‘And you’re only telling me this now?’ Maggie strains to see through the crowd. ‘Why is she here?’
‘To cause a shit-storm,’ Rafa says.
Mya walks in, wearing skin-tight jeans and a red silk halter top.
‘I hate her,’ Maggie says. It comes off like a compliment. Mya heads straight for us. Jones is with her. The entire bar watches them.
‘Good thing we’re still in town,’ I say to Rafa.
He ignores the comment.
‘How did she find us?’ I ask.
Rafa watches Mya, his expression unreadable. ‘I told Ez and Zak about the bar.’
‘Why aren’t they with her?’
‘Don’t you think there’s enough of a spectacle in here?’
Taya has seen Mya and Jones. She finds me in the crowd, measures me—she thinks this is my doing. I shake my head. I don’t care whether she reads it as ‘I’m not involved’ or ‘Don’t even think about starting a fight’, as long as she stays on her side of the bar.
Jason steps in front of Maggie protectively. I’m next to him but Mya’s not interested in me. I wait for her to fire questions at him, but instead she gives him a slow, sultry smile.
‘Jason, I presume?’
‘And you are?’
‘Mya. This is Jones.’
Jones nods at Jason, checks out Maggie. Glances at me once, twice, as if he’s not sure what I’m going to do. Jason doesn’t offer his hand or introduce Maggie.
Mya’s smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes now.
‘How often have you been to that farm?’ she asks Jason.
‘I haven’t kept count.’
‘How about a guess?’
‘A dozen times, maybe.’
Rafa swirls his beer. ‘Tell her the story, Goldilocks. Nobody’s getting any peace until she hears it.’
Mya pulls up a stool. She still hasn’t looked at me.
Jason puts down his glass, keeps Maggie behind him. When he’s ready, he gives Mya an even shorter version of the story he told Rafa and me—minus references to his own family history and my connection to it. And not surprisingly, he makes no mention of Dani and her visions.
‘Did they tell you why they built that room?’
‘I didn’t know it existed. I would never have set foot there if I had.’
‘How many of these women have you met?’
‘Over the years? Fourteen.’
Mya taps her finger against her bottom lip. ‘How did they know about you? How did they track you down?’
He goes to answer, but suddenly pauses. ‘Did they find you too?’
Something passes over her face, something dark and bitter. ‘Nobody found me.’
‘Nathaniel did. Eventually.’
‘What do you know about the Sanctuary?’ Mya asks.
‘Not as much as you. I managed to stay away.’
I glance at Jason. Is he intentionally baiting her?
‘I thought Nathaniel had answers,’ Mya says. ‘I was wrong.’
They watch each other for a moment. I know nothing about how Mya survived all those decades before Nathaniel found her. How she learned what she was, what she was capable of.
‘And all this was about getting some amulet’—she finally looks past Jason to Maggie—‘for her?’
I bristle. Jason steps closer to Mya, blocking her from Maggie. ‘Yes.’
‘Show me.’
Jason hesitates but steps aside and nods to Maggie. She takes out the pendant and holds it up for Mya to see, but when Mya reaches for it, she quickly tucks it away.
‘Does it work?’
‘Yes.’
Mya gives Jason a slow once-over. ‘Rephaim don’t usually care this much about humans.’
‘I’m sure you’ve had your share over the years,’ he says.
‘I didn’t fall in love with any of them.’
Rafa lets out a short laugh. ‘Not much of a measuring stick.’
‘You can talk.’ Mya turns back to Jason. ‘I’m guessing you’ve never experienced your own kind?’ This time when her eyes roam over him, they linger in places that make
me
blush, and I’m not his girlfriend. I can only imagine how Maggie’s feeling. ‘Oh, Jason,’ Mya says, ‘you have no idea what you’re missing.’
Jason couldn’t look less interested.
‘It’s your loss.’ Mya nods in Maggie’s direction. ‘But if you want your girl here to stay safe, Rafa will be coming back to my crew.’
‘It’s not your crew,’ Rafa says. ‘And don’t threaten Maggie.’
I nearly kiss him right then and there.
‘Start back with one job,’ Mya says. ‘With Gabe.’
My stomach clenches.
Rafa doesn’t flinch. ‘No.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because this isn’t a game. And that’s not Gabe.’
‘That’s why it’s too good an opportunity to pass up. Can you imagine what those self-righteous bastards will think when they hear Gabe has done a job with us? How Daniel will react?’
Something passes between them, some joint history. Different to Iowa, but still something. It reconnects them again for a second. The idea must hold some appeal for Rafa. I preferred it when they were sniping at each other.
‘Being blackmailed isn’t the same as choosing,’ I say.
‘Then don’t make me blackmail you.’
Rafa sees my face. ‘Don’t look at me like that. We’re not going anywhere with her.’
‘It was good enough for Jude,’ Mya says to me. ‘You still think you’re better than him, don’t you?’
Before I know it, my hand is around her throat. I shove her to the window, press her face to the sill. ‘Don’t talk about my brother.’ I’ve got her awkwardly pinned so she can’t lash out.
‘I see you remember you don’t like me,’ she says out the side of her mouth.
I put my face close to hers. ‘No, this is my opinion based on our time together today.’ Her submission is strangely gratifying. ‘Don’t threaten me or my friends. Ever.’ I let go.
She stands up and wipes beer from her face. There’s a lull in the bar: drinkers inside and out watch us. Mya gives Jones a black look. ‘Thanks for the back-up.’
‘You want to take on Gabe, go right ahead,’ he says.
Mya straightens her top. ‘I see you remember a few moves.’
I stand my ground. ‘When pushed.’
‘Then let’s see what else you’ve got.’ She brushes past me and heads for the bar.
‘Ah, crap.’ Rafa and Jones exchange a quick look and follow her. I hesitate and then cross the room behind them.
Two guys I recognise from the party where Maggie was snatched are propped against the bar, chatting with Simon. Sun-bleached hair, boardies low on narrow hips. From memory, one is Dane; the other is Tyler. They’re both bare-chested, making the most of happy hour before Rick tells them to cover up.
Simon notices Mya and gives her an appreciative once-over. Then he spots Rafa. His eyes flick from Mya to Rafa to me. His mouth forms a hard line and he moves away again.
Dane and Tyler take one look at Mya and make room for her.
‘Good evening, boys,’ she says. ‘What do you recommend?’
‘Me,’ Dane says.
Tyler laughs. ‘Dude, get your hand off it.’
‘How about you buy me a drink and I’ll decide which of you can take me home.’
Jones has elbowed his way near Tyler; Rafa and I are next to Dane.
‘What’s she doing?’ I ask.
‘Starting a fight.’ Rafa watches Mya in the mirror behind the bar. ‘She’ll tease them for a while, draw in a few more suckers and then turn them all on each other.’
‘Come on, they might not be brain surgeons but they’re not that stupid.’
He glances at me and then checks the mirror again. ‘They’re human. Of course they’re that stupid.’
I catch a whiff of chargrilled lamb from the kitchen. I’d really rather a kebab than a second pub fight today. The floor is cleaner here than at the Imperial, but still.
‘Maybe I can stop this before it gets out of hand,’ I say.
Rafa raises his eyebrows. ‘What are you going to do?
‘Run interference.’
‘You’re going to flirt with those two?’
I give a self-conscious shrug. ‘It’s not my strongest skill, but it’s better than a punch-up.’
Rafa’s mouth curves into a slow smile. ‘Now this I want to see.’
TONIGHT’S SPECIAL:MOLOTOV COCKTAIL
Mya is laughing at something Tyler said, a hand on his chest.
‘Hey guys,’ I say. ‘Mind if I join you?’
Dane checks me out. ‘Sure.’ He and Taylor grin at each other. ‘Especially if you two are planning on some girl-on-girl action.’
Mya runs a fingernail down his stomach to the top of his boardies. ‘Would you like that?’
‘I’d like it a
lot
,’ Tyler says, and hooks an arm around her.
‘I don’t think you’d find it sexy if I split her nose all over her face,’ I say.
I catch a glimpse of Rafa in the mirror. He’s smirking. Oh yeah, I’m a natural.
‘Dude, that would be extreme,’ Tyler says. ‘I was thinking more jelly wrestling.’
‘
Dude
,’ I say, keeping my tone light, ‘think again.’
Dane leans close, breathes beer on me. ‘When are you going to start talking to our boy again?’ He tips his glass at Simon.
‘As soon as he starts talking to me.’
‘Man, what you did at the party…that was cold.’ Great. He thinks I ditched Simon for Rafa the night Maggie was taken. Well, actually, I did. But not in the way he thinks.
Taya is trying to reach us, but she can’t ignore the growing press of drinkers shouting orders at her. She shoves a pink drink with an umbrella in front of Jones by way of insult and then gets sidetracked by a cocktail order.
‘Recognise her?’ I flick my thumb in Taya’s direction.
Dane eyes her up and down. ‘Nope. Undoubtedly bangable, though.’
‘She was at the party at the falls—made a cameo right before Maggie left. Remember?’
He frowns. ‘That’s not her. Seriously?’
Tyler looks around for Maggie and finds her at the window with Jason. They’re deep in conversation. He checks out Taya again. ‘That’s Jason’s ex?’
Mya turns to me, eyes like granite. ‘Jason used to date Taya? That Jason, over there, who claims he’s never been near the Sanctuary.’
‘What sanctuary?’ Dane asks.
Oh shit. I’m trapped between lies. And here comes Taya, who still doesn’t know Jason is Rephaite.
‘I hear you’ve been busy since you hit town,’ Mya says to her. She’s acting tough but I notice she takes a step back.
Taya looks at me for an explanation.
‘She means you breaking up with Jason and taking Maggie away from the party for a chat the other night—in front of these guys.’ I gesture to the two surfers.
Taya narrows her eyes. I can almost hear the gears grinding in her head. I don’t know what would be worse: if she denies it, raising questions about what really happened at the party, or if she plays along and Mya thinks Jason is connected to Nathaniel.
‘You and Jason?’ Mya asks.
‘Yeah,’ Taya says, seeing how much the idea grates on Mya. ‘What’s it to you?’
Mya tilts her head a fraction. ‘It’s nothing to me. How did Malachi take it?’
‘It’s got nothing to do with Malachi.’
Wait. Taya and Malachi had a thing? Seriously? I try to picture Taya flirting with him—or anyone. I can’t. Her idea of foreplay probably involves some sort of blood sport. Around us people are still shouting for their drinks. She quickly pulls two beers.
Mya waits until she’s close again and then says to the surfers: ‘So Taya wanted Malachi, but then I came along and showed him what a real woman can do between the sheets…and against a wall…and on top of a car.’
Tyler swallows.
‘And still you can’t keep a man,’ Mya continues, nodding in Jason and Maggie’s direction.
Taya slams a glass down on the counter. She’s not playing happy bartender any more.
‘Let it go,’ I say, trying to drag her attention from Mya. ‘None of us needs this right now. Think about where you are.’
Her eyes lock on me. ‘Did you bring her here?’
‘You’re joking, right?’
‘Oi!’ A guy yells for Taya further down the bar. ‘Where’s my bloody drink?’
Taya ignores him, gets her temper under control.
‘Get your bony arse down here and pour me a beer.’
I take a quick look. The guy—who’d be more at home at the Imperial—is hoisting his gut over the bar, trying to reach the row of taps to help himself.
Simon hurries over and tries to push him back. It’s as if he’s trying to roll a whale into the sea. The guy grabs an empty glass. Taya begins moving but not before he smashes it into the side of Simon’s head. Simon staggers back. His hand comes up and finds streaming blood—and then his knees give out.
Taya flies down the bar, lands a brutal kick to the guy’s jaw. She drags him over to her side and lets him get to his feet. He snarls and swings at her and she king-hits him back to the sticky bar mat.
Everyone is watching Taya. I use the distraction to push Mya away from the surfers and Rafa grabs her arm. ‘Enough of this shit,’ he says.
Mya jerks away from him. ‘Don’t touch me.’ She says it loudly enough to distract the surfers from the one-sided fight behind the bar.
‘You,’ Dane says to Rafa. ‘Piss off.’
Rafa gives him a pitying smile. ‘Let it go, boys. This is what she does for fun.’
‘Don’t—’ I say, as Dane throws a sloppy punch at Rafa. Rafa catches him by the wrist, wrenches Dane’s arm behind him and shoves him at Tyler. They stumble into a pack of drinkers in polo shirts—who shove back, hard.
‘Watch it, mate,’ someone says.
There’s more pushing and sledging. A shirt rips, a glass breaks, another punch is thrown. It’s on.
It’s not even dark outside.
Behind the bar, Taya is still hammering the guy who hurt Simon.
‘Taya,’ I call out, ‘bigger fish to fry!’
She looks up, blows a stray hair out of her eyes, and registers what else is going on in the room. A second later, she’s over the bar, hauling people towards the door.
The brawl spreads out. I lose Rafa as people scurry out of the way, clutching their drinks. A girl with a see-through blouse launches herself onto the back of one of the polo shirts, her skirt hitched up to her hips. She’s trying to get him to release Tyler, who’s now trapped in a headlock.
It’s a shit-storm all right.
I dodge an airborne stool and jump on the bar to get out of the way. More than a dozen guys are now wrestling or punching each other. Everyone else is streaming out onto the street. Not running away, but getting a good spot where they can watch and cheer from a safe distance. Jason has his arm protectively over Maggie’s head, guiding her through the mayhem.