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“The scotch.” When she went to grab a glass, he snapped his fingers. “It’s like you don’t even know me. Just give me the whole bottle.”
With a roll of her eyes, she handed him the scotch. “Have fun drowning your non-troubles. But if your moping gets the other patrons down, I’m kicking you out. Got it?”
He saluted and retreated to a booth in the corner from which he had a great view of the main room while not being on display. People-watching without being judged. Perfect.
He took a swig straight from the mostly full bottle and calculated how much and how fast he’d have to drink to get any kind of buzz going. Eh. He’d probably have to pester Samina for another bottle soon. Like most otherworld creatures, he had a fast metabolism, and demons like him could only get drunk if they binged amounts of liquor that would send humans to the hospital with alcohol poisoning.
Still worth it, though, if it helped push back the feelings about a certain witch’s rejection of his—very reasonable—proposition. Feelings he had no intention of picking apart or even labeling. The burning in his chest was just acid reflux. The knot in his stomach resulted from the dubious dinner he’d had. His throat being too tight just meant he had to drink more. Preferably scotch.
His mind had been stuck on the events of last night all day long, and nothing had helped distract him from the blow to his ego—and nonexistent feelings—Hazel had dealt him the night before. So drinking it was. He was on the third bottle, his head feeling pleasantly buzzy and his muscles relaxed, when the demon who walked past his booth did a double take and turned to face him.
“Tallak,” Rhun said in greeting. And before Tallak could send him away with a growl, the impertinent bluotezzer—and mate to Merle MacKenna—had the gall to slip into the booth and sit down opposite him.
“Leave,” Tallak snarled. “I already have company.” He wiggled the bottle, which Rhun snatched from his hand.
“I didn’t know you and”—Rhun eyed the label—“Johnnie had a thing. And here I was thinking you had the hots for Hazel.”
“Fuck off.”
Rhun grinned. “Always such a ray of sunshine.”
“If you don’t leave in the next five seconds, I will rearrange your face to fit your personality.”
“Aw, come on, you know you couldn’t make these features prettier than they already are.”
“Honestly, I have no idea how that witch tolerates you as her mate.”
Rhun leaned back. “Well, let me put it this way—Arawn is not the only deity in our family.” He paused dramatically. “I’m a god between the sheets.”
Tallak rubbed both hands over his face. “You’re an annoying wankstain is what you are. Now give me back my bottle and let me brood in peace.”
“Yeah, about that.” One arm on the backrest, Rhun made a dismissive sound and shook his head. “Gotta tell you something, but before we get to that, let me just say thank you.”
“For not smashing in your teeth just yet?”
Rhun’s expression turned serious as he drummed on the table with his other hand. “You found out where Juneau held me. Without that info, Merle wouldn’t have gotten me out. It’s been a little while, and I haven’t thanked you for that. I appreciate that you helped.”
“Didn’t do it for you.”
Rhun rolled his eyes. “I know, I know, it’s all for your precious baby boy.”
Tallak reached over, grabbed Rhun’s hair, and slammed his face on the table before the other demon could blink. He was leaning back in his seat the next second while Rhun groaned and straightened his nose.
“Don’t ever talk about him like that again,” Tallak said and took a swig from the bottle, which he’d snatched back from Rhun during his sneak attack. “And you owe me for saving your ass.”
Rhun flicked the blood off his fingers, sniffed, and put his elbows on the table. “I know. Which is why I’m here trying to give you a little advice.”
“How to be a dick?”
“Nah.” Rhun waved that away. “You’ve got that down pat already.”
Tallak saluted with the bottle. “Fuck you very much.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Rhun shrugged. “Listen up if you wanna have even the slightest chance at scoring with Hazel.”
Tallak scoffed. “And what makes you think I want to score with her?”
Rhun raised a brow. “You’re trying to insult my intelligence, right? Because there’s no way you could really be this thick.”
