It’s the next night and I’m at The Lucky One. I find Asher like a honed sniper. Knowing that he’s been watching, I realize that my pattern has been fairly easy to follow. Four bars, the same four, every other day. I wonder what he did when I was away that week. Probably missed me.
I slide into the stool next to him and he passes me my bloody mary, already ordered and waiting. Smooth, asshole, smooth.
“You’ve been watching me for a while,” I comment. I am a bit irked, but also kind of enjoying it. If a chaos demon thinks I’m worth following, I’ll take the compliment.
“I like chaos and you cause it,” he replies honestly. “We fit in the same interest group.”
“So, are you also a barista by day and man-eater by night?” I joke with a raised eyebrow and a sip of my drink.
He laughs darkly. “No. Not in that same niche. But enjoying your feeding habits.”
I eye his outfit: A bright red shirt and that same jacket he wore yesterday. You can tell he has muscles beneath it, but the jacket is still too big. Glancing down, I spot his shoe brand as being one of a higher luxury standing. He seems like he can afford a jacket that fits, but isn't swapping it. I add it to my list of possible clues about where Asher’s weaknesses or motivations may be.
“Are chaos demons born, made, chosen, or cursed?” I ask, twirling the celery in my drink. I love celery, but it often gets stuck in my teeth, so I don’t usually munch on them at the bar. It’s not a sexy look.
“Going straight for the kill, Kandy,” he says and turns slightly toward me in his seat.
“It helps me know what I’m up against.” The more information, the better. I was not in the habit of trusting people—I’d been burned too often before I knew I had untapped power.
He smirks at me. “I’m hardly a threat. My family, on the other hand, might be. We’re born, compete until the weak die, someone takes over the family business of destruction, and the next generation starts all over. The usual. And energy vampires?”
“Born or chosen. I was born. No family business though.”
Are those other biker dudes from last night related to him? What kind of business is this?
I hear a crash from the other end of the bar and get momentarily distracted, turning and taking a sniff from the air as someone apologizes for dropping their drink. I attempt to drown out the sounds of the bar, but it’s difficult. I’m so used to being here by myself and searching for opportunities, not engaged in a conversation with someone that isn’t a target.
“Are you alone then? No family of energy vampires keeping you company?” Asher asks, drawing me back to our conversation. I make note of how he poses that question. Because I said I was born into a family, he immediately assumes that I am alone. Interesting, considering he is also a born being. Maybe he has noticed I don’t bring anyone with me to feed, but there could be something else there.
The bartender nods to me as he passes and I nod back. It’s good to have people that owe you a favor wherever you go. I make it a habit to always have an ally, usually because of a favor rather than actual friendship. Me and friends don’t mix.
“No, not alone. Well, the definition of alone differs per person. I have people I can call if needed, but I’m not too close to my family.” I take another sip. “Dad is confined for the betterment of society, he had a bad habit of killing supernatural beings through overindulgence, and my sister lives a few towns away. Though I would imagine having a family in business together doesn’t guarantee you aren’t alone.”
“True,” he murmurs in agreement, eyes shifting to his drink.
“Are you alone?” I ask, making note of his reaction. We’ve talked a lot more about family in the last few minutes than I have with anyone other than my sister in a long time.
“Yes,” he says, taking an ice chip from his drink into his mouth and swirling it around with his tongue. My eyes track the movement. I want to be that ice chip and taste him again. I’ve thought about him today more than I care to admit.
“Is that really why you follow me? Because you feel alone and not just for the energy stealing?” Sounds like a solid motivation. I can use that to my advantage.
“Yes,” he admits, a sheepish smile as he takes another sip.
“I appreciate the honesty,” I say and smile back at him. And I truly do. Honesty is hard to come by. Not that I can talk. I spend most nights lying.
“You’ll find that I’m nothing but honest,” Asher replies, brushing a hand through his hair. The red stands out in the low bar lighting. He asks the bartender for a refill and I get one as well.
“Well, you do take credit for my work. That’s not honest,” I comment when we are refilled.
“You are right, Kandy. I do lie about that. The rest, no. Not my style.”
His emphasis on my fake name hit its mark. “My name is Kiera,” I fess up, reintroducing myself with an eye roll. “Now stop taking credit for my work.” I punctuate my words with a poke to his chest. It only makes him smile wider. The combination of flattery and annoyance I feel about it is hilarious to me. My mind hasn’t decided yet which side will win, but regardless I have to give him shit for it.
“Nice to meet you, Kiera. And no, I’m not going to do that,” he says and gets up from his stool, coming into my space. He towers over me and my nostrils flare, taking in his scent. Even with his refusal, he feels like a cold splash of water hitting your feet while you stand on a sandy shore. He is happiness in a storm, looking at me like no one ever has.
“Why?” I whisper, enamored and confused by the taste of his feelings.
“I need help,” the muscular demon tells me. Fuck. He trails a finger up my arm, neck, and then cups my chin.
I am not the helpful kind…but certainly, keep touching me.
“Then you should ask for it instead of going behind an energy vampire’s back,” I say and narrow my eyes at him. Not that I would have said yes, but courtesy should have happened.
“Can I make it up to you?” Asher asks me, the grip on my chin lessening as his hand caresses my face. I note that he doesn’t elaborate on why he needs that energy.
“How?” I challenge. I don’t move away from his touch, but I don’t give in either. If he expects me to lean into his palm, he has another thing coming.
“Use me.” Asher’s voice comes out earnestly, his eyes searching mine. His hand goes around my waist, meeting the skin not covered by my black long sleeve crop top.
My breath catches in my throat. “How should I use you?”
“Dominate me. Fuck me. Create chaos with me. Own me. Whatever you’ve wanted to do but haven’t had a partner to experience it with.”
The sound of the bar fades away and my ears narrow in on Asher. A fire lights within me at the control he’s levying to me. What a delicious offer it is. With his hands still holding me, I can’t help but taste again.
His energy is that of want and notably, trust. Trust is euphoric. I’ve never had trust directed at me before and I feel a chip in my resolve.
“Follow me,” I say. I signal to the bartender that I am borrowing his space with a point to the staff room. He nods in acknowledgment. He lets me use the backroom whenever I want after I helped his sister get revenge on her ex-boyfriend. Again, doing favors should always benefit me.
Having my way with this demon in retribution benefits me very much.