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She topped off the Guinness, creating a dome effect over the top of the pint. Gavin watched with a satisfied expression on his face. At least she’d managed to pleasesomeonetonight.

Guinness tumbled inside of the glass like lava. The same color as Jericho’s melted caramel eyes.Damn it.She shook her head.

“What’s with all the questions, LittleChosen?” Gavin asked in a deliberate tone.

Reminding her of her place? She stiffened. Totally uncalled for. Like anyone around here would let her forget. Thanks to the vampire’s superiority complex, many considered Chosen to be little more than obedient pets. Lucky for Alex, hermasterwas all for breaking rules and ignoring conventions. They were kindred spirits, she and her Liam.

When she didn’t respond, Gavin canted his head in a predatory way. “Jericho give you a hard time?”

Alex met the demon’s gaze just as something fiery flashed behind his eyes. One of these days, she’d love to see what would happen if he really let loose. “No. Nothing like that. Just curious, is all.” In all fairness, Jericho hadn’t gone out of his way to be cruel. He simply treated her as though, at any moment, she might nab his granny’s purse.

As she filled another glass, Liam and Jericho rounded the bar front and headed toward Liam’s office. Perhaps this was more than a simple social visit.

Liam sent Gavin a nod, making sure her babysitter knew he had Alex duty. “Annndtag, you’re it,”she muttered under her breath.

Gavin gave her a pointed look, his mouth twisting in a smirk. “You could do far worse than the likes of me, missy.”

Alex pressed her lips together and set the Guinness on the tray, watching the two men stride down the hallway. Gavin had a point. When he wasn’t tormenting her, he was fun to be around.

She studied the broad shoulders of the vampire trailing behind Liam, and her heart pulsed inside of her chest. Yes, she could definitely do worse.

Jericho sankinto the worn armchair across from Liam’s desk. Duct tape scraped the back of his thigh, and the scent of Liam’s favorite Macanudo cigars wafted from the leather. He exhaled and slumped deeper, letting his drink hang from his fingertips.

Liam settled into his chair and kicked his boots up on the scarred desktop. “Haven’t seen you in months. I was starting to think you were avoiding me.”

He was. “Been busy.”

Jericho eyed the desk’s polished surface. Neatly stacked files, a new lamp, and a stack ofpurplenotepads? The organization reeked of a woman’s touch. Perhaps this thing with Liam’s Chosen was even worse than he feared.

“Too busy for an old friend?”

He ignored the question. If Liam was harboring one ofthem, Jericho’s absence was a good thing for everyone involved. “Is that a laptop?”

“Alex insisted. Said if I was going to run a business, I needed some modern-day contraption called QuickBooks.”

“You gave her access to your books?”

“Girl has a head for numbers,” Liam said, his tone defensive.

“Head for numbers and sticky fingers. When I was here with Ava, I watched her swipe a nose ring right off a demon’s face. Bastard didn’t even notice.”

Liam’s grin was unapologetic, laced with a disturbing tinge of pride. “Taught her everything I know. She’s smart, a quick study.”

Too smart. Too quick. When Jericho had first laid eyes on her, he’d never been so affected by a female, his attraction instantaneous. Part of him was disappointed to find Liam’s brand on her neck. While he was still reeling from the smile she’d laid on him, she’d turned to grab a bottle of whiskey. That’s when the hem of her shirt rode up, revealing a bit of skin that had frozen his heart in his chest.

“You never did tell me why you’ve taken a Chosen for the first time in centuries.” Jericho censored his tone, careful to hide the snap of concern on his tongue.

“Figured you’d get to that question, eventually.” The gleam in Liam’s eyes grew speculative. “She the reason you haven’t been around?”

Jericho arched a brow. “Is she the reason you’re serving umbrellas with glitter on them?”

“You got a problem with umbrellas?”

Nope, but he certainly had a problem with theglyphhe’d spotted on her back. “Just seems she has a lot of…influenceover you.”

Liam’s granite jaw firmed, gears cranking inside his head. “Fine,” he bit out. “If that’s how it’s going to be, then let’s cut through the bullshit. You know, that I know, that you know, what she’s hiding. You being you, and me being me, I sure as fuck don’t want a female coming between us. Trust me when I say she isn’t what you think. The situation is nothing like the one with you and…”

Jericho held his breath, bracing for the name that hovered on Liam’s lips. A name he couldn’t bear to hear. A name that would rip him wide-open.