Ugh, I wasn’t momming out. I was… okay, I was momming out.
Screw it. I need to relax, and dance, and let go of this week.
After getting past the big Nightblood at the VIP entrance, we stepped into an open, less-crowded space.
Noah, Darren and Blake were all leaning against the bar. When we walked in, Blake caught my eye and waved me over.
“OhmygodNoah’shere,” Shea rushed out.
I nodded. “Be careful, he seems like a player.”
She shrugged, looking him up and down. “I don’t mind getting played.”
I rolled my eyes. She said that now, but when she was crying herself to sleep because he cheated on her, I’d hear a different story. We reached the boys, and I introduced everyone again, as Luke and Shea had only met the boys once.
“Who wants a drink?” Noah asked, eyes on Shea.
“Bri and I will take a bliss bomb,” she told him with a sugary smile.
He nodded, looking seductively at her, and then took Luke’s and Angela’s orders next—a mellow margarita for Luke, and a water for Angela.
“Boring!” Shea shouted at her.
She laughed. “Someone has to watch over you kids.”
“Ha! You’re like barely older,” Luke snapped.
She sucked her finger and stuck it in his ear, making him squeal. They were so cute. Nothing like Mikey and me, who were always at each other’s throats. My mom said it was the shock of her life to find out she was pregnant with Mikey when I was ten weeks old. I couldn’t believe that just next year Mikey would be at school with me.
The drinks came, and after a few sips, I started to laugh. They were just like the donuts.
“Let’s dance!” I shouted, chugging the rest of my drink and dragging Shea, Blake and the entire crew to the private VIP dance floor.
I quickly learned that Darren was the joker of the group, challenging us to a dance-off, and battling with some pretty hilarious moves. Shea twerked all over him, making him go rigid and wide-eyed, then finished with a booty slap that had Luke and me in peals of laughter. Shea didn’t give a shit. Ever. And I loved her for it.
The music changed to something more sensual, and I started to grind my hips in the air to the beat, my arms above my head.
I love this drink. I love life. I love love.
Spinning around quickly, I slammed right into a familiar chest. It was his scent that hit me first, earthy and… yummy. God, he was so tall. I wanted to just climb him like a tree.
“Drunk already?” Lincoln scowled down at me.
My hips continued to move, still dancing. Screw him, I love dancing. I shook my head. “No. Bliss bomb. You should have one. Maybe that stick will fall out of your ass.”
“Ha-ha,” he yelled, bending down so I could smell him more.
“Dance with me!” I shouted, grabbing his arm and holding it above my head, I twirled underneath it like a ballerina.
Lincoln glared at Noah. “Did you do this?” He pointed to me, keeping his body stiff, just letting me dance with his one floppy arm.
Noah grinned. “Come on, man. Lighten up, just for one night.”
Lincoln just glared at his friend and slipped his hand from me, taking his warmth to the edge of the bar where he sipped on a bottle of something clear that looked suspiciously like water.
During the next four songs, we continued to battle and dance as Lincoln drank his water, watching me from across the dance floor. His long sword hung from his hip. Chloe had joined us and was dancing with Darren. When I broke into the running man, Blake was sent into fits of laughter, but the bliss bomb was wearing off, and I was becoming acutely aware of those blue eyes watching me from across the bar.
“Be right back!” I told Shea, who was grinding on a happy Noah. My chest and forehead were glistening with sweat, and I was dying for some water. I sank into the seat next to Lincoln, and got the bartender’s attention. “Can I have a glass of water?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Bottles only. They’re four dollars. You can get free glasses of water outside the VIP section.”
Oh. My face fell. “Okay, never min—”
Lincoln slid a five-dollar bill across to the bartender without a word. The man grabbed it and gave him the water bottle, Lincoln handed it to me.
What’s happening? Is the world ending? Did Lincoln Grey just do something nice for me?
Our fingers brushed for a moment as I took the bottle. “Thank you for the water, but are you feeling all right?” I joked.
He chuckled. “Shut up and hydrate yourself, so you can go back out there and keep dancing like an idiot. I’m getting some really good videos to blackmail you with later.”
My mouth popped open. “You’d better be joking. Let me see your phone!” I reached for his pocket but he grabbed my wrist.
“You’ll never know.” He winked.
Oh. My. God. Lincoln winking was nothing like when Noah did it. Noah was an abusive cheesy winker, doling them out all the time. Lincoln had never winked at me before, and now that he had, I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest.
Oh shit. I totally like him. How the hell did that happen?
I was standing there, just stupidly staring at him, when people started screaming. Looking out into the main area of the bar, I could see black smoke filling the air.
“What’s that?” I asked, panicked. Lincoln stood, pulled out his sword and stepped in front of me just as the music came to a grinding halt.
“Demon attack!” someone yelled.
A flashbang grenade went off right at the entrance of the VIP area, and I was blinded by a bright light, the bang was deafening. For the few seconds before the lights had gone off, I’d seen two Brimstone demons in the crowd, and another demon that gave me the chills—that Abrus demon who was set to buy my contract. Terror flooded my system. Why is he here?
Lincoln yanked me to the ground, pinning me under the bar where the stools where.
“Shea!” I started screaming. I couldn’t see anything but huge white circles, my ears still ringing.
“Shea!” I screamed, going hoarse. There was no use, she was probably momentarily deaf as well. My vision started to return quickly, thanks to my Celestial healing, and along with it, my hearing.
Lincoln was caught in some kind of scuffle with the Brimstone demon. They were clanging swords as people ran screaming for the exit. Reaching into my boot, I pulled Sera out.
‘Help,’ I said, unsure what we could do from the ground.
Lincoln’s wings were out now, and Darren had jumped to his side as the second Brimstone demon tried to attack him. Of all the places in the bar to go, they attacked this spot. I was just mulling it over when a strong hand reached down and grabbed me by the hair, pulling me up. Pain shot up my scalp and I screamed, holding onto my attacker’s arm to lessen the strain on my scalp.
“There you are, princess,” The smooth-talking Abrus demon cooed in my ear.
Fear ripped through me at the realization that he seemed to be there for me.
“Brielle!” Lincoln shouted. He was cutting down the Brimstone demon, but not fast enough. The Abrus demon yanked me backward, and started dragging me toward the exit. I slashed out with my dagger, but with him behind me, dragging me with an iron grip, I had no stability. I decided then to pull out my wings and see if that would help me pry myself from his grasp but when I tried to extended them, there was a painful popping between my shoulder blades and they stayed in. He had some kind of magic that was keeping them in or something. Oh God.
A blur of red to my left pulled my attention to Shea. She was crouched about five feet away, farther up where the Abrus demon was walking backward, holding her sharp-bladed disc in one hand.
Oh God. What is she going to—
She sprang from her stance and chucked the weapon at the demon.
My eyes widened as it hurtled through the air and, from the sound of it, sank into the demon’s back.
“Not so fast, asswipe!” Shea roared.