NOVEL NEXT Chapter 59: First Move
And just like Eva predicted, the woman eventually peeled away from her group. She moved with unhurried confidence, hips swaying slightly as she walked to the bar.
Eva leaned toward Jace, whispering, "There's your chance," before slipping off toward the bathroom, leaving him on his own.
Jace stood, adjusted his shirt, and tried to look casual. His heart was beating faster than he wanted to admit. He straightened his shoulders and started toward her.
[Do you even know what you're doing?] Zin's voice cut through his nerves.
"I mean… I pulled Eva, didn't I?" Jace muttered back under his breath.
[From the story you told me, you lied about fixing a car and just got lucky finding a disconnected wire.]
Jace scoffed softly, shaking his head. "Details."
When he reached the bar, the woman was already leaning on the counter, ordering a drink. Her voice was smooth, playful even.
Before the bartender could slide the bill her way, Jace put a few notes down on the counter. "I'll cover whatever she's having."
That made her turn. Her eyes moved over him slowly, assessing, before her lips curled into a slick smile.
"Well now…" she purred, tilting her head slightly. "A gentleman? Or just trying to impress me?"
Her tone was flirtatious, light, but there was a sharpness underneath, the kind that said she'd tested men before and enjoyed watching them stumble.
Jace forced a confident smirk, though he wasn't sure it looked as natural as hers. "Can't it be both?"
She leaned closer, close enough that he caught the faint scent of her perfume under the haze of alcohol and smoke in the bar.
Her eyes lingered on his jaw, then drifted back to his. "Mmh. Both, huh? I've heard that one before. Usually from men who think they can buy me a drink and own my attention."
Jace's smirk faltered for half a second. He felt the heat of the room pressing harder, and Zin's voice wasn't helping.
[She's testing you. If you fold now, she'll lose interest.]
Jace forced a chuckle, but his mind was scrambling for something that wouldn't sound desperate. He leaned on the counter, mirroring her posture, and lowered his voice.
"Well, I didn't buy your attention," he said, finally meeting her gaze with more confidence than he felt. "I just wanted an excuse to talk to you. If that drink gets me two minutes, I'll take it."
For a moment, she just looked at him. Then, to his surprise, her smile widened, this time less sharp and more intrigued.
"Ohh," she said softly, tilting her glass toward him before taking a sip. "That's better. Not every guy knows how to use his two minutes."
Jace's lips twitched into a small grin. He'd managed to say the right thing for once, and the shift in her tone told him she wasn't brushing him off.
[Not bad, Casanova,] Zin muttered dryly. [You might actually survive this conversation.]
Jace's grin sharpened. "Two minutes, huh? You'll find I usually last a lot longer than that."
Her eyes flicked over him, and for the first time, she let out a low laugh. Smooth but edged, like she wanted to see if he'd flinch.
Instead, she reached across the bar and rested her hand lightly on his forearm.
Her touch was warm, her nails just grazing his skin as if testing him the same way her words had.
Before Jace could answer, a shadow fell over them. One of the bulky men from her group loomed beside them, his broad shoulders blocking the light. His voice was sharp, directed at her.
"This guy giving you trouble?"
Jace kept still, ready to react if things escalated.
But she waved her hand, her tone casual. "No. He's not."
The man's eyes lingered on Jace, a warning clear in his glare. But before he could press further, she snapped at him, irritation cutting through her words.
"Relax, Sam. You don't own me. Go back to your beer."
For a moment, tension hung in the air. Then Sam grunted and turned away, though he kept an eye on Jace as he left.
She sighed, running her hand through her hair before looking back at Jace with a smaller smile. "Please excuse my friend. They're… overprotective."
Jace raised a brow. "Overprotective, or just jealous?"
She smirked again, her hand still on his arm. "Maybe a little of both."
Her eyes lingered on him as she swirled the drink in her hand. "I saw you didn't come alone. Where's your friend?"
Jace's stomach tightened. Eva. For a split second, he almost glanced toward the bathrooms, but he caught himself. If she suspected anything, this could blow up fast.
He leaned back in his stool and let a lazy grin spread across his face. "Who?"
Her lips curved into a sly smirk. "Cruel."
"Not so much," Jace said smoothly, though his mind raced for a cover. "Let's just say… I've seen something more interesting tonight."
"Oh?" she tilted her head, amused. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"I wonder what that is," she teased, eyes narrowing playfully.
Jace leaned in just a little, lowering his voice. "Not what. Who."
Her smile deepened, sharp and knowing, as though she'd been waiting for him to say it.
She let her nails trace lightly along the rim of her glass before meeting his eyes again. "You want to meet my friends? Besides Sam, they're all nice. I promise."
"I'll hold you on that," Jace said with a grin.
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she set her drink down, slipped her fingers into his, and tugged.
Her hand was cool against his, confident.
Jace let her lead, but the further they moved across the bar, the stranger it felt.
His steps matched hers, but not because he wanted to, because she pulled him along like she'd already decided where this was going.
The crowd parted here and there, her group coming into view again. Laughter rolled from their table, loud and sharp, the kind of sound that made Jace's chest tighten.
He didn't like this. He wasn't steering anything.
For the first time since he walked in, he felt off-balance. Like he wasn't the one hunting, he was being brought in.
Zin's voice pressed at the back of his mind.
[Careful. Right now, you're not in control. We dont know what abilities they have.]