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“What's up? Did you find something?” Zane asked before noticing the picture in my hand. He smiled, taking it from Slade.
“Oh wow, I haven't looked at that picture in a while. That was after Adam had finished his apprenticeship, right? You’d been opened a year if I remember correctly. You never liked that guy, though, did you?” Zane chuckled as he recalled something, and I felt my shoulders relax even more. Slade noticed, and he closed his eyes for a brief second, breathing in.
When he opened them, he nodded, accepting my one percent doubt that had flared. Simon noticed where we were all looking and turned to look at the picture. His eyes jumped to mine once he recognized who it was.
“Holy shit, it'sThane. Psycho Thane, I mean.”
“He's a fucking dead man.”
“Wait, what?” Zane asked, catching on we weren't reminiscing. “Thisis who has been pretending to be me?”
I nodded, not able to say more. “Shit. I guess that explains how he knew so much about us at least.”
“What do you mean?”
“Slade roomed with him when he first moved to the city. He bugged him for months until, eventually, he let him apply for the job. He had skills, so he couldn't deny him the opportunity. Slade never liked him, though, but he couldn't find a reason not to hire him when he had talent. You met him off one of those roommate apps, right?”
Slade nodded, his whole body tensed, and I worried he might crack a tooth he was grinding them so hard. “He's been working here foryears. Became the manager when I went to set up the Kentucky store. He's had access to my schedule, emails, andeverything, basically if he wanted to… Fuck.”
Slade looked at his brother, his eyes full of emotion, before looking at me again. He didn't want to tell me whatever it was. “Just go ahead. I need to know.”
“He was a bartender at the bar where….” Zane started.
“Where I was drugged and almost kidnapped,” I finished for him. The memory rushed back, practically slapping me across the face. But I didn't push it away this time, finally ready to face it.
THE REST OF THAT NIGHT PT 2
My cheek restedon the sticky floor, the bass from the music reverberating it. The tattooed angel had been hot but angry when he'd been here a minute ago. I wondered where he went. Smacking my lips, I attempted to gather some saliva, my mouth impossibly dry. My eyes began to close as the sound drowned out behind me. My whole body felt heavy, and I gave into the haze, unable to move.
Blinking open my eyes, I found myself being lifted up. The person wore a hoodie, their face hidden in the dark recesses of the fabric. “Are you here to help me?”
“Of course, princess. I'll always rescue you.”
“I'm no princess,” I muttered, not liking the word. I didn't want to be a princess. I wanted to be my own knight, not in need of rescuing. I always hated when the girl had to be saved by the guy. Why couldn't the girl save the guy for once?
“You're my princess, and it's my job to make sure you know that. Come on. We don't have much time.”
We started to move through the bar. The crowded area was hard to maneuver with how my legs barely seemed to work. The hooded figure next to me was practically dragging me at this point. “I'm drunk,” I slurred. “I need Duncan.”
“No. You don't. You only need me. You'll see.”
“I don't even know you.” I had to be dreaming. No way this dude was for real.
“Yes, you do. I'm Blaze, Nox.”
The name had me stopping as I looked at him. “If you're Blaze, then I really want nothing to do with you. You're a liar and a big meanie head.”
“Yeah, sorry about earlier. Someone stole my phone, can you believe it? I got to the restaurant, and the hostess said, you’d left, crying. I've been trying to find you ever since.”
“I don't believe,” I mumbled, the alcohol making it difficult to judge him. We made it to the door, and he dragged me through it. The air stuck to my skin when we made it outside. He kept dragging me down the sidewalk, and I realized I didn't want to go with him. I didn’t care who he was.
In an attempt to fight, I tried to wrench myself out of his hold, but I stumbled, almost falling to my knees in the process.
“Don't be a little bitch. I had to work hard to get you here, don't go and ruin it now.”
“I don't understand.”
“I know, and I'm sorry about that, princess. But you will once we get to where we’ll be staying.”
