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“I think he looks dangerous” Sasha shot the man her best come-over-here smile

Charlotte sighed Sasha and London had proht out to help cheer her up over yet another failed relationship “NoMaybe it was tiet some real friends

“He looks like he needs a haircut” Charlotte downed her shot in one bitter s

“Hey, do your trick, Char That’ll get his attention,” Sasha begged

“I don’t want to get his attention He’s a pie No one who haunted New York’s nightlife hadn’t His respectable business interests included owning several of the city’s top clubs Rumors swirled about the man, however; ru flesh and not cocktails

Steele laughed and the three friends spun back around on their bar stools

“Kingsley Edge is not a pisley Edge is a talent scout”

“Talent scout?” Charlotte’s eyes followed Kingsley Edge as he aze at her through the crowd “What sort of talent?”

“Maybe your talent” Steele winked at her She’d worked at this club, Le Cirque de Nuit, a few years ago and had picked up a trick or two

Sasha and London looked at Charlotte with pleading eyes Steele held out a shot glass full of liquid paraffin Once again Charlotte decided tonew friends a top priority She was al her perform for them Fine—if they insisted

Charlotte sighed and took the shot glass Sasha handed her a lighter

Sasha and London clapped while they hopped off their stools and stood far away Charlotte noticed that the cohtclub patrons, but had alerted Kingsley Edge as well He stood next to a coluainst it with one eyebrow raised

Charlotte inhaled deeply, swigged the liquid paraffin, pursed her lips, flicked the lighter and pushed air out so hard her ears popped A fireball blew out several feet in front of her and set everyone in the nightclub screa even after the fire went out, knowing she had to exhale anything left in her ave a s back to her drink She’d already had five tonight One for each nice boyfriend she’d dumped in the last five years

Two hours later she lay on the floor in the VIP section She heard twoabove her One sounded like Steele’s The other sounded al as all the alcohol she’d imbibed

“It’s last call, chief What should I do with her?”

“I’ll take care of le petit dragon”

“You sure about that?”

She was close to passing out but she reh, she felt it more than it heard it It rolled down her body from her neck to her ankles