Page 28 of Never Say Die
Shay offered a small, crooked smile. “Enjoy the room, Jake.”
“I damn-well-better for how much you spent on it. You assholes know the drill—no needles, no hospitals?—”
“Don’t get anyone pregnant,” everyone said, sarcastically.
Jacob flicked two fingers over his shoulder and left the restaurant.
“Should we get changed for the club?” Georgia asked. She tilted her head to the side, resting her martini glass against her mouth.
“I mean, we’re rockstars, aren’t we?” Shay finished the rest of his drink. “Might as well look the part.”
CHAPTER TEN
Aiden slammed a shot glass on the table and bit into a lemon slice. Sour flooded his mouth. Neon beamed across the dancefloor, bending around bodies while hard-hitting bass shook the walls. People wrapped in micro-dresses and designer jeans stumbled through the crowd, sipping overpriced cocktails and laughing against the music. Georgia had prowled the dancefloor until she found a handsome man to press against for a while, and Dylan had moved to Hail the Haunted’s VIP table. Shay sat beside Aiden, scanning the room. His features tightened. Nostrils flared. Fingertips curled and uncurled. Aiden knew hunger intimately. But whatever had taken hold of Shay was an older brand. Harder and meaner. It terrified him—thrilled him, even—to watch Shay sink into monstrousness. He swallowed another mouthful of tequila, drowning shame and jealousy and paranoia.
Somewhere close to bone, Aiden wished he would’ve been the one to crawl back onto shore. Wished he could trade places with Shay, who looked animal and afraid, lit by a flashing strobe in the booming club. Aiden had unmade himself once before—unstitched his flesh and discarded an ill-fitting self. If he couldturn back time, he would’ve done it differently. Stepped off the cliff, let the waves pummel him, sold his own soul, returned as something more. Saved Shay Bennett. Harnessed power. Transformed himself.
But sacrifices couldn’t be undone, and Aiden had to deal with the fucking mess he’d made.
Shay leaned toward him. Their elbows knocked, arms pressing atop the table. “Gonna grab a beer. Want anything?”
“I’ll come with you.”
“It’s fine, I got it.”
“Seriously?” Aiden turned, mouth hovering below Shay’s ear. “I’m not about to sit here and pretend you’re not casing this fucking club, Shay. We need a plan—a good one.”
Shay chewed an ice cube. He’d changed into a collared black shirt and dark denim, and fidgeted restlessly with his flashy abalone cufflinks. He was irritatingly handsome, even with his sunken eyes and sallow complexion. “I can do this on my own,” he said, and faced the lively dancefloor. “Keep drinking. It’s what you do best, isn’t it?”
“No, stabbing people is what I do best,” Aiden said. “Or did you forget?”
Shay’s lips split into a fanged grin, and he tilted forward, teasing at Aiden’s mouth like anasshole. “Yeah, and you couldn’t even get that right,” he said, and melted into the crowd.
For a moment, Aiden re-considered being able to kill Shay a second time. Right then, he certainly could’ve.
Nerves ignited in his chest. He inhaled a slow, trembling breath, cycling through scenarios. There were cameras, like, every-fucking-where in the club and around the hotel. Shay wasn’t necessarily unhinged, but he definitely wasn’t thinking clearly, and he probably hadn’t considered the round-the-clock security at a swanky castle like this. But. . .butif they made for the outskirts of the strip, they might find an easier target. Atraveler—someone without a phone. Without a home. Briefly, he thought about Shay’s slick, red mouth.Could he live on blood alone. . . ?He remembered the snap of Thomas’s ribcage. Grabbed the tequila out of the ice bucket and drank straight from the bottle. Thought,what if I could feed him, and chewed another lemon to kill the heat in his throat. Thoughts whirled like a storm. Cameras. Getting caught. Murder. Prison. Letting Shay bite him. Security. Sacrifice.Where is he?Aiden craned, frantically searching, until he spotted dainty hands resting on familiar shoulders, dark hair swaying, and abalone glinting as Shay steered a pair of narrow hips.
Someone squeezed Aiden’s elbow. He startled, jumping in his seat.
“Whoa, hey! Chill out, it’s me,” Georgia said. She tugged on his wrist. “C’mon, these kids can’t dance. Keep me company for a minute.”
“Sorry, hey. I?—”
“Come on, one song,” she said, and hauled him off the chair.
He stumbled with her onto the dancefloor, rising to the tips of his boots to see over the crowd. The bar was three people deep. Purple and pink lights shot from left to right, warping the faces around him. Georgia pulled him into a spin, following the rhythmic trance with her hips. Her romper was already sweat-dampened, and a thin sheen glittered on her cheeks. She grinned at him, laughing as he snaked his hand around her waist and dipped her, stealing a glance over her shoulder.Where the fuck are you, Shay?Georgia spun, playfully pushing against his hips, fingers laced with his above her head. Aiden took the opportunity to search again. Dancefloor, no. Bar, no. Table,no. Finally, Shay appeared, slipping past the bathrooms toward the outdoor pool area, one arm tucked around a black denim skirt, slender legs covered in pleather, crop top draped over fishnet.
You idiot,Aiden thought, and steered his gaze to the tablewhere Dylan shared his vape pen with the drummer from Hail the Haunted. Groupies lingered, minus two.
Aiden put his mouth to Georgia’s ear and said, “I’m gonna check on Shay. Pretty sure he’s tapped out.”
“Since when do you give a single shit about Shay?” She arched a brow, leaning the back of her head against his shoulder.
“Since we have a sold-out show to play tomorrow. Go bug Dylan to dance with you.”
Georgia barked out a laugh. “Oh, hell no. That white boy can’t do anything except bob his head.”
“Yeah, that’s fair.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”
