Finding Obscurity (4 page)

“Control it?”

I felt his warm breath against my neck as he chuckled. “There’s a way
to control things. I bet if you were able to get a better handle on what you
can do, you would be very powerful. Not many people know about things we can
do. It’s a closely guarded secret.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Stacy has abilities, but she has no clue that I know about it.
Honestly, I have never met anyone who I could tell just by touch that had
abilities, until I met you. I thought I was the only one.” His lips brushing
against my ear was distracting before he pulled them away to make eye contact.
“There are more of us out there, but it can be hard to locate people like you
and me because we don’t like to be found. If you ever want help trying to find
out what you may be able to do, I could show you. All you have to do is ask.”

“You’d do that for me?”

He had a crooked smile when he glanced over my shoulder. He pulled me
in even closer so our bodies were flush while slowly moving his hands to my
ass. I couldn’t help but snuggle closer as the pulsing feeling of his powers
caressed my skin. “It would be my pleasure.”

All of a sudden the hair on the back of my neck stood on end and I
felt eyes boring into my back. Blake held me closer and roughly ran his hands
over me possessively with a chuckle.

“Liliana.” I don’t know how I heard it clear as day over the music,
but my heart skipped a beat.

I pulled myself away from Blake to see Ashton standing directly
behind us. I was puzzled at the fury in his expression, and he stood still as a
stone with fists at his side, despite the fact that bodies moved all around
him. He was dressed in a dark pair of jeans and a red T-shirt that didn’t cover
his muscular frame at all. His muscles seemed to stand out more behind clothing
for some reason. Maybe it was because I knew what he looked like underneath
that shirt. His hair was styled in a preppy fashion tonight, making him look
more like a playboy than a bad boy, like last night.

“Ashton,” I breathed.

Blake acted like he didn’t want to let me go, which made no sense. He
was the powerful one and had no reason to feel threatened by Ashton. Of course,
it started to sink in that maybe Blake liked me. Did Ashton like me? That was
the million-dollar question, but I shook it off because I didn’t have time to
think about who liked me or not. Right now I wasn’t looking forward to an
inevitable pissing match.

Ashton reached for my hand, pulling me away from Blake, and I let
him. Blake stood there with a venomous expression before he growled out,
“Ryder, what a surprise.”

“Mr. Moore, what a pleasure finding you here,” Ashton shot back.

“You two know each other?” I felt like I had to shout, even though I
could hear them over the thunderous music without any problems.

“Yes,” they both snarled.

Interesting
. They knew each other, which shocked me. “How do
you two know each other?”

“It’s a long story,” Ashton said.

Blake snorted. “I’m sure she would love to know how we met. Wouldn’t
you, Lily?”

“That is a story for another time.” Ashton pulled me from the dance
floor and away from Blake. I glanced back to see him watching us with
irritation before I could no longer see him through the people dancing.

I was led through the dance floor and I pulled on Ashton’s hand,
stopping him. “I would like to get another drink, please.”

He glanced back towards the dance floor before shaking his head. “I
can get you a drink in the VIP room.”

“No.”

His eyebrow went up at my answer and I pulled my hand from his,
heading towards Sam’s bar. When Sam spotted me, I motioned to look behind me
with a finger that Ashton couldn’t see before ordering a drink. Sam’s eyes
bugged out before doing a flip of a bottle, making my beverage. When he handed
me the blue concoction, he winked before I turned around, running into the hard
chest of Ashton and losing my footing.

“Ah. The leak who gave you the name,” he said, putting his hands on
my waist, keeping me from falling over.

My eyes went wide. “Please don’t punish Sam. It wasn’t his fault. I
swear! I begged him for weeks to let me in because I couldn’t get past the
chimp at the door.”

A chuckle escaped, and when he smiled, my traitorous heart skipped a
beat. “Chimp? I will be sure to start calling Edward that. It will drive him
crazy to no end. I will leave your friend alone because you request it, and
only for that reason.”

“Thank you,” I said with a sigh.

Sam blew flames from his mouth before tossing a bottle up in the air
with an arc. Several shot glasses were lined up against the bar as he filled
them with the bottle balanced on one finger. “He’s talented and one of our
favorites. It would have been a shame to lose him anyway.”

When he grabbed my hand and headed towards the VIP room, I suddenly
remembered what Sam wanted so bad he could taste it. “I know that Sam would
really like to work in the VIP room. Could you imagine how great that would be?
You should consider it. I think he would be an asset and would draw more people
into the lounge with his bartending skills.”

“Not possible.” When I glared at him, he shrugged. “The bartenders in
there now are… how do I say this? Children of one of the top VIP members. If I
replaced one of them, it would be frowned upon. Even though Sam’s talents are
extraordinary, I don’t think it would wise.”

“Oh. That’s too bad.”

“Yes. Although I think maybe he deserves a raise after seeing him in
person. I had been told, but nothing can prepare you for that spectacle.”

“Spectacle?” I said, raising my eyebrow in the air. “Did you take
proper English as a kid?”

He chuckled as he unlocked the VIP lounge with a key, doing the
“Shave and a haircut” knock before opening it. “Something like that.”

Once the door opened, the music blaring from the club was also
playing in the VIP lounge. The tables had been moved out and only the booths
lining the walls remained. The place was packed tonight. There were people
dancing in the makeshift dance floor on the right side, while the bass boomed through
the speakers.

The bartenders were dressed in red leather tonight and I saw two
poles against the left wall. Currently, had one a hot male, wearing only
sparkly tight pants, one leg up and the other out spinning slowly. A slim,
muscular woman wearing a skintight black cat-suit that matched the sparkly
tights was spinning in perfect synchronization with the male occupying the
other pole. It was actually beautiful watching their elegant movements and it
wasn’t trashy like you may picture in a strip club. These two were so graceful.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Ashton said, startling me.

I nodded. “Not something I expected.”

“Believe it or not, they are husband and wife. Maybe that’s why they
are so in sync with each other’s movements. The woman’s name is Jane and her
husband is Marcus. I have known them for a long time, and they tell me
it’s
good exercise.”

“Stacy offered to teach me the silks or the poles.” I snickered. “I’m
quite intimidated seeing those two, though. There’s no way I would look that
good.”

He ran a knuckle down my cheek. “I wouldn’t complain seeing you on
the pole. You may be surprised. I have seen you dance, and you’re pretty
graceful.”

“I doubt club dancing would be considered graceful. Ballet, I could
see.”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the dance floor before I could
protest. “I disagree. I’ll show you that any dance, no matter the type or music
or dance, can be considered sexy.”

Chapter Six

I tried to pull back
when Ashton pulled me against him, but my body betrayed me. “Scream &
Shout” by will.i.am was pounding through the speakers as we started to move. He
pulled me closer, tilting my back in an arch with my head hanging loosely
before he pulled me up against his body with a tug.
Yikes!
Ashton could move, and during the minute or two he held me,
I could tell he could put Sam to shame. We danced close together in sync and I
was nervous. When he splayed his hands on my lower back, my heart skipped a
beat again. It was confusing and aggravating all at the same time, and as I
made eye contact, I couldn’t tear my gaze away. I realized his eyes were
aquamarine with tiny flecks of silver in them. They were beautiful, and when he
dipped me again, I couldn’t help but get closer when he pulled me back up flat
against him.

Ashton
gave me a lopsided grin before running his knuckles against my cheek. “You’re
beautiful.”

I
shook my head at the compliment, not wanting to believe it. He put his index
finger against my lips, stopping my protest. I had a sudden urge to stick his
finger in my mouth but caught myself before doing anything so stupid.
What was wrong with me?

The
next song was a little slower, even with the bass beats pouncing around the
room. I snuck a look up at the pole dancers, watching them spinning with the
poles between their legs and arching their backs gracefully. When they met in
the middle, I saw them grin at each other, barely letting their fingers touch
before changing positions. It was semi romantic.

Ashton
nodded at the male bartender, who brought me one of the fruity drinks that Sam
makes. I guess he had been paying more attention than I thought. Drink in hand,
he led me into a hallway behind the bar and to a black-painted door. I wouldn’t
have seen this door if I hadn’t been looking for it, but I guess that would be
the point. He pulled a key card and scanned it in before the door opened with a
beep.

A
flight of stairs brought us into a room that was utterly amazing. The floor was
a deep mahogany wood with warm beige paint covering the walls. There was a
black leather couch with stainless steel claw legs on the right. A thick glass
coffee table sat directly in front of it, with a colorful glass sculpture of a
mermaid sitting on top. There were a few paintings of different oceans from
around the world along the wall behind the couch. To the immediate left was a
small kitchen with dark granite countertops and a small stainless steel
microwave and fridge. A few mahogany cabinets lined the wall above the sink. I
walked up to the best part of the room. Past the kitchen was a line of
floor-to-ceiling tinted windows, with sheer white curtains, which had a full
view of the club below.

“Nice,”
I said, looking back at him. He was leaning against the counter watching me.

He
walked up beside me and looked down to the club. “It’s my way of watching
everything without being involved. Sometimes you need a break away from people
without having to leave the club.”

“Is
that how you saw me earlier?”

“I
knew you were here as soon as you cleared the bouncer at the front door. I
watched from up here for a while, until that man had his hands all over you. I
just couldn’t sit here and do nothing while he groped you,” he said, glancing
over at me before looking back down.

“Blake?
He is harmless. We were trying to have a conversation over the loud music, and
we had to to yell in each other’s ears to be able to hear.”

Ashton
turned me to face him before running his knuckles down my cheek again. “Trust
me. Blake Moore brings trouble. You can’t trust him, Lily.”

I
narrowed my eyes at him. “Like I can trust you? I barely know either of you
enough to start throwing the word ‘trust’ around. Blake has been nothing but
nice to me. Besides, he’s friends with Sam, and against my better judgment, I
trust Sam.”

“I
wish I knew how to explain how I know that he’s dangerous. I just know that he
is, and that if you don’t watch your back, then bad things can happen.”

“Why
don’t you begin by telling me how you know each other, Ashton?”

He
sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It was a long time ago, and we were
what you would call acquaintances. Blake seemed like he was trustworthy and I
befriended him. After a few years, I started to notice things that didn’t seem
right. People started to disappear, only to be found a few weeks later at the
bottom of a lake or in a dumpster. When my brother went missing, Blake
disappeared to never be seen until tonight. My brother was never heard from
again.”

“You
can’t honestly say that Blake did that. He isn’t a serial killer, for Christ’s
sake. Yes, he’s a little vain, but I can’t see him murdering anyone.”

“You
never know who may be a killer, Lily. It is usually the last people you ever
expect.” Ashton exhaled noisily.

I
thought about that for a minute, but couldn’t believe Blake would hurt anyone.
“I think you’re jumping to conclusions. Maybe your brother hung around the
wrong people, or he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I know what it’s
like losing somebody you love so much.”

“Who
did you lose?”

“My
sister,” I said, turning away from him and facing the windows again.

“How?”

I
sighed. I couldn’t believe I had told him, because nobody knew that besides
people from my hometown. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I
understand, and if you’re ever ready to talk about it, I’ll be here to lend an
ear.” Ashton squeezed my hand before letting it go again. “Everyone has their
secrets and a past they would rather forget.”

I
snorted at that statement. Losing my sister and everything I knew of a family
was one of the worst times of my life. In the past few days I have let more
people get close to me than I have since my life changed ten years ago. First
there was Sam, then Blake, who knew about my freaky abilities, and now I was
telling things to Ashton that I haven’t talked about since they happened.
What was wrong with me?

“I
need to go,” I said before turning to leave.

Ashton
stopped me, grabbing my elbow. “Why do I feel like I keep having to chase after
you? It isn’t so bad letting people get close to you, Liliana.”

Sam
had said the same thing to me just last night. Was I that transparent? “I
barely know you.”

“I
would like to get to know you, though. You’re so different from anyone I know,
and that intrigues me.”

“Different.
Yes, that would be a reason. I got your interest the moment I blew out your
security system.”

His
eyebrows went up in the air. “So that was you? I had suspicions that you may
have done that. It also tells me why Blake Moore is interested in you then.”

My
mouth gaped. “What?”

“You
didn’t think I was friends with him and didn’t know he was different?” He
barked out a laugh. “Like I said, he cannot be trusted. There are always
ulterior motives where he is concerned.”

“I
didn’t think there was somebody like me until I met him earlier today. Why
would there be ulterior motives? I don’t think we will be best friends forever
or anything like that. I don’t date and I don’t have any friends besides
Sam.”
 

“You
don’t date? Well I will just have to change your mind on that stance. I don’t
give up easily when I find something I want.”

I
chuckled sarcastically. “Good luck on that one, buddy.”

“Challenge
accepted,” he said, running his knuckles down my cheek.

There
was a little beeping sound coming from the corner of the windows and Ashton
pulled the curtain back to reveal an intercom speaker. He pressed a button and
a voice announced his presence was needed in the VIP room. He looked back over
at me with a sigh. “Duty calls.”

I
nodded and he grabbed my hand, leading me out of the room and back down to the
VIP area. Techno music assaulted me from the speakers as I realized how quiet
Ashton’s little space had been. At the bar was a woman, clearly three sheets to
the wind, arguing with the bartender and looking pissed. She was pounding an
empty shot glass on the counter repeatedly while the two behind the bar stared
at her with blank expressions. Ashton spoke to the bouncer waiting for him
before walking away to confront her. I walked up to hear what she was saying.
Curiosity got the better of me.

“I
think you have had enough tonight. I have the right to cut people off at any
time,” the woman in red leather lingerie said.

The
drunken woman had bright blonde hair with black tips. She would have been
pretty if her mascara wasn’t smudged and her lipstick wasn’t smeared on her
cheek. She pointed her finger at the bartender. “I know when I have had enough,
you little bitch! I say when I’m done, and right now I want another shot of
whiskey.”

Ashton
stood in front of the bartender and leaned up against the bar, glaring at the
woman. The woman straightened up with a start and her eyes strayed to me and
she licked her lips. She started to stand up and Ashton grabbed her arm,
leaning in close, whispering, and she blanched. While he spoke, the woman shook
her head and glanced at the ground before being escorted away most likely to
the front door by another bouncer.

I
glanced around the room and noticed everyone was oblivious to the drunken
woman. Ashton was in full conversation with the bartender, getting the rundown
on the incident. It was my cue to leave. I weaved through the dance floor and
glanced back to see Ashton looking towards the spot he left me.

Letting
the VIP door shut behind me, I went up to the bar and got lost in the horde of
people, making it harder to find me if he went looking. Blake was leaning up
against Sam’s bar, sipping on a beer, and straightened when he saw me.

I
walked up to the bar and waved Sam over. “I’m leaving. Text me later if you
can.”

He
nodded and I walked towards the front door. I didn’t realize Blake had followed
me until I got to the parking lot. “What did he want?” he said from beside me.

I
gave him an irritated look. “Why does it matter?”

“Ashton
Ryder is dangerous, Lily. You can’t trust him.”

I
unlocked my car and got in before starting it. “Funny. He said the same thing
about you.” I slammed the door before he could reply and drove home without
looking back this time.