JINXED: (Karma Series, Book Two)

by Donna Augustine

  I covered my eyes with my palm for a few seconds. It was hard to remember she'd never been mortal and didn't really understand the concept of a human friendship. She hadn't meant to be a complete blabbermouth.

  Dropping my hand to see her confused stare, I explained, “This is the thing, besties tell each other secrets. But, they aren't supposed to repeat them to anyone.”

  “Yes, but Murphy is my bestie, so then it’s okay to tell him,” she said, quite confidently, as if she was filling me in on some inner workings of human friendship that I’d skipped over.

  She seemed so proud of herself I almost felt bad about having to explain the finer details, but I had to do it. “It’s okay to tell him your secrets, not mine.”

  She started to fiddle with the chain on her neck. “When I watch the humans, they repeat everything.”

  She was shifting from one foot to the other, moving out of confident territory and into flustered. I was afraid if I didn't let her off the hook, I was going to send her into a complete tizzy at any minute. “It's okay. Just no more repeating secrets.”

  She looked very solemn as she nodded in agreement but was staring down at the floor now. “Does this mean we aren't besties anymore?”

  “No, we're still besties.” How did I become the one who was feeling bad?

  She kicked out a toe, making an arc pattern on the floor, still looking down. “Does this mean I can be in the manual?”

  “Murphy already told you about the manual?” This confirmed it. The entire office had a huge mouth. I wasn’t really trying to keep the book under wraps, but this had to be a record.

  “Yes. Can I help?” She was looking at me now and smiling, clearing excited at the possibility of being included.

  “Sure,” I said, having known from the beginning she’d want to be included.

  She leaned in closer and whispered, “It's against the rules right? I've always wanted to be a rebel.”

  “Hey, Karma!” Jockey, usually fairly reserved, was sprinting down the hall toward us. “You're making a manual?”

  I shot Luck a look that said, this has got to be a joke? The whole office must know.

  “Why?” Luck asked Jockey before I did. Her enthusiasm made me look a bit closer at her. Why was Luck so excited?

  “Could I help?” Jockey asked.

  “Well, that depends. She'll need full access.” Luck stepped forward, partially blocking me and obviously looking to be the negotiator.

  “What do you have to do with this?” Jockey looked pointedly at Luck and then tried to see past her to me. Luck simply moved with him, blocking access again. If I'd been human, I might've tried to diffuse this but I'd since learned to let them do their crazy shit and stay out of it.

  “I'm her second in charge.” She nodded her head repeatedly. “So, full access or not?”

  He eyed up Luck and then his shoulders seemed to ease a bit. “Yes. I will grant her access.”

  I opened my mouth to respond to Jockey, but Luck cut me off again before I could say anything. “Can we see them?”

  Jockey pointed to me. “She can and only when they are ready.”

  Uh oh.

  After an extremely loud sigh from Luck, she nodded.

  “I'll come find you when it’s time,” Jockey said, and took off briskly in the opposite direction.

  “Sorry.”

  Luck shrugged. “At least one of us gets to go. No one ever gets to see the Night Mares, like ever.”

  “Nobody?”

  “Zilch! Not even Santa, and everyone’s always kissing his butt to get the good stuff around the holidays.” She moved a step in the direction of our office. “You coming?”

  “Yeah.”

  As soon as we took the turn down the hallway, I knew something was wrong. One of Mother's gardeners walked out of our office almost in tears.

  “What happened?” I asked, but he just shook his head, unable to speak.

  Quickening our step, we rushed in.

  The office was in a complete uproar. Something was very wrong. It was so wrong in fact, that people weren't even running from Cupid, who was in the middle of the fray. Everyone was here but Fate, even some of the Tooth Fairy's dental assistants.

  “What happened?” I asked as we walked over to Murphy, who was on the outskirts of the group.

  His eyes dropped down and although he opened his mouth to speak, it took him several seconds to find the words. “Kitty retired.” The stress he put on the latter word made it sound like he believed anything but.

  Luck turned to me opened her mouth to speak but immediately started to sob instead. Murphy folded her in his arms.

  Luck spoke on an exhaled sob and my brain had trouble processing her words. A second later it clicked and I realized she'd said, “No, she didn't.”

  Luck, turned away from Murphy, her breathing still heavy and erratic, but a bit of an improvement. “She wouldn't have left without saying goodbye. She wasn't even up for retirement.” She dragged a hand across her cheeks. “Where are her cats?”

  “They're still in her apartment, with all her things,” Murphy said looking down. “We’re going to go over there shortly.”

  As if the thought of the abandoned cats triggered another breakdown, Luck’s sobs renewed their force. Her pain was understandable. Luck had been a friend of Kitty’s for centuries. She’d been a maternal figure in Luck's life; in truth, the only mother she'd really ever had, never having been human.

  I sank into the nearest chair. I hadn't known Kitty for long, but there was one thing everyone was aware of, including me; she'd never abandon her cats like that.

  The next thought that came into my mind was something no one else in the office would know. I wasn't even sure myself but I feared it deep in my gut.

  This was Malokin. He had her, and it was because of me. The waffles from breakfast felt like an unwelcome lump in my stomach as my fingers clenched the arms of the chair.

  Luck was still crying; Murphy was hanging his head so you couldn't see his face. Death was walking over and I wasn't sure how I was even going to speak to him when he got there.

  I stood abruptly, even though my legs shook. “I've got a job in twenty minutes,” I said, trying to scramble in my mind for details if they asked.

  I didn't need a whole concocted excuse. They nodded, too consumed by their shared grief to care.

  Chapter Ten

  Call or fold

  The card sat on the table. It was a linen blend, with his name written in black ink. I'd expected script, but it was fat, bold type. There wasn't an address or a logo, simply a number beneath the single name Malokin.

  A Wal-Mart bag containing a pay-per-minute phone sat on the table next to the card. I couldn't risk using the work phone for this. I wouldn't put it past Harold to have all our lines tapped.

  I knew he had her. Fate had been right; even as I'd been hoping that I could stay out of whatever this mess was, I'd feared it myself. These people—or whatever they were—had me marked as a target. If they'd gone as far as kidnapping Kitty to bring me into the fold, they weren't going to let this go easily.

  I hoped just kidnapping. It was still an assumption. There was only one way to be sure. If Malokin confirmed it, there was no going back. I'd have to do something.

  Or I could pretend that this had nothing to do with me. How long would that buy? A week, a month? Then what? Perhaps someone else disappeared?

  And the whole time I'd be thinking of Kitty. Where she was, if anywhere. Was she gone for good, deader than anything mortal could ever be? Or did he have her still, slowly torturing her while I went about my day?

  I sat there pondering my two choices, neither of them good, while a grey cat did figure eights through my legs. It was one of Kitty's cats, dropped off this afternoon. We'd all taken a cat in. I'd assumed they'd all be black, but I was clearly mistaken. Smoke, the grey cat, was on partial retirement for ineffectiveness. No one took a grey cat crossing their path seriously.

  When Smoke stop
ped moving, I looked down and she shot me a stare. I could've sworn it was accusatory. There was something very un-cat-like about Smoke.

  “I don't know if it has anything to do with me. It's just a hunch.”

  She let out a meow that was just short of a howl.

  “Smoke, it's not that easy.” I reached down and gave her a scratch behind the ears. She let out another accusatory meow, even as she positioned her head for better access. “What if I'm wrong? What if he has nothing to do with her going missing, and I'm just opening myself up to more trouble?”

  The cat jumped up on the table and nailed me with a stare, then let out a flat “Meow?” Then I swear, Smoke rolled her eyes.

  “It's not that simple. You're a cat. You can't understand the complications.”

  Smoke jumped off the table and pranced in a slow manner to my bedroom, and then slammed the door. Great, now even the cat’s pissed off. Good work.

  I wished I’d asked Paddy more questions last time I’d seen him. It would help to know who I was dealing with. Maybe I should go stroll through the vegetable aisle or go get a drink.

  I knew one thing for sure; if Malokin had taken Kitty, it was to get to me. It needed to end with me. I'd call and work something out. He didn't seem like an illogical sort. This could be handled with minimum exposure and limited damages.

  I unpacked the phone but it took me three attempts before I was able to dial Malokin's number correctly. My nerves—which I never used to have—were making my fingers shake and hit the wrong numbers. I took a deep breath to work the fidgets out of my system, so my voice wouldn't quaver when I spoke to him, then hit dial.

  “Hello?”

  “It's Karma.”

  “I'm happy to hear from you.” His voice took on a softer tone.

  I bet you are. There was a gloating quality to his voice that chased my nerves away quicker than a double dose of Xanax.

  “You have Kitty.” It wasn’t a question at all, not anymore. I’d known it for sure the second he answered.

  “Yes.”

  I'd been expecting some denials or a run around, not a clear cut “yes;” but that's what I got. Even the people who I'd defended who were guilty had taken a while to finally spill the details, and I'd been there to help them. Things were a hell of a lot different when there was no penal code.

  It was time for the scary question. “Is she okay?”

  “Okay? That's debatable. Shall I say, she's as good as she was.”

  Even his jokes sucked. His laugh grated on my ears and flamed my anger.

  “I want her released.” The words came out between clenched teeth.

  “Then I suggest it's time for us to meet. A proper get together, where we can discuss the situation.”

  It was hard enough to not punch the wall listening to him through the phone. No, he needed to have a face-to-face sit down.

  I stood, crossing my one free arm across my chest. “Fine.”

  “Alone.”

  I had to think for a second on how much a response of duh would affect our future negotiations? Probably shouldn’t. “Figured.”

  “I'll know if you aren’t.”

  “Sure you will.” This time I couldn’t stop some of the sarcasm from leaking out as my eyes rolled in my head.

  He rambled off an address and we agreed upon a time for tomorrow evening. As much as I’d have liked to handle this all on my own, I still wasn’t sure what I was dealing with. I needed back-up. If I couldn't find Paddy by then, I’d tell Fate. I wasn’t going to meet Malokin alone if it wasn’t necessary.

  It didn’t matter anymore anyway, when I thought about it. If I wasn’t going to be able to fly under the radar, I might as well join their war. Didn’t look like there was much choice, because Malokin taking Kitty meant I’d essentially been drafted.

  I was just about to hang up when he started talking again. “By the way, they did throw Suit in a ditch.”

  The pencil I'd used to scribble down the meeting details snapped in my fingers. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

  “Come now, I know your memory isn't that bad. Lars didn't want to answer, but I feel you deserve to know. They did bury him out back. Of course, I dug him up and gave him a proper burial.”

  “I'll see you tomorrow.” I clicked the phone shut.

  There'd been only two people in the room when I'd said that: Lars and Fate. I was certain he didn’t get that information from them. As I looked around the condo, every nook and cranny took on a different light. Had that bastard tapped my condo?

  •••

  “Meow?” Smoke sat on the kitchen counter, staring at me as I waved a strange wand over every wall, fixture and trim.

  “Don't look at me like that.” I'd already gone through the living room area. The guy at the store said this would reveal any bugs. The more I searched, the worse I felt. There had to be a bug, because if there wasn't...

  Not Fate, but what about Lars? Perhaps, but I didn’t think so. I knew a liar when I met one. I swiped the handle past the dome light in the hallway. Beep, goddamn you!

  Paddy, where the hell are you? I couldn't even say it out loud anymore, for fear Malokin would hear somehow. I walked out onto my balcony and leaned over to make sure I was alone out here.

  “Universe person? You out there somewhere? Could use a little help. A note? Something?” I leaned on the railing and then looked up again. “Look, this is the thing, I know I muddled up some of your plans before, and maybe I was a bit pushy about getting what I wanted. I'm trying to say, I know I wasn’t that cooperative in the past, but I'm trying to be now. Problem is, I don't know what to do.”

  Scanning the horizon, I waited for something. I slid down and sat on the wooden deck and just watched the waves break. After more than an hour, with no notes sailing down to steer me in the right direction, I walked back inside and closed the door.

  My work phone sat on the counter and I punched Fate's number in but hit delete. I did this three more times as I paced the living room before I threw the phone on the couch.

  I'd meet Malokin alone. He wanted me. As long as he did, he wouldn't kill Kitty or me. I'd go, find out what he wanted and figure out a way to give it to him. And if I couldn't, I’d figure out a way to kill him.

  Time to go shopping for an arsenal, because as of right now, I was a highly under-stocked agency of one.

  Chapter 11

  Table for Two

  Malokin had offered to send a car to my condo but I'd declined the gesture. Instead, I climbed into my ancient Honda Civic and did my ritual rub of the dashboard, before turning the key. The engine whined to life after making a couple of choking noises.

  “Sorry about this.” I patted the dash again. “I guess neither of us planned on sticking around this long.” I switched on the FM radio and found a classic rock station before I pulled out of my lot. “Now, tonight might be a bit rough, so try and conserve your energy. We might be making a run for it later on this evening. I'm going to need you at your best.” I tried to have faith in my old Honda, but if she had to be my getaway car, I was dead before I even got there.

  My plan was to go, scope Malokin out and gather intelligence. Best case scenario, I discovered Kitty's location for a future rescue mission and got the hell out of there. Worst case, I might be changing employers...again. Hopefully this would be a temporary position and not another thousand-year commitment.

  It took me about two hours to get to Charleston, since using the doors wasn't an option. I wasn't ready to disclose where I was going, even to beings who rarely spoke and had acquired a fondness for me. More likely it was the polish I supplied them with, but I’d prefer to think it was me. Hey, we all wanted to be liked.

  Driving usually had a calming effect on me but not this time. Even as I drove into one of the most stunning areas of South Carolina, I couldn't relax enough to enjoy the beauty.

  Malokin's address was a magnificent old waterfront mansion, with columns framing the entrance. It looked as if i
t had been there since before the Revolutionary War. The guy did seem to have impeccable taste. Sticking out like a donkey in a herd of stallions, I parked in front of the house and walked up the stairs toward the grand entrance.

  A servant dressed in black answered the door. He spoke before I uttered a word.

  “Follow me.” He turned and started up the grand spiraling staircase before I replied, leaving me to shut the door and follow. I trailed him through several rooms until I wondered if this whole tour was simply about demonstrating Malokin had money.

  I felt like tapping the butler on the shoulder and saying, Yeah, I get it, he’s got some cash. Isn’t there a direct route? Finally, we made our way through a sitting room and out onto a second floor veranda, which overlooked the back gardens.

  Malokin was sitting at a table in the shade of the blue roof, two glasses of wine sat on the table, a bottle between them.

  He stood as I approached.

  “Join me, please.” He smiled and pulled out the chair for me. “I'm glad you called.”

  “There are always two sides. I'm open to hearing yours.” The bullshit I spewed was so thick it was amazing he didn't laugh in my face as I said it. He didn’t look naïve. I needed to thread in some discontent or I'd have no shot of him buying it. “The Kitty situation will need to be resolved, of course, before we can move forward.”

  He walked around to his chair, dressed in another expensive black suit. I rubbed my hands along the jeans I wore and smoothed down the loose blouse. It's not like I could've worn a skirt. I had knives holstered at my ankles and a gun tucked against my ribs.

  “I believe in going into a negotiation with an open heart and mind,” he said as he sat down across from me.

  His open-heart comment hit a note in me. Had I made sure the safety was on the gun I'd bought off the Jinxes? Hoped so, because I couldn't check it now. I leaned to the left, trying to leave a little room between my skin and the gun handle, just in case.