Page 26 of Bitter Spirits

Isa joined him and made room for their drinks by nudging the empty glasses and flameless candle to the side. He put his back to the wall then looped an arm around Isa. He pulled her in until she stood in front of him with the high-top table next to them. With one hand at her hip and the other around his drink, he settled in to wait for Nova. Next to him, Isa sipped her bourbon, her body stiff with tension. He picked up his glass and brought it to his nose, where he caught hints of toffee and orange and something sweet.

He leaned into Isa, ignoring how she stilled as he put his mouth near her ear. “Relax, reinita.”

Her glass froze halfway to her lips, and he heard her breath catch as she turned to give him a startled look.

A little amused at her reaction to his endearment, he touched the rim of his glass to hers. “¡Salud!” He held her gaze as he took a sip, and she did the same. A bold blend of candied almonds and rich cocoa hit his tongue. He murmured, “Nice.”

Isa slowly lowered her glass, her lips curving up, and a bit of her stiffness drifted away. The urge to bend in and taste the bourbon glistening on her lips beat strong and hard in time with the music. Without breaking eye contact, he set his glass down then cupped his hand around the back of her neck to bring her closer. Anticipation thrummed through him as an echoing desire darkened her eyes, her tongue darting out to swipe over her lower lip, her drink caught between them, the spicy bite of her natural scent deepening. He dipped his head and subtly inhaled the heady aroma of vanilla-touched cinnamon, letting it twine deep in his core, where a dark hunger woke on a growl. Her lips parted, offering an invitation he was all too happy to accept, but before he could, the moment was broken.

“Should I come back?”

Unable to stop a frustrated snarl as color rose under Isa’s cheeks and her lashes swept down, Locke moved just his eyes to see that Nova had joined them. The woman stared unapologetically back, her eyes wide with faux innocence.

“No,” Isa said huskily as she pressed the hand with the glass against his chest.

He heeded her silent request, letting her go and giving her room.

Nova watched the interplay with unconcealed amusement. She set a glass with ice water on the table and took up a position on the other side. “You wanted to talk, chica. Talk quick because Mandi can get pissy if I leave her alone too long.”

Isa turned to him. “Babe, can you give us a few?”

Not the question he’d expected. He studied her and caught the warning in her eyes. To get Nova to talk, Isa needed privacy, but he had no intention of missing a word. He dipped his chin in silent acknowledgment, picked up his drink, and moved off to the side just far enough to preserve the illusion of privacy. Then he let his magic off its leash. With the ease of practice, he split his attention between the movements of the roving bouncers and those of the surrounding crowds, while his magic shifted the air currents to filter out unnecessary background noise until the conversation at the table took center stage.

Chapter 9

Isa

Isa watched Locke move a few feet away and take a seemingly casual position as he watched the crowd.

“Girl, where did you find that?”

Locke’s drink paused halfway to his mouth, and behind the flimsy cover of the glass, his lips twitched before the bourbon continued on its journey. Isa decided to ignore the fact that he was listening in on her conversation.

She turned back to Nova. “He walked into my bar.”

“Lucky you.”

Sure, if luck is a cosmic cat and I’m the idiot mouse. She picked up her drink, wondering if the result would be indigestion. Or better yet, heartburn.

Before Isa could spin further down that rabbit hole, Nova continued. “Though if I were you, I’d convince him to check out another hot spot tonight.”

The warning struck like lightning, freezing her in place and squashing her momentary levity. “He’s here?” She was proud the question came out sharp instead of shaky.

Nova shrugged, her gaze shifting beyond Isa before coming back. “Your guess is as good as mine, but considering the amount of muscle being flexed…” She paused as one of the bouncer types strode by, his attention on the floor below. Once he was out of earshot, Nova studied Isa, twisting her glass of water absently, and continued. “What I can confirm is he’s got eyes and ears all over this place.”

That news wasn’t unexpected. Neither was the prospect that Isa might already be in trouble. She figured the minute Carter had caught sight of her, he’d told the powers that be about her presence, which meant she was on the clock, especially if Angel was in house. It also meant Nova would be her only chance at useful information.

“Then I’ll make this quick. I heard some things and figured since I’m here, I might as well ask.”

Interest sharpened Nova’s attention as her fingers curled around her glass, holding it still. “Might not have your answers, but you’re free to ask.”

“There was this guy who popped up on the scene a few months back and hooked up with someone I know. I don’t have much on him, but he made it sound like he had connections, big ones, and lately, he’s been flashing this new product around. He tried to get her to try it, swearing it would rock her world, but since that’s not her thing, she declined. The other night, he tried again, but this time he decided to show instead of tell, and it did not go well for him. Whatever he took messed him up.” She held Nova’s gaze, leaned in, and waited until the woman did the same before adding in a quieter tone, “And by that, I mean messed him up, Nova.”

Nova studied Isa for a long moment, lines creasing her forehead and bracketing her mouth as she played with the straw in her glass. Finally, she murmured, “That sucks, but in this scene, that shit happens on the regular.”

“True, but not like this.” Isa sat back without losing eye contact. “This girl, she was freaked right the fuck out because whatever he took changed him.”

Nova seemed to think it through. “What do you mean, ‘changed him’?”