My pulse quickened. He was admitting there was something between us. Something mutual.
“And tonight?” I asked, playing with the zipper on my jacket. He pulled a flask out from under his seat as an answer, and my heart rate turned to a solid gallop in my chest.
“Don’t worry. I’m sober right now. I’ll start drinking when we pull up.”
“Do I need to drink, too?”
“No. Just one of us will do the trick.”
I wound a lock of hair around my finger and kept my eyes on the console in front of me, trying not to stutter when I asked, “If you didn’t drink, what would they see?”
He stared at the road, clutching the wheel. It took a long time for him to answer. Too long.
“I don’t know. Maybe attraction. Maybe nothing. A lot of time has passed. Five miles is coming up now.”
What did that mean, maybe nothing? On whose side was it possibly gone, his or mine? I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up. Of course he wouldn’t want them to know he was attracted to me. But it didn’t mean he felt more than that.
I scrunched down in my seat. Seeing him again was going to set me back, but there was no way I’d let myself fall into that dark place again. I closed my eyes, meditating. An image of Kopano swam into my head. He would never string me along and confuse me like this. I wished I could make myself want him the way I wanted Kai. The heart was a confusing thing.
At his house Kaidan punched a code into the security box and pulled into the driveway, which was packed with cars. I pushed my hearing into the house and moved it around until I found a gruff voice using poker lingo. I didn’t recognize the other voices at the table, which meant Pharzuph wasn’t there. Kaidan opened the flask and tipped it up. The sweet pungency of bourbon reached me where I sat. I could probably discern the brand if I had a sip myself. He shoved the flask into a side pocket of his pants and we got out.
We first went down to the basement, which was packed with people. Blake was showing some guy the newest high-tech thingy, causing the guy to be encased in green. Ginger and Marna were in the tiki bar area, sipping drinks and making eyes at a man across the room. He was trying to have a conversation with a woman, but he was distracted by his lust for the gorgeous twins.
Kopano sat next to Marna on a stool. Marna turned her attention to him, twisting the tips of his hair for a cool, spiky effect. He lifted his head and his gaze banged into mine. We were both very still until he gave me a nod and I returned it.
The twins assessed first Kopano and me, then Kaidan and me, moving their eyes between the two of us, and then looking at each other with knowing grins. I would have paid a chunk of my dad’s money to know whether they’d seen anything.
“We’ll leave for that party in a minute,” Kaidan told them. He shot me a glare that screamed, I saw that look between you and Kope.
I raised my eyebrows, sending him a silent response of, What’s it to you?
“Hmph,” he grumbled. I followed when he went back up the stairs.
My stomach twisted as we made our way through the house full of people to the heated veranda, where men were sitting around a table, swigging top-shelf whiskey straight from the bottles and talking over one another. I saw my father and had to fight emotions from bursting out around me. I kept my head down.
His eyes were hard when he saw me.
“Come here, kid,” he said with unfamiliar menace. I took small steps to stand at his side. “You got plans for New Year’s?”
“Yes, sir.” I cleared my throat. “A big hotel party in Atlanta.” That was the truth.
“Goody bags for the party.” He handed me baggies of dried green stuff and white powder. Marijuana and cocaine. Steady, girl, I told myself, gripping the bags to my abdomen.
“Thanks,” I whispered, eyes down.
A voice next to him spoke. “Might want to consider having all of these Neph working that gig together on New Year’s.” I lifted my eyes to take in the sight of a handsome Japanese man, who I assumed was Melchom, the Duke of Envy. He took a fine cigar from his lips and played his hand of cards, which made the entire table groan and break into frustrated conversation about their losing hands. He smiled, putting the cigar between his lips as he gathered his winnings, and spoke from the side of his mouth. “Just saying. Could do a lot of damage if the whole group worked a big party together. I have no plans for Blake. I doubt Astaroth or Alocer will disapprove.”
“All right then.” My father grumbled in my direction, “You all work New Year’s together.”
To my relief, he made a shooing motion with his hand, dismissing me. I started to turn, then saw movement from my other side, where Pharzuph, in a robe, walked toward us from the indoor pool area.