Yeah, not touching that one. Whatever he’d done to get on her bad side? He was on his own. I liked my drinks just the way they were.
“What are you doing here, hun? I didn’t expect to see you again this week. Isn’t operation hideout underway yet?” Quetta cocked an eyebrow as she pulled a glass from under the bar, her attention now solely on me as if the Nordic Keeper didn’t exist.
“In what dimension do you think I would ever be hiding out?” Didn’t she know who I was? Karma hid from no bitch.
“Come on, Karmen. Anytime you’ve been in the bar lately when Cipher is here, I’ve had the sudden urge to climb in the stock fridge and wait until the danger has passed. And, girl, as the Keeper of Excess, it’s hard for anything to penetrate my zero fucks given demeanor. Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.” She raised her brows and pursed her lips to the side like she didn’t even need me to answer.
“Yeah, well. Why does Cipher have to be here so damn much?”
Quetta rolled with laughter like I wasn’t serious. I was. I’d been coming here for decades, and that devil of a man had been here less than five times. Why every damn night all of a sudden?
He might not think I remembered, but he hated Dallas. Always had. He was more of a thrill chaser, snowboarding off of the highest peaks in Europe or scuba diving in the Bermuda Triangle. Hell, bull riding was what brought him to Texas in the first place. And it wasn’t like Sin couldn’t incite a little harmless sin from anywhere.
That was what attracted me to him in the first place, dammit. I had a thing for the bad boys. Sue me.
“You know this is his bar, right?” she said through gasping breaths and misty eyes.
“Like he doesn’t have hundreds of these places all over the world in his favorite haunts,” I grumbled and gave it up. This was my time to relax, soak in a little me time. Not spend it waxing about all the ways Cipher irritated me these days. “Give me—”
Cipher walked in through the back hallway with Bish on his heels. I didn’t need ten guesses to figure out what they had been doing. Actually, considering the sand trailing in their wake, maybe I did.
“You know what, Quetta? Give me A Short Trip to Hell. Seems fitting.”
Shaking her head, she took the glass and swayed over to the back counter where a plethora of hard liquors, mixers, and beautiful garnishes all waited for her to use them. And use them she would in my beautiful cocktail.
I hopped on a stool, leaning my back against the wooden bar while I waited for the drink I ordered every single time Cipher and Bish were here. Out of the corner of my eye, I tracked the two Keepers in question as they settled on their favorite stools on the very end. They pretended not to see me, and I returned the favor.
I could still enjoy an hour or so here before heading home. Maybe even dole out a dose or two of karma on my way out. Who knew? The night was young.
“Sorry about that,” Váli purred as he slid onto the bar stool next to me, effectively blocking out Sin and Death.
Yay.
Shrugging, I tipped my head toward him, my new lustrous raven hair catching my attention over my shoulder. I really did love this color. It was so black, it almost seemed like there was blue in it. Inky perfection. “I get it.”
“Ah, I see Sunny and Hattie really made up.” He nodded toward the couple who were now twined around each other in the darkened corner.
“They’ll be out of here in the next ten minutes. How much?” A mischievous grin curled my lips as I flicked a glance at Váli. His answering smile almost had my toes curling.
Okay, who was I kidding? They totally did.
“Hmm, I’d rather wager something else. How about if they leave between now and ten minutes, I’ll complete one boon for you, but if they leave after that, then…” He smirked, his green eyes darkening to obsidian. “Then you’ll attend me on a vengeance run of my choice.”
“If you win, we won’t leave now? How do you know I won’t be busy when you want to exact a little comeuppance?” This actually sounded like fun. Karma and vengeance were so intertwined, I could be a wingman for him in a way I couldn’t for the other Keepers.
And let’s face it, a little deserved retribution was much more interesting than watching time.
“I’ll know.” He winked.
Váli could be such a terrible flirt. Still…I side-eyed him as Quetta slid me my drink. Only mine. Nothing for Váli. He shot her a smile, more teeth than sweet, and she just gave him a dour look.
“Oh, Quetta, my love…”
“Don’t,” she snapped at him. “Not one word out of that mouth if you know what’s good for you.”
My eyebrows climbed as I ping-ponged my glance between them. Hands on her hips, Quetta wore active bitch face like a fucking challenge, and Váli seemed torn between charging at it like a bull after a matador’s cape or obeying her.
Me? I just took a sip of my rich red drink and savored the heat blossoming in my belly with the fruity chaser. One could almost call it a Jägergasm of fruity proportions—sweet on the outside, with a fucking nasty ass punch on the inside.
As if drawn by the thought, I checked out Cipher via the mirror. His gaze locked on mine, even as a smirk curled his lips. Fucker winked at me and his smile grew, at least until I scoffed and refocused my attention to the stare-off between Váli and Quetta. From the corner of my eye, I didn’t miss Cipher’s smile vanishing nor his sudden scowl.
Aww, poor baby. I didn’t and would never be falling all over myself for him again.
He could kiss my wings goodbye. That body was long since dead and buried.
Which was why I shifted on the stool and squeezed my thighs together, locking my knees. I didn’t need to think about the last time he kissed my wings.
No I did not.
Another long swallow of the drink, and I almost had myself convinced. I knew better than to shotgun it though. Once you’d been kicked by that mule a few times, especially since Quetta always added a splash of the good stuff to mine, you learned to be careful.
Finally, Váli turned those soulful, mossy green eyes on me. “Work your magic for me, skatten min. Make the wicked woman give me a drink.”
I snorted. “First, calling her a wicked woman is not going to win you any points.”
“She is not the one I want to win points with.”
That was laying it on a bit thick. I rolled my eyes. Hand on my thigh, Váli leaned in closer until his breath whispered along my earlobe with each word. “Make the mean lady get me a drink, please?”
Mean lady. I laughed. It tickled and it was enticing, but it was because he put me at ease, even with Sin and Death giving me dark stares in the mirror. I could almost ignore them. They were up to something. While I wouldn’t run and fucking hide, I did keep my guard up.
I also had a few plans of my own. As long as they didn’t start anything, I’d leave them be. The less I had to do with them, the better.
“Fine,” I muttered like it was such an imposition and he’d worn me down. I gave his face a light push to give us some distance, and he caught my hand and held it to his cheek. His skin was hot against my chilled fingers.
“Quetta, could you get him an A.M.F. please?”