Page 88 of Finders Reapers

When the song finished, and I got an A for effort to Fletcher’s pitiful D, we fell off the platform laughing as the high from the arcade game carried us to the bar. Jamal met our grins and passed over a couple of shots of tequila. I did the shot and slammed it on the bar.

“I needed that,” I grinned.

“It looked fun,” Jamal admitted.

I gestured over my shoulder. “Wanna have a go?”

Jamal waved me away, “I’ll get some more tequila in me first.”

“Suit yourself,” I shrugged.

We kept drinking, and soon I was hanging off Fletcher’s arm as he told a hilarious story about the time he had woken up in the suite only to find that he had stolen a penguin from the Las Vegas zoo—and he needed to get it past Maddox, who would almost certainly be pissed.

I almost wet myself with laughter when Fletcher revealed the story's punchline. The penguin hadn’t been a penguin at all, but a Guillemot, a type of bird that looked similar to a penguin but could definitely fly.

A fact Fletcher had found out by hiding on the balcony of his room as he waited for Maddox to leave.

The afternoon crowd began to filter in as we kept drinking. With each drink, we grew closer. I’d hit Jamal’s shoulder if his joke was too dirty, and Fletcher would flick my hair from my shoulder like a schoolboy trying to get my attention.

Our stools moved so close together that it was a wonder that we didn’t fall off them.

Jamal had just finished telling a joke about a priest, a warlock, and a custard salesman, and we were in fits of laughter. I let out an ugly snort, almost knocking over my mojito as I reached up to slap his shoulder lightly. Jamal caught my hand in his, and I felt the same sensation I had felt earlier with Fletcher. As if every cell of my body was alive.

“Not this again,” I threw my head back and groaned.

Jamal gripped my hand and turned it over, palm facing the sky. “You know, the bond is meant to alert us if one of the Grim is in danger.”

I let out a shaky breath. “Is that right?”

“Hmm.” Jamal hummed. “I’d say that you’re dangerous. Aren’t you, Vallie?”

“Why does it feel like that?” I whispered as I squirmed on my stool. Even though he was only touching my hand, it felt like my entire body was on fire.

“Like what?” Fletcher put his head on my shoulder. His breath tickled the shell of my ear, and I shuddered.

“Like my body is a racetrack, and a car is doing figure eights between my nipples and my lady parts,” I blurted out, wrenching my hand back to slap my hands against my warming cheeks.

Jamal smirked. “It's not meant to feel likethat.”

I fanned myself.

“I must say, you’ve intrigued me.” Fletcher breathed in my ear, and an electric feeling raced down my spine.

“What?” I laughed breathlessly. “With my DDR skills or my screwy soul doing screwy things.Again.”

Fletcher shook his head before dropping his chin to my shoulder. His forest green eyes gazed up into mine. “We need more shots.”

I could still feel the magic racing through me. “Agreed.”

Jamal placed his hand on the bar and ordered another round of tequila shots. “So, Valentina...” Jamal’s lip twitched in amusement. “Tell us about yourself. Something no one knows.”

Fletcher sat back on his stool. “I like this game.”

I snorted as I lifted my mojito to my lips, almost spilling my drink. “What? Like my boobjob?”

Jamal’s eyes flicked down to my chest. “Bit redundant now, love. But that body had a fine chest, to be sure.”

My eyebrows rose.