Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
She leaned toward me, saying in a way she probably thought she was being discreet, in a way that was not discreet at all, “Gum’s the bartender. He’s got a weird first name and someone called him Gum because he’s always here and working.” She blinked once and said to Gage next, “And you know what I’m talking about. They’re locals and then there’s locals. He’s a local local local, if you get my drift.”
Gage glared. “I have no fucking clue what you’re talking about.”
She barely shrugged, looking back at Gum, saying at the same time, “Because you’re a temp local.”
“What does that mean?” he hissed.
She didn’t hear him, jumping to attention because she’d finished looking back at Gum, and at the couple, who were staring directly at us. At her. As if they could hear everything she’d just said. She muttered something, making the sign of the cross in front of her before she smacked the table once. “I’m dipping out. See you folks. Nice meeting your hotties.” She gave Caden and Shay a wink.
The show had come to an end, but now the announcer guy was over there and words were being exchanged between the guys. Gum had come around to the other side of the bar, and he was standing next to the announcer. The female looked a little upset, but her guy wasn’t having it. He stepped forward, getting into the announcer’s face. Gum wasn’t having that, and he stepped forward, his hand raised, and that’s when something happened that I couldn’t explain.
The couple guy turned towards Gum, his eyes suddenly all dark, and a black something, like dust, lifted off him and swirled around him before lunging for Gum.
Gum was the opposite.
A light blue mist lifted off him, and lunged at the black mist. They collided, and a spark went through the whole bar.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I felt electrified. Everyone felt it, and I jerked towards Caden, who had his serious jawline going, (if you know, you just know), and he moved in front of me. Shay was looking all pissed too, stepping in front of Kennedy.
“What the fuck was that?” Gage took a step away from the table, and then–nothing.
Everyone had been aware something happened, and then everyone was back to normal. A new mermaid was on the stage, and she was dancing. A wave was coming from her, drawing everyone’s attention to her. Her movements were mesmerizing. People were stepping away from their tables, enraptured with her. The music ended from the jukebox. She began singing. A low, soothing, but urging tone came from her.
I felt a pounding inside me, a need to–Caden grasped my hand, urging me with him. “Let’s get out of here.”
Shay had Kennedy in tow, and the guys led us to the back by the bathrooms. There was a door there, and we went through it, out to a parking lot. Once there, I blinked at the sudden lifting of whatever that was going inside that bar. Tension? Pressure? An urging. I had no idea what it was, but it’d been overwhelming.
I turned for Caden, who was pulling me to his side even as I did. He bent his head into my neck, kissed me there and whispered, “You okay?” His hand came up, cradling my neck as he lifted to look at me.
I nodded, having this feeling like we’d just sidestepped a wave of… I had no idea. That was the most unsettling part of it.
Kennedy was leaning into Shay. She was facing us as he was rubbing a hand up and down her back. She frowned. “I have no idea what went on in there, but I also don’t want to stick around. Are you guys up for food or something?”
Gage had come with us, a girl with him. Their hands were linked, and he offered, “This is a small town, nothing’s open past ten except bars. I’ve got food at my place that I could warm up.” The girl with him was blinking rapidly, as if stunned by the sudden change. She’d been the one he’d been kissing earlier, but she’d not been at the table with us. I had half a thought that maybe he grabbed her as we were leaving and dragged her outside with him. He glanced her way. “Up for food at my place?”
She was still blinking, but nodded. “Yeah. That was…weird in there. Right?” She asked him, “You thought it was weird?”
“It was weird, babe.”
Kennedy and I shared a look. Babe?
Maybe she wasn’t such a random girl.
He lifted a hand, cupping the side of her face. Her auburn hair fell over his hand and he drew her to him, giving her a light kiss. She seemed more settled after that and was half resting on him for support.