I tapped my chin, thinking back to my last time there. I’d flirted with many women that night, but I was also drunk as hell. A vague image of a very curvy blue-haired woman entered my mind, and I smiled. “Ah yeah, Mierna? Right? Good times.” Actually, it was just okay times. She didn’t like when I bit her breast, and she screamed. And not in a good way. Then she complained that I hit too hard when I smacked her on the ass as I took her from behind. She wasn’t worth this trouble, but then again, I might as well get a fight out of it.
The man grabbed me by the collar of my shirt. “You think this is a joke? I was planning to propose to her.”
I smirked. “Guess you should have done so earlier.”
He let go of me before landing a punch on my jaw. I knew it was coming and didn’t stop it. I didn’t even avoid biting my tongue as the punch landed. It made it all the better because when I destroyed him, I would feel very justified.
I stood up, suddenly noticing the tiny bar grow quiet. I was a regular, and most people in town knew me. I had something of a reputation. Good or bad, depending on who you asked. I raised an index finger in the air. “That was one. Care to land another.” I turned my face to the opposite side of where I was punched. “Perhaps this side? Make it even.”
The man gave me wide eyes and then exchanged confused looks with this giant friend. I nodded in understanding. “I get it. You maybe didn’t expect me to be so understanding. Your woman cheated on you. You wanted to blame someone to make yourself feel better, so you came to me. I don’t know if I knew she had a partner, I was so drunk that night, but I am not sure I would care. See, the way I see it, a woman is not for stealing. She voluntarily came home with me. And she voluntarily fucked me. So, are you really mad at yourself for doing your job so poorly that a random male could come and take her away so easily?”
The shorter man stuttered unintelligible words. His friend slapped him on the back, face twisted in annoyance. “You gonna let this monkey’s brain talk to you like that?”
I leaned back, brows raised. Monkey’s brain? Was that an insult? Was he calling me stupid? I had a high tolerance for a lot, but disrespect and name-calling really pissed me off. Okay, it was time for the fun to begin. No more talking. I had been nice enough. Without looking at the giant, I swiped my trusty dagger from my harness and slashed him across the face before he knew what happened. He was over half a foot taller than me, but my reach was all I needed.
The giant stumbled back, touching his face, then looked back down at his bloodied hand in shock. I laughed before slashing him across the chest twice. My arm a blur of lightning speed motion. This felt too good. I wanted to do more, but Yosef’s stern face popped into my head. I’d done the work to manage my reactions. I had to stay the course, as he always told me. I took a step back, hoping the giant would retaliate so I could continue.
His short friend took a step toward me, and I kicked him in the chest, sending him flying across the floor. Deciding to give the tall fae a break, I went back to the shorter one, resting a knee on his chest.
“You hit me in the face, so I owe you a hit.” I bulked up my hand with my magic, hardening it for impact. Then I rammed my fist into the side of his face. I could feel the crunch of his teeth even before blood and molars flew out of his mouth. I sighed upon feeling the impact and witnessing the damage. This was not better than sex, but it was damn close.
The fae rolled from side to side, yelling. Music to my ears.
I patted him on the stomach, getting up. “Yeah, I know it hurts. I think we’re even. We’ll let this go, right? You let it go, and you live.”
The hairs on the back of my neck rose, and I twisted around, swiping my knife out again at the giant. He ignored my attack this time and grabbed me around the waist, picking me up over his head and then slamming me down on the bar counter. Fuck, I think I cracked some bones.
The patrons nearby backed up even farther. The bar owner would be over soon and clear us out, but I wasn’t going to leave on my back like this. I grabbed the giant by the collar and bashed my forehead into his. He stumbled back, and I went cross-eyed with the impact. Head-butting is effective, but it fucking hurts.
I struggled to sit up, but my back was still out of commission for now. Both fae were now advancing toward me. Well, time to make maximum impact. Not as fun, since I liked to cause pain bit by bit to savor it, but I’d let that giant get a hold of me and ruin it. I pushed up my hand, and every dagger on my body flew out of their harnesses and into the fae. Not enough to kill them, I wasn’t going to get myself arrested, but enough to cause major damage and get them to cease. They had knives in their eyes, arms, sides, legs, and ears. It’s a good thing that fae were made strong, if not, I probably would be in a cell by now.
Both fae dropped to the floor, yelling in pain as I kept the knives inside them, twirling my finger in a circle to wiggle the daggers into their bodies. “You’ll let this go now, yeah?”
Both men cried out affirmatively.
“Good boys.”
I turned my head to the bartender, a skinny male with bored purple eyes named Eron. He was used to my antics by now.
“Another round?” he asked.
I gave him a thumbs-up with my free hand. “You know me so well.”
* * *
After the bar, I was able to make it back to Yosef’s house with the help of a hired driver. My back was still very much not okay. It hurt to breathe, but it was feeling better as time passed, what with my rapid healing.
I wanted to go into Lila’s room, but I knew I smelled and was stained with whatever blood splashed on me from the fight. I trudged up the steps, my room being first on the floor, right next to a bathroom. Only her room and Yosef’s had ensuite bathrooms.
Once I was fresh and clean and in only a pair of pajama pants, I broke into her room as usual. However, this time I didn’t just sit in the desk chair and watch her as I stroked myself. This time, I got in the bed and lay beside her. Her face was scrunched into a frown, and I assumed she was having a nightmare. I badly wanted to go into her mind and see, but I decided to be slightly good for the rest of the night. Instead, I fell asleep, relishing the coolness emanating from her body and her vanilla scent.
I woke up to a hard slap across my face and several expletives. I opened one eye and squinted up at Lila, who was sitting upright, staring down at me angrily. Bright light surrounded her, so I knew it was morning. Damn, I was supposed to have slipped out of her room before she woke up. Instead, I fell right to sleep. How had I gotten so careless?
“You gotta be fucking kidding me,” she cried. “Do you do this every night? Were my wards that easy to break?”
I rubbed at my eyes and arched my back. It was still very much sore, but I knew my bones had healed. “I was injured, and you’re a witch, so I thought lying next to you might boost my magic healing.”
She crossed her arms, twisting her lips to the side. “That sounds like such bullshit.” She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at me. “You just slept, right? You didn’t do anything else?”
