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“Whoop, there it is. We’ll ignore the fact that you’re essentially saddling Serena with all the work, but that nickname isn’t even a little bit creative, Ty. I expected better from you,” I sassed with a chuckle. “Is wittle Ty scared he’ll have to do what we’re actually there to do—fight?”
Covering her mouth, Serena stole another glance at me. “He’s just mad that a mini skirt doesn’t look as good on him.”
Snickering, I offered the angry Shadow Stalker a small look, and his body tensed under the scrutiny.Classic.“I don’t know. People are into it these days. He might do better than we think.”
The oversized Shadow Stalker left the room in a huff, and the rest of the crew filed out after him. But they couldn’t hide their grins. They were just as amused as we were at the idea of Ty in a mini skirt, trying and probably failing to seduce his way into the back rooms.
“Was that really necessary?” Aidan asked, failing to hide his own grin.
I shrugged, not even a little bit sorry. “He started it. He knows better than to go after me when Serena is around. She finds him just as obnoxious as I do.”
“It’s true,” she agreed with a nod. “And he did start it, Aidan. He’s been after her since the beginning. I get that she’s reckless, but she’s also the only reason we can go after demons this powerful without several teams’ worth of Shadow Stalkers.”
Serena, next to Aidan, was the only one who’d go to bat for me—literally. She was stronger than any of these bastards, and she was the only one I’d bother worrying about when it came to a mission.
With a wink, Serena left the room.
Aidan carded a hand through his hair. “I hate when you two make sense. Really doesn’t help me with Ty at all.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone you aren’t always right, or that you, like us, find him just as annoying,” I quipped, then headed out of the room with my bat resting on my shoulder.
I YANKED DOWN A HANDSY bastard by the ear after he dared to smack my ass. “Touch another woman like that and all the action you’ll be getting tonight is my bat lodged up your ass, capiche,sweetheart?”
I tossed the patronizing pet name right back at the grossly oversized jerk, lips sliding up with an eagerness befitting the Devil himself. The bad boy looking motherfucker registered enough of the threat for his mouth to fall open. Which, I’d admit, even I hadn’t pegged the bastard to be quick on the uptake, so I was counted among the surprised parties in that exchange.
When his eyes dropped to find the bat in question, its spiked appearance causing the punished bastard’s throat to bob, the cowardly harasser took off into the crowd like he feared I’d come after him. Lucky for him, I was busy. I didn’t have time to play with some small fry, grabby handed jerk-off. Besides, big men like him rarely met my challenge.
Too bad for me. I would’ve enjoyed knocking the sexual harassing douche type around with my bat before ruining his chances at having kids in the future. You know, for the good of all mankind. Future generations would have me to thank for one less asshole in the gene pool. But unfortunately for future generations, I had to blend in tonight, so it was probably for the best he ran off with his tail tucked between his legs. It made it easy for me to let him go and save the rage for the demon we hunted.
I turned, ready to grab my whiskey shot so I could down it and scout out some potential backroom targets, but I was cut off by some asshole wearing a suit.
Wait a second…
Tipping my head back, I caught sight of nothing but ethereal emeralds posing as irises. Something about the color struck me, and I went completely rigid.
Out of fucking nowhere, lightning broke across the space above us, the bright web and branches of it flashing and cracking. But no one reacted to it. No one lifted their eyes to the terrifying light play or dangerous crackle of electricity. It was as if I was the only one who saw it happen, and I stared like a total asshole in silent confusion for what felt like minutes but was likely seconds.
“Forgive me,” a hauntingly deep voice called out to me, tearing my gaze away from the ceiling where the lightning showed up before disappearing into thin air. My eyes dropped to the man in front of me. “I intended to step in, but it appears you had everything handled.”
It took my brain a second to catch up with what he was saying to me because the strongest sensation of déjà vu I’d ever felt hit out of nowhere, just like the phantom lightning.
30
Psychobabble
THE FORBIDDEN AIR AROUND THE stranger was violent and dangerous. Worse, he was handsome enough to meet my impossible standards.
For a second, I questioned if he was even real. As a half-breed bitch, I’d be the first to believe I was caught inside some cleverly constructed witchcraft. And if not that, I was almost certain he was a demon. But for some odd reason, I couldn’t sense if he was. My gut was the only reason I treaded carefully with this mysterious bastard. It was never wrong, and this stranger spelled trouble in every case.
Still, it was like I knew him. Like I had more than just met him once in the past. Like we’d been something more than passing acquaintances, something far more intimate and connected. But I’d remember someone this gorgeous. It’d piss me off to no end, but I’d remember him.
So who was this bastard? Why did I want to reach out and touch him like I’d done it a hundred times before?
“Lady…”
The voice caught me off guard. It was in my head, so loud it could’ve been someone yelling directly into my ear. It was the very same voice that had spoken moments before—the stranger in a suit—but he hadn’t uttered a word, and I’d certainly never told him my name.
“My love is the true curse,”his voice echoed loudly, the reverberation of his baritone distinctly delicious and unique. But the man in question hadn’t spoken at all, merely smiled and waited patiently for me to respond.
