Page 6 of Bony Bony
Zaneturned away from the blonde and gazed around.Whenhe fixed his gaze on me, his stare lingered before he tipped his head and returned his attention to the woman chirping in his ear.
Kylie’sbrows quirked up a notch. “Andnow he’s here?”Theswitch in her tone fromwho’s-the-hot-guyto semi-suspicious was apparent.
Idismissed her concerned tone. “He’sin a rock band.Saidhe heard about the club and wanted to check it out.I’mhappy to hear about that.Goodfor business, you know?”
Theheyday of rock clubs had passed, butI’drecognized an interest in it whenI’dmoved back to the area.Therewas a reason rock was still alive—it was the best music out there.So, whenI’dcreated theDangerZone,Ifashioned it around the vibe of those retro clubs with rock ‘n’ roll nostalgia from the eighties and nineties.Therewere plenty of other clubs in theBostonarea that played the latest hits, catering to the college crowd.Notin my place.Iwas sticking to my niche.
Kyliesnorted in a way that conveyed her skepticism.
Icocked my head and assured her, “Noneed to be wary.”
“Perhapsnot.”Shenodded while wiping down the bar with a quick motion. “Justmy nature,Isuppose.”
“Anda side effect of you listening to too many true crime podcasts,”Iteased.Sheoften told stories of some horrifying crime she’d just listened to, andI’dbeg her to stop.Howcould she sleep after listening to some of those cases?
Shechuckled. “You’reright.Thatprobably doesn’t help.”Shetipped her head. “Butit’s always the person you least suspect who turns out to be a gradeAcreep-a-zoid with a hobby of carving people into tiny pieces.”
“Easyon the imagery there,”Icountered with raised hands, palms forward. “Iwould like to sleep tonight.”
“I’mjust saying.Youcan’t just trust anyone.Younever know what they’re truly thinking.”
Iwouldn’t deny that.I’dbeen duped by some shitty people in my life, from my self-serving mom to power-hungry demons.ButIcouldn’t let them rob anything else from me, so that meant leaving what they’d done in my past.Thatwasn’t a mindset that had been easy to adopt, but ifIkept reminding myself and used techniques to let the good outweigh the bad, thenIcontinued to make progress.
Whena guy down the bar motioned for her attention,Iexhaled, relieved for the reprieve.
Itook a deep breath and focused on reframing my thoughts.Kyliewas wrong.Iwas lucky to have friends whoItrusted completely.Awolf shifter and a witch to be more specific.SebastianandNovahad risked their lives for me, andI’ddo the same for them.Iwas lucky to have found them.
Maybeone dayKyliewould find someone she could believe in that way.Thenshe’d be able to let down her guard and not suspect the worst in others.
IfIcould do so despite what others had done to me, then there was hope for everyone.
Afew minutes later,Zaneand his band got up to go.Hewalked over to me. “Hopeto see you at the show.”
Iraised my chin, determined to follow whatI’dbeen trying to convince myself.Zanedidn’t have any ulterior motive if he was inviting bothSebastianand me to see his band.Hewas just another hungry musician in town who wanted an audience.I’daskSebastianif he wanted to go.
Ismiled. “We’lltry to make it.”
CHAPTER3
SEBASTIAN
AfterIreturned home to the brick townhouse whereIlived withGianna,Ithrew my keys into the bowl near the front door.Itwas after midnight, but she wasn’t home yet.Herfeminine fragrance lingered in the living room, andIinhaled deeply.
Mywolf released a sound of contentment.Mate.
Gianna’sscent never failed to comfort us.Buther absence created a void.She’llbe home soon,Iassured us both asIremoved my shoes and left them by the front door.
Ipulled out my phone and texted her.Justgot home.
Asfor me, my scent wasn’t so pleasant.Ismelled like the restaurant, and not only from working up a sweat running around a hot kitchen all night.Aromasranging from sautéed onions, to the various oils and spicesIused to marinate the meat and seafood, and the strong scent of cleaners clung to me.Ineeded a shower.Perhapsby the timeIwas done washing up, my mate would be home.
WhileIjogged upstairs, my phone buzzed in my back pocket.ItwasGianna.Bethere soon.
Sincemy shifts at the restaurant typically ended before she was finished at the club,Isometimes drove down to meet her and ensure she got home safely.Icouldn’t overdo it, though.Giannahad been fiercely independent whenImet her, which could be challenging for a shifter like me who wanted to be near and protect his mate, soIhad to give her enough space not to smother her.Afterall, relationships were all about compromise.
Thatdidn’t meanIdidn’t worry about her asIwaited at home, sometimes with an overactive imagination fearing the worst.Thatwas foolish, though.Shealways came home and lit up my world with her presence.
Atleast she’d agreed to share our locations with each other on our phones.She’dencountered precarious situations with supernaturals, from being kidnapped by a demon to even being accosted by one of the wolf shifters of my former pack.Withall the danger she’d faced sinceI’dmet her,I’dprobably want to protect her even if she wasn’t my mate.
