He glared at me, touching his bloody nose, and I smiled widely when I heard him mutter, “Deal.”
It was going to be a fun evening ahead.
Chapter Nine
“Lost are we, and are only so far punished, That without hope we live on in desire.” ― Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
I must remember to keep some money for rent.
I must remem …
“All right. Let’s get this over with before I have to arrest you for assault.” He interrupted my train of thought, getting off the wet ground. I glanced back at him, kind of curious and angry at the same time. I sensed something deeper in him, a softer side of his domineering personality that I was yet to discover.
“The pub is just around the corner, and for someone who claims to know these streets I’m surprised that you’re being so ridiculously impatient,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Flower, just spare me the small talk,” he snapped back. I had no idea why he was pissed off. He was the one that attacked me. Maybe he was used to getting things done his way. So far he only revealed that he wasn’t happy working alongside a woman.
We were both silent until we entered the old, secluded pub on the street corner. From any other person’s point of view, the building didn’t look particularly appealing, but I had built a relationship with the owner over the years. There were a few humans at the back, clutching their hands around their pint glasses and glaring at us from the distance.
Paul, the barman, nodded to me, not looking too pleased with the customer that strolled in after me. Yep, it was odd to see a stranger in here. Paul used to be a Watcher, part of an angelic faction that guards the gates of hell. One night he left his post unattended, lured by a beautiful demon from the Asmodeus faction. Several hours later, he was found naked, stripped of all his abilities, and then cast out from his post, sadly never gaining his powers back.
“The usual, Maxine?” Paul asked, placing the glass in front of me and eyeing Zach with his demonic eyes.
“Yeah, three shots straight away. I have a game to play,” I said.
“Vodka for me,” Zach muttered, then grabbed a napkin and wiped the blood underneath his nose. Once Paul poured our drinks, I didn’t need to wait for an invitation. The shots in front of me were special; Paul spiked it with a dash of elixir that he made especially for me. The combination of demonic magic, rare herbs and blood of a poisoned dragon meant to heal a broken heart. At least I kept telling myself that. I was an addict, but after finishing a bottle, I could still function the next day. That was part of the problem.
Zach ordered a beer chaser and went to sit down at the table by the window.
“Why on earth are you hanging out with a human, Max? He’s a cop too, you know,” Paul asked, leaning over the bar and eyeing me intensely. I took a new deck of cards from my pocket and started shuffling them around. “And what happened to his face?”
“Unfortunately for me, he’s been assigned to a case that I’ve also taken on, and we had a disagreement,” I blurted out, aware that Zach hadn’t taken his eyes off me. A shudder tickled over my spine. I could still feel the heat from earlier in my veins, but I had yet to determine if it was the way Zach was looking at me or my conflicted emotions.
Paul acted like a human, and most of the time he didn’t like bringing up his past. After so many years in London, he put on a bit of weight, and he had aged. His soul was still young, but for a human he looked like he was in his mid-forties.
“I sense trouble, Max. That man is filled with resentment. He holds a grudge. Maybe he lost someone or he killed an innocent human,” Paul said, looking over my shoulder. “And he desires you, but he doesn’t want to admit to it.”
My jaw dropped slightly as I stared at Paul, wondering why the hell he had to make me uncomfortable. My opinion about Zach’s feeling was divided: I wasn’t too sure if he wanted me or if he was acting that way in order to get rid of me. Paul was right—Zach’s soul had been tormented by some kind of tragedy from the past. Maybe that was the reason he seemed so detached.
“Well, that’s too bad. I have to work with him either way; otherwise I’ll be in trouble with the underworld. Young Prince George went missing late last night. He might be in the underworld, who knows? Or with a demon. Things are kind of complicated. If you hear anything you’ll let me know, right?”
Paul’s green eyes twinkled with confusion. He just didn’t care for royals at all.
“I’ll keep an ear out for you.“ He nodded back to Zach “I don’t like him, Maxine. I’d stay away. He is trouble and we both know that you don’t deal with trouble well,” Paul muttered, putting the bottle of tequila on the bar along with a clean shot glass.
I grabbed it, ignoring his comment. He started sounding more and more like Ricky. Why did everyone feel the need to give me advice on how to live my life, advice that I didn’t want or need?
“Thanks, Paul, but I’ll be all right. Just keep the drinks coming,” I said with a wink. I grabbed the whole bottle and went back to the table where Zach was sitting. I threw the stack of cards right in front of him.
“So let me get this straight. I win and you will move aside, you won’t interfere in my investigation?” Zach asked when I poured some tequila into my glass. His eyes were lidded and travelling over the tight old T-shirt that I wore today—eyes so different from Arthur’s. Fuck, I needed to stop thinking about him.
“Let’s play, unless you want to lay out your whole life story for me?” I said, winding him up a little too much. His eyes twitched like he noticed something in the bottle. Paul was careful with his elixirs, mixing shit like that with human spirits was dangerous.
“I’m certain, Flower, that your life story is much more interesting than mine,” he said, smiling. Sweet mercy; that smile bloomed burning heat in my stomach, and he had cute dimples on each side of his gorgeous jaw when he did eventually laugh. Exactly like Arthur’s. This was pathetic. I really needed to stop comparing him to Arthur. Maybe I should have gotten rid of the ring, then I wouldn’t have to be assaulted with painful memories whenever I thought about the opposite sex.
“Too bad you aren’t going to hear about it tonight,” I snapped back, shuffling the cards around for a bit and then placing two in front of me and two in front of him. It was much more fun playing with a few more people, but we had business to settle, and I needed a quick win to get in the mood. The luck and cards were on my side tonight. I knew it.
After playing five cards upside down in the middle of the table, the familiar excitement filled my veins. My pulse spiked, and for some reason the cards were making me more receptive to my surroundings.
Zach checked his cards and then lifted his thick eyelashes at me. Drinking magical tequila had its advantages; after a couple of shots I was less receptive to human emotions, able to block all feeling and worries. This was supposed to be a fair game. My partner was a human, who most likely had no experience in playing poker. I needed to go easy on him.
“Hmm… I think you will tell me everything about you, Maxine, all your deepest secrets and sexual desires,” he said, and sent me a flirtatious wink. I lifted my left eyebrow, tossing my long hair behind me. He could dream about me telling him anything at all.
We started with a pre-flop round. I put some cash on the table, so he knew that I was taking this game seriously. It was clear from the very beginning that Zach wasn’t the amateur I assumed just a second ago. With that mad gleam in his eyes, he made a few moves. We both put the same amount on the table, and after betting and holding, the flop round had started. I kept topping up my glass, for some reason enjoying the company of the human that sat in front of me. It was much more fun not to know what he was feeling when his dark eyes were looking through me.
In a flop round, Zach bet more than I expected. Over two hundred pounds, and if I wanted to stay in the game, I needed to match it. The magical alcohol loosened me up, and the sudden rush of heat made my eyes heavy. Zach had of course noticed.
&
nbsp; “You’re flustered, Maxine,” he pointed out. “So I assume this is what you like doing in your spare time. Playing poker and drinking?”
“Everyone has their hobbies, Detective,” I sang, twisting a lock of my hair around my finger, as we moved to the turn round.
He kept his cards to himself. The warmth that surrounded me was welcome and comforting. Arthur didn’t matter anymore; he was just a distant memory.
“True. Sex is an excellent hobby. I enjoy it tremendously,” he chuckled as I placed one more community card on the table. I couldn’t remember the last time I had fucked someone just for the sake of it. My relationships with men were complicated after my affair with Arthur, and I was too scared to mix pleasure with business again.
We both went with our turns. In this round my cards weren’t that good, but I kept betting, hoping that might change in the final straw. When the last community card was placed on the table, I checked mine and raised the money. Zachary did exactly the same, watching me like a hawk.
He seemed confident that he won, throwing a few lousy compliments. I knew it was all a game to him.
“So I’m safe to assume that you’re not seeing anyone at the moment?” he asked.
“Why? Because I spend most of my time in the pub, drinking and playing cards?”
“No, I think you’re still hung up on Prince Charming,” he pointed out. I narrowed my eyes at him.
“You know nothing about me. And what happened between me and the prince is none of your business,” I snapped, angry that Arthur couldn’t keep his mouth shut when we were standing in a room full of people.
Zach checked his cards again, but I couldn’t read anything from his expression.
“How about we add something more to this deal? If I win this, then you agree to go out with me?”
That was it. We both needed to reveal our cards and I was certain that he was a sour loser, bluffing all the way till the end. He also had a nerve asking me out.
“No, I don’t date. My work is my life. Besides, a deal is a deal. I don’t recall there were any extras included,” I said, suddenly wondering what he would look like naked, pressed over my body in my tiny flat. I hadn’t gotten laid in a very long time, and the waves of energy reminded me that this was my first real opportunity to change that.
“We both could have some fun, Flower, and I could help you stop thinking about Prince Charming for a night,” he whispered, leaning towards me. In that dim light, he seemed even hotter, and a violent bolt of warmth ripped through my system. My addiction was supposed to calm me down tonight, not push me into the arms of a human who wasn’t looking for anything other than a night of fun.
My demonic side was completely shut down, but on the other hand, sex without expectations could help me forget about a crappy day like today.
“All right, fine. Let’s play this game,” I muttered, smiling flirtatiously. “But what will I get if I win?”
He looked down on his cards, then back to me, lowering his thick eyelashes to my cleavage. I wasn’t very developed in that department, but Zach seemed hung up on that spot, more so than other men. Maybe he liked a woman with small tits.
“I’ll tell you something about me, something that no one knows,” he said—and then revealed his cards.
He had a full house, and I was kind of shocked staring down at his card sequence. I bit my lip, wondering if he liked playing poker on a regular basis or if it was just one off. He was obviously experienced, but right at that moment I wanted him to think that I had been bluffing, that he had me.
“Deal,” I blurted out and then revealed my cards, presenting him a flush. His face dropped, his anger whisked through the air. He stared at my cards for several moments, like he couldn’t believe that I won, that I had better cards.
“Well, cowboy, you better get ready to work with me, because I can tell you, I ain’t going anywhere. And you’ll be telling me all your dirty secrets.” I chuckled, happy with the results.
Zachary muttered something under his breath, got up, and went to the bar. I bet he needed to have a very strong drink to numb the fact that a girl had just kicked his arse for the second time tonight. I started sweeping all the money to my side, feeling awesome. There was still half of a bottle of tequila left, and I was considering finishing it when someone sat in Zach’s chair.
“Hey, Maxine. Fancy teaming up with the old crew. I see you have some money. Wanna double it?” Devlin asked, grinning at me. He was one of the regulars, the guy that lost me half of the down payment for a shabby loft apartment in London, if I ever considered getting on the property ladder. Behind him was Lea, a mongrel, and twins that were part of Mammon’s faction. They must have sensed that I was in the mood for more.
“Yeah, why not? Let’s do this,” I said, not even considering going home. When the four of us were seated around the table, Zachary came and sat behind me, looking much calmer than before. He didn’t say anything, just sat behind and kept watching the game.
I thought that I was in control, that this was finally my night, but by around two o’clock in the morning the magical bottle of tequila was empty and I was down at least a grand or more. I kind of lost count after the first couple of hundred. Nothing went how I planned; my good cards from my game with Zachary didn’t follow through. The alcohol clouded my head and the strong vibrations of lust in my system became distracting.
The twins had won again, costing me my rent. Zachary hadn’t moved. He kept going to the bar and drinking slowly, not taking his eyes off me.
Soon the whole place was empty, the last customer had settled the bill with Paul, and I was sitting in the same spot, completely wasted and pissed off with my own luck tonight.
“Max, that’s it. I’m closing and you should go home,” Paul said, taking the empty bottle of tequila.
He helped me get up and walked me to the door. I had no idea what happened to Zachary. He must have left too, pissed off that things didn’t go to plan tonight. The world around me started spinning, and I needed to get to my bed. I was walking home slowly alone and once again I thought that someone was following me. The streets of Brixton were quiet, and when I turned around a few times I saw Zach keeping a fair amount of distance from me. I wasn’t the kind of girl that needed to be rescued, but he kept following me all the way back to my street. Maybe he was worried that I wouldn’t get home safely.
“Now, now, Flower, let’s put you to bed. You won, so we’re stuck together anyway,” he whispered, helping me open the door when I failed miserably trying to remain in a standing position. When I nearly passed out in the corridor, he lifted me and carried me upstairs.
That night, even in my kind of state, I knew I was going to share my secrets with him.
Chapter Ten
“Midway upon the journey of our life, I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost.” ― Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
“Cosy. I had no idea that you lived in such a shithole, Maxine. I thought that being the prince’s mistress came with some advantages,” Zachary mocked me, looking around my crappy flat. I lifted my hand, tapping my finger into my head as a reminder for tomorrow. I needed to call my landlady and ask her to fix the damn lights. Also the glass in the window was cracked. Some teenager from the council estate threw a stone when I told him to shut his dirty human mouth. Yes, my flat was a real rathole.
My head was spinning and I hated myself that I couldn’t stop telling Paul to pour me more. All my rent money was gone. I was broke again.
“What the hell do you want? I’m fine now. You can leave. I don’t … need a babysitter, mister,” I slurred, stumbling on my feet and falling down on the sofa. My eyes wouldn’t stay open. Zach sat beside me a moment later. He took my hand and touched my cheek with his cold finger.
“You do that often? Lose all your money in an obscure bar in a poker game?” he asked, forcing my chin up so I couldn’t look away. He was composed, and very calm, almost not the same man that I me
t in the palace. I had the tendency of oversharing details of my life with strangers when I was drunk. That night when he was sitting next to me, I wanted to tell him all about the bad time in my life, about Arthur too. Tonight was one of those times when I needed a shoulder to cry on.
“I never used to do that, but getting wasted seems like a good idea lately,” I told him. “Have you got a cigarette?”
He nodded, pulled the packet of Marlboro Lights from his jacket pocket, and gave me one. I had a lighter somewhere in the flat, but he used matches to light one for me. At this rate I was going to kill myself; even the magic wouldn’t save me.
“What’s on your mind, beautiful?” he asked, lighting one for himself.
“I want to tell you about that one night when everything changed,” I said, wondering if this was really such a good idea. Zach didn’t care, but he was still in the flat, sitting next to me. He obviously wanted to listen.
“Tell me.”
“I had a close call a couple of years ago. I nearly died, so I decided to change everything. First it was the job and the fact that I had to rely on others to survive,” I mumbled, sounding like one pathetic mongrel. I spent too many years keeping the truth away from everyone around me. My mother used to say that it was better to let all the worries out in the open. Now I had a man next to me that wanted to get to know me, so I needed to keep going. “I used to work as a waitress in an Italian restaurant in the city. That one night I was the last one out, closing the back doors, when some stranger attacked me. He came out of nowhere, took all the money and left me there to bleed to death.”
Zachary was silent, staring down at me with a wary, slightly stunned expression on his face. I arched my head back, resting for a few long moments. The magic was rummaging through my system urging me to keep talking about the crappy past. The voices in my head were loud and nagging. Sometimes I had problems with shutting them down.
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