My eyes met blue steel as an understanding passed between us. Judy gave me a nod.
There was no way I'd be able to find this book. I never stood a chance against the monster who'd shattered my world. He was going to destroy me.
I took a deep breath. Fine. As I'd said a few moments ago, I had no one left in this world. Let him do his worst.
But I wouldn’t let him take out anyone else with me.
18
BROGAN
Two more long, torturous nights crawled by with agonizing slowness, and there was still no sign of Esme at The Purple Fang. Not seeing her was slowly driving me to the brink of madness.
The only thin thread of sanity I clung to was Lizzy's reassurance that Esme was still showing up at Ancient Magicks for her shifts each day. So at least I knew she was safe, even if she was deliberately avoiding me. And honestly, I couldn't say that I blamed her. After all, I’d told her to stay away from me, and I guess she was finally doing as I asked.
But fucking hell, Ithirsted. And I washungry. And I…I…
God, Iwantedthings I had no business wanting.
I had the night off, but I'd come to The Fang anyway, hoping to see her. I knew she was only keeping her distance because I’d blown her off the other night, but it wasn't like her to just leave things alone and slink away like this. No. Not the Esme I'd grown to know. She was too tenacious for that. She'd show up again sooner or later.
She would. Because I had no idea where to find her other than Lizzy's shop, and she was always gone before it was dark enough for me to stop in.
When I couldn't sit still any longer, I asked Kenya—who was covering the bar tonight while Elias performed—to give me a call if Esme showed up, and then I stalked out of the club. Letting the door slam behind me, I pulled my jacket collar up around my neck and headed down Bourbon Street. Taking a deep breath, I inhaled the lingering scents of booze, sweat, and sin into my lungs, and tried to calm the commotion in my head so I could think.
I was only a block and a half away when I caught a whiff of something else beneath it all. A spicy sweet scent that I'd know anywhere. One that pulled me up short and made my blood burn and my fangs ache. Every fucking cell in my body immediately came alive, and I wanted nothing more than to crawl out of my own skin and under hers. And I still wouldn't be fucking close enough.
Esme.
I followed that scent like a shark scenting blood in the water, my feet carrying me down the street and into another club before I'd fully processed where I was going. The deep bass of endless dance music reverberated through my bones as I easily shoved my way through the crowd of humans, ignoring the irritated looks and drunken curses thrown my way…
Because there she was. In the middle of the damn dance floor, arms raised above her head as her hips undulated to the heavy beat. Her thick dark hair was pinned up off her neck, the bare skin of her back glistening with a light sheen of sweat. Her gorgeous breasts were barely covered by a silky black shirt that was cut almost as low in the front as it was in the back. A short black skirt exposed her shapely legs, accentuated by high heels.
And she wasn't alone.
Some asshole wearing too tight jeans and a backwards baseball hat had his fucking hands on her hips, grinding against her like he had any right at all to fucking touch her as his eyes devoured the smooth curves of her cleavage. Rage and jealousy clawed up my throat as my vision bled red at the edges.
MINE.
Between one breath and the next, I was across the dance floor, shoving my way between them. I grabbed the guy by the front of his shirt and bared my fangs in his face as my voice burrowed into his brain.
"This ain't your girl. As a matter of fact, she's not even your type. You prefer crazy redheads who make your life miserable, although you'll take a narcissistic blonde if the options are slim. And now you're going to fuck off before I rip your fucking throat open for touching my female, and you’re not going to remember this woman or anything I just said.”
The guy's eyes went wide, and he stammered something I couldn't hear over the buzzing in my ears.
"Now," I growled.
I released him and gave him a shove. Blinking at me in confusion, he turned away and started making his way toward the bar at the back where a group of girls wearing party tiaras were doing shots. I watched him for a few seconds, wishing all these people would leave so I could make good on my threat.
When that didn't happen, I closed my eyes and fought to get a grip on the bloodlust surging through me before turning back to Esme. She stood completely still in the middle of the dance floor, staring up at me, her chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath, her dark eyes glittering in the pulsing lights.
"What are you doing here?"
She didn't look angry. She looked…scared. Because I'd caught her fucking around with that guy?
Grabbing her arm, I pulled her off the dance floor, ignoring her protests as I dragged her through the crowd, down the nearest hallway, and out the back door into the alley behind the club. The door slammed shut behind us, muffling the pounding music.
"What are you fucking doing, Esme?" I demanded, backing her up against the brick wall and caging her in with my arms. "Is this where you’ve been the past two nights? Avoiding me so you can grind on other guys in some shitty club?"
