“Are you just fucking with me, Brownstone?” Shay muttered. “Is this some sort of mind game?”
He didn’t really seem like the type, but she couldn’t be sure. Brownstone had a lot of secrets, and the man didn’t like to say much unless it was to blather on about barbecue or taunt bounties.
Shay’s phone chimed and she snatched it out of her pocket, ready to deliver a verbal beat-down to Brownstone.
The fire seeped out of her when she looked at the caller ID and she lifted the phone to her ear.
“Hey, Bella!”
Her girlfriend was quick to reply. “I haven’t seen you in ages, Shay. I joked the other day to Kara that someone had dragged you off to South America to dig up some moldy mummy or something.”
Shay snickered. Close.
“Sorry.”
“The university keeping you busy?”
Lying to people you called friends wasn’t the best strategy for building long-lasting relationships, but sometimes Shay just wanted to have fun without worrying about her past or the dangerous world of tomb raiding for magical artifacts. Sometimes a touch of normalcy could keep a person sane, even if it was built on a lie. Or a whole pile of lies.
In this case, a little white lie about how she worked for a local college didn’t rate in the same league as lying about her deadly past or the way she’d helped Brownstone take down the Harriken.
“Yeah, just had to go out on some digs, that sort of thing,” Shay mumbled. “Sorry. It’s been keeping me really busy. What’s up?”
“Sounds tough, which makes me think it’s even more important that you relax. You’re going to go gray early if you’re too stressed out.”
Shay winced. The idea of her friend trying to help her relax freaked her out far more than going up against the Harriken.
“Relax?” she replied. “How?”
“How about going dancing with me and Kara and Janelle tonight?”
“Dancing?” Shay deflected. “I don’t know. I’m supposed to fly out tomorrow for a job. I can’t be partying all night.”
“Oh, come on, girl,” Bella whined. “Work hard and play hard, and all that. Remember the gray hair.”
“Don’t beg. Have some dignity.” Shay wasn’t sure if she was talking to Bella or herself. “I guess it’ll be okay, but I have to leave by midnight…and no drinking.”
“Yay! Okay, Cinderella, you can leave before you turn into a pumpkin. Text me when you’re ready.”
“Talk to you later.” Shay ended the call.
I wonder if Brownstone likes dancing.
She burst out laughing at the image of Brownstone’s stiff ass trying to move to a beat.
James pulled his F-350 into the parking lot adjacent to the Black Sun, making sure to stay on the side farthest from the building but positioning his vehicle so he had a clear view of the entrance.
The bar’s lack of windows made it easy to watch the door without being spotted, even from the other end of the parking lot. There was no reason for King Pyro to sneak out the back if he didn’t even know James was coming for him.
“Safety first,” he murmured.
The bounty hunter could handle King Pyro taking a few shots at him, but he didn’t want to risk his truck being blown into a melted pile of slag.
Just because he could take down the bounty didn’t mean he could accomplish it without collateral damage. He loved his truck almost as much as he had loved his dog, and he’d killed dozens of people to avenge his dog.
James pulled out his phone and texted Tyler.
He still in there?
Yes.
This might get messy.
Take it outside. Otherwise I’ll have to get the real authorities involved. I’m doing this because he disrespected me, but if you bust up my bar you’re disrespecting me as well.
James lowered his phone to his pocket, then stopped, realizing he’d forgotten something important. Something far more important than kicking King Pyro’s ass.
Shit, I should make sure Alison’s okay.
He dialed her number and waited, each unanswered ring forcing his heart faster.
I’ll fucking kill every unicorn and fucking top-hat-wearing ferret with my bare hands in that school if something’s happened to her.
“Mr. Brownstone… I mean James?” Alison answered sleepily.
James bristled. They were working the girl so hard that she was exhausted. He’d need to have a loud talk with the headmistresses, and he didn’t give a crap if she threatened to turn him into a toad.
The anger drained out of him after he glanced at his dashboard clock. Alison wasn’t in California; she was in Virginia.
“Oh shi— I mean, I forgot about the time zone difference.” James sighed. “Guess they don’t have some sort of spell that makes whoever’s calling you always match your time?” He gave a weak laugh.
Alison didn’t laugh at his lame joke. She yawned. Appropriate.
“Sorry, kid,” James told her. “I just wanted to check in with you and see how you’re doing at magic wand school and all.”
“Only been doing orientation, but I like it so far,” Alison said, her voice barely above a whisper. “My roommate Aya is really nice, though she’s kind of quiet. I thought she was creepy at first, but I think it was just because she was quiet…and she has weird dolls. I mean, the girl down the hall told me it was like straight out of a J-horror movie, long hair and all. She chuckled softly.
“Wait, what weird dolls? Horror movies? What the hell is going on there?”
“Oh, it’s nothing bad. Aya has this magic where she can make stuff move. It’s not very powerful yet, and she said something about dolls being easier. Even then she can’t control them that long. When I first stepped into our room there were a couple of dolls moving around her, and she was standing there in this white dress and staring straight ahead of her, bangs over her eyes—or at least that was what Vannie from down the hall told me.”
James’ brain took a few seconds to catch up. Despite the fact he used magic in his job and hunted people who used it too, it was still strange to hear the girl discussing her roommate having unusual powers as if it weren’t a big deal and everyone had them. Of course, at the School of Necessary Magic that was true.
Fuck, was this what it meant to grow up when this stuff was always around? You didn’t give a shit? Or was Alison just that way because she was special to begin with?
James shook his head. He needed to focus on the conversation at hand. “But you say she’s okay?”
“Yeah. She’s cool once you get her to open up a little. Her soul told me she would be.” Alison let out another long yawn. “She’s taking me to breakfast tomorrow before the next part of my orientation.”
James frowned. “What time is it there?”
“Right now? One sec. Um...it’s 10:45.”
“Okay, I should let you go. I promise I won’t call so late next time, but I’ll be busy for a while on a job.”
“When are you going to call?” There was a faint hint of desperation in Alison’s voice.
“Three days maximum, I promise.”
“Okay. Talk to you then, James.”
“Talk to you then, kid.”
James ended the call and slipped his phone into his pocket. No one had entered or exited the Black Sun since his arrival, which meant King Pyro was still inside. This would be the easiest and most satisfying money he’d made in a while.
“Time for a little revolution against the crown,” he muttered.
The bounty hunter weighed his options. If he waited he’d be able to take on the man in a larger area, something that would let him take advantage of his strength and speed. The main issue with that was, he had no idea how long it’d take King Pyro to get bored and wander out, and for all James’ strength and abilities he still needed to sleep. He had to travel the next morning.
Why didn’t anyone stick their magic artifacts in the LA sewer? They might smell like shit, but at least he wouldn’t have t
o travel. Or hell, bury them under the Hollywood sign.
“Fuck it,” he muttered. “Let’s just get this shit over with.”
James reached into his glove compartment to pull out leather gloves. It was probably the first time in a long time it had actually lived up to its name. He wanted to make sure he could land punches without burning himself too badly.
After slipping the gloves on he stepped out of the truck, checked his weapons, and marched toward the Black Sun. Ass-kicking was at the forefront of his mind.
The bounty hunter had the advantage. He knew King Pyro was there, but the criminal didn’t know he was coming.
When James threw open the door to the bar, several people shot nervous glances his way. The place was more crowded than it’d been during his last visit, but still nowhere nearly as crowded as the Leanan Sídhe. That might complicate things even more, not that taking down a level four was ever that simple.
Tyler nodded to James as he entered, but didn’t say anything. James understood. The man might not have a problem turning King Pyro over to a bounty hunter, but he didn’t want to announce it to every piece of shit in the place either.
The bounty hunter scanned the room. A dark scorch marred the floor not that far from the bar. King Pyro had been busy.
His eyes narrowed when he spotted his bounty, a huge brown-haired man in a tight white T-shirt, black jeans, and boots.
The sheer banality of the outfit made James chuckle. With a pretentious title like “King Pyro,” he’d expected Adams to strut around in a costume or something. Maybe even a purple cape.
King Pyro stood in front of a table where three men sat laughing.
The robber gesticulated with his arms. “So, that’s when I said, ‘Who ordered the extra-crispy cop?’ You should have heard the guy. He’s all screaming like a little girl just because he’s on fire. What a cockbite.”
All four men burst into hearty laughter.
James strode toward the criminal.
I’m gonna really enjoy this.
A few minutes earlier King Pyro had stood at a table, enjoying the newer crowd. The bar had bored him before, except for burning the man’s hand, but now some real men had shown up rather than a bunch of wimps afraid of some boogieman bounty hunter.
He didn’t know the names of the three men sitting at the table, but they’d offered him a drink when they entered and saw the wounded man being helped outside. At least a few people in the City of Angels could recognize their king on sight and show some proper respect.
“My last bank job was great. Blew right into a vault.” King Pyro waved a hand. “If I concentrate I can make some real fire, but even without trying that hard I can throw football-size fireballs.” He held up a hand, and a fiery aura formed around it. “I can get this hot enough to turn some poor bitch’s bones into ash.”
The three men watched with rapt attention, like children being told some wonderful bedtime story. James shook his head, disgusted.
“What about guns?” one of the men asked. “Cops got guns.”
The king’s fire vanished and he sneered. “I control the power of a god. Now, it’s not like I’m bulletproof, but I’ve been shot both before and after, and it hurts less now. If I really get going, go full-on human torch and all that, I can melt ‘em out of my body, even. I heal real quick-like, too. Don’t know why. Don’t really give a shit either.”
“Damn, man! You’re a one-man army.”
King Pyro snickered. “You’re damn right I am.” He pointed at Tyler. “But that pussy bartender told me to get out of town. That I should run because of some asshole named Brownstone who was looking for me. I’m fucking King Pyro, and I don’t run from any bounty hunter.”
All three men’s eyes grew wide.
“Brownstone?” one of his fans asked quietly. “The Granite Ghost wants you?”
“’Granite Ghost?’ What kind of bullshit is that? I hate when these bounty hunters have stupid-ass names like that. They are always bitches who think they are the shit, but they start screaming once the fire comes out.” King Pyro laughed. “Fuck the Granite Ghost. Everything turns to ash in the end.”
One man started trembling. He yanked out his wallet and slapped some cash on the table before standing and slowly backing away.
“What the hell has gotten into you?” King Pyro asked. He noticed that the other two men were looking not at him, but past him. He snorted. “Brownstone’s behind me, isn’t he?”
The men nodded.
10
Loud techno shook the walls and floors, along with Shay’s bones. She loved every second as she shimmied and bounced to the rhythm. It’d been a long time since she’d felt so free. There were no Harriken or strange magical artifacts or traps to worry about, just a fun release.
The DJ bobbed in time with the music, one hand on his equipment and the other in a fist in the air. Small semi-translucent orbs pulsed different colors in time to the music above the dancers. They were some sort of magical creature from what Shay could tell, but she had no clue what they might be. Even Oricerans spirits should be able to hit the club.
The song ended, and Shay wiped the sweat from her forehead. She’d forgotten how good a workout dancing could be.
With the music gone her normal instincts returned, and she quickly scanned the nearby crowd to make sure there were no obvious threats. It was hard to totally let her guard down, even around her friends.
She’d killed a lot of people, and could never be sure that someone wasn’t watching her and waiting for their chance to take her out in a revenge attack she probably had coming.
A new song started up, blasting most of the concern out of her head.
Bella leaned close to Shay’s ear. “I think I need a break.”
Shay nodded her agreement. A little break and some water would work for her.
Her friend grabbed her hand and pulled her to a table in the corner. Their friends Janelle and Kara were already sitting there drinking cocktails.
Shay eyed the cocktails lovingly, but reminded herself that she would be getting up in less than seven hours to drive to the airport. Even with the short flight time, she wanted to keep her wits. Once they hit rural Baja, they’d be dealing with an unstable area drowning in violence.
The addition of newer Oriceran-linked drugs like Dust and Aurora had only exacerbated the existing problems. In addition, there were more than a few acolytes of Santa Muerte who now, unlike their predecessors, could call on magic to defend their cartel masters.
“Thanks, Bella.” Shay took a seat. “I’m glad you made me come. This is great, and it’s a lot more fun than what I’ve been doing lately.”
The other woman brushed a few blond strands out her eyes. “Yeah, digging up broken pots or mummies…I can imagine.” She made a face and shook her head.
Shay chuckled. Pots or Inca zombie rods, same difference. That, and gunning down gangsters and hitmen.
After a final glance at a cocktail and imagining the wonderful salty taste of a margarita on her tongue, she took a sip of her waiting glass of water. There was no way she’d risk not having the clearest head possible the following morning.
Kara smiled at them all. “I have a little surprise.”
The other women focused on her.
Kara bit her lip. “I guess I should tell you, since it’s been a while since we’ve all been together.” She let out a little laugh.
“What?” Shay asked. She liked Kara, but damn the woman liked to play games at times.
“I’ve got a new guy,” the redhead caroled.
“Ooohhhh,” the other women—except Shay—cooed in near unison. She gave a little golf clap instead.
“When did this happen?” Bella asked.
“A few weeks ago,” Kara replied. “He works at my company, although not in my department. I met him in the cafeteria.”
Shay chuckled. “Work romance, huh?”
Kara smiled. “Yeah. I know it can be risky, but come on…we’re all busy wome
n. If we’re not going after the great guys we see all the time, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot.”
A flash of Brownstone’s tight jeans-clad ass entered Shay’s mind, and she had to stop herself from frowning.
Fucking Brownstone. Stay out of my head, you damn tease.
“We’re playing it light and breezy right now,” Kara continued, “but we’ll see where this goes.”
Bella patted her friend on the hand. “I met my ex-boyfriend at work. I think it’s going to go well for you.”
“Telling me about your ex-boyfriend isn’t filling me with confidence.”
Bella shrugged. “He’s my ex only because we got bored. We still hang out sometimes and have sex.”
Kara looked at her. “I don’t really know if that makes him your ex-boyfriend then.”
“Labels are so restrictive,” Bella argued.
Janelle sighed and shook her head. “I didn’t want to bring y’all down, but I kicked my man to the curb yesterday.”
“What happened?” Shay asked.
“Darius cheated on me.” Janelle pasted on a fake smile. “And he tried to convince me he was just visiting his sister all those times. Stupid sonofabitch. I told him I better not ever see his face again if he wants to keep it.”
“What a scumbag!” Kara exclaimed.
Bella nodded. “You’re better off without him. I never liked him.”
Shay leaned closer and lowered her voice, her eyes piercing. “I could go kick his ass. And I’m sure Lil’ Miss Tramp-stamp won’t be any harder to take down.” She slammed her fist into her palm to emphasize her message.
This was the problem with men.
Letting yourself get involved in a true relationship meant putting yourself at risk by linking yourself to another flawed person. Shay could barely keep her shit in check; the last thing she needed to worry about were someone else’s problems.
Brownstone probably had so many problems it’d take a fucking army of headshrinkers to deal with him.
Janelle laughed. “Oh, girl, you’re too much sometimes. Imagine little ol’ you going after Darius?”
The other girls joined in the laughter.
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