Týr briefly shut his eyes.
Yeah. Nothing new there. It didn’t matter. He was so fucking tired of everything. Of nightmares that didn’t quit, of a job that no longer gave him pleasure. He was just damn tired of feigning gaiety he never felt. But mostly…ofheraversion to him.
“Don’t fucking care.”
* * *
This can’t be happening.Tears of frustration burned Kira’s eyes as she bumped along on Týr’s rock-hard shoulder. Her pride stung more than her backside, but worse, she could see the stupid smirks of the guys standing near Tagg as Týr carted her out of the club like some smashed-outta-her-mind idiot.
A high-pitched wolf whistle hurt her ears. Embarrassment hiked. But the dickweeds loitering in the dimly lit corridor apparently enjoyed Týr’s caveman behavior. “Good goin’, man,” one of them yelled. “Let ‘em know who’s boss.”
Kira lifted her head and gave them both middle fingers. More guffaws erupted. Assholes.
Outside in the wintery air, away from the throng of people waiting to enter the club, Týr stopped just inside the accessway to a thoroughfare and dropped her on her feet.
“You’re such a jerk.” She yanked her sweater back into place while he stood there like a brick wall, expression twice as hard.
“Got the job done with minimum fuss.”
Job? Fuss?“Tagg would have told me more if you were just a little bit patient. Now we’re stuck not knowing anything!”
“Yeah, patience…not a virtue of mine. Why the hell was he touching you?”
“Why not?” she countered, too angry to care that she sounded petulant. But recalling those women on the landing almost climbing over each other to get to Týr while he just stood there formed a pit in her stomach. “I like him.”
Týr’s scowl became a thundercloud. Whatever. She was done with his cranky-ass behavior. About to march off and leave this entire disaster behind, she heard him ask quietly, “What’s wrong? You’re not yourself tonight.”
And just like that, her fury fizzled out at his concern. That certainly was one way to pull her out of her anger, recalling what had occurred at the bar. Worse, she’d taken it out on Týr. As if she could ever tell him about the father who didn’t want her, who’d pretended to be dead all these years.
Yes, discovering she had a father who stilllived—the faithless parent—would do that.
Most would be happy, she supposed. But the only thought looping throughhermind was his echoing absence from her life. The silence so loud, it made her old hurt and torment flare rapidly again.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she muttered and wheeled away—or tried to. But Týr’s hand on her wrist stopped her. His hold was gentle, but his concerned expression made her throat swell with tears. She refused to let her pain show. Not now. Not in front of him.
However, staring into that too-perfect face, reminded her of those women in the club, and it set her teeth on edge. He probably stopped off at Club Anarchy every night after patrol.
Anger at her father, and with Týr spilled free—the words spewed out. “How you get anything done while on patrol with all the fawning is beyond me…” He went deadly still, but she couldn’t seem to stop. “I really don’t get it. Do you get some kind of kick out of having those women drool all over you?”
“Is that what you thinkIcare about?” His voice went utterly quiet, and as lethal as his obsidian blade. “So, you let a bloody demon paw you for useless information just for payback?”
Heat scorched her face. Tagg had only stroked her arms to soothe her. Those women had practically undressed Týr with their looks and false smiles. But that he hadn’t denied her accusations, something inside her shriveled into a painful knot. “I’m done talking about this.”
“Godsdammit, Kira”—he tunneled his fingers into his hair as if to stop himself from shaking her—“you want to know something, askme, not some damn demon!”
“I don’t care what species he is. Tagg’s my friend.” She tilted her chin in challenge. “Well? You have some information to share? Go ahead.”
He glared into the pitch darkness of the thoroughfare, jaw rigid, a vein throbbing on his brow. Then his flat stare swung back to her. “There’s a sect of demons in the Dark Realm that use human children to re-energize their dark souls by feeding on their blood…” There was a grimness to his features as he spoke. “The younger the kids, the better their value since their life essence is purer.”
Oh, dear God.Bile rushed to her throat. “You knew all this time, and you didn’t tell me?”
“I only became aware of it this evening. And what could you do, Kira?” he asked, voice as cold as the sludgy snow on the ground.Besides flirt with demons for information. He didn’t have to say it, but it was there in his hostile gaze. “We will find the boy regardless of what shit’s flying around out there. I’ll take you back, then get on with my job.”
The sudden prick of tears burned her eyes, the sting of his words like blades slicing through her heart. Right, she got the message. She’d wasted his time, and he only pandered to her demand so he could get rid of her.
Too upset to say anything, she pivoted, her blurred gaze fixed on the busy club.
All those stares, the tormenting teasing, the growing awareness—everything was only on her side—her over-active imagination at work. Týr’s loyalty lay with Gran.
