Death Wish (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #5)(102)

“Is this seat taken?”

I was surprised to see Willow sliding onto the bar stool across from me. Drumming his fingers on the counter, he peered past me to the wall of booze at the back of the bar. His wings were hidden from sight. He was casually dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with a ball cap covering his hair. Nothing about his appearance indicated his true nature.

“Willow, hi. I wouldn’t have expected to see you in a place like this.” I held up the fine whiskey in offering. “Can I get you a drink? It’s on the house, of course.”

He continued thoughtfully, eyeing the liquor selection. “How about some tequila?”

The thought of tequila turned my stomach, but I shoved a tray of limes toward him and reached for a bottle, grimacing at the nasty little worm in the bottom. Depositing the bottle and a shot glass in front of him, I hunted for a saltshaker. He waved dismissively and took his first shot without it.

“So,” he gazed appreciatively at the tequila bottle. “Word on the street is that you and Shya forced the genie back into her lamp, so to speak. She must be pissed.”

“I stripped her power so Shya could bind her, but only after he offered her my supposedly divine blood to break the curse. She shot down his demand for more power, and that was that.” I shrugged and sipped my drink. “He had to be lying, but she didn’t seem to think so.”

“About your blood? No, that was the truth. You’re the light of a twin flame union and one of the legendary Hounds. That is divine in a sense. It’s pure and good, even if you yourself are not.”

I pondered this, turning it over and dismissing it as ludicrous. “I’m not good. Not even close. I have blood on my hands. Innocent blood.”

“Join the club.” Willow clinked his glass against mine and tossed back the strong booze.

“How do you do that?” I blurted without thought. “How do you talk like that, as if you’ve accepted it? You don’t deserve to be labeled as one of the bad guys, Willow. I do.”

He chewed on a lime and regarded me thoughtfully. “I fell in love. Knowing that love, for even a short time, it was a gift. I don’t regret it. The repercussions are worth it.”

I was certain that his lady love would have shared his sentiment. It was endearing and inspiring. Willow had faced heartbreak beyond what I could imagine. Though he sat there drowning his sorrows as surely as most drunks did, he still believed his love was worth his misery.

“Anyway,” he smiled and held up another shot in a gesture of cheers. “I thought I’d come by and share a friendly drink or ten with you. Figured you could use it.”

“You wouldn’t be wrong.” I clinked my glass against his and savored the mind-numbing nectar. A roaring drunk might not have been the most responsible way to deal with my feelings, but I could either numb them out or go on a blood bender.

A small commotion near the door drew my attention. The strong sense of werewolf reached me. I watched the cluster of people in the entry with growing curiosity. Justin broke free of the throng and headed my way.

Justin was a tall, insanely well-built vampire. Dark skinned with deep brown eyes that glittered with constant bloodlust, he was one of the baddest vampires I knew. Intimidating was an understatement, which was what made him perfect for running security now that Shaz was gone.

He had openly pledged his loyalty to me when I had asked him if he wanted a job, but I never would dream of any vampire in this city bowing down to me as if I were a queen. Poor Lilah was so desperate to regain an army of minions to do her bidding that she was willing to settle for coercing the undead, most of which were little more than useless blood junkies barely existing from night to night.

“Alexa, there’s a wolf here insisting she needs to see you. Says she’s your sister.” Justin’s gaze traveled over Willow dismissively before settling on me. “Is that the same sister that dragged our boy Kale out of here? Want me to get rid of her?”

I groaned and spewed out my favorite cuss words. “No, let her in. Alone. Nobody comes in with her. And, stay in sight. Just in case.”

Justin tipped his head in acknowledgment and spun on his heel. “You’re the boss.”

“Little sister has big balls to come back in here after her last visit,” Willow observed. He slid a few stools away, dragging his booze and limes with him. “Pretend I’m not even here. Unless you want me to go?”

“No, that’s fine. Stay. It’s cool.” My eyes were fixed on the door. Yes, Juliet certainly did have some serious nerve coming back in here. Still, she was an O’Brien; I wouldn’t expect anything less from her.

Juliet entered, pausing until she spotted me. Her long, leggy frame moved in graceful strides across the room. Why couldn’t she have been the short one? In yoga pants and a bright blue top, she looked both casual and lethal.

“Can we go somewhere and talk?” She didn’t bother with a phony greeting and cut right to the chase.

I stared at her with a carefully neutral expression. Peering into her dark eyes, I was both saddened and infuriated. “I think here is just fine. Go ahead. Talk.”

Irritation flashed across her delicate features. She glanced around at those within the vicinity and then shot me an exasperated look. “Alright. Alexa, be reasonable. We’re sisters. So we’ve taken different paths in life? That doesn’t change what we are to one another. I’m sorry for my role in what happened with Kale. I promise you, I had no part in what they did to him.”