Page 23 of Property of Azrael

Hallie contemplates while looking at the crowd staring over at me and my brothers. She knows I’m right. I’ll bring readers to her table, and those readers mean book sales.

“I don’t know about this, Azrael.”

“It’s a perfectly plausible plan. I’ll be your biker boyfriend this weekend.”

“Wait, no. It’s one thing to help me sell books, and another to act like we’re dating,” she proclaims. “And even if I agreed to this crazy plan of yours, I will not fake date you to sell books. That’s degrading to me and to my readers.”

I scrub my hand over my face. “I’m not explaining this well, I guess, so let me try again. I’ll be with you this weekend. I’ll sit at your table, help sell all your books, and show these ladies what they’re missing.”

“Sell all of my books? You’re joking, right? I doubt I’ll sell much at all.”

“Let’s bet on it.” I smile at the challenge. “I’ll sell out your books, and you come with me to Mexico.” It’s a win-win for us both. She gets a little extra money in her pocket to go toward her car repairs, and I get to spend more time with her. A chance to see if I still feel the same way after this weekend.

“Mexico? Azrael, be serious. I have a job.”

“I’m very serious, Hallie. If I sell out your books, you’re coming with me to Mexico. You’ve spent all this time researching our lifestyle, so why not come live it for a week? See what it’s like to be an ol’ lady to a club president. Fuck, you can use it for your next book.” My heart pounds in my chest, my pulse drowning out the noise of the crowd.

“And if you don’t?”

“I don’t fail.” Even if I have to strip naked and pull a Magic Mike on the top of her table, Hallie will not be going home with any books. Fuck, I’ll have Fox slinging them out like he slings his dick around the place. This will not be a bet I lose, even if I have to cheat.

“But if you don’t?” she repeats.

“I know you have your passport. I saw it lying on the desk in our hotel room. Use it and come with me. Once the event is over, you’ll head home and we’ll go on our way. If I fail, I’ll pay for your car’s repairs and have it personally delivered to you when the work is done.”

“You’re not paying for my car repairs.”

“You’re right, because you’ll be with me on a Mexican beach, drinking margaritas for the rest of the week.” Even if I lose, I already told Van to have the bill sent to the construction office. But Hallie doesn’t need to know that part yet.

Hallie laughs nervously, so I step in close and pull her to me by the waist. She tips her chin up defiantly. “Say yes. You’ve already broken your parents’ rules, Hallie, so why not break some more? Live a little and see the world.”

Hallie peers down at my chest, but soon after, lifts those gorgeous, sea-green eyes up at me. “You have a deal, Azrael Huxton. There’s only one catch, though. The hotel is sold out.”

“That’s something we can easily remedy. I’ll stay with you for appearance’s sake, of course.”

“Yeah, about that… I’m actually staying with my friend Eden.”

“That is a problem,” I mutter under my breath. “We’ll figure it out.”

“What do we have here?” a female voice purrs from behind Hallie. A woman with rainbow hair in a pixie cut, sporting a wide smile. A Rainbow Brite lookalike, without the 80s dress and rainbow knee socks. “Starting the party without me, bitch?”

Shifting in my grasp, Hallie pulls away from me and squeals so loud, I’m pretty sure the entire state of Texas heard her. Probably the dogs, too, with that pitch.

“Oh my god, Eden!” She embraces the much shorter woman around the neck, the two of them smiling like fools.

“Glad you made it, sweets. Who’s your friend?” She waggles her eyebrows. “Is he your knight in black leather?”

Turning back to me, Hallie reaches out and pulls me into their little circle. “This is Azrael. He’s the one who gave me a ride.”

“Ah, the one I’ve been cyberstalking in case my girl went missing. Good to know I won’t have to kill you and hide your body now.” She laughs, but there’s something in that laugh that tells me she isn’t kidding—not in the least. I might need to have Fox call his computer nerd friend and return the favor by checking her out, just to be safe.

“Azrael, this is Eden. She’s another author, and my closest friend.”

I tip my head to her. “Pleased to meet you.”

“You should’ve mentioned he was hotter than a scalding lizard in the Texas sun. And I see you brought an entire club of them. Good job.” Eden licks her lips as her gaze roams up and down my body.

“Behave, Eden,” Hallie warns.

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