Page 53 of Beneath the Starlight and Storms

I wince when I realize what Hook will do when he finds out I’m no longer in the office. Especially after the constant lectures he gave me about sticking near him before we left.

But if I was on a different floor, how did I find the one I was just on?

My eyes land on the bartenders again. Surely one of them will know how I can get back to the office.

I take a step toward it, but without Hook’s glare and vicious looks, the people around me move closer, blocking my way.

But with no other way, I push forward and slowly make my way through them, eventually ending up right beside the top of the bar.

I open my mouth to call the nearest bartender when someone calls him away for a drink. Another bartender comes close but just like the last one, they quickly get called and pulled away.

Maybe I can just go explore and try to find it myself?

I turn back towards the crowd, ready to push my way back through them once again, when a loud hypnotic beat blasts around me and a mass of people rush to the floor, effectively blocking my way through them.

The crowd quickly grows, shoving me backwards into the bar. A couple of women closest to me turn and apologize before turning back to their group.

I turn to the bar counter while I try to come up with some other way of getting out of here.

Someone slides up beside me and a strange energy washes over me.

“Can I get you a drink?”

I turn to look up at the man beside me as his dark eyes rake over me. He is dressed in all black apart from the blood-red top he is wearing. He has short black hair and an alluring smile that sends a chill crawl down my spine.

“I can tell your Fae, but you must be half. Though that little tease of a scent already has me all worked up,” he chuckles and the sound of it makes my skin crawl.

I focus on his energy once more. Ash and blood invade my senses as I realize what he is. A demon. And by the looks of the red ring now flashing around his dark eyes, he is a blood demon, too.

A sense of dread rolls through my stomach at the thought.

“How about you and me go somewhere a little more…private?” He licks his lips as his eyes slowly trail down my body.

“No, thank you,” I force out while trying to look for a way away from him.

“Come on, babe. I promise to make it worth your while.” He moves closer to me, and his scent invades my senses, and something in my gut screams at me to get as far away from him as possible.

I move a step back when someone places their arm around me making my body stiffen.

“There you are. I thought I told you to stay where I could see you.” I look up and find a man with light brown wavy hair and warm brown eyes staring back at me. He gives me a strange look before attempting to subtly tilt his head toward the demon in front of us.

He turns to him and gives him a wide smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Thanks for looking after my girl. I’ve been looking for her and her friends all night.”

“Fucking figures.” The demon frowns glancing between us before muttering something I can’t make out. He turns and shoves his way through the crowd.

They quickly give way before closing in around us once again.

“Sorry, I could see he wasn’t taking the hint and thought you could use a little help.” The man quickly takes his arm off me with a wince.

I shake my head, relief filling me once the demon is out of sight. “No. Thank you. I appreciate your help.”

“No problem. I’m Ben, by the way.”

“Tink.” I glance up at him and try to sense anything from him. But I find nothing. He must be human.

A look of amusement flitters across his face as he tilts his head to the side. “That’s an unusual name.”

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