an official starlight pool party. I kept my cell phone nearby, checking it occasionally, but no calls came.
I thought about Jay and Veronica back home. They thought I was visiting Dad, but I’d told them I might be seeing Kai. They didn’t understand the dynamics there, about how my family and Kai’s were “related,” except that our dads were somehow connected.
With a drunken grin, I climbed from the pool, picked up my phone, and texted Jay and Veronica.
Guess what? Me and Kai are BFGF!
I giggled, waiting.
Two seconds later it rang. Veronica. When I answered she said, “Shut the front door, you are not!” I laughed and she went on. “Are you really boyfriend-girlfriend? Oh, my gawd! How did this happen? What time is it there? Have you even gone to sleep? This is totally worth being woken up before six for. Tell me every single detail, and I swear if you leave anything out I’ll kill you. And if he’s stringing you along, he’s so dead!”
I couldn’t stop laughing through her entire rambling tirade. A text came in from Jay saying:
If this is a joke u r in big trbl 4 wakin me up. Call me when u get home.
I tried to explain everything to Veronica in as much detail as possible without making it sound strange. She kept screeching in my ear.
“I’ll let you go back to sleep,” I told her after I was done gushing. “Do me a favor and tell Jay something for me, would you?”
Sweet Peril Page 23
