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“Forgive me,” the man said. He bent forward and canted his head, holding his hand out. I didn’t touch it. “I am Adrian and this is my associate, Leander. We formally demand your presence for a brief time to discuss important developments.”

“Formal demand” was a new one and I didn’t know if I should laugh or slap him across the face. His very pretty face just so happened to be conveniently located mere inches from my own. But then he straightened and withdrew his hand, robbing me of the chance to redden his flawless skin.

“As I said, I don’t know you and I have nothing to do with you. Please, leave us alone. We’re expecting our companion to come back any second now.” I didn’t know where the heck Laurent went, but I prayed I was right, and he’d magically appear this very instant.

Adrian canted his head while Leander smirked and straightened one of the blindingly bright diamond rings on his fingers. “You are under the illusion you have a say in the matter. Come, now, or we will remove you ourselves.”

His self-satisfaction really prickled my nerves. Probably more so than Leander’s patronizing smirk. My CrossFit classes never prepared me for this kind of crap. It was abundantly clear I wouldn’t be enjoying Carmen’s daybed tonight.

“Fine, whatever, you Stranger Danger schmuck. But I’m telling my friend here where I’m going before I go anywhere with you.”

Carmen looked like she was going to have a heart attack. “Do you not know what they are! You can’t talk to them like that!” She was whisper-shouting and doing nothing to dim their expressions.

“I don’t give a shit if they’re from Uranus. Nobody orders me around like that.” I glared at the two men. “Well?”

CHAPTER 14

Kiam

Demons were tricky beings, prone to doing whatever the hell they wanted, when they wanted, on their own schedule, and whatever gave them the highest advantage. I couldn’t blame them as I operated the same way, but it wasn’t always convenient for me.

Laurent changed our meeting locale to a conference room in one of the city’s premier nightclubs at the last minute. After I instructed my driver to remain in the general area, encouraged by an excessively large tip, I walked through the main door of the establishment, checked in, and was shown to one of the rooms reserved for occasions such as this.

Laurent de Saul was a city official, and I’d done business with him before, keeping him on a loose payroll with instructions to keep me in the loop when circumstances or leadership changed. Nothing much had changed recently; the Realm’s heir to the Satanic throne was still wandering around the universe shirking his duties, and there was nobody officially in charge. It was a great time to further one’s own interests as many I knew had been doing.

“Kiam,” Laurent greeted me with a smile as he strode in. “Good to see you.”

I nodded and he motioned for me to have a seat. He deposited himself on the sofa across from the one I chose. “Forgive me,” he said, leaning forward. “Would you care for anything to drink?”

“Please,” I replied, getting up again myself.

Laurent approached the sideboard, tapping his foot against the edge of a lower cabinet. He reached down and returned with a bottle of blood, setting it down on the tray before pouring himself some whiskey. He added about a half ounce of the blood to his own beverage before pouring me a full glass.

“You are back in the city. What brings you back?” he asked as we resettled ourselves.

“It's been a while. I thought it was time.”

The man swallowed his drink in one gulp while I sipped mine. Fresh was vastly preferred, and it’d been a long time. I had a specific vintage in mind for the next time I indulged.

My fingers dug into the velvet covered armrest as I sought a particular brand of softness. My mind kept straying to Brittney while I tried to focus on anything but. I half expected to smell her but if she had been near the club, the magical wards Laurent had surrounded himself precluded me scenting her any time soon.

“You were enquiring about magical steel for an upcoming project, correct?” Laurent asked, his eyes narrowing a fraction.

“I was. Are you able to get your hands on any? I haven’t seen any for sale in a while.”

He tilted his empty glass, examining the dregs. “Possibly. I will have to check my contacts. What is it for?”

I couldn’t help the short laugh. The man had some nerve. “I was planning on building a jail.” I wasn’t, though in retrospect it's not a bad idea. My first inmate could be tied to the bars by the hair.

“Of course,” he conceded.

His phone buzzed and he glanced down. I finished my drink while peering around the room, noting that it’d been renovated since the last time I’d sat on this sofa. Several cameras had been installed, tiny pinprick lenses feeding a bank of computers, somewhere. I’d known they were there, but locating their precise positions was useful.

He stood up suddenly. “If you’ll excuse me, I am needed upstairs. Safe travels.”

He dismissed me and strode from the room. There was always something going on in these kinds of establishments that interrupted many meetings. It was an annoyance, but also to be expected.

I helped myself to another glass before I left the room.