Aidan threw back another shot, head spinning. The probable causes ranged from the concentrated amount of alcohol that he had imbibed in the past ten hours, to Raven's achingly labile personality changes, to the swirling bodies on the dance floor, to the pounding bass throbbing through his body.

Truth be told, it was almost certainly a combination of all four.

Raven walked towards him, hips swaying and eyes shimmering. She signaled the bartender. "Cosmopolitan, please."

She turned, leaning her elbows against the bar and surveying the gyrating swarm of people. Her eyes flicked to Aidan's, their grey depths reflecting the colored lights that spiraled through the club.

"Not in the mood to dance?" she asked.

"No." Aidan's response was short.

"It's good exercise." Raven's tone suggested that it was exercise that he could use, but when he glanced over, her eyes were laughing.

The hint of a smile sharpened Aidan's lips. "I receive all of the recreational exercise that I desire in the bedroom."

The bartender handed Raven her drink, and she hid a smile as she sipped the cerise liquid. "Your loss."

Aidan looked pointedly down at himself. "Actually, I don't think it is."

Raven laughed; was that delight coloring her tone? Finishing her drink, she stood.

"Well, that's two hours. I'm going to head back to the apartment."

Aidan raised a brow. "Is that an abstruse invitation?"

Raven shrugged. "You're the one who's pissed off at me, not vice versa. And I never was good at holding a grudge," she added, but with a glint in her eyes that belied her words.

Tilting his head, Aidan surveyed her. Spending the night at Raven's apartment would indeed give him the chance to glean more about her, and though he was still infuriated with her, the ire had cooled into something sharper, more cunning and patient. He was no longer in danger of seriously injuring her, and revenge had instead styled itself as a tenacious and steadfast unraveling of Raven's secrets.

"Very well," he said, finally. 

Raven slid into her peacoat, buttoning it tight. Slipping several bills out of the breast pocket, she handed them to the bartender, who inclined his head and smiled in thanks for the four hundred dollars in his hand. 

"The limo is in the parking garage," Raven said, striding towards the elevator that led below the club. 

Bass still thrumming through his body, Aidan followed her.

*

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A/N:

Oh, that last line is ominous, darlings. Well, Aidan can deal with ominous--can't he? So can Raven for that matter. And 'tis a good thing, for they'll both need that skill in the times to come. Vote if you liked the chapter, and always feel free to comment or PM me with any feedback you have!