the two somehow making it look both perfectly natural, and ridiculously endearing.
Christoph jokingly tried to link his arm in Ashi’s but was thwarted by Ashi’s thumb jamming into a pressure point on his elbow. He cradled the arm as they climbed into the backseat of the car.
“If we ever make it back to California alive,” Ashi muttered, “we will never speak of this.”
Christoph nodded. “Agreed. When does the feeling get back into my arm?”
“A few days.”
Christoph stared at him.
“Give it a few minutes, jeez. Don’t look at me like that.”
“Ashi made another joke!” Christoph shouted.
Ashi sat back, staring at the car’s roof. “Of all the places I expected to wind up, this wasn’t one of them.” He picked at the BSoE under his shirt. “This thing is driving me crazy.”
“It could be worse.”
“No, it really can’t.”
“It could be all you’re wearing.”
Ashi couldn’t deliver a flying kick inside a car, but it didn’t stop him from trying.
“Now, now, children,” Ken chided, “let’s not destroy the nice leather interior of the Beemer, ‘kay?”
“This is going to be good,” Reece murmured, grinning to himself.
* * *
It didn’t take long to get to the club. It was too early for anyone but employees. Ken pulled into the back lot, waved in by security. A guy who rivaled Christoph in size and muscle-mass opened the door for them, giving a cheerful wave.
“Hey, Ken.”
“Hey, Roger. Be extra vigilant tonight, I’m expecting an influx of fangirls.”
The guy looked a little nonplussed until Ashi and Christoph got out of the car. He nodded sagely in sudden understanding, a slow grin curving his lips. “You got it, boss.”
They made their way inside, passing through the backstage and storage areas. When they emerged onto a huge dance floor, a sound tech was fiddling with equipment and a couple of people were behind the bar across the room, stocking shelves. Harsh halogen lit the black-painted walls and reflected in odd, prismatic colors off the slick, shiny floor.
There were a couple of honest-to-God shark cages on the floor, strung with silver chains, handcuffs, and black and silver feather boas.
Ken frowned.
“Who the hell put those on there? Honestly, people!”
Soft snickers came from the shadows, the bar, and even the stage. Exasperated, Ken stalked over and removed the boas from the bars while Reece smothered laughter and turned to the Weres.
“Here’s the deal, guys. You aren’t going to mingle with the crowd. You’ll be suspended above the dance floor for a couple hours, then someone will switch out with you and you’ll come to the stage for a group set. In the meantime, just smile, move around like I showed you yesterday, and start sliding those shirts off at the cue. Ken will bring you on stage and welcome you in front of the crowd later in the evening, so blow some kisses or something to get them worked up before you go. Got it?”
Ashi’s jaw packed its bags and headed south in a hurry.
Christoph was bouncing from foot to foot. “I would call this ‘stage fright’ but I think ‘pure, unadulterated terror’ describes what I’m feeling with a little more depth.”
“I am not going in a cage,” Ashi snarled.
Christoph was still bouncing. “I can feel all the blood leaving my head.”
“I am so deadly serious. I am not going in a cage.”
“It’s like your favorite closet, but with air holes. You’ll be fine,” Christoph said.
“I don’t think you heard me—”
Christoph suddenly grabbed Ashi by the front of his shirt. “Look at me, you son of a squirrel-chasing poodle. I am a warrior of Goliath and I am about to dance like a circus bear for the sake of humans because of you. So either you follow suit and shake that thang like there’s no tomorrow in your nice little cage, or I will kill you, right here, right now, where we stand. I have no problems with killing. I gained this rank for a reason and that reason has been proven in battle again and again. I rip people apart, and I like doing it, so don’t think you’re above that. Not anymore. Got that, Ashi?”
Ashi stared mutely at Christoph. After a few seconds he nodded stiffly. Reece watched with a raised brow, impressed.
“Good. Now you pay attention to Reece and don’t screw up.”
“Me-yow.” Came a low, throaty voice from Christoph’s side. “Hey, new guy, save the aggression for the show, eh?”
“Hi, Joy,” Reece muttered, edging away.
Joy was a tall, slender woman with jet black hair tied out of her angular face in