Page 39 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

The contact.

Shit. I needed to get to him before he left. I take a step in his direction, forgetting for a moment about the clusterfuck in front of me.

A hand reaches out to stop me.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Rion demands.

The guys narrow their eyes on me.

I look around, trying to come up with something, spotting the large crowd on the dance floor. An idea coming to mind.

“I’m going to dance.” Rion’s eyes narrow on me in suspicion. That fucker always knew when I was lying.

“Is this not a club?” I try to sound confident, hoping it convinces him, but he gives me a look, telling me I’m full of shit.

“Dance away, baby.” Jax leans against the table, looking like he’s waiting on a show to start.

Great.

Knocking back the last of my drink, I subtly look around the room and slightly relax, seeing the contact still there. But he’s getting shiftier by the minute. I need to make this quick.

Conjuring the persona of the sultry look I was wearing, I send Jax a flirty wink as I make my way to the centre of the dance floor.

Jax’s smirk kicks up a notch, his eyes drinking in every inch of me. The guys gather beside him, watching like sentry guards. Stiff and informal.

Drowning them out, I let go, feeling the beat of the music as if it’s a part of me. Closing my eyes, I drown out everyone around me.

Music is the one thing I can always depend on to comfort me when everything else feels hopeless.

When I’m alone in the dark and can’t find my way back, music helps me find a way. Dancing makes me feel alive when all I want to do is be silent and still. It lights a spark that awakens my sleepy soul.

When I’m dancing, I’m not weak or vulnerable. I’m not King’s prisoner or a target or victim.

I’m strong and powerful. The blood pumping in my veins makes me feel like I can do anything or be anything. Like the world is mine to command.

I feel exhilarated, the energy around me intoxicating.

But most importantly. I’m free.

Just as one song ends and blends into the next, the sound of the crowd goes wild, drawing me back to reality.

My eyes open and land on the guys. Their jaws are clenched, their furious gazes on the bodies around me bumping and grinding.

My plan working, I send them a slow smirk and wink before joining back in. The energy of the crowd hypes up a notch, closing in around me, and giving me the cover I need to get out of there unseen by the guys.

With the song’s tempo rising and the crowd following, I hastily duck down, heading in the last direction of the purple-eyed fox.

It takes a couple of minutes to get through the over-zealous crowd until I finally reach the guy just as he’s about to leave.

“Hey.” The fox whips around, his eyes widening as if been caught. Seeing me, he slightly relaxes.

As soon as I move closer, he takes a step back.

“What do you want?” His eyes dart around the room, looking for the nearest exit.

“Jazmyn sent me.” I look around quickly, making sure no one else is watching before showing him the Phoenix feather I traded three months of jobs for.

When he sees what I have in my hand, his eyebrows raise.

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