It took the faint yells coming from far off to burn through his blackout.
An icy abrasion scoured his psyche, and the over-powering stench of sulfur drifted to him on the wintry breeze of demons fresh from the Dark Realm. Týr furiously scanned for the source. His stomach loosened, realizing from where it originated.
Near the Peacock Lounge.
* * *
“Chica, the drinks coming anytime soon, eh?”
Kira leaned against the counter and looked over at the group of noisy drunks. One of them pinched the ass of a waitress walking past before she smacked the hand away. His pals broke out in boisterous guffaws.
It was an evening like any other at the Peacock Lounge, except she couldn’t keep her mind off the fear still roiling through her.Please let Týr be all right, and Tomas still be in this world.
She took the tray Brian pushed her way and traversed to the center table. Her cell in her apron pocket rang, but with her hands full, she let the call go to voicemail. Quickly, she dispensed the drinks, wanting to see who had called—hopefully, Shadow or Týr with news.
Kira set the tray down on the table covered with peanut shells when a hand slid up her thigh.
She gritted her teeth, so fed up with this shit. Before she could slap it away, someone hauled her from the groping paw. Kira frowned at the tall, dark-haired man with pale skin and austere features. He held the handsy drunk up by his throat, the idiot’s legs flailing like a two-year-old’s.
“You don’t touch females in that way.” The stranger’s low warning rang out in the silent bar.
“Put him down, Nicor,” a familiar voice behind her snapped.
Kira glanced back. “Riley?”
“Yeah.” But his gaze remained pinned on the man called Nicor. With a shrug, Nicor dropped the drunk, and considering he was so tall, the much shorter guy fell to the floor in a heap of fear and piss. Literally.
Dusting off his palms, the stranger held out his hand, his dark eyes studying her. “I’m Nicor. His most trusted friend.”
Riley snorted.
“Thank you for the rescue.” Kira glanced at Riley. “You came for an answer, right?”
“You didn’t respond to my texts. I got worried. I thought to stop by and see if you were okay—”
“Or check that I didn’t go into hiding.” She snorted as she piled the empties onto her tray. “Give me a minute. Be right back for your order. Find a seat…” She waved a hand over the jam-packed bar. “Or not.”
Handing the tray over to a busboy, Kira inhaled deeply, set her shoulders, and made her way back to Riley to inform him of her decision. But finding him and Nicorseatedat a back table, their expressions innocent, she arched a brow. “Just tell me you didn’t hurt the guys who were already here.”
“Not even a hair.” Nicor traced an X over the middle of his chest. Yeah. Right. If that was a cross, he missed it by a mile. The previous occupants had probably taken one look at their cold features, recalled what Nicor had done to the drunk, and vamoosed without a fight.
Nicor pulled out a chair near him, his severe demeanor replaced by a smile. “Take a foot off, princess.”
“It’s load.Take a load off,” Riley muttered.
Still, the decimated idiom made Kira smile. As if she had time to sit back and kick up her feet. Heck, her poor limbs would probably appreciate a break, though.
Pen poised on her pad to take their order, Kira glanced at them. “So, what will it be?”
“Finally, I get to meet you,” Nicor said, his gaze roaming her face.
“Oh, so you’re theheavyweightmy father sent to convince me to visit him?” She wasn’t an idiot.
Riley cut his friend a dark look. “Ignore him. He’s bored.”
Nicor’s smile grew, apparently happy to have annoyed Riley. “I’ll have your most fiery spirit.”
“One absinthe coming right up…” She jotted the order and then looked at Riley. “I’ve thought about it. I’m not going. Tell myfatherI fell off the face of the Earth or that I’m dead—I don’t really care which.”
