“Aww, look at that.” Priyanka grinned and tapped my cheek. “You’re blushing. Better be careful, hun, or you’re going to fall head over heels in love with that man.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t think there’s any threat of that happening.” I grabbed my jacket off the back of the chair and tugged it over my dress. On my way off the dance floor, I’d spotted Asmodeus in deep conversation with a table of his patrons. I shouldn’t interrupt, and his apartment was only three blocks away. I’d walk back while he wrapped up here. With my trusty can of pepper spray, of course. A girl can never be too careful.

“That’s what we always say, eh?” Priyanka settled into the chair and pulled some makeup wipes out of a bag. “Well, it’s been great to meet you, Mia. See you tomorrow night?”

I smiled back. “See you tomorrow.”

I said goodbye to the other girls—Lexi, Ramona, Ellen, Piper, and Willow—and found the side door of the club. There were still several patrons wandering around the front, taking a smoke break outside. Infernal didn’t close for another hour, and the night owls looked like they were only getting started.

With a slight smile, I turned the corner, aiming my boots south. Tonight hadn’t been that bad after all. I might have even made some new friends. As much as I loved Serena, it wasn’t fair to rely on her as much as I did. If I was going to make it in a new city, in a new life, I needed to meet other people.

The three hundred bucks in my pocket didn’t hurt either.

Two large figures loomed out of an alley. They strode into the center of the sidewalk, turning to face me. My heart jerked in my chest as I came to a sudden stop, gazing at them with cotton balls in my mouth. They were both huge, muscled, and heavily tattooed. One had buzzed hair and was slightly taller than the other, but only by an inch.

The taller one stepped toward me. “Hello, Mia.”

“Um.” I took a step back and reached for my pepper spray.

“No need to be afraid.” He smiled and held out a hand. “My name is Gabriel, and we just want to talk to you about your new association with Infernal.”

“Gabriel,” I repeated, ignoring his offered hand. Heart hammering, I glanced around me at the empty street. Should I turn around and run back to Infernal? Should I scream? Douse them in pepper spray? Probably all of the above.

“Yes, ah.” He turned to the other guy, a golden-haired Adonis with a bicep bigger than my thigh. “This might be a little difficult for you to comprehend, so please don’t freak out when we try to explain.”