Four hours later, Gabby and I sat in the car with a very mulish Luke, and stoic Clay. To me Clay didn’t act much different, but Gabby kept glancing at him and telling him to calm down. When she’d found out Peace was at a club, she’d insisted that we change since we needed to look like we fit in.
Nana agreed and took us both on an impromptu shopping trip that had me twitching. I didn’t mind shopping. In fact, I used to love to go clothes shopping. Before the dreams. Before Urbat started hunting us. Before I had a mission to bring us all together. Now, however, the time we spent shopping and being in the open troubled me. When we walked out of the store, I sighed in relief. We had made it through without incident. And I had new clean clothes.
Initially, Nana and Gabby had gravitated toward cute little party dresses that were sure to make a man’s eyes melt and his tongue swell, but I’d flat out refused. If we were caught between an Urbat and Peace, I wanted to be able to run. Who ran in heels and a skirt? The movie extras that always died first! I did not want to be an extra. Neither woman could argue with my logic.
In our bags of purchased items, we both had stylish new jeans—mine hugged my thin frame in a sexy way rather than a sickly way—and very gossamer tops to go over low cut camis. Gabby went with pink over a red top, and I went with blue over a green top. My eyes stood out even more with the color combination. I even purchased makeup, surprising both Nana and Gabby that I knew how to use it. To me it was just a depressing reminder that I used to have a frivolous life. Now I had a life worth living.
Luke shifted uncomfortably beside me. He wore his own jeans and a shirt he’d borrowed from Sam. I couldn’t believe how trendy Sam dressed.
When I’d stepped out of the bathroom dressed for our encounter with Peace, Luke hadn’t said a word. He moved toward me then did a slow walk around me. He’d whispered words to melt my heart. “I can’t believe you’re mine.” However, he ruined it by telling me to go back and change.
I squeezed his hand and gave him a quick smile. He frowned at me, his eyes dropped to my top.
“Ready?” I asked the group. Carlos and Grey were up front waiting for Gabby and me to give the word.
“She’s still in there,” Gabby confirmed.
“Let’s go,” I said with a deep breath. I struggled to contain my excitement. Five of us together again. My last memory of that was tainted with blood and battle. I hoped for more from this life.
Luke opened the door and extended a hand to help me out. Though I’d won the argument about the dresses, Gabby and I still wore trendy shoes instead of the sneakers I would have preferred. It gave me a few extra inches, which I liked when standing face to face with Luke. I gave him a quick kiss and moved out of the way so he could shut the door.
The neighborhood wasn’t the best. A few blocks back we’d passed a burned-out car on the side of the road. There was no parking other than street parking. Bottles littered the sidewalk. Gabby gave me a worried glance. I didn’t like it either but stepped forward anyway. I wouldn’t leave until we at least met Peace.
Our low heels clicked in unison as we marched toward the club. The red door set in the brick wall of the building marked the entrance. There were no windows on the first level that I could see. I had my fake ID all ready to get in, but the door was unmanned. I began to wonder if the place was even licensed.
Luke made a small sound of disgust as he opened the door. The reek of stale booze and smoke rolled out toward us. Grey, the first one in the group, stepped in with a resigned look. I appreciated that I did not have their heightened senses as I followed. Luke held the door open for a moment longer than necessary trying to let in some fresh air then followed the rest of us in.
A band played at one end, a mix of emo and rock. A small crowd stood in front of them dancing. The crowded bar stood opposite. The man there kept asking who was next.
Directly across from the entrance a stage sat behind a floor-to-ceiling wall of chain-link fence. Instead of band equipment, which would make sense, there were various fitness bags anchored to the ceiling off to the sides. In the center of the stage, on a huge mat that spread across the floor, a tall redhead faced off with a mountain of a man. The rest of the crowded room focused on the pair. The man’s bald head glistened with sweat as they danced around each other. Both wore boxing gloves. It looked as if the fight had been going on for a while.
“That’s her,” Gabby said unnecessarily.
I knew her at first sight. Her rage boiled in her eyes. I was about to agree and suggest we wait at the bar, but Carlos was already pushing his way toward the fence, his skin rippling dangerously. I didn’t care how drunk or high these people were, they were bound to notice.
I heard Grey swear and try to pull Carlos back. Carlos shook him off like it was nothing. That wasn’t supposed to happen with an Elder.