Page 65 of Wreaking Havoc
Alexei smirked at him. “I’ve found logic doesn’t really come into play when it comes to the paranormal. It’s better to trust your gut. How you feel rather than what you think.”
Sascha looked up at Kai. His stupidly beautiful face, staring at Alexei with the first modicum of respect he’d shown since they’d met. “I feel safe,” Sascha found himself saying. “And I’m realizing I’ve maybe never felt that way before.”
Jay sighed, his hands clasped in front of his chest. “Oh, that’s lovely.”
“Not that it’s any of either of your business,” Kai grumbled, seeming to remember he didn’t care for anyone else’s opinion. “He’d already agreed.”
Sascha coughed, patting Kai’s arm in reassurance. “So you’re leaving?” he asked Alexei.
“It’s only Friday. We can stay one more night.” An almost playful look entered Alexei’s eyes. “For old time’s sake.”
Sascha grinned. “Old time’s sake” was their code. Alexei and Sascha used to go clubbing together back home, picking their…entertainment for the evening. It had been their thing, at least when Alexei had been able to escape Ivan’s demands for a night.
Although, now they were both spoken for.
How boring of them.
“You want to go out?” Sascha hated how hopeful he sounded. But he’d missed his brother. He’d missed having fun together, in the pockets of space they’d made for themselves within their family’s oppressive legacy.
Alexei cocked a brow. “I’ve heard this town has a gay bar. Think they have any decent music?”
Sascha bounced up on his toes. “Really? You want to go dancing?”
Alexei didn’t usually dance, but he would stand in the corner with a drink in his hand while Sascha did his thing in the crowd.
Kai frowned down at him. “It’s a delay, zaychik.”
“Just a little one. Please?” Sascha got up on tiptoes, whispering in Kai’s ear, “I’ll wear one of the new pretty things I bought. You can take it off me afterward.”
A low rumble left Kai’s chest. Sascha grinned.
They were going out.
A familiar himbowas standing inside the bar’s entrance with a little black light.
Buff Dude grinned at Sascha like an old friend. “Hey, man. You didn’t drop your coat tonight.” He raised his fist for a bump.
Sascha couldn’t help it—he grinned back, ignoring Kai’s rumbling growl, and bumped fists like an idiot. “I didn’t drop it,” he agreed. “So where’s your coat check?”
Buff Dude just laughed easily, like Sascha had told some sort of joke, and waved them on. All of them except Jay, that was,who he halted with a raised palm. “Gotta check that ID, little dude.”
Jay beamed at him. “I have one of those!”
Buff Dude nodded, holding his fist up yet again. “Right on.”
He cleared Jay after a flash of his blacklight, and their party walked further into the bar, surrounded by the familiar, comforting sound of 2000s pop divas.
There was a surprising number of people there, a smaller core group already gyrating on the dance floor.
It was promising. Very promising.
Sascha turned to Alexei, raising his voice to be heard over the music. “Grab us drinks? Something easy.” He still didn’t trust this place with any sort of real cocktail.
Alexei nodded, grabbing Jay by the hand and leading him to the bar.
Sascha debated getting a head start on the dance floor, but then a familiar voice cried out from the crowd. “Sascha!”
And there was Seth, his full cheeks flushed in the heat of the bar, light-brown curls artfully tousled, with some sort of sparkling shadow on his eyelids. “You came out!” He gave Sascha a quick hug, nodding his greeting to Kai, who was lurking behind Sascha, a warm presence at his back. “You picked a good night too. First Friday has dancing. People come from two towns over, when the roads are good.”
