AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Okay, that’s it,” Jasper told her, unlatching the section of the bar that opened to let himself out. “Come on. I’m taking you back to Nan’s.”
Vivian scowled at him and snatched her bag from the bar as he took her by the arm to lead her out. But she turned when they were halfway across the dance floor and shouted over her shoulder.
“Good to see you, Alastair! And nice meeting you, Fey!”
Alastair chuckled, watching them leave and giving her the smallest wave goodbye.
“That girl is a menace,” he murmured to Fey as the door shut behind them. “And she’ll only get worse once she’s actually old enough to work here, mark my words.”
“I didn’t know Jasper was an uncle,” Fey said, absently. “I didn’t even know he had a sister. He’s never talked about her.”
Alastair’s smile slipped.
“Her name was Alicia,” he told Fey in a low voice. “She used to work here.”
Fey’s eyes flashed as the memory surfaced. “Wait… Alicia? The bartender who was murdered by her boyfriend?” she asked. “That was Jasper’ssister?”
Alastair nodded.
Once, years ago, Fey had invoked the memory of that night as evidence that Alastair wasn’t the cold-hearted bastard he claimed to be. As though painfully eviscerating the asshole who’d taken Alicia’s life and leaving pieces of him around the city somehow made hima good guy.
Alastair glanced over at the dark cloud of rage filling Fey’s eyes and almost smiled. Maybe in Fey’s eyes that’s exactly what it made him.
“I’m glad you killed him,” Fey said decisively. “The fucker deserved it.”
“He did.”
He could still picture Alicia, like it was just yesterday. She’d been so happy, so full of life before that dipshit had come along. He’d deserved what Alastair had done to him, and more.
“That’s how Jasper started working here, you know,” Alastair told her. “I convinced him to step up and take Alicia’s job. Vivian’s dad had never been in the picture, and Jasper was already helping raise her. They needed the cash. Times were hard for the Shifters, back then.”
“Vivian’s dad wasn’t the one who…?”
“No,” Alastair answered, cutting her off. “No, he was just someone Alicia had been seeing on and off for a while, years and years before I knew her. Actually, if I remember correctly, Vivian’s father came from your Faction.” He grinned at her, eyes twinkling. “You Witches enjoy taking a ride on the wild side, don’t you?”
Fey rolled her eyes.
Stepping closer, Alastair brushed her hair from her shoulder. With Fey here, he didn’t want to be thinking about the past. He wanted his full attention on her.
“Not that I’m complaining, Witchling, but what brings you here tonight?” he asked, changing the subject. “Is everything alright?”
Fey took a deep breath and leaned into his chest, her body relaxing against him. “I had a bad day. I needed some company.”
His arms rose to wrap around her automatically, pulling her closer.
“I can be very good company,” he promised. He could feel her smile against his chest.
“I’m sure you can,” she answered, a teasing lilt to her voice.
“Come with me, Witchling,” Alastair said, pulling her to a stand and smiling down at her. “Why don’t we go up to my office, and I can show you just what good company I can be?”
She let him lead the way.
His office had changed verylittle in the years since he had first encountered her, digging through his desk. Still, Fey considered the room carefully, as though memorizing it.
“I miss this place,” Fey admitted. Her eyes moved around the room, pausing for several breaths on his bookshelves and the armchair he kept next to them.
“Does it bring back memories?” Alastair asked, shutting the door behind them and turning the lock.
