Cringing and feeling absolutely fucking humiliated, I conceded.
“Um… What is this about, officers?” The two cops glared at Reaver but answered me.
“We just want to ask you some questions about your relationship with Sam Thornberry. We need to take you to the station for questioning.”
I felt like I was going to pass out. I swayed on my feet, and Reaver tightened his grip on my waist to keep me from falling.
“Do you have a summons? A warrant? Is she under arrest?” Reaver asked, his voice dead calm. Both cops glared at him, but they didn’t reply right away. Reaver raised an eyebrow and waited patiently. I held my breath, glancing back and forth between the tattooed asshole and the clean-cut cops. What in the actual fuck was happening right now?
“No, she’s not under arrest. We just want to ask her some questions.” Mustache finally caved.
“I see. Come back with a summons or a warrant,” Reaver said, his voice so authoritative you would have thoughthewas the cop. “Until then, Lilith will not be going anywhere.”
The police officers narrowed their eyes at Reaver, but he just stared them down with that dangerous little grin playing on his lips.
“We’ll be back,” Blondie said. “Let’s go, Tom.” He nudged Mustache, and they both turned to leave.
I let out the breath I was holding, and suddenly, my knees gave out. Reaver caught me effortlessly and held me up by my shoulders. He turned me to face him, his expression serious.
“You’re alright, deathtrap. I would say you did great, but you don’t fuckinglisten,do you?Fuck sakes.” He glanced up and snapped his fingers at Shem, who slinked over to the bar with an eyebrow raised. Reaver passed me over to Shem like I was a doll.
“Take her to the back to get changed,” Reaver said, dismissing us as he snatched a chit out of the service machine. Shem nodded and started to lead me away.
“Wait, what about the rest of my shift?” I asked. Rafael wouldn’t be happy if I left early. Reaver didn’t even look up from what he was doing.
“You’re done for the night, Lilith. Come sit at my wood, I’ll make you a Bellini.”
Before I could respond, Shem ushered me into the back, ruffling my hair as we went.
“Who knew you were such a badass, Lil? That was the most exciting shit to happen all week. Well, I guess if you don’t count Sam getting murdered,” he said thoughtfully. I was still too shaken up to even be angry at him for the crass way he referenced Sam’s death.
Sometimes, I wondered if Shem thought the rest of the world existed solely for his entertainment. He certainly acted like it did.
Shem waitedfor me to get changed and led me back to the bar. I sat at Reaver’s wood, still feeling shaky and frightened.
“I’ll come sit with you in a bit. I’m almost done too,” Shem said with a smile, and I frowned. This really wasn’t a good idea. I shouldn’t be letting anyone get too close to me. You would think I’d learned my lesson after what had happened to Sam, but I was so shaken up I couldn’t do anything but nod.
As promised, Reaver dropped one of Voodoo’s signature frozen Blood Orange Hauntini’s in front of me and leaned against the bar.
“Next time I tell you I have it handled, keep your fucking mouth shut,” he said, though there wasn’t as much bite to his tone as usual. “I can’t believe you tried to leave with them. Don’t you know your rights at all?”
I stared at him wide-eyed and shook my head. “I guess not. I thought if they told you to go with them, you had to just listen and go.”
“Oh, deathtrap. You have so much to learn,” he sighed, standing up. “Drink your drink,” he ordered before sliding away to serve some other guests who had come to sit at the bar.
I sipped my Bloody Hauntini and had to admit, he had made it fuckingperfect.I was enjoying my beverage when Rafael approached, raising an eyebrow at me being in my civvies and sitting at the bar so early. I guess it was strange for me to be at the bar at all. I never stayed after work.
“I didn’t cut you. What are you doing out of uniform?” he asked sternly, just as Reaver came back over.
“It’s dead tonight, I told her she could punch out,” he replied nonchalantly. Rafael glared at him, but Reaver just smirked. Finally, Raf dropped it and turned back to me.
“Have you been working with him on the cocktail menu?” he asked me, and my mouth fell open. I didn’t know how to explain that I hadn’t had a chance to train him because he was blackmailing me and making me pick up shifts left, right, and center.
“We’re working on it tomorrow. We’re both off,” Reaver answered for me as he mixed a martini. I watched him free-pour gin and vermouth into a mixer without bothering to look at what he was doing and wondered if he needed any training at all.
Rafael seemed pleased with this answer and left me to happily sip on my drink. I was in a much better mood, and I suspected it was the drink Reaver had made me that was causing me to feel all warm and tingly.
Reaver finished his chit and came to lean across from me again.
