Page 60 of Soul Redeemed

Muscles tense, Thais prepared herself for an ugly fight in the thick of all the surrounding humans.

“Ava, I’ve been calling you for the last five minutes!” The female chuckled, catching Thais off-guard.

Ava. Of course. She still wore the female’s face. “I’m sorry.” Thais pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I was kind of lost to the music.”

“You don’t remember me, do you?”

“I …”

“Lyric. I dated your brother, Ryke.” She rolled her eyes.

“Right. Yes, I remember you. How are you?”

“Could be better. Hey, did you ever end up getting back with Calix?”

She nodded, uncertain how the exchange would end. “I’m … I’ve been staying at his place.”

“How’s Zeke?”

Zeke? She hadn’t met a Zeke. Perhaps the demon she’d run into on the way out?

“Good. Doing great,” she lied. “Gorgeous as ever.”

Her brow furrowed a bit, then softened to a smile. “I’ve been thinking about him. Ever since I … well, I took care of him for a while. He was in pretty bad shape.”

If it was the male she met, he was still in bad shape.

“He still has scars.” She motioned across her throat, marking the path of the of his most serious scar, and the female’s eyes widened.

“Oh, Gods. Sudesxz?” Her eyes tracked to the side, as if in thought. “I’d have never guessed … he was bad, but he seemed like he’d pull through.”

“Could’ve been an old scar.” Desperate for a change of topic, Thais tipped her head. “What are you doing in a place like this?”

Lyric reared back and frowned. “You and I used to meet up here for drinks sometimes. When we’d bitch about your brother, remember? Good riddance to that sadistic bastard.”

A strange sensation struck Thais from behind and ruffled the feathers beneath her cloaked skin.

Someone watched her.

Damn it! She’d been so distracted by conversation, she’d ignored her instincts, and as her gaze swept the crowd, searching for one of the hillbilly variety of demons, she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

“Am I right?” The female, Lyric, pulled her attention back around.

“Yeah, good riddance. Hey, I’m going to go get some fresh air. Be right back.”

Thais pushed through the crowd that’d grown thicker in the time she’d spent talking to the female. She hated the distraction and knew damn well the eyes were watching her back. No going to her secret hideaway—she wouldn’t dare at that point—and instead, she weaved through bodies until she reached the front entrance of the club.

A bouncer stood about six-foot tall, black T-shirt with ‘Security’ plastered across his broad chest.

“Just need some air,” she said, her fingers fidgeting at her sides as the tension inside her body intensified.

A grin stretched his lips as he eyed her up and down, taking in the outfit that belonged to Ava. “You come see me when you want back in.”

On the verge of crawling out of her own skin, Thais gave a demure smile and nodded.

“What’s your name, beautiful?”

“T … Ava.”