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“The sexy slayers.”
We share an amused, conspiratorial smile before Dominic sighs heavily. He drops his forehead against the steering wheel with an audible thunk. I immediately reach for his shoulder, rubbing it soothingly, trying to calm him the only way I know how—through touch.
“Everything will be okay. It’s just dinner,” I assure him, even as my own anxiety amps up a dozen notches.
But even if everything goes to shit, we have contingencies in place. We’re a team—all of us.
I have a tracker sewed into the hem of my dress, courtesy of Beckett, and Dominic has one in his shirt sleeve. Not only that, but Beckett and Zane are parked just down the road, only one phone call away, in case we need them.
So far, we haven’t received any indication that Harvey’s aware Dominic stole his phone. Landon believes that The Divine One kept it a secret—whether intentionally or not. Perhaps telling Harvey just wasn’t on The Divine One’s to-do list. Either way, Harvey seems oblivious to what transpired during our last dinner with him.
And as long as things stay that way…
I take a deep, calming breath and attempt to bolster my confidence.
We can do this.
We need to do this.
Harvey is one of our only leads, the other being Seth—my brother’s security guard—who mysteriously went missing shortly after Landon and Dominic’s confrontation with him at the fight club. We don’t believe anything bad happened to him. Landon theorizes that when Seth sobered up, he panicked that someone stole his phone and left town. He didn’t even bother to send in a letter of resignation to my brother.
But Seth disappearing is beneficial for us. If no one knows we have his phone—and the app installed on it—then no one can stop us from using it. For the first time in my life, I’m thankful someone’s a complete and utter coward.
Dominic’s husky voice drags my attention back to the present. His fingers are tapping rapidly against the steering wheel, a repetitive thump-thump-thump that serves as a metronome for my erratic heartbeat. “If shit hits the fan…”
“It won’t,” I interrupt, already knowing what he’s going to say.
Dominic’s teeth grit together. “But if it does, you run to Beck and Zane, you hear me?”
“I’m not leaving you behind.” I smooth a hand down my cherry-red dress and then grab the batch of freshly baked brownies off the dashboard. “We’re a team.”
“But, Ellie?—”
“Come on.” I open the door and step out of the car. “We’re going to be late.”
Dominic mutters something incoherent, his voice too low for me to hear, but does as instructed.
Without the sun to heat the air, it’s terrifyingly cold. The bitter wind snaps at my cheeks, like the crack of a whip, and seems to burrow its way into my very bones. I’m suddenly grateful Beckett convinced me to wear my sweater dress, instead of the short-sleeve one I’d been considering.
I have to admit, I look stunning, and I know I have Beckett to thank for that.
The dress he bought me is ruby-red and seems to make my pale skin pop. It hugs all my curves but has a slit up the left side, allowing me to have ease in movement. Beckett paired the dress with a “diamond” necklace that sits snugly on my chest, though I doubt it’s actually made of real diamonds. I styled my brown hair into a messy yet elegant bun on the back of my head, with a few tendrils escaping in loose curls. Once again, I’ve chosen to wear contacts instead of my glasses. My makeup is minimal—since Beckett told me I’m stunning without any and I didn’t have a lot of time—and only includes mascara, eyeliner, blush, and startling red lipstick that matches the color of the dress.
I feel elegant, beautiful, and sexy—a combination I can easily admit I don’t feel often in my life.
Dominic extends an arm for me to take, and I do so with a bright grin. Last time I was here, I felt shy and uncertain, terrified of my growing feelings for Dominic and the rest of the guys. Now, I walk with a confidence I’ve never felt before, my hand curled around Dominic’s arm in a way that’s almost possessive.
“Is the step-bitch going to be here tonight?” I murmur as we walk up the slick, icy pathway to the front door. I’m immensely grateful for Dominic’s support. If not for him, I probably would have fallen on my ass at least twice.
“Step-bitch.” Dominic snorts in amusement. “That sounds about right.” Neither of us is overly fond of Dominic’s pervy stepmother. “And to answer your question, probably.” His nose wrinkles adorably.
“If she tries to put her moves on you, I might have to kick her ass,” I tease.
Dominic actually chokes on his own tongue. “What the fuck, El? You can’t say shit like that to me.” A wide, delighted grin tugs up the corners of his lips in a way that should be illegal. I swear I lose brain cells at the sight.
“Why can’t I?” I ask, only half-listening. I’ve fixed the rest of my attention on that darn smile of his. The butterflies in my stomach turn radioactive, bouncing around erratically.
Dominic leans forward so his mouth is directly beside my ear. “Because it makes me want to fuck you against the side of the house right here and now.”
