Sure, Val thought. Why not?
“Who the hell are you?” he growled.
Val gulped, then opened her mouth to say something. Nathaniel held a hand out in front of her. “Let me handle this.”
“Oh, this should be good,” Reggie said.
“What’s your name, demon?” the biker faery asked.
“Nathaniel.”
“I’ve heard of you.”
“Have you?”
“Yes, a Tempter Demon, correct? By the name of Nathaniel? Oh, your reputation precedes you.”
“Is that right?”
“Yeah.” The faery smirked. “Heard you’re one failed assignment away from getting a pair of wings of your own.”
Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed. “You heard wrong.”
“I doubt that.”
“We’re looking for somebody.”
“Who’s ‘we’?” The faery glanced at Val and Reggie.
“That’s not important,” Nathaniel said.
“It’s important to me.” A few more scary faeries stood up from their tables. “And it’s important to my friends. So, hey, looks like it’s pretty damn important. We don’t like strangers—they make us all nervous and jittery. We don’t like feeling that way.”
“Well that’s just too damn bad.” Nathaniel moved forward so he and the faery stood chest to chest, glaring at each other.
“I’m Valerie,” she said suddenly and Nathaniel shot her a look. “And this is Reggie. Say hi, Reggie.”
“Howdy.”
The biker stared at her for a few very uncomfortable moments. Then he smiled. “That’s more like it. Come on in, Valerie. Have a drink.”
“That’s very nice of you. But we don’t have time for a drink.”
“Now we don’t have time,” Nathaniel said under his breath. “Women.”
“Well, we don’t.”
The biker signaled to the bartender who positioned a shot glass on the bar top. He filled it with an amber-colored liquid.
“On the house.”
“Oh, well, okay then. If you insist.” Val took the glass and looked at it skeptically.
“Bottoms up,” the biker said.
She drank it and scrunched her nose in disgust. It tasted like nail polish remover. With just a hint of vanilla.
“What was that?” she wheezed.
“Moonshine. Our house specialty.” He patted her on the back. “It’s good for you. Maybe put a little hair on your chest.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
He laughed at that.
“Allow me to introduce myself to you. You can call me Bud.”
“Bud,” she repeated.
“My family name is Rosebud, but I just go by Bud.”
Nathaniel snickered. “Rosebud. Isn’t that pretty.”
Bud turned around to face the demon. “What did you say, boy?”
“Just that you have a very pretty name. But all faeries do, right?”
“Who are you calling a faery?” His eyes narrowed.
“Isn’t that what you are?”
“Maybe I don’t like the way you say it.”
Val went to stand in front of Nathaniel.
“Just ignore him,” she told Bud. “He’s just trying to get a rise out of you. I think he’s looking for a fight.”
“He’s come to the right place. I’m sure I can take him.”
“Out of my way,” Nathaniel growled at her as he stared at Bud as if he wanted pluck off his wings and fry him with a magnifying glass.
“Behave yourself,” she hissed. “Or else.”
“Or else”—his flame-filled gaze met hers—“what?”
Val held her ground. “Or else I’ll make you behave yourself.”