“Wow, are you nervous?” He took my hand, and I looked down as blazing red heat engulfed it.
“No. Not really. Just want to get it over with.” Jace and Lana had to be wondering where I was by now. And I really wanted to tell my mom the good news. “Look, why are you even talking to me? I get the whole brotherly love thing, but—”
“I like you.” He flashed me a bright smile, his red eyes beaming. “I want to get to know you. Is that so wrong?”
My heart hammered against my chest. “And you believe that we’re all going to get along after centuries of war and murder?” I asked, staring into his eyes.
He cupped my face. “Guess it couldn’t hurt to try.” Then he ran his warm thumb along my jaw. “I think you’ll find that we’re more alike than you think.” He inched forward, dipping his head toward mine.
I jerked my head back. “What are you doing?”
“I just told you. I like you.” He squinted. “Are all Shythe girls as dense as the guys?”
I glared at him with what I hoped were flaming blue eyes of death. “You know what, even if this experiment works, you Narcos have a lot to learn,” I said with mock laughter. “I’m not that easy.”
Reese quirked an eyebrow, and a slow smile spread across his lips. “I told you, I like a challenge.” He turned on his heel and walked away, leaving me stunned.
I almost called out after him—to tell him he was the jerk with the problem, not me—when something over at the bar caught my attention.
I peered through the crowd. Jace stood face-to-face with the blond Narco. The Narco was being held back by his buddy, and Nick was doing his best to restrain Jace. Shoving through the throng of bodies, I found Lana and attempted to pull her with me off the dance floor, but I lost her in my hurry to get to Jace.
“That will never happen! You’re crazy if you think—” Jace broke off, noticing the clubbers around him. He ground his teeth, his jaw clenched tight. He was holding back from saying something he might regret in front of the humans.
The blond Narco stopped pulling against his friend. “Outside,” he said simply to Jace.
Jace’s eyes became wild. I pushed through the gathered bodies toward him. “What are you doing?” I pulled his head down to look at me. His eyes scanned my face, barely seeing me. “You know you can’t fight him. Let’s just leave.”
He stepped back, juddering out of my hold. “You didn’t hear what he said.” Then he leaned in close to me. “We can’t allow them to think they’re going to control us, Dez. We have to stand up to them. Even if the Council won’t.”
I glanced over and saw Reese watching us. I was half Narco, but raised Shythe. After talking with him, I was more confused than ever over how I truly felt about the two races coming together. But I couldn’t allow Jace to get into a fight—or worse, killed—over his beliefs.
“Jace,” I said, forcing him to look into my eyes. “Calm down. I’m getting Lana and you’re coming with me.” I paused. “Actually, Nick, you take Jace outside. I’ll get Lana.”
Nick saluted me. “Yes, ma’am.” He clapped Jace on his shoulder, giving it a shake. “Come on, man. These guys are a waste.”
Relieved to see the blond Narco backing away with his friend, heading toward the side exit, and Jace going out the front door with Nick, I turned to find where I’d lost Lana in the crowd. I scanned the dancing bodies, and a pair of glowing red eyes, staring right at me, caught my attention. Crap.
I wheeled around and headed for the door, thinking Lana might already be outside. She normally bolted when things got too dramatic. I was almost there when Reese stepped in front of me. “Leaving? But we were having fun.” His voice sounded playful, but the humor didn’t reach his eyes. For the first time, I actually felt fear.
“Just let me leave. I don’t want to do this in front of a crowd.” I met his gaze, and his lips pressed into a hard line.
“Yeah, I guess it was stupid to think the Council might be right for a change.” His eyes flared. “And here I thought we could possibly be friends. But I guess the Shythe will always be too hotheaded for that.”
“Us hotheaded?” I gaped. “Look at how your friends are acting. If friendship is what you want, you should’ve made an honest attempt instead of trying to bully us around…bastard.” I sidestepped him, but he grabbed my arm. “Get off!”
“Hey.” He let go, hands raised in defense. “So, what you’re saying is, if I want, not wanted. As in present tense? That I still have a chance?”
“Are you crazy? Look at what happens when we’re in the same room. The Councils are mad. Both ours and yours. This phony truce is going to be the demise of us all.”
He stared into my eyes—his red glow so intense I felt hypnotized. And for a moment, his human guise shifted, and I saw his true form. Damn, he was hot. But still a Narco…and still a jerk. I shook my head, shaking off the illusion. But when I looked back up, his eyes were no longer glowing red. Two mirrored beams of what I saw every day stared at me.
His lips spread into a wickedly hot smile, and he winked a glowing violet eye at me before blinking and returning them to red.
Chapter Seven
OUTSIDE, LANA STOOD IN front of Jace, her arms outstretched, as if she was the only thing holding him back
from bolting into the club. “Where have you been?” she asked me as I walked up.