“Kira.” A grin split the demon’s dark face. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Yeah, work, life. Been busy.” Týr could definitely hear the smile in her voice…something she never did withhim. His fingers tightened on the railing. “Do you have a minute? Can we talk?”
“Sure thing.” The demon put a hand on her back and guided her to the side, away from the crowd. Týr ground down on his teeth so he wouldn’t stomp over and end this farce. But the burn in his gut amped up. It was the same sensation he got whenever he heard about her damn dates as blood thundered in his head. Jealousy, the uninvited bastard, had arrived with full luggage in tow.
“What’s up?” the demon enquired.
“The missing street children, you know anything about them?”
Tagg rubbed his mouth as if she’d hit him with a tough question. “You know I can’t discuss any case with a civilian, Kira.”
“Since youcan’t discuss it,andIalready know about it, obviously, it’s no secret—”
Someone bumped into Týr, breaking his concentration, and he missed what Kira said next. Teeth clenched in irritation, Týr cut the females gaping at him like he was some damn miracle a hard stare, which didn’t seem to discourage them one bit. Their smiles became sultrier. One, in a low-cut green dress sauntered over.
“Leave,” he snapped before she even opened her mouth. He added coercion to his tone so she and the small crowd gathered there would get the hell away from him. He fucking hated this gawking crap.
In the past several months, nothing had filled the emptiness growing inside him—nothing. He glanced back at Kira and the demon. Except…her.
Climbing up the wrong tree there, man.
Probably. He scrubbed his jaw, ignoring the pain slithering along his face from the lesion. But the thought of another man with her had his gut in a knot. It was why he’d changed his mind about Nik guarding her. A few minutes verbally sparring with her made him feel more alive than he had his entire damn life.
He found Kira staring in his direction, then she looked away as Tagg leaned closer, blocking his view of her.
“I’ll keep an eye out for the boy,” the demon’s low voice drifted to Týr. “It’s all I can promise until he’s reported as a missing person.”
“So, you’re just going to sit around and wait until something happens to him?” she demanded. “No one’s going to bother reporting him when he’s a homeless boy, and you know it!”
“Hey-hey—” Tagg grasped her by her upper arms. “You know I will help where I can…” He ran his palms down her biceps and up again, stroking her in a manner that spoke of familiarity, something Týr could no longer stomach.
His thoughts snapped. He scaled over the railing, landing amid shocked gasps, scattering dancers like rodents. He strode across to Kira, refusing to put up with this any longer. Why the hell she thought this demon would be a good source of information, he had no damn clue.
“Let’s go.” Týr stopped at her side. “We’re done here.”
“I’m not.” Her irises flared an iridescent lime-green in the gloomy club. Her hair took on a dazzling shade of crimson beneath the flashing laser lights. The bouncer moved between them, his features stony, and his stance that of a bulldozer, one ready to mow Týr down. “Leave her alone.”
Týr narrowed his eyes. Instantly, the demon’s expression morphed into a wry grimace, obviously recognizing what Týr was. He wisely stepped back, which probably saved his neck but did little to settle Týr’s ire.
“Are you leaving or not?”
“No,” Kira snapped. “I told you, I’m not finished.”
Without a word, he swooped low, picked her up, and dropped her over his shoulder. A startledoomphescaped her.
“What the hell, Týr!” she wheezed, clutching his jacket. “Have you gone insane?”
Probably.
She thumped his back as the crowd parted, and he headed straight for the stairs. “Put me down!” she yelled, hitting him again.
“No.”
A choking growl broke free. She yanked at his jacket then pinched his waist.
Too pissed to care, he slapped her backside. Hard.
She stiffened, a shocked gasp escaping. “I hate you!”
