Page 40 of Beneath the Starlight and Storms

“But—”

“Don’tfollow me.” I turn around, eyeing the room for something to do and spot the bar off to my far left. By the time I turn back around, Cash has already disappeared.

Glad that someone was actually listening to me for once, I head toward the bar. A green-eyed bartender with a charming smile and short brown hair greets me with a nod.

“Does Hook have an agreement here?” I ask.

He nods while cleaning down the counter. “He has a tab set up, yes.”

“Good.” I glance over at the table of women and men I saw earlier and notice they look like they could use another refreshment before turning back to the bartender.

“I’m a good friend of his. He’s told me to get whatever I want. So… what’s your most expensive drink here?”

The bartender shares a secret smile with me like he knows exactly what I’m up to but is more than willing to play along.

His head tilts toward the rack of black bottles to the left of him. “Fae wine of course. It will set you back a fair bit for one bottle, though.”

I hum, tapping my chin as if I’m considering it. “In that case, let’s send half a dozen to that table over there.” I point to the table, but my eyes are watching the bartender as his smile grows. “With thanks from Hook, of course.”

He chuckles. “Of course.”

“I’ll take one of those bottles now, too,” I tell him.

The bartender’s smile grows as he turns to get the bottle of fae wine for me.

The redhead from earlier slides up beside me wearing a similar smirk. “Sounds like you’re looking to have a bit of fun. I might just know a place you can let your hair down.”

I take the fae wine from the bartender, thanking him before waving the red head forward.

“Lead the way.”

CHAPTER11

“Names Giselle, by the way.”She gives me a smirk as she leads us down a hallway, just past the bar.

“Tink.” I open the bottle and take a swig as we move through a set of double doors. We take a couple of left and right turns along a long hall before coming to a door that seems to be hidden off to the side.

“Well, Tink. This is where the real fun happens.Awayfrom the men,” Giselle giggles as she opens the door, revealing a group of girls. All extremely beautiful and more than able to hold their own against any high Fae. They meet my hesitant stare as I step inside and survey the soft-looking chairs and small dressing tables sprinkled throughout the small room.

A tall, lithe girl with long dark brown hair and knowing gray eyes looks me up and down. “Well, this stray isn’t as bad as the last one.”

“Hey!” A girl with short pink hair shoves her a little, but the lithe girl with gray eyes just smiles at her before tilting her head to me.

“What? It’s the truth. The guys will eat her up,” she says.

The guys? She thought I was— I take another swig of the drink, a slight warmth spreading through my chest before I attempt to set her theory straight.

“I’m not here to join your little… club.” The leering glances from the men outside alone would stop me.

Giselle chuckles as a couple of the girl’s frown. “Don’t be so disappointed, she’s with Hook. None of us want a blood bath, not unless it’s the kind we’d enjoy. And when Hook plays, nobody has fun but him.”

The girls freeze, their shocked eyes veering to me in question, but I turn to Giselle, narrowing my eyes on her.

“I’m notwithhim,” I argue.

She raises a brow wearing a secretive smirk that makes me frown. I might have come with him today, but that didn’t mean I was with him.

“Not like that,” I tell her. A deal is the only thing between us. One I would quickly pass on if there were another option.

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