“Yeah, they were pretty heavy. It’s a new group. Come on, I know a great jazz place.”
“No. A drink first, or I swear I’m going to start following you with my tongue hanging out.”
Laughing, Niki put her arm around Saia’s waist. “There’s a bar farther down—oh, girl, you want eye-candy, Satire’s the perfect place.”
With a wicked smile, she flipped back her ponytail and hustled Saia through the crowded street lit with bright lights and blazing neon signs from the buildings.
Despite the teeming streets, the darker side of life didn’t escape Saia, nor did all the dangers that surrounded them. Hunters strolled the area, blending in with the crowds. Their hard-eyed stare was one Saia was all too familiar with considering what her brother did.
No, the pretty, bright lights were not to draw tourists; they were used as a deterrent to keep Caligos away from the masses. Those shapeless, body-stealing entities wouldn’t survive direct light of any kind—it’s why they stole and inhabited human bodies.
Shivering a little, Saia gratefully slipped into the warmth of the softly lit bar. The low, sultry sounds of blues drifted from a jukebox on the far end near the red brick wall. Two pools tables were adjacent to it. Dark wood made up the bar that ran almost the length of the back wall. Leather seats and wooden tables filled the rest of the space around a small, makeshift dance floor where several couples swayed.
Women crowded the bar at one end—probably because of the eye-candy that Niki mentioned. Snorting, Saia shrugged off her coat and handed it to Niki. Spying an empty table at the back, she nodded at it. “Grab that spot, I’ll go get our drinks.”
She turned for the bar and froze. All thoughts of having fun and forgetting about the horrible weekend ahead slid right out of her mind, her attention caught by the guy behind the counter.
He worked here?
As if there was a direct link between them, Riley looked up and stilled, then his green eyes narrowed. Her stomach whirled like leaves in the wind.
“Sai, where are the drinks?”
The sound of Niki’s voice yanked Saia back to where she was. She wasn’t even aware that she’d backed away and had dropped down beside her friend.
“So, you like the eye-candy, huh?” Niki teased when she saw where Saia was looking. “He’s the best one here. You want some fun, he’s perfect for that.”
Perfect? He’d already shown her exactly what he could do with his mouth, both verbally and physically. Heat flooded Saia’s face.
“Ahh, so that’s how it is. Make a move then, Sai”—Niki nudged her shoulder—“or one of those bar-tarts will wind up with him in her bed tonight.”
Darn, she couldn’t keep anything hidden from her sharp-eyed friend.
For some reason, the thought of him with another woman made her tummy hollow out. Unable to get her chaotic thoughts in order, she pushed to her feet. “I’m going to the restroom.”
Niki sprang up and grabbed her by the elbow, effectively blocking her escape. “Oh, no you don’t. Come on, Sai. Live a little. Soon enough, you’ll be shackled to a man of your mother’s dream.”
“Stop saying that.”
“Then prove me mistaken. Hell, Sai, I love your family, but this is just so wrong, your mother choosing your husband.”
At Niki’s comments, Saia’s stomach churned. God, she hated how wussy she appeared. But she had to tell her friend the truth about Riley.
“Niki, I already met him, soon after I moved in with Liz.” Her face heating, Saia explained what had happened, and ended with his threat and him biting her—not the tormenting sucking, of course. Then she told Niki about him ignoring her when they’d next run into each other.
Humiliating? Definitely.
But she didn’t want her friend pushing her into this, because after being so annoyingly provocative, he now pretended not to know her. And that irritated her more.
Niki didn’t say a word while Saia spoke, then her grin flashed. “Sai, this is perfect. Now, go get our drinks.”
“Perfect? How is it perfect?” she protested. “It has disaster written all over it.”
As if suddenly deaf, Niki pushed Saia in the direction of the bar. She teetered on her high heels and bumped into some guy, who spun around then smiled at her.
Hastily, Saia sidestepped him and flung a scowl at her best friend, who cheered her on with a thumb’s up sign.
“Yep, definitely disastrous,” Saia grumbled, making her way to the bar.
Riley ignored the females swarming the counter as he set their drinks before them, his mind fixed on the one who’d walked through his doors moments ago.
How her light floral scent found its way to him, overriding all the sweat, liquor, and heavy perfume in the place, he had no idea.
Fate, it seemed, was determined to screw with him once again and put him in the path of trouble. It had taken everything he possessed to stay away from her.
And now here she was, in his bar, making her way toward him.
Their paths had intersected only once after that first night. She’d been on her way in from university with an armful of books. As she crossed the courtyard, her wide-eyed shock when she realized that he lived there, too—hell, it sure made his day.
“Rileeee,” a slurring voice called out. “Another of those marvelous little con–concoctions.” The female batted her eyelashes at him and drunkenly waved her glass like he didn’t know what saturated her brain.
He mixed her another margarita. The umbrella, which had decorated her earlier one, had found a new place in the low dip of her red leather bustier. He set her drink in front of her, gritting back his scowl.
His little tormenter had stopped, not opposite him as he’d expected, but near Austin, his other bartender. The smile on the human’s face made Riley want to break his jaw.
“Haven’t seen you around here, sugar. What’s your name?” Austin asked.
“Saia.”
Hearing her name in that low raspy tone had every nerve in Riley’s body stirring awake. She was all champagne and satin. It certainly didn’t match her gravelly voice made for long, hot, erotic nights.
Austin blinked, his interest obvious.
Riley willed a stacked blonde, trying to get his attention, to demand Austin’s. Small of him, but he didn’t care. The little tyrant ignoring him was like a nagging thorn, embedded deep in his side, one he couldn’t quite get rid of.
But you chose that path first, dumbass.
Yeah, well, he dismissed that.
When Austin showed no signs of interest in the blonde, Riley willed the idiot off. Abruptly he turned away. Saia frowned, then she glanced Riley’s way, her gold-flecked brown eyes cool. Satisfaction filled him. Doubtless, she probably still wanted to stake him for biting her. Hell, it was the most fun he’d had that night.
He stopped opposite her, planted his palms on the counter. “What will it be?”
A single, delicate eyebrow cocked in a very masculine gesture. “An apology.”
Riley ran his gaze over her in slow perusal. She had no idea how he itched to wrap that long hair around his hand, trapping her while he devoured her lush mouth properly.
“I’m waiting”—she tapped her fingers on the scarred, wooden surface, an engraved silver ring glinting on her fourth digit—“for an apology. For scaring, attacking, and manhandling me.”
“Not happening, babe. How about a screwdriver?”
“Between your ribs? Perfect.”
Riley bit back his smile. He’d walked into that one.
“Hey, Sai, got our drinks yet?” her friend asked, pushing between Saia and another customer.
“No, not yet.” Saia grimaced, her belligerent attitude vanishing. She flashed a quick smile to her friend, displaying an impish dimple in her left cheek, then her determined gaze reared back to him. “I’m waiting for something else first.”
Riley had to clench his fingers not to reach out and trace the dent in her sexy face. She wanted an apology? Fine,
he’d give her one, his way. “Yeah, I am sorry, but only for scaring you when I grabbed you.” He leaned closer, inhaling her tempting flowery scent. Lowered his tone. “Do I still want to cuff you and fuck you? Absolutely.”
At his deliberate crudeness, her mouth dropped open.
“Hey, how about a Corona here?” a man called out, breaking the sensual grip she had on him. Without looking at the customer, Riley got the beer and sent it sliding toward the male.
“Fine. If that’s the best you can do…” She flicked back her hair and eyed the array of liquor on the shelves behind him. “So, bartender, what do you recommend?”
You stripped and splayed on this countertop, and my mouth between your thighs. The words hovered dangerously close to spilling. He snapped, “I have a name, use it.”
Snagging the cloth from the lower shelf, he wiped down the wooden counter and moved away from her. He would never apologize for kissing—or in her case—biting her. He still couldn’t believe he’d done that. The moment he’d seen her, it was like he had to mark her or something.
“Any harder and you’re sure to peel off the varnish,” Zac murmured, leaning against the counter. Damn, the last person he wanted sniffing around right now. “Wonder who’s got you all twisted up?”
Riley ignored him. A second passed, then a low whistle. “If it’s that sexy little thing with miles of black hair who’s shooting you laser looks, I’d be quite happy to take her off your hands.”
“Don’t you have work to do?” he snapped.
Zac smirked and ran a hand over his crew cut, having gotten the response he aimed for. Damn idiot. Zac directed his attention to Saia’s friend. “Niki, girl, bar crawling again?”
The redhead flirting with Austin turned. “Zac?” Her grin widened in pleasure. “Yep. What better place then Satire’s to unwind after a hard day?” She slung her arm around Saia’s waist, pulling her away. “Zac, this is Saia, my bestie. I’m hooking up with friends to introduce her to some real fun.”
“Then you’ve come to the right place.” Zac tossed two shit-faced drunks off their stools so the females could sit.
“Hello, Zac,” Saia said. Her sexy, smoky voice made Zac stare longer. Riley had to quell the urge to punch his friend.
Saia looked back then, a sudden twinkle in her dark eyes. “Oh, Riley, a pear martini for me, and a vodka tonic for Niki.”
In his long life, no female had tested him they way she did.
His little tormentor was going straight for his jugular; she didn’t even seem to care if she stomped on his balls along the way to get even.
“Yoo-hoo, cupcaaaake.” The umbrella female waved her arm like a broken windmill then shoved a paper napkin toward him. “Here, my number. Call me.”
He ignored her as he readied Saia’s and her friend’s drinks.
“Riley, sugaaaaar,” the umbrella woman sang again.
Saia turned, cut the female a sharp look then glanced at him. “Seems like your girlfriend’s getting a little impatient there.” She nodded at the loopy woman sprawled over the counter, waving the cocktail umbrella at him. He set their drinks down with a little thud. “I don’t do girlfriends.”
“Yeah?” Her gaze contemplative, she picked up her glass, her lips caressing the rim… slowly, so fucking slow before she took a sip.
Images of what that mouth could do to his body had his cock straining against his fly.
Saia looked back at the attractive, but totally pissed-out-of-her-mind female. Then her eyes widened. “Oh…” She set the glass down. “Oh,” she repeated, appearing shocked out of her trouble-making mind.
What? He nearly snarled but bit back the word. He didn’t want to get into this debate with her. But her light scent clouded his mind and made him want to do something reckless like stroke her face. He’d already given in to the impulse once and sucked her lip. Touching her again would be a big fucking mistake.
As he readied another drink order, Saia leaned closer to the drunken woman, her trouble-making dimple coming into play, and that he didn’t trust at all.
“He’s gay, ya know…” she whispered. The woman blinked at Saia then slurred something. Saia nodded as if she understood that sloshed garble. “Oh, no, he’s not happy, he likes playing for his own team…”
“Damn shame,” the woman moaned. “Whasha w-waste.”
Riley ignored his customers and simply stared at Saia.
She smiled sweetly, picked up her drink. “Check…and mate.”
He struggled against the urge to drag her across the counter and kiss that tormenting mouth. Show her just how ungay he was. But she was already walking away with her friend to a table at the back.
Saia, he decided, was too damn dangerous. She came fully armed with her flashing dimple and husky voice.
As the hour crept past midnight, the tension in Riley grew like a slowly tightening vise.
He surveyed the bar again. With Caligos masquerading as humans, looking for their next target, along with those vicious blood-demons roaming this area, he had more than the usual shit to deal with. Around this time, they usually came out to hunt.
He wanted Saia out of the bar. But she and her friend appeared to have no desire to leave.
Usually, he didn’t care when people bopped around on the improvised dance floor, but not tonight. As the long night progressed, Riley’s clenched jaw started to ache.
Hell, he should be relieved she hadn’t come back to torment him, but somehow, he couldn’t seem to stop watching her. Or stop the low snarls leaving him every time she hit the floor with some male. He didn’t want another man touching her. Had no idea where the hell this territorial shit stemmed from.
By Hades, when she bumped and grinded with yet another, he realized he had to get out of there. Or else he’d end up punching the human, and Zac would bounce him out of his own bar.
He turned to leave, but at the prickly sensation grating over his psyche, his gaze flashed over the dancers and stopped on Saia. Shit! His heart kicked hard against his sternum when he saw what she was dancing with—no, not dancing, rather trying to get away from.
At the telltale grayish aura surrounding the human, Riley scaled over the counter and tore across the dance floor, shoving bodies aside, their curses lost to the noisy music. He thrust the Caligo away, grabbed Saia by her arm, and hauled her away from the formless fuck that now inhabited some poor sod’s body.
The Caligo’s head snapped toward him, growling low in its throat.
Riley pushed his way through the crowds, Saia in tow.
“Hey! Just what do you think you’re doing?” She slammed a palm into his chest, stopping him at the edge of the dance floor. Her scowl turned to a frown when she saw him. “Riley?”
He yanked her close. “You’re leaving,” he snapped over her head at the Caligo following, all too aware of the armful of tempting female he had plastered against him.
“Who’sss gonna make me? You?”
At the sly hiss, Riley realized this thing could cause panic and mayhem among the humans. He couldn’t have that. Saia had no damn idea just how close she’d come to losing her life.
Caligos, shapeless black entities from the deepest part of Hell, craved emotions. They could temporarily take on any shape to lure their human hosts close—inhabit—then feed their need for emotions and whatever else got their rocks off. But the evil residing within took its toll on mortal bodies. When they moved on, they left only death in their wake.
Zac appeared beside Riley. One look at the Caligo and his expression hardened. With him being half demon, he’d recognize this atrocity. “Get the hell outta here.”
The Caligo didn’t budge, its entire focus fixed on Saia. “Mine.”
The fact that it could speak without slurring showed it had inhabited its host for a few days. Bastards were fast learners. It could only be acting on its host’s sexual wants now. In a few weeks, this shithead’s host would start to disintegrate because Caligos didn’t eat, and couldn’t sustain the h
uman bodies they occupied.
Riley had to rein in the urge to eliminate the thing right there. Caligos could only die by light or fire. Kill it by any other means, and two more morphed from it. The fuckers were a real pain in the ass.
“Come on,” the Caligo coaxed Saia with a pleading smile. It would take on all the mannerisms of its host. “Let’s get away from here. I know another place.”
“Look, Trevor,” she pushed away from Riley, “I’m not interested. I told you that.”
Riley hauled her right back. “Get away from her.”
Zac grabbed the Caligo in an armlock and hauled it out of the bar.
Anger powering through him, Riley tried to calm down, an impossible feat given that his fear wouldn’t leave—he wanted to rip the Caligo apart with his bare hands then incinerate the fucker.
At the subtle change in the air, Riley stilled, a prickling sensation crawling over his psyche. He hurriedly scanned the crowd for more trouble, only to come to a grating halt when his gaze hit the entrance.
Shit! Which hole did he crawl out from?
Baric stood near the door, watching them with a smug expression.
Riley had to clamp down on the urge to go after the demon from his past; the one who’d damn near killed him when he’d first come to this realm. But he couldn’t leave Saia alone, not with that Caligo on the loose.
Smirking, Baric stepped back, nudged the door open with his elbow, and disappeared outside.
Saia wriggled in his grip. “Riley, can’t breathe—”
Instantly, he eased up. “I have to get you back to your apartment.”
She pushed away from him and scowled. “I’m not ready to leave.”
That’s what she thought.
Grasping her much smaller hand in his, Riley pulled her along toward the door. But humans coming into the bar jostled them back, slowing them down more. Then Saia startled all holy hell out of him as she started to drag him toward the exit in a fast trot.
“Oh, shit. Oh, shit!” He heard her curse beneath her breath. How she sprinted in those heels without tripping, he had no idea. Moments later, they stepped out into the cool, brightly lit street.
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