Leading Her from the Darkness

CHAPTER 20

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A smirk is plastered on Kol's face as he taps my shoulder with the back of his hand, motioning for me to scoot over to make room for him to sit. I roll with it and scoot over, staying silent, in desperate hopes that I'm imagining his presence. But when Kol pulls me into a bone-crushing hug, making me slightly whimper from the pain in my ribs, I realize I'm not.

If this gets back to Dawson, shit is going to get fucking real, really fucking quick.

"Hey guys! What brings you here?" His condescending tone holding an obvious assumption that he refuses to say out loud - wicked humor hidden beneath the meaning of his question.

Luca is the first to break the silence. "Austyn was just bringing me my jacket back, and then we resolved that she deserved a drink... or five. Want to join?"

He is good. I'll give him that. The nonchalant level of his steady voice is convincing enough, seeing as though Kol's formidable energy immediately shifts over to that of excitement.

"Hell yeah! Next round is on me." Kol waves down Clairah and orders two shots of tequila each for the three of us.

Yes, please! That'll surely take the edge off.

"What are you up to tonight, Kol?" I question. My grip tightening around my glass, as I try to claim the innocence that I so wish I had right now. Thankfully, he seems to buy into it without much pause.

"I'm meeting Dawson, Zach, and Avery for a game of pool. They should be here any minute." He elbows my arm suggestively, analyzing my bemused expression incredulously.

Awesome.

He then turns his attention to Clairah as she sets down our shots in a straight line down the middle of the table.

"This one is on the house, beautiful," she chimes handing me another margarita with a wink. She glances at the guys briefly out of courtesy, before making her way over to another table nearby.

Kol and Luca look between Clairah and me and then back to each other with dumfounded expressions before bursting into a fit of laughter. I cover my face with both of my hands to hide the redness that quickly surfaces to my cheeks once again and let out an embarrassed giggle.

"That girl has it bad for our sweet little Benny over here," Kol teases, throwing an arm over my shoulder, and pulls me in for a half hug slash head-lock, to give me a knuckle sandwich against my scalp.

"Shut up!" I playfully smack Kol's hard chest, which only makes him laugh harder. He releases his grip but leaves his arm slung around me, tickling my bare shoulder with his fingertips absentmindedly.

"What's so funny over here?" Every head at our table instantaneously jerks in unison toward the same direction, from the sound of a familiar voice. I feel my stomach immediately drop to my butt and look away just as quickly.

Shit!

"Oh nothing," Kol sings in a high-pitched voice. "Just enjoying watching Austyn blush at the pretty little server over by the bar." His remark makes me elbow him in the side to shut him up.

I can feel Dawson's beautiful, hazel eyes piercing into the side of my skull, but I ignore him and down my two shots that are oh so conveniently sitting in front of me, to avoid his scrutinizing stare.

Luca's foot nudges me under the table, causing me to look up at him. His face is silently asking if I'm okay. I nod quickly, trying to cover the gesture with a long sip from my fresh margarita.