Page 14 of Unmasking Her Shadow

I stand, holding onto my wings for dear life, and try to inconspicuously wipe the sauce off my chin with my thumb. “Hi!” I tell them both. They squirm now that I am facing them. If he wanted to avoid this interaction, I’m not sure why he yelled my name.

“What are you doing here?” he barks and I don’t particularly care for the tone of his voice. Like he’s accusing me of something. Right on cue, Ki and Ryker rise and shadow me on either side. Of course, both of their gazes snap to Ryker, and I don’t miss the subtle bite of Emily’s lip when her eyes trail up and down his massive frame.

“And you are?” he asks, extending his hand towards her. Xan takes it instead and says possessively, “My date.”

“My bad, bro. The way you were so concerned about Sam instead of this gorgeous woman beside you made me think she was your sister.”

I bite back a laugh and elbow him in the side. “Have a dick-measuring contest later, bros.” Sarcasm dripping in my voice, but also irritation because Emily is a sweet girl and doesn’t deserve to be in the middle of a joke.

“Xan, I’m here with friends, not that I need to give you an explanation. Em, you can join us if he continues being an ass.”

My words offend him. Good. He never showed this side of him when we were together, and we were fine the other day. She mouths thank you and tugs him away to the opposite side of the bar.

“Your ex and your friend,” Ki states.

“I promise there is no juicy drama to spill. Just because we dated doesn’t mean there is a big red X on him now.” I’m honestly okay with it, but I don’t want Emily to get hurt because he’s still sour about us.

We take our seats again, and it goes right back to the way it was before we were interrupted. I plop all the wings onto Ryker’s plate that I don’t care for, and Ki drapes her arm over my chair. How weird is it that I just met these two a couple of days ago and this is how we are spending our evening? Ryker looked like he could have strangled me when we first met, but maybe the trick to his acceptance is to challenge him…or befriend his partner.

Wobble by V.I.C. plays throughout the bar speakers, and the volume rises as a few people make their way to the makeshift dance floor. “Oh! Come on!” I exclaim, trying to pull them along with me.

“No. And if you try to pull your shit again to make me, I won’t be very nice this time,” Ryker grumbles.

Ki grins when I look at her. “Not tonight, Red.”

I rush to join the small crowd, Emily noticing and squeezing in next to me. It’s a sin to be at a bar and not line dance to at least one song before you go. Kioni and Ryker are both watching us, along with Xander. But I don’t pay him any mind. I smile at my evening companions, glad I’d agreed to tag along. When the song ends, someone grabs my hand and spins me around. My skirt twirls and I laugh when I see that it’s Kioni.

“I thought you didn’t want to dance?”

“It was either me or that man.” She tilts her head towards the retreating figure. “And that was not happening.”

She twirls me again, pulling me into her and resting her hand on my waist.

“Thank you for dragging me along tonight. I needed this.”

She dips me, and I squeal.

“Me too,” she says, grinning down at me.

Everyone we came with leaves one by one until it’s only us three left of the large group. They flank me on either side as they escort me through the dark parking lot to my car. Kioni keeps her hand on my open door until my seatbelt is fastened.

She smiles at me. “Good night, Sam.”

“Good night, Ki. Thanks for letting me be your third wheel.”

She huffs out a laugh and gazes at me for another heartbeat before shutting my door and stepping back. They wait until I’m backing up before they walk to theirs. I’ve never felt so safe and protected before.

On the way home, I finally receive a message from my shadow.

Phantom_Shadow: What’s your red?

Excitement and anxiety thrum through me, from the red flags waving in my mind to the drool dripping from my hellcat.

Hidden_Embers: All green.

I just went from safety to free-falling in a matter of minutes.

12