makeup called out as a group of people passed. She was looking directly at Iris, obviously speaking to her.
My brows drew together, jaw clenching.
Iris seemed oblivious to it, tilting her head back to watch me instead.
“Easy there, tiger,” she said, her tone amused, her eyes smiling up at me. “She just didn’t like my outfit. Not everyone is ever going to love what you’re putting out there, especially when you’re having a good time. There’s always going to be a percentage of the population that has a problem with fun, that wants to put you down for having it.”
“What an unpleasant young woman,” I said tersely, sending the girl’s back another glare.
Iris laughed. “Don’t hold back now.”
“Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Let’s,” she agreed, but abruptly she stiffened, pulling away.
She started looking around, appearing suddenly paranoid in the extreme.
She licked her lips, and focused on me, her entire demeanor suddenly changed. “Listen, I forgot something important inside. I’ll meet you at your car.”
I opened my mouth to protest.
She held up a hand, fingers spread wide, backing away. “No more than five minutes, I swear.”
I shouldn’t have believed her, but I did.
When would I learn?
She disappeared inside, and I stood there for a moment, torn on whether I should follow her, just in case she ran into trouble.
In the end, I figured I didn’t need to. She had the staff in her pocket, and she’d sworn she’d only be five minutes.
I was almost to my car when all hell broke loose.
The breath whooshed out of me as something hard slammed into my back, taking me down to the ground. My hands met the pavement a split second before the rest of me joined it, just saving me from some broken bones, I was sure.
A big, hard body pressed against my back and cold metal dug into my temple.
“Where is she, you piece of shit?” a familiar voice growled at me.
Fucking Heath.
“Get off me,” I growled back.
For some reason, it worked.
He let up and I stood, glaring at him.
“Well, where the fuck is she?” he asked, gun down at his side, at least, but I was willing to bet he could raise and shoot before I could do much about it.
I tried to lie. It wasn’t clean and neat. “No clue. Haven’t seen her.”
His expression was an entertaining combination of disgusted and amused. “You really think I’ll believe that you were here on your own? This a normal weekday outing for you, Masters?”
“I like to dance,” I tried.
He snarled at me. “If you give even one ounce of a fuck about her, you’ll call me the second she contacts you again.” He reached into his pocket, then thrust his fist at me, handing me a small card with nothing on it but a phone number.
Not fucking likely, but I didn’t even have time to tell him that, as he’d already started moving away, towards the club, a man clearly on a mission.
Fuck.
I looked for her until the morning hours, running into a furious Heath several times while we both searched the area.
Neither of us found her. I figured she’d bolted the second she caught wind of him.
I went home as the sun rose in the sky, still covered in body paint.
Shirtless, Irisless, I walked into my house, hoping she’d be there to greet me.
She wasn’t. I’d lost her, yet again.
CHAPTER TEN
It was three days later, and I was calling the number on the card Heath had given me, yet again.
I didn’t have much else to go on.
Heath answered with his usual hostility. “You better have fucking found her this time, or so help me God,” he snarled.
I cleared my throat. He really was a scary motherfucker. “No, just checking in to see if you have.”
“Fuck off,” he snapped and hung up.
I sighed and set my phone on my desk. I’d try again, regardless of
My brows drew together, jaw clenching.
Iris seemed oblivious to it, tilting her head back to watch me instead.
“Easy there, tiger,” she said, her tone amused, her eyes smiling up at me. “She just didn’t like my outfit. Not everyone is ever going to love what you’re putting out there, especially when you’re having a good time. There’s always going to be a percentage of the population that has a problem with fun, that wants to put you down for having it.”
“What an unpleasant young woman,” I said tersely, sending the girl’s back another glare.
Iris laughed. “Don’t hold back now.”
“Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Let’s,” she agreed, but abruptly she stiffened, pulling away.
She started looking around, appearing suddenly paranoid in the extreme.
She licked her lips, and focused on me, her entire demeanor suddenly changed. “Listen, I forgot something important inside. I’ll meet you at your car.”
I opened my mouth to protest.
She held up a hand, fingers spread wide, backing away. “No more than five minutes, I swear.”
I shouldn’t have believed her, but I did.
When would I learn?
She disappeared inside, and I stood there for a moment, torn on whether I should follow her, just in case she ran into trouble.
In the end, I figured I didn’t need to. She had the staff in her pocket, and she’d sworn she’d only be five minutes.
I was almost to my car when all hell broke loose.
The breath whooshed out of me as something hard slammed into my back, taking me down to the ground. My hands met the pavement a split second before the rest of me joined it, just saving me from some broken bones, I was sure.
A big, hard body pressed against my back and cold metal dug into my temple.
“Where is she, you piece of shit?” a familiar voice growled at me.
Fucking Heath.
“Get off me,” I growled back.
For some reason, it worked.
He let up and I stood, glaring at him.
“Well, where the fuck is she?” he asked, gun down at his side, at least, but I was willing to bet he could raise and shoot before I could do much about it.
I tried to lie. It wasn’t clean and neat. “No clue. Haven’t seen her.”
His expression was an entertaining combination of disgusted and amused. “You really think I’ll believe that you were here on your own? This a normal weekday outing for you, Masters?”
“I like to dance,” I tried.
He snarled at me. “If you give even one ounce of a fuck about her, you’ll call me the second she contacts you again.” He reached into his pocket, then thrust his fist at me, handing me a small card with nothing on it but a phone number.
Not fucking likely, but I didn’t even have time to tell him that, as he’d already started moving away, towards the club, a man clearly on a mission.
Fuck.
I looked for her until the morning hours, running into a furious Heath several times while we both searched the area.
Neither of us found her. I figured she’d bolted the second she caught wind of him.
I went home as the sun rose in the sky, still covered in body paint.
Shirtless, Irisless, I walked into my house, hoping she’d be there to greet me.
She wasn’t. I’d lost her, yet again.
CHAPTER TEN
It was three days later, and I was calling the number on the card Heath had given me, yet again.
I didn’t have much else to go on.
Heath answered with his usual hostility. “You better have fucking found her this time, or so help me God,” he snarled.
I cleared my throat. He really was a scary motherfucker. “No, just checking in to see if you have.”
“Fuck off,” he snapped and hung up.
I sighed and set my phone on my desk. I’d try again, regardless of
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