I’m not sure what.” She squeezed my hand. “Sit, Gilly. I’ll grab us some food. Pele made us some of those stuffed mushrooms and some delectable crab bites.”
She jumped up and walked to the buffet. With her long black hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, and wearing a halter top, rock star jeans, and Chloe boots, she looked like a young starlet. I was proud of her. Not only did she own some of the most successful clubs in the world, she fought some of the most difficult beings in the universe—dragons. She had the burns on her lower back and hip to prove it. The fire breathers had harder heads than demons and that was saying something.
The thought of demons made me wonder what Arath was doing. Crap, that’s totally random. Why the hell would I think about him?
“Ohhh, who are you thinking about?” Alex put a platter of goodies in front of me. Before I could answer, Patrick, who managed the club when Alex was away, brought in the drinks.
“Hey, Gils, we haven’t seen you in forever.” I genuinely liked the guy. A former college football star, he had a tattooed head and bulging muscles. His Hell’s Angel biker look was deceiving. The man had a good mind for business, and kept things running smoothly so Alex could concentrate on opening new clubs. Patrick was also one hell of a bartender. She had a knack for finding the right people for the right job.
He poured me a Matador and I sipped the Red Bull, limeade, Triple Sec, and tequila concoction. “Whew, that is some good stuff.” I smiled at him.
He winked at me. “A couple of those and all your troubles will melt away.”
I wish.
“Thanks for this, and tell Pele his crab bites are mind-blowing.”
Patrick laughed. “No way. The chef’s big head barely fits in the kitchen as it is. If I tell him you like it, he’ll be whipping up something else for you to try, and our guests will go hungry tonight.”
Alex sat back in the booth.
Patrick picked up the tray that had held the drinks. “You guys need anything, just call me downstairs.”
Claire and Bailey passed him on the way in, and they stopped to say hi before heading over. Bailey was in jeans and vintage tee. He must have been working, because his curls were a mess. He had two pencils stuck behind his right ear as if he’d forgotten about the first one he put there.
Claire wore a minidress made out of silky yellow material that went fabulously with her blonde curls.
I smiled at them both. “I love you guys.” They group-hugged me.
“Please, she was our friend, too,” Bailey said. “Tell me we’re going after the bastard who killed her.”
“Of course we are,” Mira said behind him. Her red curls framed her face, and she wore jeans with a green V-neck T-shirt and black leather jacket. “He’s going to pay for messing with a friend of ours. So tell us the details, Gilly.”
Alex poured everyone drinks and I shared everything Kyle had told me. I also explained about the dream, and the voice I’d heard.
“Do any of you know of who would want to hurt her?”
A chorus of “no” circled the table.
I blew out a breath. “I have no idea what’s going on in the universe. Murder never happens at a good time, but I’m dealing with a hardheaded demon king. And I have a sense that things are going to get bad very fast. I can’t explain it. Something doesn’t feel right.”
“I don’t know if it’s related, but I haven’t had a day or night off in weeks,” Alex admitted. “The dragons are causing me extreme burnout. Pun intended.” She smirked. “I don’t know why but there are more jumpers than ever and I can’t tell you how many I’ve had to haul back to the other side. It’s almost like they are afraid. What I don’t get is why they would jump to this world, when they know we’re going to kill them or take them back. Doesn’t make any sense.”
Claire took a sip of her drink and pursed her lips. “Whew. That’s strong. I’m with you, Al. I’ve spent more
She jumped up and walked to the buffet. With her long black hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, and wearing a halter top, rock star jeans, and Chloe boots, she looked like a young starlet. I was proud of her. Not only did she own some of the most successful clubs in the world, she fought some of the most difficult beings in the universe—dragons. She had the burns on her lower back and hip to prove it. The fire breathers had harder heads than demons and that was saying something.
The thought of demons made me wonder what Arath was doing. Crap, that’s totally random. Why the hell would I think about him?
“Ohhh, who are you thinking about?” Alex put a platter of goodies in front of me. Before I could answer, Patrick, who managed the club when Alex was away, brought in the drinks.
“Hey, Gils, we haven’t seen you in forever.” I genuinely liked the guy. A former college football star, he had a tattooed head and bulging muscles. His Hell’s Angel biker look was deceiving. The man had a good mind for business, and kept things running smoothly so Alex could concentrate on opening new clubs. Patrick was also one hell of a bartender. She had a knack for finding the right people for the right job.
He poured me a Matador and I sipped the Red Bull, limeade, Triple Sec, and tequila concoction. “Whew, that is some good stuff.” I smiled at him.
He winked at me. “A couple of those and all your troubles will melt away.”
I wish.
“Thanks for this, and tell Pele his crab bites are mind-blowing.”
Patrick laughed. “No way. The chef’s big head barely fits in the kitchen as it is. If I tell him you like it, he’ll be whipping up something else for you to try, and our guests will go hungry tonight.”
Alex sat back in the booth.
Patrick picked up the tray that had held the drinks. “You guys need anything, just call me downstairs.”
Claire and Bailey passed him on the way in, and they stopped to say hi before heading over. Bailey was in jeans and vintage tee. He must have been working, because his curls were a mess. He had two pencils stuck behind his right ear as if he’d forgotten about the first one he put there.
Claire wore a minidress made out of silky yellow material that went fabulously with her blonde curls.
I smiled at them both. “I love you guys.” They group-hugged me.
“Please, she was our friend, too,” Bailey said. “Tell me we’re going after the bastard who killed her.”
“Of course we are,” Mira said behind him. Her red curls framed her face, and she wore jeans with a green V-neck T-shirt and black leather jacket. “He’s going to pay for messing with a friend of ours. So tell us the details, Gilly.”
Alex poured everyone drinks and I shared everything Kyle had told me. I also explained about the dream, and the voice I’d heard.
“Do any of you know of who would want to hurt her?”
A chorus of “no” circled the table.
I blew out a breath. “I have no idea what’s going on in the universe. Murder never happens at a good time, but I’m dealing with a hardheaded demon king. And I have a sense that things are going to get bad very fast. I can’t explain it. Something doesn’t feel right.”
“I don’t know if it’s related, but I haven’t had a day or night off in weeks,” Alex admitted. “The dragons are causing me extreme burnout. Pun intended.” She smirked. “I don’t know why but there are more jumpers than ever and I can’t tell you how many I’ve had to haul back to the other side. It’s almost like they are afraid. What I don’t get is why they would jump to this world, when they know we’re going to kill them or take them back. Doesn’t make any sense.”
Claire took a sip of her drink and pursed her lips. “Whew. That’s strong. I’m with you, Al. I’ve spent more
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