Free Killer: A Bad Boy Romance by Heather West Page A

past twenty-four hours had wreaked havoc on my body and my mind, and I just wanted to get some rest.
     
    After my set, Chase was waiting for me outside of the dressing room. “We need to stick around here for a while,” he told me quietly. “I need to check out some of these douchebags over by the bar. You get a drink and don’t talk to anyone, okay?”
     
    I nodded, pressing my arms together so it looked like I had cleavage. Infuriatingly, Chase walked away without even looking. I’ll show him, I thought wearily. Being more exhausted than usual was making me feel cagey, and I thought smugly about how angry he’d been earlier when he’d caught me talking to Mark. Mark was cute, but there was no way in hell I could ever be interested in him after Chase. It was so funny that Chase didn’t see that, too.
     
    Instead of changing into my street clothes, I decided to keep my dress on. It was an emerald green silk mini-dress, a gift from Jackie. One of her clients had bought it for her but she couldn’t wear it on the job because that would have been too obvious, so she gave it to me. It fit me like a glove and for once, I actually felt pretty good about the way my body looked. The only downside was that the fabric was so tight around my hips that I could barely walk. So far, I’d been sort of shuffling around. I caught a lot of looks from men and I felt self-conscious until I realized they were checking me out. Maybe there was something to be said for my shuffling after all.
     
    “Lacey, doll, you were great,” the bartender gushed as I hopped into one of the stools. “You sounded wonderful tonight. So raw and perfect!”
     
    “Thanks,” I said, feeling a blush creep across my cheeks. “I’m glad you think so.”
     
    He nodded and poured me a drink with vodka, lemon soda, maraschino cherries, and grenadine. “Trust me, doll,” he said in a hoarse voice. “You’re better than half the birds that get up there. And not a single man could take his eyes off you in that dress. How come you’ve never worn that getup before?”
     
    I felt my blush deepen and I looked away, searching for Chase. “I dunno,” I lied. “I felt like something different for a change.”
     
    The bartender nodded appreciatively. “Keep it up,” he replied. “Let me know when you want another one.” He gestured to my drink. “It’s on the house.”
     
    “Thanks,” I said with a grin. My life wasn’t very glamorous, but I did always enjoy this perk. The drink tasted sweet and a little tart and I sipped at it, feeling tired. It was late, and I hoped that Chase would be done soon. Another one of these and I’d be asleep.
     
    “Hey there,” a smooth male voice said. I turned around and saw a pale guy with long dark hair sliding onto the stool beside me. He had gorgeous blue eyes that looked like chips of ice and skin so pale that he looked bloodless. He was possibly one of the only people that I’d ever seen who was paler than I was.
     
    “Hi,” I said shyly. “Enjoying yourself?”
     
    “I was,” he said, grinning at me. “When you were still up on stage, that is.”
     
    I blushed. “Thanks,” I said. “I’m Lacey. Lacey Sanders.”
     
    I hadn’t offered a hand, but he pried my fingers away from my drink and brought them to his mouth. “I’m Seth,” he replied, gazing up at me. “Seth Mullen.”
     
    “Do you come here a lot?” I asked. When he started laughing, I realized how cheesy I’d sounded. “Ugh,” I added. “I’m sorry. I don’t get out a lot.”
     
    “You should get out more,” he advised. “And no, I don’t come here very frequently. But if you sing all the time, I’ll be in every night.”
     
    “Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays,” I told him. He pretended to write down the days on his arm and I laughed. It was the first time I’d really laughed all day and I was amazed at how much better and alert I felt. I knew Chase would be angry with me for talking to