Drink Deep - Chloe Neill [100]
“I’m pretty sure you’re hallucinating,” I said, but glanced down at the books and decided I couldn’t read any more crazy theories tonight. I needed a change of scenery, even if that change started with my buying an apologetic round for my partner.
“I’ll be there in five,” I told him, then flipped the phone closed and slid it back into my pocket. I grabbed my jacket, gave Kelley a heads-up, and headed out.
Benson’s was housed in a narrow building that faced the back of Wrigley Field. Stadium seats had been installed on the roof so Cubs fans without tickets could get a view of the action from the even-cheaper seats. The narrow bar was also crammed with as many tables as the owners could fit. This was prime Cubs’ rooting territory, after all, and folks who couldn’t fit into Wrigley still wanted to be as close to the action as possible. The bar could get stuffy on game days, but there was definitely something to be said for squeezing into a bar with close friends (and total strangers) to root for the Cubbies. Benson’s even had a signature Cubs-related drink—a shot layered with blue and red booze. It tasted like cough syrup, but we drank it for the color—not the taste.
Benson’s was filled with Cubs memorabilia, and although the Cubs’ season had been over for some time, the bar was still packed tonight. Where better to spend the end of the world than with your closest friends and your favorite liquor? Since humans weren’t aware the bar was affiliated with Grey House, or vampires generally, the clientele was a mix of humans, vampires, and probably some supernaturals I didn’t even know existed.
I waded through bodies until I caught a glimpse of Jonah standing in a back corner. He wore a short-sleeved V-neck T-shirt over jeans and a couple days’ worth of stubble. It would have been a lie to deny that he was handsome, and when he looked up to watch me walk across the bar, I could have imagined—in another time and place—approaching him in a bar for an altogether different reason.
“Hey,” he said when I reached him. “You managed not to get captured by malcontents. Well done.”
There was an irritatingly attractive twinkle in his eye, but since he’d had a good attitude about the kiss, I decided to let him keep it. “Ha ha,” I said. “And yes. I did manage not to get captured by malcontents.”
Jonah gestured to the man beside him, who was a little shorter than Jonah and had a crop of platinum blond hair. “Merit, Jack,” he said. “Jack is a House guard. We’ve been friends for years. Jack, Merit.”
Jack, whose bright blue eyes were lined in kohl, looked me over. “You are—exactly what I expected,” he said, in a voice that sang faintly of the South.
I smiled hesitantly. “Thank you, I think?”
“It’s totally a compliment. You’re adorable, and I love the bangs.”
There was something completely disarming about Jack. His smile was huge, and he gave the impression he didn’t bother saying things he didn’t mean, which made the compliment that much more meaningful.
But I wasn’t sure how I felt about the fact he knew what I looked like. Had Jonah been talking about me?
“Thank you,” I said. “I hope I didn’t interrupt anything?”
“We were talking about double swords,” Jonah said, then reached into his back pocket for his wallet. “You need a drink?”
“Not yet, thanks. What are double swords?”
“Using two katanas at a time,” Jack explained. “I think it’s a circus technique. Completely impractical and used only for show and intimidation.”
“And I think our friend Jack here is full of shit,” Jonah added, “and double katanas are the next big trend in martial arts training.”
“I swear to God you are stubborn,” Jack said, rolling his eyes. “When was the last time you were engaged in a battle and happened to have two swords handy?”
“I would if they were standard weaponry.”
“Exactly my point,” Jack said, offering me a wink. I offered back a smile.
“Look,” Jonah said, “I’m talking about scope. And on the battlefield, anything goes.”
“Including double swords?” I wondered.
“Including double swords, my single-katana-ed friend.”
Jack made