showed up with
anyone who might want to hit on him.
Surprisingly, he wasn’t in the mood to play
nice.
Caitlin tugged on Iris’ hand with surprising
strength. “Late. We’re late.”
Arguing was useless. She’d tried a dozen
times over the past week, but Caitlin was young and determined, and
nothing Iris said would dissuade her.
And Leo, damn him, had stood by the entire
time with the smug smile of an infatuated man.
They reached the doors of the
bar, and Iris dug her feet in one last time. “Remember what I said
about the name. Your boyfriend’s probably the only demon in town
who can recognize me on sight, but my name -- my demon name -- it’s
well known. And it will get me in a lot of trouble.”
“ What?” Caitlin looked
around distractedly at the people milling around outside the bar,
then stepped around the queue and headed straight for the VIP
entrance. “I’m not going to announce you, Iris. Besides, I’ll know.
Or I should, anyway.”
Iris fought a shiver. “The one who’s going
to save me from my dark path?” The thought was almost laughable.
Any person she would meet tonight was three hundred years too late
to save her from tumbling into darkness. And the one person she
wanted…
No. Foolish, to think of this night as a
betrayal to the man she would never touch. Could never touch. The man who thought the
strength of his needs would destroy her.
The man who, rumor had it, came here to find
someone who could give him what he needed.
Panic shot through her as Caitlin tugged her
past a burly bouncer. “I shouldn’t be here. You don’t know
everything about me.”
“ I know more than you
think.” The psychic’s eyes were dark as she glanced back at Iris.
“Leo told me what happened to you. About the wizard.”
Even in her oversized blue coat,
even in the warmth of the club, Iris felt ice creep through her
veins. She closed her eyes against the sight of Caitlin’s
too-earnest face. “Leofric meddles too much.” And so does his new
girlfriend.
“ He heard me say your name
during my vision,” Caitlin explained. “Your real one, I mean. We’re
both just trying to help, Iris. Leo’s very fond of you.”
“ I am.” It was Leo’s voice,
low and cheerful, and the older demon appeared at her side looking
as casual and irreverent as usual. If she closed her eyes, she
might see him the way he’d been seventy years ago, the day he’d
leveled a dark wizard’s stronghold and walked through the burning
carnage as if he didn’t see the dozens of men dying at his
feet.
Caitlin had no idea who she went
to bed with every night. Iris met Leo’s eyes, and fought the urge
to say to him the same thing she told herself every night. We don’t belong
with them. We don’t deserve them.
Leo nodded his head, whether in greeting or
silent acknowledgement, she didn’t know. Then he turned his
attention to Caitlin. “You know what she’s supposed to do here
yet?”
“ No, I…” She fell silent as
the music did, her head lolling back a little. “Wait.
Now.”
The speakers overhead crackled a little, and
the bartender’s voice announced, “Last call for the gentleman here.
Tequila Sunset, coming up.”
“ Submission,” Caitlin
whispered. “That’s him, Iris. The one you need.”
She barely heard Leo’s muttered curse. The
patrons of the bar turned their attention to the low platform in
the middle of the room, and her eyes followed even as she fought
it, suddenly sure she knew what she’d find.
And she did. A hundred nights of yearning
dreams had branded those broad shoulders in her mind forever. She
let her gaze follow the line of his arm down to the large, capable
hands, the hands that she’d stared at just the week before as he’d
fixed her broken cable box.
Zack sat at the bar, tense and wary, and she
had to get out of there before he saw her. Before he discovered
that she was no more human than he was, and destroyed the delicate
balance of their already strained
anyone who might want to hit on him.
Surprisingly, he wasn’t in the mood to play
nice.
Caitlin tugged on Iris’ hand with surprising
strength. “Late. We’re late.”
Arguing was useless. She’d tried a dozen
times over the past week, but Caitlin was young and determined, and
nothing Iris said would dissuade her.
And Leo, damn him, had stood by the entire
time with the smug smile of an infatuated man.
They reached the doors of the
bar, and Iris dug her feet in one last time. “Remember what I said
about the name. Your boyfriend’s probably the only demon in town
who can recognize me on sight, but my name -- my demon name -- it’s
well known. And it will get me in a lot of trouble.”
“ What?” Caitlin looked
around distractedly at the people milling around outside the bar,
then stepped around the queue and headed straight for the VIP
entrance. “I’m not going to announce you, Iris. Besides, I’ll know.
Or I should, anyway.”
Iris fought a shiver. “The one who’s going
to save me from my dark path?” The thought was almost laughable.
Any person she would meet tonight was three hundred years too late
to save her from tumbling into darkness. And the one person she
wanted…
No. Foolish, to think of this night as a
betrayal to the man she would never touch. Could never touch. The man who thought the
strength of his needs would destroy her.
The man who, rumor had it, came here to find
someone who could give him what he needed.
Panic shot through her as Caitlin tugged her
past a burly bouncer. “I shouldn’t be here. You don’t know
everything about me.”
“ I know more than you
think.” The psychic’s eyes were dark as she glanced back at Iris.
“Leo told me what happened to you. About the wizard.”
Even in her oversized blue coat,
even in the warmth of the club, Iris felt ice creep through her
veins. She closed her eyes against the sight of Caitlin’s
too-earnest face. “Leofric meddles too much.” And so does his new
girlfriend.
“ He heard me say your name
during my vision,” Caitlin explained. “Your real one, I mean. We’re
both just trying to help, Iris. Leo’s very fond of you.”
“ I am.” It was Leo’s voice,
low and cheerful, and the older demon appeared at her side looking
as casual and irreverent as usual. If she closed her eyes, she
might see him the way he’d been seventy years ago, the day he’d
leveled a dark wizard’s stronghold and walked through the burning
carnage as if he didn’t see the dozens of men dying at his
feet.
Caitlin had no idea who she went
to bed with every night. Iris met Leo’s eyes, and fought the urge
to say to him the same thing she told herself every night. We don’t belong
with them. We don’t deserve them.
Leo nodded his head, whether in greeting or
silent acknowledgement, she didn’t know. Then he turned his
attention to Caitlin. “You know what she’s supposed to do here
yet?”
“ No, I…” She fell silent as
the music did, her head lolling back a little. “Wait.
Now.”
The speakers overhead crackled a little, and
the bartender’s voice announced, “Last call for the gentleman here.
Tequila Sunset, coming up.”
“ Submission,” Caitlin
whispered. “That’s him, Iris. The one you need.”
She barely heard Leo’s muttered curse. The
patrons of the bar turned their attention to the low platform in
the middle of the room, and her eyes followed even as she fought
it, suddenly sure she knew what she’d find.
And she did. A hundred nights of yearning
dreams had branded those broad shoulders in her mind forever. She
let her gaze follow the line of his arm down to the large, capable
hands, the hands that she’d stared at just the week before as he’d
fixed her broken cable box.
Zack sat at the bar, tense and wary, and she
had to get out of there before he saw her. Before he discovered
that she was no more human than he was, and destroyed the delicate
balance of their already strained
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