Rainer watched me for a beat before quickly nodding. ‘That would be fine, too.’
No longer able to stop myself, my gaze drifted to the back corner. Lincoln sat in a booth with Mia. They had their heads close, talking over drinks. Jealousy I wasn’t entitled to feel struck my heart while something altogether possessive and fierce marched forth from my soul.
‘What’s the deal with those two, anyway?’ I blurted to Steph before I could reel myself in.
Steph shifted in her seat and pretended to realign her skirt, all the while looking extremely uncomfortable.
‘Steph,’ I pushed.
She glanced up and sighed. ‘I don’t know. No one really does. They’ve been friends for a while, but the past few weeks they’ve been spending more time together. There’s talk that … that Josephine’s pushing them to apply to become partners. So far they’ve refused.’
I swallowed. ‘Why?’
It was a loaded question and Steph knew it. Lincoln was free to take a new partner; I’d made that much clear to him when I’d left the city. If he and Mia were a good match and worked well together, then the only reason he wouldn’t want to be made her official partner was if they were … Couples can’t be partners.
Unless of course they’re soulmates and willing to destroy one another.
‘Honestly?’ Steph asked, monitoring my reaction.
I ignored the little voice inside that told me to give this conversation a wide berth and nodded.
Yes, I’m totally unstable.
‘I think it’s because Lincoln would never consider another partner but you. But that’s just my opinion.’
I gripped my glass and took a few deep swallows. I caught Morgan watching, and when she met my eye she quickly looked away.
‘But not everyone’s,’ I said, reading between the lines.
I sat up straighter and grabbed the fresh drink that had just been placed in front of me, and lifted it to Onyx in thanks. ‘Well,’ I said, in an attempt to brush off Steph’s words, ‘he should do whatever he wants. For whatever reason he has. He deserves happiness.’
And he does.
He deserves everything.
I threw back my drink and did all I could to look like I didn’t care that Lincoln hadn’t even glanced in my direction.
You can’t have it both ways, Vi. Just stop thinking so damn much.
I started on a new drink. Lincoln’s indifference was a gift, really. It only made things easier and I should have been grateful. This way we’d be able to work together. We’d find Spence. Someone passed me a shot. We could stop whatever the briefcase man was doing. I threw back the shot and held my glass out for another. It would all be fine.
Dapper’s hand landed heavily on my shoulder. ‘I just cut you off,’ he said as I pouted.
‘Why? You know the alcohol effect will only last for about fifteen minutes.’ The downside of increased healing abilities. ‘And I’ll have you know I work in a pub now. I’m very familiar with responsible service and consumption of alcohol.’
Did I just slur?
He shrugged. ‘Come and talk to me in fifteen minutes, then. Or when you need a job.’
Feeling miserable, I diverted my attention to the band, listening to the music and watching the people moving on the dance floor. Dancing had always been the one thing that could take my mind off everything. It was bittersweet, of course, but in some ways felt like a deserved punishment.
Right then, I needed something and I needed it desperately. Something other than the constant cold and the ever-present pain.
‘Gray!’ I hollered across the table.
He looked up, already dreading this moment. Oh, he knew.
He shook his head slowly. ‘No. No way. You promised never in front of people we know.’
I leaned forward. ‘Nooo. I promised never in front of the guys. And the guys aren’t here.’
‘No!’ he yelled over the music, setting his jaw.
I nodded calmly. ‘You still owe me and you know it.’
The whole table was watching our tennis-match conversation now.
‘No. Way.’
I stood up, my hands braced on the table as I leaned all the way across. ‘Make it good and you won’t have to go to classes with me any more.’
Gray took a sharp breath. I knew he wanted out of those classes more than anything. Finally, he stood up, giving me a hard look before turning it on the rest of the table. ‘If any of you ever speak a word of what you are about to see I won’t be held accountable for my actions.’ He looked back at me, scowling. ‘And if you go back on your word I’ll never bring you in on another paying gig as long as I live. Hear?’
I smiled, holding out my hand.
‘What the hell was all that about?’ Steph asked me.
I turned a sweet smile on Steph. ‘Gray was just asking me to dance.’
He yanked me out onto the dance floor before she could respond.
‘Back corner,’ I said, wanting to be out of sight.
Gray rolled his eyes, yanking me along and altogether livid. ‘Oh, you think?’
CHaPteR fOURteeN