Red Game

Chapter Fourteen

It was only 13° Celsius outside, but Jane wasn't cold. Her chest felt like summer, a tiny gift of radiance tucked between her ribs. Dante's jacket rested across her shoulders, his scent--smoke and some herbal conditioner she needed to know the name of--threaded into the leather.

"How was Cat?" Dante asked as he closed Rock Garden club's secret exit. The rest of The Vigilantes had gone ahead and retired for the night, as had most concertgoers.

Jane shrugged, a response that suggested a level of chill Cat did not possess. "After yelling at me for five minutes, without a word from me edgewise, she seemed to relax." She'd gone through the stages of grief in record time, her South African accent becoming more prominent the more passionate she got.

Dante snorted. "I think she still hates me."

"That's plausible. She told me she's trying to warm up to you, though." Jane hoped that was true. "The girl holds an impressive grudge."

Dante took her hand in his, their fingers threading together. His hands fascinated her. They were large yet slender, fingers shaped like the keys of the piano he played, his fingertips calloused from the guitar. The fate line on his palms were most prominent; no two people on earth had the same palms. "I would've once said the same thing about you."

She peered up at him through her mascara-coated lashes. "And do you plan to seduce your way out of the problem with her, too?"

He brought his free hand under her chin to tilt it up. "Is that what I've done?"

A blush crept from her neck to her cheeks, and she tried to look away, partly embarrassed at what she'd said, but he pulled her face toward his. His lips were cold as he gave her a slow, driven kiss.

At the expression on her face once he pulled away, he said, "And I'll keep doing it."

She had no complaints.

The pair rounded the corner, entering London's night life. The hour was nearing one a.m. but cities were permanently restless. Car lights reflected off the roads like Christmas lights, buildings appeared taller in the dark, signs amusement-park bright.

"I told Cat I would return to New York tomorrow," Jane admitted. The foolishness of running off had yet to hit her; her job could potentially be at risk, and that promise was the one thing keeping her position secure. Despite how much Judith Slaying loved her, there was nothing they could really do if the higher powers decided to let her go.

Dante's gaze was imploring. "I hate to think I'm somehow putting your job in jeopardy," he said, reading between the lines.

Jane shook her head. "You haven't done anything of the sort. I made the choice to fly here, without management's permission. I technically had the day off, but they give me a hard time about everything."

"Damn managers and landlords," he said, making a disapproving tsk sound. "Could dedicate an entire album to them alone."

She let out a laugh, hoping to reassure him. He still seemed worried, so she switched topics.

"So, what was it you wanted to show me?" She asked. After expressing that he didn't want to part ways, Dante had said he wanted to take her somewhere.

His expression shuddered to shyness, hidden thoughts crossing over his face like shadows. "Right, forgot I said that," he replied, which sounded like a lie.

Jane's pulse picked up in curious excitement. If her question was enough to make him sheepish, what could he possibly have to show her?

He hailed a taxi while she held his free hand with both of hers, feeling a little like a schoolgirl. She didn't care so much about where they were going so much as she did about being able to freely follow him. Worries about the paparazzi lingered in the back of her mind, but if she was willing to confess her feelings to Dante, then she had to stand by it.