Page 48 of Deadly Little Games

“I just got a lead.”

Her brows furrow. “From that unknown number again?”

I nod, and Amirah presses her lips together. “Should we trust some freak who’s sending cryptic messages?”

“That’s all I’ve got, so yes.” I slip into my outfit, and Amirah pulls out a black leather dress.

We spend the next thirty minutes getting ready before heading down the stairs. With each step, the sound of my knee-high boots echoes through the foyer as they click against the smooth marble. The front door creaks open and slams shut. I glance up and meet Gage’s gaze, and for a brief moment, time seems to stand still. My heart dances a silly rhythm inside my chest. He’s wearing black running shorts and nothing else, exposing his bare chest. Fuck. There’s no denying the way his body makes me feel, but it’s his mouth that usually ruins it all.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going looking like that?” he snaps. Case in point.

“Excuse me?” I walk down the last few steps, with Amirah right behind me, and straight up to him.

His eyes remain fixed on mine, and I can’t help but notice the gentle rise and fall of his muscular chest.

“You heard. Where are you two going?”

I open my mouth, but Amirah beats me to it. “Fuck off, Gage. We are going out. That’s all you need to know.”

“The fuck you are,” he growls, folding his arms over his chest, his jaw clenched.

Swiftly sidestepping him, I make my way toward the front door, eager to escape him. I’m done with this shit. We got a lead and we’ve already wasted enough time.

Moving at lightning speed, Gage swiftly blocks the front door, bringing himself inches away from my face. Beads of sweat glisten on his sculpted torso, making it hard for me to focus. Alec needs me.

“Move out of the waynow, or else,” I grit out.

“Or else what?” He raises an eyebrow, and I squeezemy hands into fists.

“Just move, Gage, we need to go,” Amirah pleads from somewhere behind me.

“I’m coming with you.”

“The hell you are,” I say, my head pounding, and I squeeze my eyes shut, then open.

Gage steps aside as the door pushes open. Lucas and Hazen come in, and Lucas gives me a slow, suggestive whistle.

Amirah uses the guys’ distraction against them by grabbing my hand and pulling me out the open front door.

Gage yells something behind us, but we ignore him. A car’s already waiting for us, and we slide in.

“Step on it, Phillip,” Amirah says from the backseat.

I look back through the window, and Gage is standing at the front door with his phone to his ear, his eyes never leaving mine. He’ll find out where we are going, but at least we have a head start. I don’t need any distractions tonight, and those three guys are nothing but.

We make it to the nightclub on the elite side of town within minutes. There’s a line down the block, and I curse under my breath. Phillip opens my door, and I step out, meeting Amirah on the curb.

“We’ll never get in,” I say, and Amirah laughs. Fuck, maybe I should have let Gage tag along to get us in before I ditched him.

“You still underestimate my family name.” She takes my hand and walks us up to the front of the club. The security guard takes one look at her, then lets us through.

Vibrations from the music reverberate off the corridor walls, engulfing me. We continue walking until the corridor ends, opening up into chaos. In the middle of the room, there is a bustling bar, surrounded by a lively crowd ofpeople. There’s a stage with a DJ set up in the middle, and people dance and sit at tables scattered around.

Amirah grabs my hand, pulling me toward the bar, and she wedges herself between two guys. I pull up a photo of Alec on my phone and show it around to a few people nearby. Each person either shakes their head or doesn’t even give me the time of day. Fucking assholes. Imagine if one of their loved ones went missing? Surely they would be out doing the same thing.

Looking out into the crowded dance floor, I catch a glimpse of a familiar face. Mia is sitting back against the wall, her face in her phone.

I turn back to Amirah. “Mia is here,” I say, and Amirah’s nose screws up.

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