bit of a celebration tonight? A chance to let loose and forget about all that other... crap... going on?" She was batting her lashes, but Kody was still watching me. I just met his gaze and gave a small shrug and head shake as if to say, It's Bree; go with it.
"Um, yes?" he replied to my friend, and he clearly wasn't concentrating on what she was saying. Rookie error.
"Great!" Bree exclaimed. "So you have no objections to me taking her out dancing tonight. I'm so glad we're on the same page."
Kody's gaze snapped away from mine, and he frowned at Bree. "Wait, what?"
Bree sighed, and I could tell she was annoyed that she hadn't just slipped through as easily as she often got permission from her father on shit like that. "I'm taking MK out clubbing tonight," she told him, her tone losing a bit of the sugary sweetness. "And you're not going to be a dick about it and stop her, okay?"
Kody's sharp gaze turned amused, and his lips pulled in a sly half smile. "Okay, sure."
"Huh?" I blurted out, stunned at his response.
Clearly, so was Bree. "Say what?" she replied, frowning in confusion.
Kody just shrugged, pushing off the car and reaching out to pull me into a half hug. "I said sure. If MK wants to go out clubbing, then we can go."
"Really?" Bree exclaimed, then scowled. "Wait. We?"
Kody's grin spread wider. "Yeah, it's been ages since me and the boys have hit a real nightclub. I'm assuming you girls have fake IDs already? I'll call Arch now and let him know." He pulled his phone from his pocket, and Bree shot me a panicked look.
"Wait, wait, wait," she hurried to say, putting a hand out like she was physically stopping him from texting Archer. "I meant just MK and me. Girls’ night, you know?"
Kody snorted a short laugh. "I know that's what you meant, Bree. But this is what you're getting. We all go or no one does. What's it to be?"
My friend made a pained noise, shooting me an apologetic look, but I just raised a brow back at her. If she wanted to go out that badly, then she'd have to put up with my shadows tagging along. I actually preferred that they did, too. I doubted my level of paranoia would have let me enjoy a night out while constantly watching my back. At least with Kody, Steele, and Archer glowering over me all night, I'd feel safe.
"Ugh, fine," Bree relented, sounding annoyed as all hell. "But I'm driving MK there; you all can come in another car."
Kody just shook his head and tightened his possessive hold on my waist. "Nope. We'll meet you there. Club Twenty-Two around nine, sound good?"
Damn, he was speaking her language now. Bree's brows shot up. "You can get us into Club Twenty-Two?"
He smirked. "I can. Can't you?"
I bit back a laugh, covering my face with my hand like I was scratching an itch and Bree scowled.
"Fine. I'll meet you there," she relented with gritted teeth. "But you'd better dress to theme."
She’d lost me with that comment. Club Twenty-Two meant nothing to me, except that it was the hottest new nightclub in Shadow Grove and had opened in the months following Riot Night. I'd never been there and had no clue what "theme" Bree was talking about.
"Please, Bree," Kody scoffed, "don't underestimate us. See you at nine!"
Without waiting for her to reply, he escorted me around the car and held the door open for me to slide inside. Apparently, we had a themed nightclub to prepare for.
25
Club Twenty-Two, it turned out, didn't require a genius to work out what the theme was. Seeing as I didn't have any flapper dresses in my closet, though, Kody made a call on our way home. Sure enough, two hours later I was trying on a gorgeous, deep red, glass-beaded dress with flirtatious fringing around the short hem.
"Wow," Steele remarked, leaning against my open doorframe and running his gaze all over me. "You look incredible, Hellcat. You sure you don't want to just stay home instead?" His heated gaze said it all, and I was sorely tempted to accept. But... it would be such a shame to waste all the time I'd put into my hair and makeup.
"Nice try, asshole," Kody remarked, whacking Steele playfully around the head as he pushed past him into my bedroom. "If anyone gets to take that dress off her tonight, it's me."