not taking you anywhere unless you clean up a little.’
Paige hopped up. ‘I’m going to wear my new Lanvin. The one with the ruffles.’ She fluttered her hands from her shoulders down to her midriff, indicating, Jason assumed, where all the ruffles were.
Jason laughed. He didn’t get how she could be so thrilled about wearing a dress or going to some play, when less than half an hour ago, she’d been borderline hysterical with fear.
But Paige managed to hold onto her giddy excitement throughout the night. As they walked into the bar, which was all black, white, and metal, her enthusiasm for the party – hell, for life – shone so brightly that she soon had people from several tables around them making toasts to her.
At Spamalot , she laughed so hard one of the knights made a joke about her from the stage. It was clear he was a little smitten by the Lady Paige.
In a way, Paige was a lot like Zach. Not in personality, but in charisma. They could both control the mood of the group. Every single one of them had fun that night, despite the underlying tension, and it was mostly because of Paige.
It wasn’t until they were in their hotel, heading toward the elevator that the earlier unease started to come back strongly. Maybe it was being back in the hotel, a place everyone knew Marc had been able to infiltrate.
Paige pulled a lipstick out of her purse and slid a fresh coating over her lips. Jason didn’t get why, since they were already home. He guessed she just needed something to do with her hands.
‘Jason and I will take the first shift watching Paige’s room,’ Zach announced as the elevator door opened with a ping . ‘You and Van Dyke relieve us at four,’ he told Brad as they all boarded.
‘I’ll get a wake-up call,’ Brad answered. ‘I may also have to pour water over Van Dyke’s head. You know he sleeps like a coma patient.’
‘Hey, untrue!’ Van Dyke protested.
‘Whatever it takes,’ Zach told Brad with a grin.
‘Do you want me to stay with you, Paige?’ Sienna asked.
‘We all could,’ Belle added quickly. ‘Slumber party!’
‘I’m actually kind of tired,’ Paige admitted.
Physically tired? Or just tired of pretending that she was having fun, fun, fun? Jason wondered. Maybe both.
‘And you know I like to hog the whole bed,’ she added.
‘Well, call if you need anything,’ Maggie said. ‘Or if the boys get in over their heads. You know we can kick butt a lot harder than they can.’
‘Zach just wants us well-rested in case some truly bad meanies show up,’ Erin agreed.
‘You figured me out,’ Zach told them
The elevator opened on the 17th floor. Maggie, Erin, Belle, Brad, and Van Dyke stepped off. ‘You coming, Sienna?’ Belle asked.
Sienna held the door open with one hand. ‘Maybe I’ll wait for you in your room,’ she told Jason. ‘Adam’s out for the night, right?’
‘Right. I’ll let you in.’ He stepped out of the elevator and headed along the corridor with the others as the elevator doors slid closed behind him.
Jason let Sienna into his room with his key card. ‘I’ll be back as soon as Brad and Van Dyke come to take over,’ he promised. Then he leant closer. ‘Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to your sister.’
‘I know.’ Sienna kissed his cheek. ‘See you soon.’ She closed the door and Jason ran up the stairs to the 18th floor.
Zach let Jason into Paige’s suite. She was getting settled in the bedroom, so Zach and Jason got settled in the living room. Jason picked up the remote and started flipping through the channels.
‘Anything grab you?’ he asked Zach.
‘Whatever,’ Zach answered.
Jason stopped on 300 . That movie would definitely put the plasma through its paces. He kept the sound really low; he wanted to be able to hear anything out of the ordinary.
It was kind of amazing to think about how much activity was going on in the casino below them, and in all the casinos, bars and clubs around. Up in the
Paige hopped up. ‘I’m going to wear my new Lanvin. The one with the ruffles.’ She fluttered her hands from her shoulders down to her midriff, indicating, Jason assumed, where all the ruffles were.
Jason laughed. He didn’t get how she could be so thrilled about wearing a dress or going to some play, when less than half an hour ago, she’d been borderline hysterical with fear.
But Paige managed to hold onto her giddy excitement throughout the night. As they walked into the bar, which was all black, white, and metal, her enthusiasm for the party – hell, for life – shone so brightly that she soon had people from several tables around them making toasts to her.
At Spamalot , she laughed so hard one of the knights made a joke about her from the stage. It was clear he was a little smitten by the Lady Paige.
In a way, Paige was a lot like Zach. Not in personality, but in charisma. They could both control the mood of the group. Every single one of them had fun that night, despite the underlying tension, and it was mostly because of Paige.
It wasn’t until they were in their hotel, heading toward the elevator that the earlier unease started to come back strongly. Maybe it was being back in the hotel, a place everyone knew Marc had been able to infiltrate.
Paige pulled a lipstick out of her purse and slid a fresh coating over her lips. Jason didn’t get why, since they were already home. He guessed she just needed something to do with her hands.
‘Jason and I will take the first shift watching Paige’s room,’ Zach announced as the elevator door opened with a ping . ‘You and Van Dyke relieve us at four,’ he told Brad as they all boarded.
‘I’ll get a wake-up call,’ Brad answered. ‘I may also have to pour water over Van Dyke’s head. You know he sleeps like a coma patient.’
‘Hey, untrue!’ Van Dyke protested.
‘Whatever it takes,’ Zach told Brad with a grin.
‘Do you want me to stay with you, Paige?’ Sienna asked.
‘We all could,’ Belle added quickly. ‘Slumber party!’
‘I’m actually kind of tired,’ Paige admitted.
Physically tired? Or just tired of pretending that she was having fun, fun, fun? Jason wondered. Maybe both.
‘And you know I like to hog the whole bed,’ she added.
‘Well, call if you need anything,’ Maggie said. ‘Or if the boys get in over their heads. You know we can kick butt a lot harder than they can.’
‘Zach just wants us well-rested in case some truly bad meanies show up,’ Erin agreed.
‘You figured me out,’ Zach told them
The elevator opened on the 17th floor. Maggie, Erin, Belle, Brad, and Van Dyke stepped off. ‘You coming, Sienna?’ Belle asked.
Sienna held the door open with one hand. ‘Maybe I’ll wait for you in your room,’ she told Jason. ‘Adam’s out for the night, right?’
‘Right. I’ll let you in.’ He stepped out of the elevator and headed along the corridor with the others as the elevator doors slid closed behind him.
Jason let Sienna into his room with his key card. ‘I’ll be back as soon as Brad and Van Dyke come to take over,’ he promised. Then he leant closer. ‘Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to your sister.’
‘I know.’ Sienna kissed his cheek. ‘See you soon.’ She closed the door and Jason ran up the stairs to the 18th floor.
Zach let Jason into Paige’s suite. She was getting settled in the bedroom, so Zach and Jason got settled in the living room. Jason picked up the remote and started flipping through the channels.
‘Anything grab you?’ he asked Zach.
‘Whatever,’ Zach answered.
Jason stopped on 300 . That movie would definitely put the plasma through its paces. He kept the sound really low; he wanted to be able to hear anything out of the ordinary.
It was kind of amazing to think about how much activity was going on in the casino below them, and in all the casinos, bars and clubs around. Up in the
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