Sunset to Sunrise (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7.5)(12)

“Don’t worry about it.” Juliet laughed and, for just a moment, the uptight air about her disappeared. “I’m not here as FPA. Just a casual visit. Ok?”

My gaze narrowed in on her throat. A faint bruise was already forming in the shape of fingers. Her pulse beat beneath the surface, and I wondered what she tasted like. That train of thought led me down a dark path. I would never forget the taste of Alexa’s blood. They might have been related, but there’s no way Juliet would be so satisfying.

I met Juliet’s eyes to find her watching me closely. There was no chance she’d missed the way I had just ogled her jugular. “Anything you want is on the house. Please, enjoy the rest of your night.”

The only way to ensure this ended without temptation making me its bitch was to walk away. That would have been easier if Juliet hadn’t reached to stop me from doing so.

“Hey, Kale, can I have a few minutes of your time?” She pointedly looked around the noisy bar. “Is there somewhere quiet we can talk?”

Was this bitch f*cking with me? I didn’t trust her. That didn’t mean I wasn’t curious though. “We can talk in the back corner there. That’s about as quiet as it gets in this part of the club.” I led the way to the row of tables in the back behind the bar. It was as far from the dance floor and the music as we could get without leaving.

There would be no leaving with Juliet. Entertaining that thought scared the hell out of me because I wanted it so damn bad.

After we were seated at a booth and Juliet had been brought a new beer, she propped her elbows on the table and said, “Would I be correct in stating that you care very much for my sister?”

I held her gaze, unflinching. My first instinct was to tell her to get the f*ck out of my bar. “I suppose you could say that she is someone I work closely with. We’ve established a genuine friendship over the years.” Was that evasive enough for her? Whatever Juliet was driving at here, I wanted no part of it. “Why?”

Juliet didn’t pull any punches. She was blunt and straight to the point. “You and I both know Alexa is as guilty of Abigail Irving’s murder as you are. I know you were both at the crime scene together that night. You plead guilty to protect her.”

“Is that a question or a statement?” I gave her my best arrogant smile. She seemed awfully proud to have it all figured out. She didn’t know the half of it.

“It’s an observation,” she quipped, giving her dark tresses a toss. She was a knockout alright. Smooth skin, a hint of cleavage and thick curls that taunted my self-control. She would most definitely be a fighter and, I was willing to bet, a screamer too.

“I’m not saying shit about Abigail Irving. If that’s what you want to talk about, I’m done here.” I had wondered when or if the FPA would come after me again. They could try. And again, if I had to, I would do anything to keep them from targeting Alexa.

Juliet held up a hand and shook her head. “It’s not. I didn’t come here for that. I also didn’t come here to have you drool over my blood. So stop gawking at me like that.” She pursed her lips and fixed me with a serious stare. “I want to offer you a job.”

Chapter Four

I stared at her for an uncomfortably long time. I kept hoping eventually she’d squirm, but she waited patiently, sipping her beer. Laughter seemed the best response. I mean, she had to be kidding. Either that or she was f*cking with me.

“This is a joke, right?”

“Not at all.” Her full lips wrapped around the mouth of the beer bottle, drawing my attention. With a flick of her tongue, she captured a stray drop before it could escape. “We need someone to take Veryl Armstrong’s place as our informant.”

“And?” I prodded. This wasn’t the first time the FPA had approached me. It probably wouldn’t be the last.

“And we’d like that person to be you. Think about it. You feed us info on Shya, possibly others as well, and we pretend Abigail Irving never happened.” Juliet half shrugged, her intense gaze watching me closely for any sign of consideration.

Well wasn’t that a neat and f*cking tidy little scenario. My mood swung, and I was immediately pissed. Again I let my gaze wander over her throat, down to the swell of her breasts and back to her eyes.

“What about the time I spent in lockup being starved and tortured? Did you know they threw Alexa in there with me? I tried to f*cking kill her. I guess that never happened either.” I forced myself to meet her eyes. She wasn’t a victim. She was Alexa’s sister. The many fantasies playing out in my head could never happen.

Juliet had the grace to look apologetic. She stared at the label on the beer bottle and sighed. “I’m sorry. That never should have happened to either of you. Alexa told me about the basement lockup. I didn’t believe her at first. Then I saw it for myself. I can’t explain away that shit. I wish I could. There’s nothing I can do about it. I just take orders there.”

“Then why stay?”

Her hard features softened. Her youthful naivety was very much apparent. It was unfortunate that she had been manipulated by the FPA, but I was grateful that it had not been Alexa instead.

I would never forget the first time I met Alexa. Young and feisty, with a liveliness to her that always brought a smile to my face. I enjoyed her company, and it didn’t take us long to become friends. Shya and Veryl had been adamant that I keep an eye on her. She was to be protected though it hadn’t taken long for her to prove that she could take care of herself. It didn’t occur to me that I was protecting her so that Shya could kill her later.