he received with a wave and a smile. They were halfway through the crowd when a pretty vampire ran out and threw her arms around him.
“Where have you been?” the woman gushed. Her blonde hair swayed about her hips as she leaned back to beam at Kyle.
Cassidy sensed her brother’s discomfort as he pried himself from the woman’s embrace, but she didn’t intervene. This was Kyle’s world, and it was an entirely different one than the one they shared for years.
Holding onto the girl’s arms, Kyle studied her face. He doesn’t know who she is, Cassidy realized. She almost rolled her eyes, but the consternation on her brother’s face stopped her.
The woman stepped out of his hold and playfully hit him on the arm. “I’ve been looking all over for you!”
“I’m sorry, I’ve been busy,” Kyle said.
“That’s okay.” The woman looped her arm through his. “I’m glad you’re here now.”
She tried to tug him away, but Kyle planted his feet and carefully removed his arm from hers. “I’m sorry…” Kyle hesitated before shaking his head. “I’m sorry, but I’m not here to party tonight.”
She gave him a flirty pout as she planted her hands on her curvaceous hips. “Yeah, right.”
“I’m not. I’m here with my family, and we’re not staying.”
The woman turned toward Dante and Cassidy. Unsure of what else to do, Cassidy gave her a small wave while Dante shifted impatiently beside her. Confusion followed by anger flickered through the woman’s eyes.
“I have to go,” Kyle said.
He walked away before the woman could respond, and judging by the irritated look on her face, that wasn’t something she appreciated. Dante led Cassidy past the woman who turned to glare at Kyle’s back.
Usually, she would have given him shit about the woman, but the flash of self-hatred in his eyes stopped her. Cassidy knew his lifestyle was taking a toll on him, but she hadn’t realized how much until now.
Dante followed as she hurried to catch up with her brother. “Kyle—”
“Not now, Cassidy,” he said.
“Kyle.”
She grabbed his wrist and pulled him to a stop. Turmoil churned in his eyes when he turned to face her. Her hand tightened on his wrist.
“You’re going to get through this,” she said.
A vein throbbed in his temple as his jaw locked. “I don’t even know her fucking name.”
She didn’t know how to respond, and before she could think of something, he squeezed her hand and removed it from his wrist. Tears burned her eyes as she watched him walk through the crowd.
“What is going on?” Dante asked her.
Cassidy blinked away her tears and started walking again before they lost Kyle amid the sea of people and vamps. “I’ll explain later.”
“Is he going to be okay?”
“Yes,” Cassidy said with a conviction she didn’t feel.
Chapter Thirty-Five
The bar came into view as they caught up with Kyle. At the far end of it, Cassidy spotted the man she recognized from the boy in Lindsay’s pictures. Preston rested his elbow on the bar as he leaned against it. His resemblance to Julie was evident in the shape of his face, brown hair, and blue eyes.
Dante led the way to where Preston stood surrounded by three girls. The girls hung on his every word as they laughed loudly. Cassidy and Kyle hung back a little when he stepped closer to the quartet.
“Preston Parks?” he asked.
Preston’s eyes flicked toward him before returning to the girls. When he touched the back of one girl’s hand, she giggled. These three humans were quite enamored with the vamp.
“Who wants to know?” Preston asked without looking at Dante again.
“My name is Dan Vares.”
Preston brushed some of the blonde’s hair over her shoulder before touching her cheek. “And?”
Dante reminded himself to keep control of his temper in this place. The last thing he needed was a battle with Zan and Bull. However, he understood why Zan called this pretentious prick a pretty boy, and he itched to make him a whole lot less pretty.
“I’m looking for Julie Abbott,” Dante said.
Preston’s smug attitude vanished, and his head swiveled toward Dante. He jerked his hand from the blonde, stood away from the bar, and nudged the women aside as he stepped toward Dante. The women whined in response, but he didn’t acknowledge them.
“Have you talked to her?” he demanded.
Dante kept his confusion hidden as Preston looked at him like he was a puppy and Dante had the treat. “No. Have you?”
“No.”
“Do you know where she is?” Dante asked.
Preston’s shoulders hunched forward, and he ran a hand through his