Page 80 of Don't Bait Me (Nora Jacobs 3)

“I agreed to work as a consultant,” I tell him. “I’ll help out on a case-by-case basis.”

He nods, as if he expected this answer, and leads me to the coatrack. After helping me into my coat, he zips it up for me. It’s cute. “That way you can still help those the FUA can’t,” he says as he wraps my scarf around my neck.

“Somebody should be able to help them.”

He gives me a soft smile. “I agree.” He gives me one more sweet peck on the lips. “I’ll probably be asleep before you get home from work tonight, but I’ll see you after class tomorrow.”

My cheeks heat up. The casual way he always shows me affection now that I’m his girlfriend makes my heart flutter. I try not to smile like a lovesick schoolgirl as I respond. “’Kay. Have a good night.”

I move to the door, and Nick calls out to me. “I’ll be in touch, Jacobs.”

He’s sitting at his desk in his favorite pose—leaning back in his chair with his hands laced behind his head and his feet propped up on a mound of untouched paperwork. I shake my head and chuckle. “Have fun writing that report, Nicky.”

I’ve been slammed at thebar since the moment I got here. Even Rook’s helping behind the bar, except whenever a maintenance issue comes up. It’s crazy, but it feels good to be back at it. Wulf seems pretty happy to have me back, too. I’m glad I didn’t take the Director’s offer to join the FUA full time. I may like the work, but I enjoy my job at the club, too. I get to work with my friends, and surprisingly, I enjoy interacting with the underworlders of this city.

The club seems extra busy tonight. News is spreading quickly that the fey hunters were stopped last night and that the city is safe once again. I think every faerie in town has come in to celebrate, and most of them have tried to buy me a drink. I push five drinks across the bar to five such faeries. “Will you not take a break and join us for a drink?” asks the tallest of the group. “We wish to get to know the woman who has saved us all.”

The tall, lithe fey is one of the sidhe. Since recognizing Nick as a dragon, I’ve found it surprisingly easy to figure out the species of other underworlders. The sidhe are notorious for thinking they’re above everyone—including other fey. In Faerie, it’s the sidhe who control the courts. They are typically the most powerful and consider themselves the highest class of fey. Most of the sidhe in the human realm are solitary and only acquaint themselves with other sidhe. What’s funny is that this particular sidhe is standing with a phouka, a goblin, a pixie, and an urisk.

“I’m sorry, gentlemen.” I wave my hand down the bar at all the thirsty patrons waiting to be served. “I’d love to, but I’m totally slammed tonight.”

“I will speak to them for you, Mistress, and answer their questions.”

I jump, startled by the arrival of my personal fey assassin. He’s been lurking near the bar all night. I’ve noticed he gets closer whenever anyone lingers at the bar to talk to me beyond letting me serve them drinks. “Shit, Illren, make some noise when you walk or something. And we’ve talked about the ‘mistress’ thing. It’s justNora.”

Illren bobs his head deferentially, but his lips twitch at the corners and his eyes twinkle the tiniest bit. I don’t know how the man can always look stoic and amused at the same time. It’s truly a baffling talent he has.

“Mistress?” the sidhe murmurs. His eyes narrow on Illren.

Illren nods to the man. “I have sworn fealty to Nora Jacobs. Her clan has taken me in as one of them.”

All five men’s eyes widen.

“Come,” Illren says, addressing all of them and not just the sidhe. “Let us find a place to sit, and I will address any questions you have concerning my mistress.”

“Nora.”

Illren’s eyes slide to mine, and this time I get a small smirk from the man. I roll my eyes. So much for obeying my every order. “Whatever. Yes, go speak to them on my behalf. I know there are a million rumors flying around. I’m sure you can answer most of them, since you’ve practically been stalking me since I started working here.”

Illren’s lips twitch again. “As you wish it,Nora.”

“Smart-ass.”

The cold, calculating fey assassin winks at me. He winks! Then he chuckles at my shock and leads the fey off toward a nearby booth. The couple enjoying drinks together in the booth quickly vacate it when they see who is standing there. I scoff and shake my head, but I can’t ponder my faerie’s reputation in the underworld for long, because there is a line of people waiting to be served.

I quickly get caught up in work again, but I keep an eye on Illren. He hasn’t left his booth since he sat down, and fey keep coming to him in small groups. I lose count of how many different fey he talks to, but at least they’re all bothering him now instead of me.

“I wouldn’t have pegged him to be so social,” Parker says, plopping down on a stool in front of me. His eyes are trained on Illren.

I snort a laugh and pour Parker a scotch. “I’m sure there is nothing social about Illren. He’s been talking to the fey on my behalf for the last two hours. They all seem to want answers to the rumors flying around, and they kept pestering me until he offered to speak for me.”

Parker arches his eyebrows. “And you trust him with that?”

I shrug. “Better him than me.”

Parker laughs and takes a drink of his scotch. He lets me get back to work but keeps perched on his stool until I get a little break in the crowd. “So I just came from the FUA office,” he says, trying to sound casual.

I stop and give him my full attention. “Oh?”

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