Page 5 of Asher
Maybe it was the sincerity in my voice, or maybe he had a soft spot for family.
“They used to come here sometimes,” he admitted reluctantly, leaning closer. “The guy you described…he liked the jukebox. Always picked the same song.”
“What song?” I asked, my voice low.
The bartender’s lips quirked in the barest hint of a smirk. “Some American country song.” He straightened, his tone hardening again. “That’s all you’re getting. Don’t make trouble.”
I nodded, swallowing my frustration. It wasn’t much, but it was a lead.
As I turned to leave, my eyes caught on a figure in the far corner of the bar.
Gael.
The vampire was leaning against the wall, his body relaxed but his gaze sharp as he charmed a human male at his side.
His dark eyes glinted with amusement, his smile easy, but there was an edge to his demeanor that set my teeth on edge.
Memories of our last encounter surged to the surface. Silver bullets, blood, the rage in his eyes as he collapsed.
I’d left him for dead. Apparently, not dead enough.
Gael’s gaze slid toward me, and for a moment, our eyes locked. His smile faltered, replaced by a look of cold recognition.
The human beside him said something, but he didn’t respond, his attention fully on me.
The room seemed to shrink, the air thickening with tension.
My hand twitched instinctively toward my concealed weapon, but I stopped myself. Not here. Not now.
Gael’s lips curved into a slow, mocking smile, as if daring me to make the first move.
I forced myself to look away, grabbing my drink and finishing it in one long gulp before slamming the glass down on the counter.
This wasn’t over.
The game had just changed. Finn and Gabriel might’ve been my mission, but now I had a new target.
Gael wasn’t just alive. He was watching me. Waiting.
And I’d be ready because if I didn’t get to him first, he’d gladly do the honors himself.
CHAPTER TWO
GAEL
Whether I was in back in Craven Hill or in some obscure small town like this, the humans in the bar were oblivious, as always.
They were laughing, drinking, and flirting like nothing in the world could touch them.
Tom or Tim was no different.
He leaned closer, his breath reeking of whiskey and desperation as he whispered, “Why don’t we get out of here? My place is nearby.”
Pathetic.
I almost laughed. Humans could be so predictable, so easy.
Tom, or whoever he was, had been practically begging me to feed on him all night without realizing it.
