Sin & Lightning Page 49
“Hey, whoa.” Dylan put up his hands. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. Sorry. It’s just that rare level fives like us…we are usually born into a certain lifestyle, and if not, it’s given to us as soon as we are tested. We’re given the best, we live in luxury—we never want for anything.”
I spread my hands to indicate the house at large. “Before the kids became my responsibility, what did I want for?”
His gaze lingered on the far corner. “A TV, for starters. Maybe a rug that doesn’t smell like mold. I don’t know.”
I chuckled and wiped away the rest of my tears. “My mother kept me away from a child killer. I’m fine with my lot in life.”
“Yeah, I can’t fault you for that. And it explains why you don’t really care about living in such a small house. Kieran got lucky, finding a woman that doesn’t expect much. People of Poseidon hate parting with their precious coin.”
“Such a bad rap!” I said, laughing with him. “The guy is super generous!”
Our laughter died as I let the memories of the space float through me.
“Kieran and his Six—five now, I guess—would kill for my kids. Even if I don’t make it, my kids have backup now. They won’t ever be alone. Eventually, when he’s ready to be challenged, Mordecai will return to his pack. I have no doubt he’ll be alpha someday. I don’t know what Daisy will do eventually, but she has the tools for happiness. She can choose whatever she wants. It might’ve been hairy for a while, but at least the kids are in a good spot now. That’s all that counts, small house for a Demigod or no.”
Dylan chuckled before sobering. “Living like this taught you to protect the people you love against all odds. Those feelings are primal. They’re powerful. Clearly Kieran is a man who recognizes that. Thank you. If you don’t mind, I’ll just wait outside. The emotion is starting to make me uncomfortable.”
I barked out a laugh and sprayed him with spit. “Sorry.” I wiped my mouth and laughed a little more, standing. It felt better, remembering the past. Sad but sweet. Like I’d dodged a bullet, quite frankly. And maybe I had. My mother had clearly been wise to protect me from my father. To keep me hidden away.
But I was not guarding a child from a ruthless tyrant… I was the child. And I was done hiding. Let him come. I would not go down without a fight. If my mother came back from the grave to yell at me, well, it would be nice to see her again. I had a few questions.
“Let’s get that beer.”
23
Alexis
I stopped in front of the red, gleaming door on top of the freshly poured concrete without one line or crack in it. Cars lined the street, as they used to, but these were the immaculate cars of people who could clearly afford nice things. Bulbs shone from artfully curved poles over the entrance.
If there had been a red carpet leading up to this joint, I would’ve turned around and walked away.
The inside was even worse. New wood adorned the glossy bar, and the stools lining it had leather seats and seatbacks. The spirits that used to haunt this place, wilting over the bar in never-ending sadness, had been replaced by living people excited to drink in a place owned by the Demigod of San Francisco. The floor had been redone in fresh rustic wood, the height of trendiness, and clean round tables backed up against the far wall. At the other end of the posh space was the pool room, packed with laughing and chatting people.
“This is…” I felt increasingly annoyed as I ducked between two women who couldn’t have talked any louder if they’d been yelling. It wasn’t until I reached the other end of the long, lively bar that I sighed in relief.
Mick, a regular from the old bar, sat on a rickety old barstool with a surly expression and an empty seat next to him. Kieran had come through with his promise to keep Mick’s spot and stool intact. Given the fact that the rest of the bar was packed, his personality had clearly scared away anyone who might want a comfortable seat. Some things hadn’t changed.
“Mick!” I gave him a wide smile as I came around the corner.
He glanced up, and then did a double take. In classic Mick fashion, he grunted, “Well,” in his thick Irish brogue and resumed hunching in his spot, his big hands, scarred from manual labor, curled around a bottle of Bud.
“Big change with the bar, huh?” I sat down, the plush seat much nicer than the crappy stools from before, although Mick’s seat had been saved as a relic. “I hate it.”
He huffed, his whole upper body rising to do it. “Bunch o’ coonts.”
“Was that…” Dylan was at the corner of the bar, half squished between me and some woman who was chatting up a reasonably attractive guy on her other side. He leaned over the non-rounded point so he could see Mick’s face better. “Did he just say…?”
“Yeah. The c-word. Stick around, he gets much more colorful. Do you want me to get you a seat?”
“How?” He glanced at the woman beside him, who seemed quite content.
“I could probably just tell them to move. Actually, let’s wait for Bria. She’s on her way with Jerry. If I let her handle it, then maybe I won’t get gawked at. Hopefully. I didn’t have Aubri come today, so it’s inevitable someone will snap a picture and put it on social media titling it hot mess or something. Do you want a seat while we wait? I don’t mind standing.”
Dylan leaned toward me a little and dropped his voice. “I have a question.”
“Hey, ye fecking bastard, ya.” Mick leaned over the bar in order to look at Dylan. He waggled his finger in front of his temple while squinting an eye. “Be careful where ye aim, eh? She’s not fer sale, ye coont. She landed the fooking Demigod, boi.”
I didn’t have time to wonder what the hell he was talking about, or why everyone was getting so nuts over Dylan—he was attractive, yes, but not enough to make a woman lose her mind. Liam, the bartender from the old bar, sidled down the bar, one of three on duty and the only one who probably wouldn’t bother to move faster if someone put a burner under his butt.
“Alexis, hi, nice surprise,” he said. Although he was non-magical, he’d taken up residence in the dual-society zone because he didn’t want to be bothered with law enforcement. “You ended up giving in to the Demigod, huh?”
“Hi, Liam. I did.” I hung my head. Kieran had followed me into this bar once, before we knew each other well, and Liam had applauded me for standing up to him. It felt like a lifetime ago. “He didn’t take a subtle approach that day, but he turned out to be not so bad. Could I have a Guinness, please?”
“Sure, yeah.” Liam surveyed the crowded bar. “You want me to clear you some space? I don’t think they know you walked in.”
“No.” I waved the thought away. “I have a friend coming. She’ll do it in a less authoritative style.”
Liam nodded and looked at Dylan. Dylan lifted his eyebrows.
“He’s silently asking what you want,” I told Dylan.
“Oh. Uh…” Dylan looked at the large blackboard above the bar with various specialty cocktails and wines artfully written on it.