Page 110 of The Thief

Tak curved his arm around her waist. “I don’t know. Maybe you should look for him in your bed, Duckie, because he’s feeling real generous tonight.”

Melody straddled the chair to my right, and Lakota sat beside her.

The conversation bounced around, and I noticed Virgil spacing out. With his elbow on the table, his fist was tucked against his cheek. I followed his gaze to the pool tables.

Krystopher leaned over the table, aiming his cue. It slid in and out of his hooked finger, and when he struck the ball, it missed and went in the corner pocket. His leather ensemble attracted a certain type of woman from what I’d noticed. The sexy blonde ogling him had legs like skyscrapers and a skirt that barely covered her panties. Each time she bent over the table, Shifters in the immediate area twisted around to look.

Krys’s confident swagger and fierce gaze turned heads, and he never made the effort to hit on women the way his cousin did. The ones who flocked to him loved playing hard to get, and the more he didn’t notice them, the more they tried to be noticed.

And she was putting on an award-winning performance.

The blonde intentionally missed an easy shot and stood back to watch him expertly sink a striped ball. When he straightened, he slowly chalked his cue while analyzing the remaining table. His sexy friend slinked over and wedged herself between him and the table, then stroked his pool stick suggestively while talking to him.

Before I could look away, I spotted Atticus and Calvin at the bar. Curious, I got up and joined them.

“That’s impressive.” Atticus leaned against the bar, his attention on Calvin. “You should build a covered patio to deal with the overflow. If you can hold that many customers on a regular basis, consider expanding with a separate dining area. That way your restaurant and bar can operate independently. I had that trouble myself in the beginning when I combined the lounge and restaurant. It didn’t work, so I built more rooms. It cost a fortune since it’s underground, but it was worth the expense.”

Calvin rested his forearms on the bar. “Don’t go putting ideas in her head.”

Atticus looked over his shoulder and grinned at me. He reminded me of a doll with glass eyes and flawless skin, only his eyes were black and gave me the shivers. “Mercy Breedlove. I was just telling Calvin I missed an opportunity to hire you, but it sounds like you two are well paired.”

“You couldn’t split us apart with an axe.” I stood opposite Atticus with a saddle stool between us.

“I regretfully missed the grand opening,” he went on, “and I’ve heard nothing but good things. Some of your customers came into my club this evening and were singing your praises. I had to come by and extend my congratulations.” He smiled at Calvin. “Anytime you want to visit Dragonfly’s, I’ll set you up with the best table. This introduction was long overdue.”

“I’ll let you know about that whiskey,” Calvin said. “It’s hard as hell to get your hands on one. I know the guy, and he owes me fifty years of free whiskey whenever I ask.”

Atticus chuckled. “That’s quite a profit margin.”

Calvin flipped the rag over his shoulder and walked off. “Ain’t it, though?”

“I’m glad you came,” I said in earnest. “Calvin was worried it wouldn’t go well today since you’re his major competition.”

Atticus scratched his jaw. “That sort of attitude isn’t uncommon in a small community such as this one. Have you been well?”

“Better. Life goes on, right?”

We kept our conversation superficial. It was never a good idea to discuss private matters in the open. Vampires in particular couldn’t help themselves from listening in. I was certain that even Atticus had been eavesdropping on my pack’s table during our chat.

“It appears not everyone joined your party this evening,” he remarked while eyeing the back of the room.

I glanced over my shoulder. “Salem and Joy left earlier. Do you remember them? He looks like hot Jesus, and she’s?—”

“The enchanting lady.”

I noticed his untouched beer. “That’s one way to put it.”

“I hope he lavishes her with the affection she deserves. I’m an old Vampire—I can always spot the pure of heart.”

“Melody said you used to work in her aunt’s shop. I guess that’s where you get all the business sense. What did you do before that?”

When he smiled, his fangs descended slightly. “I’m an experienced Vampire. Let’s just leave it at that.”

“You better drink that beer if you want to stay on Calvin’s good side. He’s got a short fuse when it comes to people wasting good alcohol. This is good stuff. Shifter brewed.”

He raised the bottle. “Clever. I had challenges securing a deal myself, but that goes without saying.”

Not all Shifters did business with other Breeds, so that gave us an edge.

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