Pulse

Chapter 14

Cian

When I'd mentioned this other angel to Vinny, I'd purposefully left out that I did not like this person, and when I'd said we'd "met," our encounter had been less than a pleasant bumping-into. If I'd included the fact that she'd nearly killed me last time we talked, Vinny would have attempted to talk me out of this, and I didn't need him trying to stop me. It's not like anyone could, anyway. If it was going to help Lucie, then it was going to be done.

Caprice Martinez was less angelic than me.

That is saying something.

But I spoke the truth, especially considering I was outside her exclusive nightclub at the moment, and all kinds of things happened in that place. Most of those things were restricted from national television.

I was dressed in all black, my hood up to hide my face from anyone who might use my identity against me. The brick wall I leaned against was cold underneath my shoulders. The thick aroma of alcohol and even of marijuana scented the air around me, and I tried not to vomit. Whatever Caprice was up to was not something our employer would prefer, but that much was expected from an angel who'd been around so long that she no longer cared, and no one cared that she didn't care.

I glanced up at the stars above my head; the sky was clear tonight. I'd better not regret this.

The moment I'd been waiting for finally happened; I heard the door to the nightclub open, followed by blaring music swiftly muffled, and a few men's voices so similar that they seemed to meld together into one. I couldn't pick out how many of them there were, but that wasn't the point. I listened to their voices carry on the wind, and when they got close enough, I stepped from the shadows.

The men, who were all different versions of Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome, didn't notice me, which was part of the plan. It was not a well thought-out plan, but it was a plan, nonetheless.

With a sigh, I took a step forward and bumped into one of the Tall, Dark and Handsomes. He snarled down at me with cold eyes, but didn't make a move to fight me. Wise. "Sorry, sorry," I muttered, as if I was, then went along on my way, nearing the entrance.

I glimpsed the neon sign hanging above the glass door; the design was of a pair of darkened angel wings. Black Winged was the name of the club. "Nice, Caprice," I said under my breath, then continued.

The bouncer at the door folded his arms when he saw me; he wore a crisp, black suit that tensed at his broad shoulders, his eyes concealed behind black shades. He stood beside a scanner, as stern as stone. When I started for the door, he put a hand to my chest. "You got an invitation, kid?" he growled.

Kid. I was not a kid. Doing my best at ignoring the name, I produced the invite I'd pick-pocketed off one of the men from my pocket. It had been too easy to retrieve. It was a small, insignificant piece of laminated paper with a barcode on it, but it was my key to success. I promptly slid it on top of the scanner, and was rewarded moments later with a beep and a glinting green light.

I couldn't see the bouncer's eyes, but knew they narrowed in skepticism. He muttered as if he really, really cared, "Welcome to Black Winged."

I thanked him with a smile and entered the club. It was immediately more difficult to keep my lunch down.

Alcohol ambushed my nostrils, giving me an instant headache. The bass from the speakers was thunderous, enough to make my blood jump underneath my skin; thousands of voices shouted over each other to be heard. There was cigarette smoke and hookah lingering in the air like toxic clouds. The ceiling stretched high above my head, and the chandeliers hanging from it were neon blue angel wings, twirling slowly in a circle. The dance floor underneath the shimmering wings was a moving mass of people in glow-in-the-dark clothes, glitter adorning their skin like jewelry. The bar at my far right was overrun with party animals who probably didn't need any more to drink.