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“Sure. Let’s go into the bounty bar.”
The bouncers with tattooed faces open the doors for us. Zagreus is in a booth at the back of the bar on his laptop and he looks up automatically as we walk in. He seems surprised to see Chiara, but his expression flattens into dislike as he sees me. I’m even less welcome around here than I used to be.
Tough fucking titties.
There are a handful of hunters scattered throughout the darkened bar, in pairs or alone. They follow Chiara’s progress across the room with sharp interest. It’s not every day that a beautiful blonde dressed in jeans and a babydoll T-shirt walks through here. They’re wondering what she’s doing in the bounty bar at Strife, accompanied by Acid, Thane, and Lorenzo Scava, no less.
Acid shows Chiara to a table and they sit down with Thane. I stand by Chiara’s chair with my arms folded and glare around the room until everyone goes back to minding their own fucking business.
“You can sit if you want,” Acid tells me.
No shit I can sit if I want. “I’ll stand.”
“What can I get you to drink?” Acid asks Chiara.
“Lemonade, please.” He signals to the bartender, and she asks, “How’s business lately?”
Thane’s eyes narrow and he and Acid exchange glances.
“You don’t even know what we do, do you?” Acid asks.
She gives a careless shrug. “I know some things. Would you like to tell me more?”
Acid cracks his knuckles, watching her. “Your men go to work in fancy suits, pretending like what they do is legitimate, meanwhile, we’re out here on the streets risking our lives to make their money for them.”
“Out of the goodness of your hearts,” I say through my teeth.
Acid smiles slowly. “Out of the goodness of our hearts, and for a fuckload of cash. The difference is we get our hands dirty.”
Chiara’s doubtful gaze travels over him. She’s seen all of us get our hands dirty at one time or another.
He points to me but leans toward Chiara. “Your man here used to be one of us. Down here on the streets. Then he got expensive tastes.” Acid’s eyes run pointedly up and down Chiara’s body.
She blinks slowly at him, her expression bored, and there’s a flicker of disappointment in Acid’s eyes that she hasn’t risen to the bait.
“Lorenzo’s tastes are my business, not yours.”
The bartender brings a lemonade for Chiara, puts a beer down in front of Acid and hands Thane a glass of water.
“Oh, I bet Lorenzo’s got really interesting tastes.”
Chiara doesn’t bother to reply.
Seeing that he’s not going to get under her skin, Acid’s attention swings to me. “When are you going to tell me to go fuck myself?”
I pretend I’m not this close to stabbing him in the throat. “She can tell you herself if she wants to.”
Chiara takes a sip of her drink, her eyes never leaving Acid. “Your attitude is cute. I can see you’re enjoying yourself but remember I saved your life. Twice. If I asked for it, I could have those two pints of blood back, with interest, and then have this place razed to the ground.”
I reach out and stroke the nape of Chiara’s neck.
You sure could, princess.
Acid sits back, shaking his head. “You really are the Princess of Coldlake.”
She smiles at him. “I am. Can we talk business now?”
“Sure, your highness. When you’re in trouble you need the best of the best, and that’s us. What kind of problems can we help you with?”
