Page 6 of Fractured

She grinned at me, then turned to the cashier because there were only a few families eating ice cream at the windows. “Is Daniel Day here?”

The cashier didn’t even blink an eye. Pointing to the fire exit door toward the back, she said, “He’s through that door. The code is four-four-three-two.”

Now I was intrigued.

I glanced around to make sure no one was watching, because it felt like we were doing something that wasn’t allowed. But that was silly, because who would trust criminal secrets to a pimply faced teenager?

Punching in the code, Harper opened the door and walked through.

Past the door, a long cool hallway had low neon lights shining from various locations on the walls. Tendrils of smoke hovered around the lights, and once the door shut, a breeze whispered over the back of my neck.

“Cool, right?” Harper glanced over her shoulder.

At the end of the hallway, a man in a black suit fit for the late eighteen-hundreds greeted us with a firm dip of his chin. “IDs?” After he checked both our ages, he unclipped a red velvet rope for us to pass through. “Enjoy your time, ladies.”

And just like that, I was in a speakeasy that was reminiscent of the era where alcohol was prohibited and underground bars were the only place to get it. Elegant glass chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and exposed brick covered the walls. It truly did feel like we had been granted access into a secret location.

The place really was empty, except for a man leaning against the bar, holding an animated conversation with the bartender. I zeroed in the man. I’d bet that was her current love interest.

“That’s Brett.” She pointed at the only patron.

“Really? I hadn’t guessed.” He was exactly her type, from the tall, slender build, to the scholarly air about him. Most of the time, she went for pretentious guys, but even though this man appeared in that category, he also had a humble aura about him.

“Ha ha.” She laughed and took my hand to pull me over. “Hey.” Her voice instantly took on a breathy quality.

He turned and smiled down at her as if she were the only person in the room. Which was almost true. “Hey, baby.”

Harper lifted on her toes to receive a chaste kiss on the lips. As soon as her heels touched the ground, she turned to me. “This is my best friend I was telling you about. Brett, meet Lilith, Lilith, meet Brett.”

I shook his hand and smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

“Same. Harper had nothing but great things to say about you. Go ahead, have a seat.” He motioned to the brown leather stools lining the glossy wood bar.

“How did you know this place was here?” Harper asked as she took the stool right next to him, and I elected to slide on the one next to her. The more distance between me and Brett, meant the less conversation I’d have to have with him.

“Kenzo,” he pointed at the man behind the bar.

And I was speechless.

The man was beautiful in a rugged, dangerous sort of way. He was similarly dressed to the bouncer in a crisp, old fashioned suit. Only he wore a vest instead of a jacket, and the white sleeves of his button-down shirt were rolled up to reveal toned, tattooed forearms. Both forearms.

His dirty blond hair was longer than the traditional professional haircut, but it was neatly combed away from his face. The short beard was also perfectly groomed.

He grinned at both me and Harper, showcasing dimples on each cheek just above the beard line. “Nice to meet you. I’m an old college buddy of Brett’s.”

“Nice to meet you too.” Harper shook his hand, and when he turned to me expectantly, I jolted forward and shoved my hand into his.

“Nice to meet you,” I murmured. He gave my hand a squeeze as if to say relax, then let go.

“Since you’ve never been here, I took the liberty of getting our signature drink ready for you. And don’t worry, today’s on the house.” He winked as he slid two martini glasses in front of us. Both had…cotton candy on top?

The noise of the shaker drew my attention back to him, only to meet his direct gaze. Smoky green eyes stared back at me as a small smile flirted with the edges of his lips. The crazy man kept eye contact as he poured the drink into my glass. I had to look down, because how could I not, as smoke floated up from the bottom of my vision.

I gasped as the cotton candy dissolved in the middle, leaving a delicious pink cloud on the rim, and I was right—my drink was smoking.

“Cotton Candy Martinis. I’ll let you all have some time to yourself. Enjoy.” He finished off Harper’s drink, then moved to the other end of the bar. To do work, or give us privacy? Either way, he sadly wasn’t within gawking view anymore.

“So, Lilith. Harper tells me you’re a cellist?” Brett sat sideways on his stool so he faced us.

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