Page 38

“Why do you always talk about nursery rhymes when you’re smashed?” Devon griped, plopping a thin napkin over a condensation ring on the table.

Khloe’s spine snapped straight, but then it promptly wilted as she swayed.

Setting down her colorful cocktail, she glared at the hellcat beside her and lifted a finger.

“A, I ain’t smashed. Two, I don’t always mention them.

And before you try to argue that, don’t try to argue that.

Last of all” —her brows flitting together, she looked across the table at Larkin—“what was I talking ’bout before? ”

Dipping her hand into a bowl of pretzels she’d swiped from the bar, Larkin weakly shrugged one shoulder. “Something about a dude called Humphrey sitting on a wall. I wasn’t really listening, to be honest.”

Khloe gasped, slapping a hand to her chest. “Why wouldn’t you listen to me? I have such intriguing, thought-provoking, fascinating things to say.”

“When?” Devon challenged.

The imp cast her yet another glare. “Every damn second.”

Resting her head on the hellcat’s shoulder, Harper snorted at her cousin. “Five minutes ago, you claimed we’re all stuck in a reality TV show watched by aliens from Mars.”

“Venus,” corrected Raini, who had her feet up on Harper’s lap.

The sphinx raised her head and looked at Raini. “What?”

“She said they’re on Venus,” the blonde elaborated. “I know ’cause I remember mentally chewing over whether Venus was a Greek goddess or a Roman goddess.”

“Roman,” Naomi told her.

Raini pointed a plastic drink stirrer at her. “Gracias.”

“What does any of that have to do with little ole Humpty?” demanded Khloe.

Nabbing a pretzel from Larkin’s bowl, Piper frowned at the imp. “Don’t you mean Humphrey?”

“ No .” Groaning, Khloe turned to Naomi. “They don’t listen to me, Nome,” she whined. “It’s almost like they’re not interested in anything I say.”

Naomi patted her shoulder. “It’s not that they aren’t interested—”

“It is,” objected Devon, straight-faced. “It absolutely is.”

Khloe flipped her the finger. “Fuck off home to your evil spawn.”

Sitting up straight, Devon let out a dramatic horrified gasp. “You take that back. Ana?s is not evil.”

Khloe pursed her lips. “We could go with ‘callous’. ‘Homicidal’. ‘Princess of darkness’.”

Ella almost choked on her drink, shooting Naomi a look of gratitude as she lightly pounded a fist on the redhead’s back.

Devon leaned toward the imp. “Ana?s is not evil.”

“It doesn’t have to be a bad thing,” Khloe told her.

The hellcat’s brows drew together. “How could it not be a bad thing?”

Khloe shook her head. “You’re so closed-minded.”

Snorting to herself, Naomi idly glanced around. The Xpress bar was something of an upscale hot spot here in the Underground. She wasn’t terribly fond of the neon strobe lights, but she otherwise liked the place. The DJ was class, the vibe was upbeat, and the drinks were good, albeit potent.

Occasional laughs or shouts rang out, piercing the blasting music.

Smells were plentiful—perfume, cologne, beer, spirits, citrus.

Every table and booth was crowded, as was the dance floor.

Many people sat on the stools lining the long bar, including Konstantin.

She’d invited him to join them at the table, but he’d politely declined.

Admittedly tipsy, she currently had a nice buzz going on. Felt all warm and floaty and tingly.

She took a swig from her highball glass, frowning as she realized . . . “It’s empty. Crap.”

Khloe slid a small glass toward her. “Have another shot.”

Larkin grimaced at Naomi. “I wouldn’t recommend ’em unless you like the taste of paint stripper.”

“You’ve tasted paint stripper?” Khloe jerked back. “Ew. Ain’t gonna lie, that’s just weird—and I have a super high tolerance for weird.”

Larkin tossed another pretzel into her mouth, her hand so unsteady she almost missed. “That’s easy to sense. I mean, you don’t think of yourself or Teague as odd. Which is like whoa .”

“How can you call him that? He’s your mate.”

“ Still an odd motherfucker.”

Devon cocked her head at Larkin as she cut in, “I would never have pictured you with someone like Teague, but you two suit so well.”

Larkin’s face softened. “Aw. Samesies with you and Tanner. A hellcat and a hellhound? I wouldn’ta seen that coming.”

Ella nudged Naomi gently. “I remember the times I’d go out for drinks with the girls before I met Viper. Being the only unmated female at the table made me feel a little excluded.”

Hearing the question there, Naomi assured her, “It doesn’t affect me one way or the other.”

“Probably ’cause you’re not exactly single,” mused Ella. “I know you and Luka ain’t in a full-on relationship, but I hope that changes. He’s different with you. And so stingy with details when I ask him about you! As if he’s, like, possessive of them or something.”

“He’s pretty elusive in general.” But then so was Naomi herself.

“Yeah, he doesn’t connect with people easily. It’s like there’s this wall between him and the rest of the world. I think his father put it there with all his ‘let’s prepare you for being a crime boss/Prime of a lair’ lessons.”

Luka hadn’t spoken to Naomi of his upbringing. She’d only touched on the subject once, backing off on sensing it was a topic that he preferred to avoid. She didn’t get the feeling that there might be some trauma there, just that he was especially private when it came to his family.

Ella bit into a cherry. “He was groomed to be hard. To make tough decisions. To be as ruthless as any demonic crime boss and Prime needs to be. Nobody taught him how to be part of something meaningful. So he hops from shallow arrangement to shallow arrangement, never seeing what he’s missing. It makes me super sad.”

Naomi raked her teeth over her lower lip. “I don’t like to think of him having been mostly alone all these years, but it’s his comfort zone.”

“Oh, for sure. They don’t come more solitary than Luka. But he made room for me in his life, and then for Lily. Seems to me that he’s making room for you, too.”

Naomi pulled a face.

“You don’t get that feeling?”

“It’s hard to tell with Luka. I feel like he and I have somehow stumbled into a situationship. It’s not an arrangement, it’s not a fling, it’s not a relationship. It’s something, but nothing I can really define.”

Ella gave a slow nod. “I think I get what you’re trying to say. Are you hoping that the two of you will build on that?”

“Call me a coward, but I’m not examining any of what I feel too closely.” If she did, if she learned that she’d officially grown to want more from Luka, Naomi might well shit her pants. Because what man could realistically accept all that she hid?

“No, I get that. It sometimes feels easier to just let things flow and see where it takes you; to not worry about the destination and just enjoy the journey. I did that with Viper. It—” Ella cut off as a fist slammed on the table.

Devon hissed at Khloe. “ Dammit, woman, my child is not evil! ”

The imp gave her a look of pity. “Saying it won’t make it true, kitty.”

Devon tried lunging at her, tipping over two glasses, sending the contents spilling across the table.

Naomi jumped to her feet—and promptly staggered—but not fast enough to avoid the spill. She gasped at the shock of cold liquid soaking through her red dress. “Crap.”

Harper cursed, nudging Devon. “ Now look what you did.”

The hellcat flushed, righting the glasses. “I’m sorry, Naomi. Super, super sorry.”

Naomi groaned as she peered down at the dubious dark stain right over her crotch area. “I look like I peed myself.”

“Here.” Ella handed her some napkins.

“Thanks.” Naomi dabbed at the stains, but the napkins were too thin to help. Sighing, she balled them up and plonked them onto the table. “I’m gonna go clean up in the restroom.”

“I’m really, really sorry,” Devon repeated.

“Did you see how she made a grab for my throat? It’s where Ana?s gets it from,” Khloe mumbled. She and the hellcat then went back to bickering.

Naomi shrugged her way through clusters of people. Along the way, she glanced at Konstantin, who looked close to laughing at the state of her.

“Bastard,” she mouthed.

He did laugh, then.

He also slid off his stool to follow her.

With a sniff, she ignored him as she disappeared down the hallway that led to the restrooms. She almost pouted when she discovered there was a long queue—something she should have anticipated really.

It was a good ten minutes before she even made it inside.

By that point, the stain was unsalvageable.

Ugh.

She dried the crotch area of her dress as best she could with the hand dryer so she at least wouldn’t look like she’d had an accident. Once she’d washed away the sticky feeling from her hands, she exited the restroom and found Konstantin leaning against a wall further down the hallway.

The bastard still looked on the verge of laughing.

She threw him a dirty look as they headed back into the main area. He made his way over to a stool at the counter while she shouldered her way through the crowd.

A curse burst out of her as someone on her left stood on her foot. He quickly apologized and edged back. She gave him an “it’s fine” smile and turned away . . . only to realize that the person now directly in front of her was Iain.

Ah, hell.

He halted, his eyes going almost comically wide. “Naomi,” he breathed. “Shit.”

On high alert, her demon pushed close to the surface of her skin, ready to take over and attack if Iain gave the slightest indication that he meant Naomi harm.

Panicked, he scrubbed a hand down his face and then threw up both palms. “I know how this must look, I do, but I didn’t follow you here.” He licked his lips nervously. “My cousin asked me to meet up with him; I swear, I had no clue you were here.”

Hearing the honesty in his voice, she said, “It’s fine, Iain.”

He didn’t seem to hear her. “I swear it , Naomi, I’m not lying.”

“I believe you,” she assured him.

He paused. “You do?”

“Yes.”