Faceless (Sinister Secrets Book 2) by Candle Sutton (best motivational novels txt) 📕

The easiest way to get there would be to dance her way through the crowd.

She found a break in the railing and cautiously stepped down the two stairs. The last thing she needed was to faceplant due to these heels. She merged with the other dancers, swaying her way around both couples and people dancing solo.

About halfway through the crowd, she felt a hand snake around her waist.

Tension tightened her muscles. She fought the instinct to drop her drink and pin the guy to the floor.

Warm breath tickled her ear and she could smell the alcohol radiating from his mouth.

While she could jerk away and continue on her path, she wanted to see this guy so she’d know who to avoid.

She allowed him to dance – although really the jerky spasms looked more like a seizure – around her until he swayed in front of her.

“Heya, baby. Been waitin’ for you all night.” The words slurred from lips that worked overly hard to form them.

College kid. Probably barely old enough to drink.

Messy hair, a sheen coating his face, and too-bright eyes all added up to one thing. The kid was wasted.

Certainly not a threat.

She pushed past him, letting her body language dismiss him.

No resistance. Not that she’d expected any.

She made it to the other side of the dance floor without any further interruptions.

The blonde woman sat alone at the table, nursing a dark colored beverage and doing something on her phone.

Still not Divers. Which meant she either wasn’t here or was out in the crowd somewhere.

Kevyn eased onto the bar-height chair at the closest table and casually sipped her drink while scrutinizing the dancers. At least with the raised platform, she had a little bit of a birds-eye view of the sunken dance floor.

Not that she could make out many details. Between the pulsating lights, the motion, and the sheer number of bodies packed onto the floor, it’d be nearly impossible to spot Divers.

Still, she had to try. Otherwise she might as well head home.

Focusing on the dancers closest to her, she scanned for light colored hair. Blonde, red, it all kind of ran together in this light.

There was Sid, sliding his way toward a blonde woman. He moved with surprising grace. More than she possessed.

Might have to give him a bad time about that later.

Since Sid had that blonde, she continued her perusal of the crowd.

There was another one.

Curly hair. That fit with Divers. It was fairly short, too. Barely reached her shoulders.

Judging by the way most of the people around her stood a good head taller, the woman was on the petite side. Also a fit for Divers.

Kevyn sipped her club soda and managed not to grimace. Ugh. She hated these things.

But she’d hate to stand out even more.

The woman had her back to Kevyn, but the guy she danced with seemed enthralled.

Well, chances were good the woman would turn her direction at some point.

She continued to scan the crowd, returning her eyes to the woman every few seconds to see if she’d turned.

Not yet.

The woman moved like one who was used to being watched and admired. Both traits that meshed with Dak’s assessment of Divers and were supported by the comments from Divers’ coworker.

Then again, that same statement could probably apply to a lot of the women in this room.

Herself included.

While she waited for the woman to turn, she eliminated one of the other blondes. The rail-thin frame was nothing like Divers’ curvy build.

She returned her attention to the woman as the woman’s dance partner spun her and drew her back against his chest, wrapping his arms around her stomach.

Kevyn took in the woman’s features, mentally comparing them to the image she’d studied before entering the club.

This most definitely could be her. With the bad lighting and distance, it was hard to say definitively, but it sure warranted a closer look.

Now. How to achieve that?

Short of going up and asking to cut in, which would just be weird, she didn’t see an option that wouldn’t look forced.

The song ended and the woman broke away from her partner, heading for the bar.

That was it. She could run into the woman at the bar and strike up a conversation. Compliment her on her dress or something.

She abandoned her club soda and quickly skirted the dance floor, keeping the woman in view in her peripheral.

The woman reached the bar and spoke briefly to the bartender, who turned to the bottles of liquor lining the wall.

The woman’s face reflected in the mirrors behind the bottles.

It was Divers. She was sure of it.

Kevyn reached the bar as the bartender slid a margarita with a thickly salted rim across the counter.

Suddenly, she had her in.

Ugh. This wasn’t going to be pretty.

Kevyn stepped behind the woman right as she turned.

The glass connected with her ribs, the frosty liquid sloshing down her stomach. A gasp slid out.

“Oh my gosh! What were you doing behind me?”

Funny how the woman sounded more outraged than sorry.

Kevyn made a point of looking down at the wet silk clinging to her skin before answering the question. “Walking. Trying to get away from that handsy guy over there.”

She jerked her head in the general direction of several guys, all of whom were watching the exchange.

Probably hoping for a chick fight.

Well, they could keep hoping. She had no intention of getting into a fight.

In fact, if she could play this right, she’d be chatting up this woman and learning as much as she could.

The woman looked over in the direction she indicated. “Ugh. I hate guys like that. And now look at you. You’re a hot