temples, she
realized her nerves were already starting to fray. It was a sure sign that
tonight was going to be a long night. Glancing toward the bar, she spotted
Jacob but noticed that he wasn’t where she’d left him. Her stomach twisted as
she wondered what that meant. Whatever it was, it probably wasn’t good.
Steeling herself for what was about to come, she made her way over to him.
“You’re not where I left you,” she said sweetly into his
ear.
Turning around on the stool, he pulled her to him. His face
was dark and his shoulders tense. “Is it set?”
“Yep, he’s waiting for me at Toxic.”
“Then we should go.”
Izzy glanced up at Mitch, who was watching them carefully,
before turning back to Jacob. “I thought you were going to be good while I was
gone?”
“You said to try. I tried.” He shrugged as they linked hands
and made their way through the mass of writhing dancers.
When they’d finally made it out of the club, she took
several deep gulps of fresh air, relieved to be in the open again. Before she
could ask him what’d happened, the valet brought the car around and tossed his
keys to him. Nervous bubbles danced in her stomach, but she forced a smile as
she slid into her seat.
Chapter Six
She was silent as he got into the car, but after he shut his
door she couldn’t hold her tongue any longer. “What’s going on?”
“I could ask you the same question.” He started the car and
then threw it into gear before pulling into traffic.
“I did exactly what I was supposed to. I got us a meeting
with Alex.”
“That isn’t what I was talking about. What’s going on at
that bar?”
They turned down a side road and the lights from the
oncoming traffic flickered across his face as they drove. “What do you mean?”
She guessed it meant he’d seen something, but she was hoping it’d been
something insignificant—drug sales, minors being served, solicitation…
“Two men came and escorted that girl out.”
“And?” She could tell by the way he was building the story
that it didn’t end well, at least not for Izzy. Whatever he saw in there, she
was going to have to find a way to explain it away.
“I followed them. She disappeared before they made it to the
back door. She just vanished—poof.”
Nauseating dread filled her as she pictured what he must
have seen. There were some things that refused to be explained away. And
vanishing people happened to top the list. Still, she had to do her best. “She
probably just managed to get free and then got lost in the crowd.”
“As I sat there waiting for you, I’d almost gotten myself to
believe that. But then some woman asked Mitch to light her cigarette.”
“Okay.”
“He lit it by snapping his fingers.” Jacob’s voice was a
soft growl.
As she imagined Jacob’s reaction, she suddenly understood
the reason for his move and for Mitch’s guarded expression. Any date of
Isabella Rathe’s should know about the magic. Since Jacob didn’t…
She sighed to herself as she thought about the implications.
She had a mess to clean up after this was done. She needed to stay focused on
Jacob for now though.
“Maybe he had a lighter palmed.” It was weak but it was the
only thing she could come up with.
“He didn’t have a lighter palmed and she didn’t get loose
and slip into the crowd. And you know what? Someone really did bump me when I
spilled your drink. But when I turned around, there was no one there.”
Crap. That confirmed it. The girl must have been a fader.
Whiny bitch! Izzy should’ve had Mitchell kick her out of the club when she’d
had the chance. How the hell was she going to explain to Jacob that some people
could just disappear and reappear at will? Izzy stared out the window as he
fell silent. Putting her forehead on the cool glass, she wished the
conversation were already over.
“How’d they do it?”
She tried to think of another lie, one that was plausible,
but only the truth was left.
realized her nerves were already starting to fray. It was a sure sign that
tonight was going to be a long night. Glancing toward the bar, she spotted
Jacob but noticed that he wasn’t where she’d left him. Her stomach twisted as
she wondered what that meant. Whatever it was, it probably wasn’t good.
Steeling herself for what was about to come, she made her way over to him.
“You’re not where I left you,” she said sweetly into his
ear.
Turning around on the stool, he pulled her to him. His face
was dark and his shoulders tense. “Is it set?”
“Yep, he’s waiting for me at Toxic.”
“Then we should go.”
Izzy glanced up at Mitch, who was watching them carefully,
before turning back to Jacob. “I thought you were going to be good while I was
gone?”
“You said to try. I tried.” He shrugged as they linked hands
and made their way through the mass of writhing dancers.
When they’d finally made it out of the club, she took
several deep gulps of fresh air, relieved to be in the open again. Before she
could ask him what’d happened, the valet brought the car around and tossed his
keys to him. Nervous bubbles danced in her stomach, but she forced a smile as
she slid into her seat.
Chapter Six
She was silent as he got into the car, but after he shut his
door she couldn’t hold her tongue any longer. “What’s going on?”
“I could ask you the same question.” He started the car and
then threw it into gear before pulling into traffic.
“I did exactly what I was supposed to. I got us a meeting
with Alex.”
“That isn’t what I was talking about. What’s going on at
that bar?”
They turned down a side road and the lights from the
oncoming traffic flickered across his face as they drove. “What do you mean?”
She guessed it meant he’d seen something, but she was hoping it’d been
something insignificant—drug sales, minors being served, solicitation…
“Two men came and escorted that girl out.”
“And?” She could tell by the way he was building the story
that it didn’t end well, at least not for Izzy. Whatever he saw in there, she
was going to have to find a way to explain it away.
“I followed them. She disappeared before they made it to the
back door. She just vanished—poof.”
Nauseating dread filled her as she pictured what he must
have seen. There were some things that refused to be explained away. And
vanishing people happened to top the list. Still, she had to do her best. “She
probably just managed to get free and then got lost in the crowd.”
“As I sat there waiting for you, I’d almost gotten myself to
believe that. But then some woman asked Mitch to light her cigarette.”
“Okay.”
“He lit it by snapping his fingers.” Jacob’s voice was a
soft growl.
As she imagined Jacob’s reaction, she suddenly understood
the reason for his move and for Mitch’s guarded expression. Any date of
Isabella Rathe’s should know about the magic. Since Jacob didn’t…
She sighed to herself as she thought about the implications.
She had a mess to clean up after this was done. She needed to stay focused on
Jacob for now though.
“Maybe he had a lighter palmed.” It was weak but it was the
only thing she could come up with.
“He didn’t have a lighter palmed and she didn’t get loose
and slip into the crowd. And you know what? Someone really did bump me when I
spilled your drink. But when I turned around, there was no one there.”
Crap. That confirmed it. The girl must have been a fader.
Whiny bitch! Izzy should’ve had Mitchell kick her out of the club when she’d
had the chance. How the hell was she going to explain to Jacob that some people
could just disappear and reappear at will? Izzy stared out the window as he
fell silent. Putting her forehead on the cool glass, she wished the
conversation were already over.
“How’d they do it?”
She tried to think of another lie, one that was plausible,
but only the truth was left.
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