Obsidian Liquor (Lion Security #1)(14)
Author: Scarlett Dawn

Loud rock music was not conducive to a hangover.

I rubbed my temples and walked forward through the bleachers. I already had a program and knew Lion Security would be paired against Ploya Vie Security’s finest in a half hours’ time. There were two groups going at it right now, one attacking the other that stood in the middle. I did not peer too closely. I was not feeling warm and cozy with violence right now.

Glancing about the room, I saw where the members of the press were seated. I quickly made my way there, crossing in front of a bleacher where celebrities cheered, making my head hurt even worse. I felt like I was going to throw up. But I never did that. Puking was just not healthy in my opinion.

I could not see any great seat, so I merely headed toward the closest one I saw. I waded through the folded chairs, the fellow press members yelling at me as I got in the way of their shots. Ignoring them because I did not want to talk to anyone, I sat down on a hard seat, and without excitement took out my camera. I lifted it to my face, but my sunglasses got in the way of seeing anything decent.

Cracking my neck, I pushed my sunglasses on top of my head, since it was dark around the edges of the room where I sat. There was only a spotlight in the center of the large room, showing the fighters to full effect. I was able to snap a few shots before the fight ended.

Mrs. Donovan and the Mayor spoke as medical personnel, and members of the competitors groups that had not participated in this round, helped those injured off the floor.

I turned on my seat, not looking anywhere near the family section, glancing up at the bleachers where the competing groups were sitting like before. I found the hot pink shirts, and put the camera to my face and started taking photos of Brent, Cole, Ember, and Grigori, the ones that would sell the most newspapers right now. Ember appeared to be arguing with Zane, who was shaking his head at her, his expression stern, and the other three were just watching Mrs. Donovan and the Mayor speak.

I figured out why Ember was irritated. Apparently, she was not going to fight in this particular event. She appeared furious as she stood on the sidelines with a few others from Lion Security. Everyone else from L.S. was out in the middle of the floor, situating themselves in a circle with their backs to one another.

The fight was on, with more pain-inducing music blaring over the speakers.

The Ploya Vie Security’s group of competitors charged them.

I really wanted to ask if it was a joke at the end. It had been three to one against Lion Security, but not even ten minutes later every single one of the people that had attacked them were on the ground, while every single one of the L.S. members still stood on their feet. They might look a little rough around the edges, but they had kicked their opponent’s ass without any of their blood being shed.

I stood on my chair, getting a higher angle, and snapped as many photos as I could of their circle with the fallen all around them. I definitely had my next photo for the fluff piece I would need to send tonight. I was not sure if I was still going to pursue Grigori or Ember’s possible love affair. I knew I was not going to mention a damn thing about a possible poisoning, for the main reason that I liked to breathe…and the story was only hearsay, not actually fact.

For now, I would play the good little reporter and do what my editor had demanded.

As I was leaving the arena, I was completely surprised when Ember approached me. I pushed my sunglasses up on my nose and stopped, waiting to hear what she had to say. I was in no mood to deal with anyone right now. Not even whom I had come here to follow.

Ember opened her mouth and slowly shut it. She stared. “Um…”

I waited.

Her eyebrows lowered, and her eyes went freaky as she assessed me. “Never mind.”

She turned to leave.

I sighed, grabbing her arm. I must really look like shit. “What do you want, Ms. Lerrus?”

She stared again with that freaky-deaky scrutiny.

I motioned for her to hurry up. She was a weird one.

Her eyes swung to the people passing by on either side of us where they exited through the arena doors—the doors that I had not made it through quickly enough. She grabbed my hand and tugged me out of the mainstream traffic. When we were on the sidelines, she leaned in, whispering, “I know this is an odd request, but is there any way I can get a copy of that photo you took of Grigori and Zoya kissing at the ball?” She batted her eyelashes. “I want to give it to them as a present.”

I kept my features blank. It was not hard with my current mood, even though I knew she was lying out her ass. I shrugged. “Sure. After it’s published.” I was not going to give it to her before then. How stupid did she think I was? It was a prime shot. Moreover, if she saw what she looked like in it beforehand, she would try to stop me from publishing it.

I turned to leave, but this time she grabbed my arm, stopping me. I sighed and turned back to her. And froze. My eyes went huge. I gulped, my heart rate instantly galloping. I started to tremble, and Ember stilled; her hand dropped from my arm as she glanced over her shoulder where I was staring. Daniil had already glanced away from us, speaking with Zane and Lev, but he stood not even fifteen feet behind her. He had been staring before, right at me with that deadly look in his eyes.

I sucked in a breath and altered my attention back to Ember, who was still staring over her shoulder. I stated quickly, “I’ve got to go.”

Again, her hand snaked out without looking and she gripped my forearm with bruising force, not letting me leave. I yanked, but she held on, slowly turning her gaze back to me. She said the magic words that made me stay in place. “If you go to lunch with me, so I can try to convince you to give me a copy of that photo now, I’ll give you an exclusive interview with me. Any fifteen questions that you want to ask. On the record.”

I stilled, my trembling completely stopped. She never talked to the press, not when Jonah Boydson, her late husband, had died, or when her father had died in the same freak murders. Or even when Brent and Cole, her previous and current boyfriends had come back from the dead. No one had been able to get her to sit down for an interview. This was like the Holy Grail of opportunities. And she was offering it to me. I knew the woman had to hate me from my past articles. It was more than disbelieving.

“Why don’t you just try to steal it?” I had no doubt she was capable of that.

She shrugged, considering me. “I’m not a bitch all the time, just like you’re not.” She stared me in the eyes; the eerie look gone. “You took the photo. That’s your job. I figure we can work something out instead of having to resort to other means. Plus, I need to give an interview soon. The press won’t quit hounding me, so it might as well be you.” She smirked, sort of. “It might keep you from spying outside our gates.”