Angel pulled her car down the road that dead-ended at the Evil Dead clubhouse parking lot. Shanno
n looked over at her from the passenger seat, her stomach in knots.
Angel looked over at her and smiled. “Quit worrying. You’ll be fine. Crash will watch out for you.”
“You sure this outfit isn’t going to piss him off?”
Angel grinned a sly grin. “Maybe,” she confessed. “But it’s guaranteed to keep him stuck to you like glue all night.”
Shannon took a deep breath.
Angel looked at her with a worried expression. “Shannon, you’ve been to society functions, right? Filled with a lot of rich, intimidating people?”
“Of course.”
“Same here. Just go in with your head up, and don’t let them intimidate you.”
Shannon nodded. “All right.”
“By that, I don’t mean be a stuck-up bitch,” Angel elaborated.
“Right.”
“Right.”
They turned onto the lot, and Angel stopped near the door. Shannon looked over at it. Wolf was standing outside talking on his cell phone. She looked back at Angel, reaching for the door handle. “Wish me luck.”
“Have fun. Remember, we’re having girl’s night Tuesday!”
“Right. Goodnight, Angel.” She got out of the car, shut the door and immediately turned, leaning in the window. “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome. Now, own it, girl!”
Shannon straightened and turned to see Wolf pulling the cell phone from his ear and snapping it closed, a stunned expression on his face as his eyes swept over her. She walked to him. “Hello, Wolf.”
He whistled low and sweet. “Goddamn, girl. Crash is gonna flip when he sees you.”
“Is he in there?” she asked, trying to keep the nervous butterflies at bay.
“Yup. He’s playin’ a game of pool with Cole. Party hasn’t really started. It’s early yet. Things will heat up in a couple hours.” He reached out and grabbed the door, holding it open for her. “After you, sweetheart.”
Taking a deep breath, she raised her chin and walked in. Pausing a few steps in, she glanced around the room, taking it all in.
The party may not have started yet, but the music was blasting a hard rock driving beat. The room was dim, but not too dark. There were a lot of people already there, a smattering of women, but mostly men. She looked around, searching for Crash and felt Wolf move in close behind her. She turned to look over her shoulder at him and saw him nod in the direction of one of the pool tables in back. Turning, she followed the direction of his gaze, and then she saw him.
Crash stood by the pool table, his cue clenched in both hands, its butt resting on the floor. He studied the table and the crappy shots that Cole had just left him. Cole straightened, having just finished his shot. He smiled at Crash with a shit-eating grin. “Get out of that, motherfucker.”
Crash shook his head, squatting down to study the angle of a shot. “Asshole.”
“Crash, you ever see the movie, Grease?” Cole asked him out of the blue.
“Yeah, why?” Crash leaned to study another shot.
“Remember that part where ‘good’ Sandy goes ‘bad’?”
Crash stood, frowning at him. “You mean when she dresses in that hot black outfit? Yeah, I’m a red-blooded man. That was the best part of the whole damn movie. Why?”
Cole nudged him and nodded his head toward the door. Crash twisted his head to look. What filled his eyes had his breath leaving him and the rest of the room fading into oblivion. “Holy shit,” he managed to whisper.