Kostya stepped behind the bar. Reached for her face.
“Don’t,” she whispered, trembling so hard a lock of her hair vibrated before her eyes.
“Now, now. That is no way to greet old friends.” He leaned in close, nuzzling into her hair, his wet tongue darting out to lick her ear. A hand snaked down between her thighs, rubbing. Squeezing. Pinching. “You have missed me, butterfly.”
Jaci swallowed down bile.
Behind him, He Who Likes to Watch watched. And laughed. And the sound of it—like rusty nails and broken glass and everything brutal and terrible that made her long for the tortures of hell instead—finally shattered her paralysis.
She reached behind her, grabbing the first bottle she could get her hands on.
Then she brought it down hard on the demon’s head.
“I saiddon’t.” She clutched the jagged end, holding it toward his face.
Behind him, the watcher watched. Laughed.
Blood and gin leaked into Kostya’s eyes, but it didn’t hide his raw fury. Ignoring the wound, he reached out and grabbed her throat, his other hand snatching at her weapon, slicing her arm as he wrenched it away.
He tightened his grip on her throat, cutting off her air.
Spots danced before her eyes. She saw the wrath burning inside his.
Saw the blood leaking into his mouth.
Saw his arm cock back, the jagged edges of the bottle aimed at her face…
And then, in a move so fast she nearly missed it, Kostya went down hard.
Jaci sucked in a sharp breath and leaped backward as Gabriel descended, a blur of fists and fangs and blood.
It was nearly soundless.
It was nearly beautiful.
Seconds later, the vampire rose to his feet.
Kostya did not.
And He Who Likes to Watch had apparently found something hedidn’tlike to watch because that asshole was long gone.
“You… you killed him,” Jaci breathed. She stared at Kostya’s limp, ravaged body, at the black stain pooling on the floor. Wondered what’d happened to the demon’s essence. There were no humans in the bar, which meant he’d have to find another victim elsewhere.
Likely, he’d be back. Maybe not tonight, but eventually.
You have missed me, butterfly…
“He shouldn’t have put his filthy hellspawn hands on you.” Gabriel’s voice shook with rage, his mouth glistening with demon blood. He pulled out his phone and sent a text—probably ordering someone to come clean up the mess. Then, leaning in close, “Come with me. Now.”
Clutching her wounded arm to her chest, Jaci followed him out through the crowd and up to the VIP level. At the farthest end was his office. He led her inside, closed the door behind them.
For a few beats, he remained at the door, his forehead pressed against it, his breath ragged.
Jaci sat on his desk and sucked in a few deep breaths, still trying to calm the fuck down. To soothe the burn of those old wounds. To forget the murderous look in Kostya’s eyes.
“That should not have happened.” Gabriel finally turned away from the door. The look in his eyes was inexplicably pained. “I thought my enemies knew better than to provoke me in my own establishment.”
Jaci shook her head. “That particular enemy wasn’t trying to provoke you. He… he was one of Renault’s old pals.”
