Chapter 7

"Holy shit! Aren't you Zak Bagans?" Dylan exclaimed suddenly. Jess inwardly groaned. Her reaction torn between impressed and weirded out that Dylan knew who Zak was. Granted she was grateful to Zak for coming to her rescue but she didn't want to have this conversation with them right now. She turned around sure enough tall, dark, and gorgeous was standing just behind Kevin. Jess decided to get up and introduce him instead of having him be interrogated by the guys.

Getting up from the stool proved to be a challenge. Dylan had made her drinks pretty strong, she was grateful considering they were on the house. The tequila shots Kevin bought her might have been too much though. She stumbled slightly, her sneakers catching on the floor. Jess cussed herself out in her head. She really did not want to make a fool of herself in front of all these men that were watching her every move. But sure enough she couldn't catch herself and fell face first into Zaks' chest. He caught her and held her to him for second so she could get her bearings.

"Whoa there Sea Biscuit." He chuckled into her ear, his breath fanning across her cheek. It made her whole body shudder against him. She was sure he could feel it.

"Thank you for your assistance Mr. Bagans." She breathed back to him. She felt him tense then and smirked to herself. So she had three men after her tonight. Zak had taken off his jacket and was wearing a plain black fitted t-shirt, careful not to touch his exposed skin Jess pushed herself away from him and turned back toward the bar.

"Zak these are my friends. Dylan and Kevin." She gestured to both men in turn. "Guys, this is Zak Bagans. Paranormal investigator, demon hunter, music producer, author and all around badass." She finished her introduction with a bow in

Zaks direction. Standing back up gave her head rush and upon seeing Zaks raised brow at her antics and Dylan and Kevin's reaction she grinned stupidly. The looked jealous. Dylan more so than Kevin. Kevin looked like he was sizing Zak up, trying to figure out just how close Jess was to him.

Jess stepped closer to Zak and recklessly grabbed his hand. She wasn't prepared for what she saw. A flash of her house, her mother's window, a shadow. The door suddenly opening for Zak after he had tried to force open with his shoulder, the smell of rotting meat. Jess let go of Zaks' hand when she saw herself attacking him for something she knew he hadn't done or rather he had tried to do but not for unwarranted reasons. Turning back to face the bar she saw Kevin's concerned look out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm fine." She murmured to him when he reached for her.

"But I should get back to Kira, who knows what kind of trouble she could be getting into."

"She was dancing with Aaron somewhere over there last I saw her." Zak supplied gesturing to a dark corner of the dance floor.

"Care to escort me? I wanted to talk to you about earlier." Without bothering to say goodbye to either of the other two men she took Zaks arm and led him back the way he had come. Jess tried not to focus on how hard is forearm and bicep were, it was like having her arm wrapped around warm stone. She was glad that the alcohol dulled her gift, she wasn't seeing visions anymore just sort of sensing his general emotions in a dull fuzzy kind of way. Looking at his arm she saw a tattoo peeking out from the bottom of his sleeve and her mind went wild with thoughts of what other ink his clothes could be hiding.

"So you wanted to talk?" he asked suddenly stopping in darkened corner of the club.

"Yea but I wanted to find Kira first and make sure she's ok." She replied nervously.

"I think she's fine." Zak nodded a little to the left and turned Jess in the direction he indicated by snaking his hands around her waist gently spinning her. Looking between the grinding bodies of the bar patrons Jess spotted Kira wrapped tightly around Aaron, their lips locked together. Her hands around his neck and his awkwardly on her shoulders like he wasn't sure what to do. Jess couldn't help the laugh that tumbled from lips.

"He is hopeless! I really hoped the awkward thing was an act for your guys' show. It's kind of adorable knowing that it's genuine." Zak chuckled behind her and she turned and faced him without looking him in the eye.

"I'm sorry for bitching at you earlier. I know you didn't try to break in, well actually you did, but it was for a good reason. You don't have to find a new place to stay." Jess said in rush her cheeks flaming, she was never good at apologies. She usually didn't say she was sorry because it was very rare that she was. But in this case she felt horrible. Her stomach flipped when Zak put a fingertip under chin and gently tilted her face upward so she was looking up at him.

"I'm sorry I tried to break in even though it was for a good reason. I should have asked first but you seem so against everything I do that I didn't want to upset you, in retrospect that was stupid." He laughed at himself and Jess smiled in return. She couldn't help it.

"Friends?" she asked holding out her hand for him to shake. He looked down at it for second before sweeping her up in his arms. "Friends." He whispered into her hair.

A.N- Thank you all who have read/ followed/ reviewed this story, it means a lot and I love you all

xoxo A.B.N