Page 68 of Escape From Me

I turned toward him.

“I am not a creature, and there are no names here, sir.” I might have put a little too much attitude on that last word and feared he might just figure out who was behind the mask. But the saddest part of the realization was that I truly doubted he would notice, because that would imply he would have ever paid attention to me.

Fine. If they could all play a game, then so would I.

“I like your spunk.”

I snorted. He would.

“Oh, well in that case, I have more coming.”

I let go of Zeid just for him to grab my arm and yank me back.

“No. This one is off limits.”

The stupid woman next to him got even more annoying, if that was possible.

“Oh, come on, Wraith. Let him have his fun. Part of the game is knowing when to stop.”

I heard her and was about ready to throw a punch at her face and try out my online self-defense skills, but I didn’t get a chance.

My father, who was unknowingly hitting on his daughter, took the moment of distraction to yank me toward him.

What the hell kind of party was this anyway? The thrill of being someone else was giving me confidence I probably wouldn’t have had around my own father, but really?

I leaned up to Zeid and whispered into his ear. “Tell me where to take him, and I’ll let you see to your little cougar tramp.”

The mask didn’t do much to hide the murder in his eyes, and a little part of me wanted to do a fist pump.

“Let’s all go get a drink then, sir. Ladies.”

Zeid was yanking me with, which pulled along my father. He was trying to assert a dominance I was repulsed by rather than afraid of.

As we reached the bar, the woman next to Zeid was rubbing up on him and my entire body was starting to burn in an anger I didn’t know I had the ability to even feel.

“Fan-fucking-tastic. Alcohol.”

I’d been pretty sure that was said under my breath, but the way Zeid’s grip grew tighter, I wasn’t so sure.

A bartender was over by us in seconds. I didn’t have a clue who he was, but he seemed to see me, and I got a glass that matched Zeid’s. It had a red rim, subtle, but I noticed the green of the glasses handed to my father and the bitch.

Zeid held his glass out.

“To corruption.”

I was understanding a bit more about this world and this stupid art show. It was corruption dressed in dripping gold jewelry and under the guise of the rich. Not much different from my own world. Hell, these people were my world, everyone except Zeid, his brothers, and those that were serving the rich morons. I could see the bartender had a tattoo that matched Zeid’s. They were mostly hidden, but when the bartender moved, I caught the top of the hourglass poking out his collar. When a server had come around earlier, I had seen the same along his collar. When he saw me glance his way, he adjusted the fabric.

My father was clearing his throat, and that was when I noticed he’d downed his own drink already.

“Lady, you didn’t touch yours?”

I looked at mine and at Zeid to notice he was peeling off the woman at his side. I grabbed my drink and started to gulp it down just as the bartender came by and nearly grabbed it from my lips.

“Sorry, miss. That was the wrong drink.” He met Zeid’s eyes and something changed in the atmosphere.

“I’m okay. I don’t really need a drink. Thanks.”

I was too busy glaring at the woman that didn’t seem to get that she was unwanted.

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