Page 24 of Bitter Spirits

“Yep. Keeps the unwanted out,” she said softly.

He gave the fracturing darkness another hard look then prowled forward slowly, following the retreating shadows, Isa matching him step for step. They didn’t get far when the last inky vestiges faded to reveal a short line of patrons corralled by thick blue ropes strung between waist-high posts. At the head was a young woman in a glittery formfitting dress, her hair a mix of gold and brown piled in a complicated twist meant to look casual. Her long, bare legs were made even longer by needle-thin heels. She worked a phone and an earpiece as she greeted each person. At her side was a muscle-bound bouncer in a black suit, his hair shorn close to his skull and his face set in the don’t fuck with me lines adopted universally by bouncers everywhere. He held his position in front of the entrance, clearly blocking it, his thick arms held in a deceptively informal pose as he scanned the incoming patrons.

As Locke and Isa moved into the light and out of the illusion’s hold, they got some curious looks from the waiting patrons. The men taking in all that was Isa with an appreciative eye while the weight of female perusal hit Locke like an unwelcome touch. But it was the bouncer’s stillness as he caught sight of Isa that left Locke on edge. If Locke hadn’t been watching so closely, he would have missed it. He wasn’t the only one who’d clocked it—Isa came in at his side and got close. He curled his arm around her waist, his hand coming to rest on her exposed curves in an unmistakably possessive gesture.

They kept walking as he dipped his head down until his mouth was near her ear. “You know him?”

She turned that little bit into him, her lips curving into a small smile as if he’d said something privately amusing, but her eyes were dark with worry. “He goes by Carter. Don’t know if it’s a first or last name.”

Locke brought them to a stop a few feet from the end of the queue and angled his body so she was partially blocked from Carter’s view. Her hands came up to his shirt as she held on. He cupped her face and dropped his head until their foreheads touched. “He going to be a problem?”

Her tongue came out and touched her lips in an unusually nervous tell as her gold-flecked eyes searched his. “I don’t think so.”

“You good, or do we need to turn around?” He offered the out but was grateful when she didn’t take it.

“I’m good.”

Taking her at her word, he cupped the back of her head and pressed his lips to her forehead then moved aside so they could join the end of the line. Carter followed their movement but continued his door duties. As they stood there, quiet conversations floated around them, and Locke found himself absently stroking the warm, silky skin where Isa’s waist and hip met. She leaned in deeper, one hand resting on his chest just above his heart as her familiar scent of cinnamon and vanilla curled around him. Despite her causal pose, he could feel the tension riding under her skin.

He tightened his hold and brushed his lips on the top of her hair. A ripple in the air behind him had him turning to look back just as another couple stepped out of the illusionary barrier. The man was in his early forties, with a brawler’s build and thick dark hair marked by silver. He was draped in tailored linen. His companion, a honey blonde by choice, had to be half his age, wearing a slash of eye-catching crimson meant to be a dress with impressively high heels. Unexpected recognition hit, and he stiffened.

“Well, shit,” he muttered, watching the couple’s approach.

“What?” Isa half turned to see who had his attention. “Who is that?”

“That is the very married—and not to the young woman at his side—Beto Montenegro.” The line moved forward, which gave Locke an unneeded excuse to turn back around and ignore the advancing couple. “He also happens to be one of the bigger money men behind a lot of the Valley’s developments.”

Isa followed his lead and turned away. “How do you know him?”

“I don’t.”

He tightened his hold on Isa as Beto and his companion bypassed the line and walked right up to the bouncer without even pausing. The couple spoke to the hostess with an easy familiarity.

“I just investigated him for Emilio,” Locke murmured, “and what I found meant Emilio chose not to move forward with the deal Montenegro offered. Unfortunately, losing Cordova support meant other investors who were on the fence decided to jump ship as well, and that made him very unhappy.”

“So he’s sketchy,” she said.

He met her gaze and gave her a small smile. “Very, which is why Emilio has me keeping tabs.”

“Then he should fit in just fine with this crowd.”

As Montenegro ushered his companion inside, Locke felt the slow slide of Isa’s hand moving from his chest to just below his ribs, where it stopped. He cleared his throat. “Makes me wonder what connections he’s working to earn VIP access to an underground social club.”

Through the material of his shirt, he felt Isa’s nails press into his side, gaining his attention, as she pulled back against his hold. “Do me a favor tonight, Locke. Just stick to our hunt.”

“That’s my goal.” And it was. If he managed to sniff out new scents on old trails, well, then, he could track those later.

Those compelling eyes searched his for a long moment, and he got the sense she was weighing his intent. When the line started moving again, she turned forward and, with a soft sigh, walked the few feet necessary. She didn’t say anything more, not even when a group of chattering twentysomethings joined the line. Their excited conversation babbled behind him as they drew closer to the entry.

Then it was Locke and Isa’s turn.

“Good evening,” the hostess said with a professional smile that warmed as it drifted over Isa and landed on him.

He pulled the wooden disc from his pocket, held it up between two fingers, and offered it to her. “Evening.”

Light winked off the small crystals embedded in the hostess’s pointed, polished nails as she took the disc. A flash of blue-tinged orange magic swept over the disc and winked to gold. With a graceful twist of her wrist, the disc disappeared.

She inclined her head and motioned them forward. “Enjoy.”