I poured her a rum and Coke and slid it across the bar. One glance at Orin told me he had everything under control as he used his power to pour three drinks at once. My telekinesis was weak enough that I only did that occasionally. Orin? He could likely do it all night.
I leaned over the bar so Evie could hear me. “How was Texas?”
She scowled. “Hot. Danica insisted I be trained by Edward, the sadist who spent years turning her into a killing machine. In his words, he had a couple of months to transform me from a kitten into someone who could hold her own.”
I winced. “Ouch.”
“Yeah. My ego took a hit. So did the rest of me, let me tell you. But check this out.”
She raised her arm, bending it to show off a toned bicep. “Actual muscles,” she crowed.
I couldn’t help but grin. “When did you get back?”
“Last week. I had a few things to organize. I also wanted to spend some time with Kyla.”
“How is she doing?” Lucifer had imprisoned Kyla in his dungeon, trapping her in wolf form for far too long. Rumor had it, her Alpha had almost given up on her, and it was the unseelie king who’d called in a debt she owed him. By calling in that debt, he forced her to transform back into her human form. But spending that long in wolf form without pack members around…
Evie took a gulp of her drink. Then another. “Spends more time in wolf form than she should. But she’s getting better. And as of yesterday, we have our first case.”
My eyebrows shot up. Of course, Evie wouldn’t waste any time. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks. It’s actually what I’m here to talk to you about. You got time for a chat when you close?”
“She’s got time for a chat now,” Orin called, and I scowled at him. He merely grinned. “Take a break. I got this, boss. Besides, the crowd is thinning out.”
I surveyed the crowd. He wasn’t wrong. It was close to 3:30 already.
“Come with me.” I led Evie into the back room, gesturing for her to take a seat on the stepladder.
She shook her head. “You sit down, Mere. You’ve probably been standing for hours.”
I sat, happy to get off my aching feet. “Oh god, this feels better than my last orgasm.”
Evie laughed. “Now that’s just sad.”
It sure was. “Fill me in.”
“Okay, so the client is a dark fae guy called Nereus. His girlfriend was kidnapped a few days ago. Her name is Ilayda, she’s light fae, and she’s seven months pregnant.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah.”
Pregnancy was super rare among paranormals. They were so long-lived, it was likely Mother Nature’s way of making sure they didn’t end up overpopulating their realms.
“He hired you?”
“Not exactly. Nereus isn’t the trusting type. The cops are investigating, but he also hired us, along with two other teams. He has a bounty. Three hundred thousand dollars, but only for the people who find her.”
I gaped at that. “Those terms—”
“I know. They’re not ideal.”
That was putting it lightly.
Evie sighed. “Look. I’m not my sister. I don’t have a reputation in this city. Or anywhere, really. Sometimes you have to start at the bottom and work your way up. The mortgage on the office is paid, so we have a little breathing room to get established. I’m going to make this work, Mere.”
I had no doubt about it.
