He’s just a baby, so he doesn’t have the psychic strength to make the binding last long. They’ll probably disappear in a few hours, maybe sooner.
With a sigh, Harper gave the sentinels a too-quick smile. “Well, it looks like you had a wasted journey. I can’t go out now.”
Keenan frowned. “Why not?”
“I can’t leave Asher as long as I’m psychically cuffed to him, and he can’t leave the estate.”
“You’ll only be gone a few hours.” Keenan raised a hand when she went to argue. “Look, I understand why you want him to stay home. But there’s no way someone can snatch him from you, thanks to these cuffs. And it will be good for him to get out, if you’re intending to keep him confined to the estate for a while after this.”
Tanner stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Keenan’s right. It’s just a few hours. The three of us are pretty powerful, especially as a unit. No one will get near Asher if he doesn’t want them near him anyway.”
Yeah, but … “Taking him with me would be rewarding bad behavior.” Very, very bad.
Tanner’s mouth twitched. “True, but I agree with Keenan—I don’t think Asher meant to bind the two of you together. He just didn’t want you to leave without him.”
Scrubbing a hand down her face, Harper reached out to Knox again. I don’t know what to do. Tanner and Keenan think we should all go to the studio, including Asher.
Knox didn’t respond for a long moment. My demon isn’t anxious at the idea.
No, it wouldn’t be, she grumbled. What was it the entity had said? Pity the person who tried to harm Asher. It was confident that he could take care of himself just fine. And as Harper looked down at the cuff on her wrist, she thought that just maybe Knox’s demon had good reason not to be anxious.
Nonetheless, she wasn’t keen on taking Asher off the estate. And she hadn’t failed to notice that Knox had said his demon wasn’t anxious at the idea, not that Knox himself was okay with it.
“It’s your decision, Harper,” said Tanner. “But I think it won’t be such a bad thing to take him out for a few hours.”
Have the faith in yourself that I have in you, Knox said to her.
Biting her lip, she exhaled heavily. “I’d better carry him, since I’ve no idea how long my ‘leash’ is.”
A little while later, Tanner pulled up outside the nightclub that led to the Underground. As it was daylight, there was no thumping music filtering outside or a long queue of people behind the red ropes. For humans, it was a normal and highly popular club. Only demons knew what was beneath it.
Tanner walked in front while Keenan took up the rear as they all went inside the club and then ventured down the flight of stairs to the basement. Two burly, gruff demons guarded a door at the back of the large space. Both flashed huge grins at Asher, who shyly smiled back. With respectful nods for Harper and the sentinels, the doormen parted to allow them to pass. One then punched in a key code for the elevator, and the shiny metal doors opened with a ping. A short elevator ride later, Harper stepped into what was, literally, a demonic paradise.
Casinos, bars, nightclubs, hotels, restaurants, strip clubs, a rodeo, combat circle, hellhound racing stadium, a shopping mall—you name it, it was probably there. It was hectic of an evening, but it was also quite busy during the day.
Tanner and Keenan protected her from being jostled by pedestrians as they walked down the “strip”, passing lots of stores and venues. The bars, clubs, casinos, and restaurants didn’t have front walls, so it was easy to see people eating, drinking, chatting, laughing, and brawling.
Many stared as they caught sight of Harper, Asher, and the sentinels. Some whispered, some smiled, and others nervously averted their gazes. All looked surprised to see her and Asher, and many shoulders relaxed slightly. Knox had been right; people needed to see them carrying on with their day-to-day activities.
As she neared her studio, Harper smiled. Urban Ink was ideally situated in a hotspot that had top-notch security. It was near not only the best restaurants and the mall but Knox’s main office too. It was also opposite a hotel wherein she and Knox had a penthouse suite.
Routinely, the girls all met at the coffeehouse next door to the studio each morning before work, and Harper missed their morning meetings almost as much as she missed her job. Still, as she’d told Raini, she wasn’t ready to return yet.
“I guess you’ll need to talk ‘details’ for Khloë’s birthday party while you’re here,” said Keenan. “Does she know what she wants yet? Wait, let me guess … she wants the exclusive use of one of Knox’s Underground clubs. Or maybe even a hotel.”
“She wants a garden party,” said Harper.
He blinked. “She wants a what?”
“A garden party—complete with champagne, flowers, sculptures, and other pretty things.”
His brow furrowed. “That doesn’t sound like Khloë.”
“She also wants us all to dress like hobos so that we look ridiculous among all the finery.”
“Yeah, that sounds like Khloë.”
The bell chimed as Keenan pushed open the studio’s glass door. Two clients were waiting on the sofa; one was watching the wall-mounted TV while the other was skimming through a tattoo portfolio. Both looked up as Harper and the sentinels filed inside the spacious reception area that smelled of ink, paint, coffee, and disinfectant.
There was a rock/art/Harley Davidson feel to the studio, which Harper loved. Metal art—which also happened to be enlarged copies of tattoos—hung on the bright white walls, including tribal swirls, Chinese dragons, bright flames, a flock of ravens, and a howling wolf.
Looking up from the obsessively neat reception desk that also doubled as a display cabinet for jewelry and other products, Khloë squealed in excitement. The noise made Raini peek around the checkered glass partition that separated the tattoo stations, and her eyes widened in delight. At the same time, Devon turned away from the lighted tracing table with a ‘What, what’s happening?’ look.
Heels clicked on the hardwood floor as the three girls swarmed Harper. But it wasn’t her they made a fuss of—no, they didn’t even say hello to her. It was Asher they fussed over, peppering his face, hair, head, and hands with kisses.
“Where’s my little dude?” cooed Khloë who, despite being the smallest, managed to be the one who took Asher from Harper’s arms.
“Careful,” said Harper. She held up her wrist so they could see the cuff. “The little bugger bound me to him for a while, so you won’t be able to move far before I get yanked along with you.”
Raini’s brows rose. “He did that?” She chuckled. “This kid cracks me up.”
Tanner tugged on Devon’s hair. “Hey, kitty cat.”
Devon sniffed at him. “Go cock your leg and pee on some trees, pooch.”
With an amused smile, Tanner took position at the door. Harper knew he intended to sniff anyone who entered. If they were without a scent, he’d pounce.
Khloë took Asher to the vending machine, bumped her fist on the side of it, and there was a whirring sound as it dropped a Hershey’s bar.
Keenan shook his head. “I’ve tried to do that, I really have.”
“We all have,” said Harper. But it was a thing that only Khloë and her father seemed able to do.
Raini squeezed Harper’s shoulder. “How are you?”
“Fine,” replied Harper. “I have news you’re not going to like, though,” she added quietly. “It’s not something we can talk about here in great detail.”
Raini’s brow furrowed. “We’re closing for lunch in, like, twenty minutes. I’m almost finished with my client, and these guys are only here for a quick consultation. Can you hang around until then?”
“Sure. Me, Keenan, and Asher will stay in the breakroom out of your way.”
Raini’s gaze slid to the hellhound. “And Tanner’s gonna stay right there?”