Read Online Two Lines by Melissa Marr - Free Book Online Page B

ask Muriel to be her crutch. “I don’t want to hurt…you’re strong.”
    Muriel laughed. “Woe is me.”
    â€œWe’re friends.” Eavan would hate herself if Muriel actually attached emotion to sex. They’d pushed a few barriers over the years though, so it wasn’t unheard of. Muriel was the closest to sex Eavan had been.
    Until tonight.
    â€œI’m here.” Muriel’s teasing vanished. “Just like old times, right? I get all the fun, and you refuse to enjoy yourself.”
    Eavan laughed. “I plead the Fifth…actually…” She took Muriel’s hand and led the way to one of the bars. “Redbreast. Triple shot. Neat.”
    The bartender looked at Muriel.
    â€œCrown, rocks, with a splash.” She paused and looked behind her as if the man standing there was with them. “And a vodka tonic, neat.”
    â€œThat was mean,” Eavan whispered. “I hate vodka.”
    Muriel sighed. “Vodka’s mine, sweets. You can have my whiskey.”
    With a grateful smile, Eavan took the two glasses of whiskey when the bartender returned. She upended the triple and left the glass behind. It was a start. The whiskey was a comforting narcotic, numbing her senses enough to help block the cravings a little.
    For the next two hours, they pushed through the crowd, pausing at each of the bars rather than running a tab, so as not to alarm any of the bartenders with how much she was consuming. Not enough for a glaistig, but far more than a real mortal could drink safely. Even still, Eavan was one pulsing nerve after pressing too close to mortals, all but stoned on the pheromones in the club.
    Another hour passed. Daniel was nowhere to be found. She could feel him nearby several times, close enough to set her body on edge, but when she turned he was not near enough to find.
    What game is he playing?
    â€œDaniel’s not here.” Muriel yelled the words. They’d just made another circuit of the main dance floor.
    He was, but the only way for Eavan to know that was through some creepy affinity that Eavan wasn’t about to admit to Muriel. It was stronger now, a compulsion to seek him. Is this how the zombie girls feel? She was sure she hadn’t ingested any of his drugs, but she felt called to him. It didn’t make sense.
    She slammed the rest of her latest glass of whiskey, and then took Muriel’s out of her hand and downed it, too.
    Muriel led the way to the stairs. “Top bar,” she mouthed.
    Eavan nodded and followed. At the top, Muriel pushed open the heavy door. They went into the lavish room, and the door fell closed with a thud, sealing out most of the noise. It wasn’t silent, but the top floor bar was designed to make conversation possible.
    â€œOh shit,” Eavan whispered. Cillian was standing at the bar, looking far from happy.
    Muriel put her back to him. “Give me rules, Evvie. Are you okay?”
    â€œI am.” Eavan was able to look away from him. “I’ve had a half a fifth already. Everything is sleeping now.”
    Muriel smiled at Cillian as he came up beside her. “How’s the head?”
    â€œI’m fine.” Cillian scowled, but to his credit he didn’t do anything else.
    Muriel gave him a quick once-over. “I know.”
    His scowl deepened, so Eavan stepped closer and told Muriel.
    â€œShould I stay?” Muriel asked.
    Eavan shook her head. “I’m good…because of you. Again.”
    With a wicked grin, Muriel brushed a quick kiss over Eavan’s lips. “Be safe, Ev.”
    Once she was gone, Eavan turned to face Cillian. “Are you okay? Really?”
    He closed his eyes like he was trying to control the temper that was playing in the edges of his expression. “About the blueballs? Yes. About your girlfriend knocking me out? I guess. About you running out so I can’t do my fucking job? No, not so much.”
    â€œI’m