"There's nothing in the world I wouldn't give to go home with you." The drunken slur came heavily into her ear. She rolled her eyes. This guy had to be kidding, right? It couldn't be this easy. After all, she had only stood there for about an hour, waiting for her prey to show up. But this time, he came to her.
"Really?" She turned to face the troll that stood beside her. His teal skin glowing against the fluorescent signs of the bar. Apparently, from the looks of his stance, it was. He was drunk. She fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Tell me," her voice kept low and seductive as her fingers traced his bicep. "What would you give to me if I said yes?" Her bright blue eyes glowed a vibrant flash of gold as they glanced up at him. His lips parted, and she could see some drool coming out. The troll's eyes dilated, surprised at her response.
"Anything." He growled. "I'd give anything to fuck a faire, especially a dark one."
"Well then," She glanced down at his shirt, sucking in her bottom lip. "You might want to put your hands behind your back." Her blue eyes flashed gold once more, and this time, the troll found himself bound by golden chains. They covered his legs and arms, glowing with their scripted spells in the dark. He hit the floor with a solid thud. It happened so fast that the troll barely knew what hit him.
With a flip of her lavender locks, she placed her hands on her hips. The troll growled, but it was useless. With the chains made of magic and faire magic at that, it was difficult to break out.
"You fae bitch." He growled at her. She rolled her eyes at his response as she pulled out her phone. Typical. "You're a bounty hunter?"
"Seriously, Bangor, you need to stop drinking and sleeping around. It makes you far too easy to find." She replied as she pulled up the number on the phone.
"Jexanna?" The curt voice of her brother came through on the line. "This better be good."
"Well, that's a nice greeting for me." She chided him playfully, glancing down at her prize that was trying to wiggle his way to freedom. Jexanna's lips frowned as her eyes glowed once more. This time, the 400-pound troll found himself falling through a circle of golden light on the floor. He screamed and shouted as another circle immediately opened in the ceiling of the bar. Bangor came down with a boom. "I've got Bangor."
"You bitch!" He growled at her. In response, Jexanna gave a swift kick to his arm.
"Of course you do." His voice was kept even. "I'd expect nothing less. Do you need me to send any assistance?"
"Please." Jexanna snorted at him, before giving Bangor another swift kick as he tried to wiggle away. "Just give me the coordinates of the cell he belongs in."
"Fine." He replied with the sounds of typing following. "Sent." Her phone chimed immediately. "Jexanna, come in this time after you send him over." Jexanna raised a brow at this. Typically her brother wanted her to come in as often as hell froze over. She was a nuisance to his position on the force, since she was his half-human half-sister. He preferred her to stay separate from his existence, which was difficult when she was a private investigator and bounty hunter.
"Alright, Aerin." She said, "Is everything okay? Did Risa catch you with a mistress?"
"Please, don't joke like that." He scoffed. "Everything is fine. There's something we need to discuss in person sooner rather than later." Aerin replied, not betraying any emotion as always.
"Fine." Jexanna sighed. "I'll be there soon." She hung up and looked over at Bangor laying on the floor. The coordinates were in her notifications, and immediately she held out two fingers into the air. The fingers drew out the coordinates, dancing gracefully before her eyes glowed once again. Bangor was swallowed into a light of gold, vanishing before her eyes. But not before he shouted one last yell, "Next time I see you-"
Jexanna rolled her eyes. She could only imagine what the next words would be. It wasn't her first time. Her gaze went over the empty bar. Seriously, Bangor had to be the dumbest mark she ever had. What guy fell for an after-lunch-hours coupon in an email for a bar? Who had even heard of after-lunch-hours? Jexanna looked around. The only people that remained were the bartender, herself, and the one drunk in the corner of the bar that practically lived there.
"Soo," The bartender leaned over the bar, drawing the word out playfully. "What's my cut?" The bartender, Lewis, smirked as he looked at Jexanna. His bright green eyes full of mischief met her ice blue orbs. She rolled her eyes.
"Let's see," Jexanna slid onto a stool at the bar, pulling out her phone, checking the email regarding Bangor. "His bail was $45,000, and there was a prompt delivery of the scumbag. So...$750?" Jexanna pulled up her cash application, showing the amount to send to her partner on the screen.
"Please. We both know if it weren't for the email, your bounty wouldn't even be here." Lewis snorted, as he pushed his large curls out of his face and Jexanna gave a grin.
"Caught me." She adjusted the amount to his proper cut. Lewis's phone buzzed in his pocket to see the notification stating he received $1,200.
"Good." He nodded. "Now, what does the dipstick want?" Lewis passed Jexanna a mug of coffee, loaded with sugar, just as she liked it.
"Don't know." She sipped, meeting his gaze. "It's not like him to be vague typically. If it were a bounty, he would have just emailed me." Her gaze went down to the mug. There was something that Aren wanted, but it wasn't in his pride to admit it over the phone. After all, that would require a bit more familiarity between the two. Their relationship was amicable at the very least, but it was hardly the close relationship that most siblings had. And while Jexanna preferred to tease her older brother, he would always keep some distance between the two. She wasn't full blood, but the result of a fling that their faire mother had with a human.
"Have you ever visited him at his office?" Lewis frowned, stiffening his body fully aware of her remembering the larger of her inadequacies.
"No." She murmured before she took another sip. She frowned, trying to steel herself. Jexanna tried to keep her family's complex relationships quiet amongst friends. But Lewis grew up with her. He was there when she faced bullies for being half-blood, not only amongst the fae community but the humans as well. They took one look at her appearance, seemingly of a dark faire with her pale skin, lavender and lilac locks, and sapphire-blue eyes, and thought the worst of her. It was the reason why she kept her true identity a secret.
"Then it must be big," Lewis sighed. "Or it's possible Parisa has put some common sense into his head."
Jexanna smirked at the thought. His mate, Risa, was not what anyone expected Aerin would end up with. She was human, not only that but also of mixed blood. She was one-fourth a vampire. But since she and Aerin bonded, Aerin found himself leaving the old-fashioned prejudices of the past, especially concerning those of his own family. But even if the siblings’ relationship got better recently, Aerin still would never have called her to his office.
"We'll see." She replied before taking another sip of coffee.
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