Page 14 of Accidental Abduction

I should have seen her coming from a mile away, but when the bite of someone’s nails cut into my forearm, I jerked in their direction, ready to forget I was technically off the clock and kick their ass out of the bar.

“What the fuck are you supposed to be?” she yelled, stepping forward and crowding me against the wall.

I knew there was the possibility of seeing her tonight, but I hadn’t thought she’d actually show up. Reid had given me as many details as Hudson had confessed to him, but one thing had been clear. Viv dumped Hudson, but gave him the old, “I want to stay friends” line to keep him on the hook.

Her eyes looked freaky, with her face covered in white face paint, large diamonds adorning her cheeks in metallic paint. She clearly hadn’t gotten the memo that this was amaskedcostume party, but I wouldn’t have recognized her immediately if it weren’t for her piercing blue eyes. They were icy like her soul, and one of the only things that kept me from looking too much like her.

“Why does it matter what I am?” I asked, taking in the rest of her plastered-on costume.

She was wearing a red leather jacket, a tight white t-shirt splattered with fake blood, and tiny, glittery shorts that looked more like a bikini bottom with a leather belt at the top. Torn fishnetstockings disappeared into her hot pink boots, and a spiked dog collar completed the look.

“Because right now you look like the Wish version of my costume, and I want to know why you’d even dress up like this, knowing I was coming to the party with Hudson as my date in a coordinating one.”

“Hudson is planning on wearing some sparkly panties like yours?” I laughed, enjoying the way her lips curled. It was so easy to get her riled up. She may have frightened Hazel, but she didn’t intimidate me. “You sure he has the legs to pull that off?”

“No, you idiot. He’s coming as the Joker. I dropped off the costume at his house earlier and texted him to meet me here. But I haven’t heard from him all day. You must have seen his costume, and decided to come up with whatever this is to try to look likeyouwere coming to the party with him.”

While the idea of doing something to fuck with her was appealing, I’d had this costume planned for a while. Since Harley’s misunderstood character was a kindred spirit, I’d wanted to honor that part of myself. But I didn’t want to look like an actual clown to do it. Unlike some people. And the thought of carrying around a bat all night was appealing.

“As far as I know, he hasn’t been home for the past few nights.”

She growled, and my eyes widened as she pushed her hand into the middle of my chest. “And where the fuck has he been?”

“Why do you even care? I thought you broke up with him. Shouldn’t you be at the party in town at the martini bar trying to catch a sugar daddy?”

“Stay the fuck away from him,” she hissed, poking me with her fake nails on each word.

I didn’t understand why she thought I was such a threat to her. Hudson had known me twice as long as her, and he’d chosen her. He clearly still saw me as his baby sister’s best friend, and I’d come to terms with it. Maybe having a bit of distance would help me resolve my crush.

“Go home, Viv. No one wants you here. I think you’ve made your point that you can slum it, but we both know you’re just a vapid bitch.”

“Excuse me?”

Lifting the hot pink bat that was part of my costume, I pushed her back with my knee and smacked it against my palm. I was done letting her bully me, in her attempt to get the scoop on Hudson. She’d lost that privilege. They weren’t together anymore, and I didn’t let anyone talk to me like this.

“Go home, Viv. I’m not sure how that’s a hard concept to grasp.”

“Or what?” she shrieked, pushing her talons into my shoulder again.

“Or I’m gonna shove this bat up your…” I growled, but a body shoved in between us, pushing Viv further out into the hallway as I flattened against the wall.

Reid’s familiar back tattoos calmed me down briefly, but I still wasn’t ready to let her just walk all over everyone.

“Calm down, Killer,” he teased, flashing me a smile through the open mask of his motorcycle helmet. “I’ll get her out of here. You go have fun.”

“But…” I wanted to be the one to kick her ass out the door.

“Seriously, go. You know Hudson wouldn’t want you to make a scene.”

“Where is he?” Viv shrieked, fighting against Reid’s outstretched hand while he attempted to block her from getting close to me.

“None of your fucking business,” he growled, turning back in her direction. He reached behind himself, pushing me toward the direction of the bar, and urged her in the opposite direction. “You lost the right to know that.”

He disliked her nearly as much as I did, so I knew he’d make her leave or get her to calm down enough to behave herself.

Swinging the bat in my hand, I took a deep breath and re-centered myself. I wasn’t here to deal with Viv. I had a mission of my own fortonight.

There was something thrillingabout walking through a dark room full of strangers while wearing a mask.

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