He pointed, and I followed it to the other end of the bar, seeing Celestine talking to a group of men with large white beards and leather jackets. A biker gang.

“She can handle herself,” I muttered, shoving my hands in my pockets.

“You’re not going to do anything?” he taunted with a smile.

I watched her laugh as one of them pulled her into a hug.

I don’t even remember walking there, but I shoved the guy away from Celestine, putting her behind me. “Vulture?” he gasped, the others around him taking a step back.

“Don’t touch her,” I scowled.

“I’m– I’m just a big fan of her work.” He stumbled over his words. “And yours too, of course.”

Biker gangs may look scary, but they usually have the biggest hearts and are quite soft in nature.

“And you had to touch her?” My eyes darkened.

It didn’t mean I trusted them or anyone in this room or anyone for that matter, but especially the people in here. These people fed off the vulnerable and she’s too new and young to be taken seriously.

“I asked.” His eyes lowered to his feet. “I didn’t know…”

“Don’t make that mistake again.” I picked up Celestine and held her close to me, walking back to Niko.

I needed to touch her, and I think I liked it when she wrapped herself around me, it was calming.

Like an ice pack on a headache. I pulled out her necklace, so that my ring was in clear display, while subtly trying to see if she was hurt in the few minutes she was gone from my sight.

“You smell like him,” I growled in her ear. “I hate it.”

“It’s cute when you’re jealous.” She played with my hair.

“Shut up.” I dropped her knowing she could catch herself and she did.

Niko laughed, but didn’t say anything about it.

“Hyacinth,” a voice said from behind me.

Son of a bi–

Niko cursed under his breath with a chuckle. “Today is not your day, Cinth.”

Not at all.

“I’m going to get another drink,” Niko said, leaving me alone to deal with this.

I took in a deep breath before turning to the ugliest face this Angel-forsaken world had to offer. I really can’t do this today. “Grey,” I spat.

He was the only person I couldn’t touch. I always prayed someone would give me a contract with his name on it, nothing would satisfy me more, but even so I wouldn’t be allowed to accept it. The worst part was that he knew it.

“Funny seeing you here.” He smiled, that repulsive, painfully perfect, pearly white, polished, politician's smile that makes you question your own sanity. All charm, no substance. “Shouldn’t you be eating carcasses? ”

“Shouldn’t you be stirring a pot filled with children?” You repugnant, revolting, reprehensible rat.

“Fifty metres.” He reminded me and gestured his hands to shoo me away.

“You came to me,” I snapped.

He ignored me and set his gaze on Celestine, pausing for a moment. “Reaper.” He took her hand in his, kissing the top of it. “You really are beautiful.”

Celestine didn’t respond to the compliment, she just looked jaded.

Grey glanced down at the necklace around her neck. “You’re not actually Vulture’s are you?” he asked, still holding her hand. “Someone like you should never be tied down, especially not to some psychopathic freak.”

She blinked at the comment, glancing at me to see if I was going to do anything, but I couldn’t. If I did, I’d go straight to prison, and I wasn’t going to put Niko through that again.

“Do you speak?” He leaned close to her face, running a hand through his dark hair. “Or do you just want to come home with me?”

“I’m underage,” she told him in a soft voice.

“We don’t have to tell anyone. It’ll be our little secret.”

She looked at me, waiting for me to do something. “I think that may anger Vulture.”

Grey’s eyes glanced at me for a moment, a mocking smile on his face. “He can’t touch me.” She didn’t understand, so he added. “I’m the son of the Prime Minister and I have a restraining order against him.” He left out the most crucial detail, the only detail that really mattered.

I cursed at him.

She laughed. “Oh, you’re friends with my brother.”

His brows furrowed.

“Vicary. ”

His eyes widened at the realisation. “So, you’re his famous little sister, Datura Celestine Vicary.”

“It's just Celestine.” She pulled her hand back.

Grey took her chin and tilted her head up to face him. “You know our parents talked about us getting married when you got older, but your brother was so against it and now I see why he was always so protective over you.”

Bless her brother.

Celestine smacked his hand off her. “As he should, you’re a decade older than me.”

“Not quite. I’m only two years older than your brother. Just a young dashing twenty-four.” He smiled, stepping closer to her, forcing her back into a wall. “And I heard you liked older guys, Datura.”

She pushed him away. “It's Celestine.”

He quickly grabbed her arm to stop her from getting far. “Don’t you know we’re the same?”

The atmosphere shifted into something cold, and this time it wasn’t me doing it. Everyone snapped their heads towards us when Celestine flipped Grey over her and onto his back.

I taught her that.

The crowd laughed and cheered her on as she sat on top of him. “This is what you want, right?”

He smirked, holding onto her hips, moving under her. “And Vulture watching me take his girl.”

I’m going to prison.

She laughed. “Yeah?” Before I could do anything, she pulled out her knife and aimed it at his eye. “I hate the way you’re looking at me. ”

Niko came to my side, sipping on his drink, completely entertained by the whole scene in front of him. He hated Grey just as much as I did.

“Should we stop her?” I asked, but I didn’t really want to.

“She doesn’t have a restraining order.” He smiled.

“Don't you know who I am?” Grey shouted through the noise of the bar. “I am the son of—”

“I really couldn't care less who you are.” She brought the tip of the blade closer to his eye, “Should I…” An eerie smile crossed her face. “Take it out?”

The crowd urged her to do it, shouting and hollering words of encouragement.

“Come on, Datura, I was just joking.”

“Call me Datura one more time,” she dared him.

His eyes welled up, shaking under her. “Please, no.”

“Do you stop when people say that to you?” she asked him, curiously.

He swallowed hard. “I’m sorry.”

I crouched next to them and took her wrist before she could move any closer to his eye. “Silias would probably get mad at you.” Not only was he the son of the Prime Minister, he was one of the last living Demons, but I wasn’t going to tell her that. It’s not my place.

She pouted. “But I could pretend I didn’t know who he was.”

I shrugged. “Maybe, but he’ll always be pathetic whether you take his eye out or not.” I released her, letting her decide.

“Pathetic,” she repeated in a whisper. She turned back to Grey with a small sigh. “You should get a restraining order on me too.” Then she slipped her knife back in her thigh strap and got up, kicking him between the thighs, laughing as she did it.

Grey curled up into a ball, wheezing.

The Demons are never going to repopulate .

Everyone in the bar laughed and resumed what they were doing, as if nothing had happened. Just another night at the bar.

Celestine took the sleeve of my hoodie in her hands, pulling me down to her level so she could whisper in my ear. “You lied to me.”

“What?” I could hear another fight breaking out at the other end of the bar.

“You said no one could touch me if they knew I was yours.” She sounded so angry and insulted. “What a joke.”

Ice ran through my veins at her words. A joke? I’m a joke? I pried her hands off me. I wasn’t going to respond to that, if I did it’d be hard to take back.

“Is a restraining order really all it takes for you to not kill someone?”

It was a lot more complicated than that. “You don’t even know what you’re talking about.” I could kill him if I wanted to, it’d just be a lot of bloody work and I wasn’t planning on angering the Demons. I have absolutely no idea how Silias got away with his crime.

“Then, why didn’t you do anything?”

“Because you can clearly take care of yourself, Reaper, you are not helpless.”

Her eyes narrowed into a cold glare. “I’m not helpless, but you didn’t do anything after all the things he was saying to me.”

“If he actually had the guts to do what he said, I’d skin him alive.”

“How do you know he wouldn’t?”

I rolled my eyes, watching Grey crawl away from us. “I’ve unfortunately known him for a long time, he’s all talk.” I met her eyes. “Now, are you done being mad at me for letting you handle your own shit?”

I didn’t expect it, so Celestine had a clear opening to punch me square in the gut and the entire room silenced, even the ones who were fighting halted.

Horrified that someone had struck the untouchable Vulture.

She really liked punching people in the stomach, probably because she’s so bloody short.

I coughed. Did she really just do that in front of everyone?

People are going to lose their respect for me if I don't do something.

“You’re so mean to me,” she told me.

I tilted my head back with a short laugh and cursed. “Oh, Reaper.” I matched her glare, cupping her cheek with one of my hands. “You haven’t seen me mean.” I moved my hand down “–and I can be really–” I wrapped my hand around her neck “–really–” and pulled her towards me “–mean.”

“Cinth,” Niko warned, but I ignored him. He wouldn’t physically get involved, not when I’m angry, he learnt that a long time ago.

I didn’t hold her tight, only a bit of pressure, a warning, but despite feeling the pulse on her neck racing, she wasn’t backing down. She was waiting for me to continue. She was enjoying this. She'll be the death of me.

“Tighter,” she whispered.

I felt the tug at the edge of my lips and cursed. I released my grip on her neck, shoved glasses off the bar, letting it shatter to the floor, and pulled her up to sit on it so we were at a more similar height.