I knew better than anyone that Tom Selleck was a gift. And while I was pissed as hell at these two idiots, I was seriously considering how I’d look with a mustache.
“We don’t have time for this,” Miranda said behind me, clearly done with these two idiots. I couldn’t agree more.
“Last warning,” I growled. “Stay out of our way.”
“This is YOUR last warning. Stay out ofourway,” Max threatened.
I turned on my heel, shaking my head, walking with Miranda before I cracked their stupid skulls against each other.
Miranda kept pace with me as we strode out the long alley and toward the Strip. “Have all humans become so idiotic over the years?”
“Were we really all that smart in your day and age?” Miranda asked with genuine curiosity in her voice.
“Good point. You, my little badass, have made the exception seem like the rule.”
Her lips twitched as if she were trying to hide a satisfied smile. She didn’t even balk at my nickname for her.
There. Miranda had relaxed just a little, and I reveled in the victory.
“Magicians trying to catch a god spawn for a Vegas act,” Miranda muttered, her voice tinged with disbelief. “What’s next? A circus ringmaster trying to tame a sphinx?”
I chuckled, despite the irritation still simmering inside me. “In this city? I wouldn't be surprised.”
Miranda glanced at me, a wry smile briefly flashing on her face. “You know, for a second there, I thought you were going to lose it with those two.”
I shrugged. “The thought crossed my mind. But then I remembered I'm trying to be a civilized god now.”
“Civilized? You?”
“Hey, I'm wearing a shirt, aren't I?” I gestured to my Hawaiian shirt. "And it's... mostly buttoned up.”
Miranda laughed, a genuine, unguarded sound that filled the night air. It was a rare moment of levity in our usually tense interactions. For a fleeting moment, I saw the woman behind the warrior, the vulnerability behind the strength.
But as quickly as it came, the moment passed, and Miranda's expression hardened once more. “We can't let those two interfere again. Sheshem is dangerous, and they're clueless.”
I nodded in agreement, my gaze fixed on the bustling crowd ahead. “We'll keep an eye on them. But right now, we need to focus on our own hunt. They are a distraction.”
Miranda sighed, running a hand through her braids. “Yeah. Let's keep going and maybe, just maybe, find you a shirt that doesn't scream ‘tourist’, or Magnum PI.” She paused. “Though you might look dashing with a thick mustache."
I knew it!
Chapter 6
The Badass
My hands closed around my red-eye, a blissfully large cup of coffee topped with two shots of espresso. After the oppressive heat of the night, I was grateful to be back in the air-conditioned bliss of Sinopolis, sitting at Perkatory, the cafe in the lobby.
I told Xander I was going home after our night of fruitless hunting to make sure he wouldn’t try to tag along for my morning routine.
Where he headed off to, I didn’t know, and I tried not to care. I really tried, but questions like where was he living, and whathad he been doing the last several weeks hammered into me with relentless force.
I certainly wouldn’t admit to him or myself that when he walked in silence next to me I felt less alone, and intrinsically understood. That he’d reached inside of me and nestled in right next to my heart, making me feel at home in his presence.
I’d never admit those things.
I toyed with the cup sleeve. On it was a printed skull in a coffee cup logo with the slogan—good to the last drop. This little coffee stand had become a regular part of my routine. Perkatory was an oasis smack dab in the middle of the gleaming black marble and gold filigreed lobby of Sinopolis.
Lush greenery created a canopy of tranquility and isolated the coffee stand. The gentle rustle of leaves in the air-conditioning forced the subtle floral scents to mingle with the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans. This little spot always felt like my own personal sanctuary.
