Ash(48)

As expected, he pretty much squealed when I told him of our upcoming field trip from the Hive. “Seriously? Yummy Ryder is escorting us to a club in town?”

I rolled my eyes at “yummy Ryder.” Jayden had his own sexy six. He had to stop with all the man greed.

“Yes, get ready,” I told him. It was midnight and Ryder would be here soon.

Jayden lurched to his feet. “Me get ready? What about you?” He eyed my skinny jeans and tank-top like they were dirt-covered canvas bags. I flipped him off but he persisted.

“Honey, a body like that needs to be showed off. Please, please, please, let me dress you.”

Well shit, Tessa had been replaced by her clone. Knowing my new bestie pretty darn well already, I knew he would not give up. And I was too excited to care tonight.

“Whatever,” I declared, and just like that he attacked me with all of his gayness.

My hair was pulled down and curled in loose waves, my makeup applied with expert precision – darker than I usually wore, but still perfect. He finished with a red stain brushed upon my lips. Then Jayden ducked out of the room, he was gone for a bit so I guessed had headed to the Hive’s clothes stores, before he returned holding what looked like nipple pasties triumphantly in the air.

I put my hands up. “Hell no, I’m not a stripper.” Jayden was even worse than Tessa.

He rolled his eyes. “Duh, strippers don’t wear pasties.”

He dropped the packet on the bed and whipped out this small black scarf.

“What’s that scarf for?” It was cold outside now. We were well into October, but ash were naturally warmer than humans. I wouldn’t need a scarf.

He smiled. “It’s not a scarf, it’s a top.” He motioned for me to lift my arms.

With a sigh I complied, somehow knowing I was totally going to regret allowing him free rein here.

Ten minutes later, I was looking in the mirror – Good lord – wearing a black backless shirt that scooped so low in the front you almost saw my belly button. It fastened at my neck, and if I leaned forward the pasties were the only thing keeping my modesty. Jayden let my keep the skinny jeans and ass-kicking boots. My upper half was stripper central and my lower half was Lara Croft Tomb Raider. Which was actually kind of perfect.

A knock on the door startled me. Shit, my eyes flashed back to my outfit.

I had forgotten for a second that Ryder, and who knows how many other ash, might be at the club tonight. With my freaky blood, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to have so much exposed skin.

Before I could voice my protest, Jayden opened the door and I turned to meet two silver eyes.

The head enforcer took one of his large strides into the room. He wasn’t alone. His five guys were with him, the core group of his enforcers, AKA the sexy six.

I took a second to stop and stare, at all of them, but mostly Ryder. This was the first time I had seen him in civilian clothes. First time I had seen any of the enforcers in civilian clothes.

I already sort of knew Oliver and Markus, and had been briefly introduced to the other three. One was Kyle, with his mess of dirty-blond hair and NFL player’s physique. He was Ryder’s second and best bro. Those two were always together. They had epic bromance written all over them. Kyle had been off on a long mission during my culling, so this was the first time for us to really hang out.

One of the other two was Jared. With his hot-ass Australian accent and blond curls, he was the epitome of surfer dude. I sort of guessed his eyes had been sky blue before the ash transformation, but now were the same black, with slight rings of silver. He was a funny, laidback guy, seeming to bring lightness to the other more serious ash. He had been the one Ryder wanted to train me in weights, and as I had admired his biceps on more than one occasion, I’d been looking forward to it. Unfortunately, he’d had to leave with Kyle, so some other random enforcer had helped.

The final of the six was Sam. Sam was a bit of a dark horse. I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard him speak. He just stood there with his black hair cut militarily short and his features hard. He wasn’t the tallest of the enforcers – that went to the mammoth of Markus, who was at least six and a half feet – and he wasn’t the scariest – that was definitely Ryder – but there was something about him, a contained energy. He was one to watch.

I found my eyes drawn again to Ryder. I was like a fucking bee with a flower, needing to suck out whatever sweetness I knew was inside. He wore clothes like no one’s business. He had on a dark blue polo shirt and dark-wash jeans. As my eyes dragged across his broad shoulders and slim hips, I realized he was checking me out almost as closely. His silver eyes were hooded now, his expression hard to read. I wasn’t sure if he appreciated all my skin or was hoping I had a large coat to throw over it.