Page 7 of Sinner's End

Emma huffs loudly before grabbing her fruity blue-and-green cocktail and leaving me alone at the bar. So much for spending time together. The moment she didn’t get her way she deserted me. I knew she would disappear on me. Same shit, different day.

“Addi,” I say, not giving any forethought to telling this stranger anything about myself.

Another whistle sounds from down the bar and Kaleb glares in that direction. I watch a man twice his size pale underneath his gaze before holding his hands up. Interesting.

“You should see to your customers.”

“I am seeing to the most important one right now.” He winks. “The rest of these chuckleheads can wait.” He smirks and I wonder if this line of flirting gets him laid often.

“Won’t your boss be mad?” I ask, sipping my beer fromthe bottle.

A thought crosses my mind. What will it take to ruffle Mana’s perfect facade? To make him crack and lose that perfect control he is so famous for? Will his staff being less than considerate of all the patrons be enough? Not that it matters.

“My boss is very … open-minded.” He seems to be laughing at an inside joke. “But enough talk about things that aren’t you. What brings you to Harken tonight? I’ve never seen you here before.”

“How can you be sure? There are probably thousands of people that make their way here every week.”

“I can assure you I would remember.”

He continues to flirt. It’s a great feeling, to be desired. Occasionally his gaze dips to my cleavage before returning to my face and I know this is more than simple, friendly banter. He really is interested.

“My sister has a thing for you,” I mention with a smile. “So you can stop flirting with me.”

“Sister?”

“Emma.”

Throwing his head back he laughs freely. “Sorry to be the one to break the news to you, but your sister has a reputation.” At my confused frown, he continues. “She’s a slut. And I would rather chop my dick off than stick it in what is probably the most worn-out pussy in Oregon.”

Beer goes flying from my lips, and uncontrollable laughter bursts from me. My sister has always been promiscuous but I never expected to hear it put that way.

“Sorry,” I mumble, cleaning my chin with the napkin he offers me. “I’ve never heard it stated quite like that. But I can assure you it isn’t news.”

Looking up at Kaleb, I find him staring at my tits before licking his lips. Beer has dribbled down into the valley betweenmy breasts, clearly drawing his attention.

“I need to clean up,” I say standing from my seat. “Which way is the bathroom?”

“The red door over there.” Kaleb points.

I glance in that direction, two doors clear to see. Red and blue, side by side. Making my way around the writhing mass of bodies on the dance floor once more, the usual awareness works its way down my spine and I know my watcher is near. Did he follow me? What does he think of how I am dressed? Will he finally come to me tonight?

I quickly head inside the bathroom, wanting to hurry. If I’m lucky, tonight could be the night I finally come face to face with my watcher. Protector? Excitement sweeps through me at the mere thought. Grabbing a few sheets of tissue paper from the dispenser, I lower the straps on my dress and start cleaning myself up.

“Such a pretty little treat.” The words are breathed into my ear before I find myself shoved against the wall, face-first.

Chapter Four

For Her … Anything

Lethe

I can feel the desire rippling through the insurgent’s body a moment before I tear him from hers, slamming the back of his head into the brickwork behind me, and dropping his unmoving form to the floor. Is he dead? I tip my head to one side.Do I care?

As I stare at the stunning girl in the skintight black dress, I decide I don’t. Mana won’t, either, from the way I watched him rip a man to pieces with strength no human should possess.

I know my talents are wrong, just as his are. Perhaps we’re alike, him and me, and that’s why I am drawn to this place with its torture and echoing screams I can still faintly hear when the music stops and silence holds. The sounds are etched into the very stones of this house of literal horrors. It’s obscene that underage teens and a few legal and tempting pieces like the one before me party here. A disgrace, really.

A single tear trails her cheek, and my groin tightens in the black leather pants Mana insisted I wear as part of my staff costume.

---