Page 8 of Blade

“But they’re perfect!” she exclaims. Oh, they really are, and I’m so tempted to pull out my credit card to get the whole outfit, but I have a plan and need to stick with it. I’m building a business, and I have to be careful.

I lower my voice. “Vi, I can’t afford all this. My business is just getting off the ground, and I need to be responsible.” I see her face drop. “Please don’t be upset. I love what you put together, and I wish I could indulge, but I can’t.”

“These are my pieces,” Vi announces, not that I understand what she’s talking about.

“Pardon?”

“I made them. I have my own jewelry business and supply local shops, as well as having an online website. This necklace was made for you. I can’t imagine it on anyone else. It’ll be my gift to you,” she declares.

“Oh no. It’s too much. I can’t accept?—”

“And the bracelet, and?—”

“Absolutely not! I can’t let you do that. I pay my own way,” I tell her.

“Let’s compromise. You keep the belt and necklace, and you become a walking poster for my stuff. You can borrow the earrings and bracelet, or I can put them on layaway, and when you have the money, you can pay me. It’s a win-win,” she says, like it’s a fait accompli.

“Why would you do this for me? You don’t even know me.”

“I’m sure we’re going to get to know one another much better. I hear you’re going out with Blade, and if you’re in this shop, you must want to make a good impression.” She looks back at the mirror. “Emryn, you look fantastic!”

I bite my lip, wrestling with the decision of throwing caution aside and agreeing to her idea. “I’m paying full price for all of it. In installments, though.”

“All my friends get a ‘friends and family’ discount. And you keep the belt as my welcome-to-the-neighborhood gift,” she counters, with a grin.

“It’s hard to say no to you.”

“Then don’t and let’s get the hell out of here, then you can buy me a coffee at Hanna’s Bakery,” she replies with a shrug.

I give in, partly because I love the outfit, and partly because I can see that Vi is not going to give in. “Okay. Deal.”

“Yay!” Vi does a little dance, not giving a darn about who’s watching. That’s when I notice that Orion is gone.

“Where’s Orion?” I ask.

She laughs. “Probably at the club. He scooted out the minute he saw me going into fashion mode. He loves me, but he’s a ‘jeans, tees, and leather jacket’ kind of man. He was helping me drop off a big order to the manager of the shop.” She shoos me back into the changing room. “Hurry. I have a hankering for Hanna’s lemon squares.”

I quickly get changed, pay for the dress, then Vi and I head over to Hanna’s Bakery. The whirlwind shopping still has my head spinning, but the good news is, I have an awesome dress for my date with Blade tonight.

Six

The Longest Date

Blade

The entire day, I worked with a smile on my face, knowing that I was seeing Emryn tonight. After my walk with Demon, I went back to my room at the club. The solace of my personal space seemed more attractive than the party going on downstairs. This was the first time I was the first to leave a party, and one in my honor to boot.

Guard caught me making my escape and lifted his glass with a grin. That’s what I love the most about my brothers: no judgment. Back in my room, I stare out the window and up at the stars. The next time Emmy gets a hankering for lying out on the grass, snapping pictures of the night sky, I’m going to be there with her.

The keys to Emmy’s car are sitting on my dresser. I grab them and head downstairs. I pulled her car out of the bay earlier today and parked it in the space beside my bike. Orion is parking his motorcycle in the spot on the other side of my bike.

“Hey, man. How’s the newest member hanging today?” he kids. Orion is as fierce as they come, but there’s another side to this man. He understands loss and has lived his nightmare. Orion’s past is what makes him the man he is today. Guard helped him see the light, but to be truthful, it was Hanna who let the big man have it when he was being a total dick. His behavior almost cost Orion his wife and kid, and because of that, he’s learned to share his thoughts when his mind takes him to a dark place.

“Living the good life,” I respond.

“Word of warning, bro. Vi met Emryn today.”

My jaw drops. This could go either way. Vi could have been a powerhouse, which might have overwhelmed Emryn, or Vi could have been sweet, and Emryn would have loved her. “Shit! Do I dare ask?”

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