Grave Cargo: Arcane Transporter 1

by Jami Gray

  “No, I’m good.” She tugged at her hand, and Evan slowly let her go. Despite the hectic color on her cheeks, she gave me a stern look. “You can go home too, Rory. I’m good here. I’m just going to sleep so they’ll let me go home tomorrow.”

  I was already shaking my head. “Sorry, babe, I’m sticking.”

  Evan aimed a narrow-eyed glare at Lena, who missed it because she was watching me with clear exasperation.

  I decided it was best to nip the looming argument before it could take a breath. “Just indulge me, okay? I promise I’ll stop hovering once you’re home.”

  She flopped the hand without the IV in it. “Fine, but if you’re going to stick around, see if you can get me something more substantial than Jell-O. I’m craving some serious carbs.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” I promised.

  Evan patted the bedrail absently. “All right, I’m out.” He waited until Lena turned to him and added, “I’ll call you in the morning.”

  “Sounds good.” Lena watched Evan until he was gone.

  I retook my uncomfortable chair and propped my feet against her bedrails. “So, Lena, got something you want to tell me about our friendly neighborhood electrogeek?” I teased.

  Proving she was well on her way to normal, she nailed me in the face with a pillow. “Nothing to tell.”

  Clutching the pillow to my stomach, I waggled my eyebrows. “I don’t know about that. Rumors are flying around the Guild that you have a mystery man on the hook.”

  She snorted, but her blush deepened. “Look, it’s just… complicated.”

  Hearing her discomfort, I let her off the hook. “He’s a good guy, Lena.” I waited until she met my eyes and said, “He cares about you, and he’ll go out of his way to keep you safe.”

  She frowned. “Where’s that coming from?”

  I looked at my toes, flexing them against the rail as I debated how far I wanted to take this. Lena and I both had secrets we were trying to keep, but the thing with secrets was they never stayed that way. Thanks to Evan’s research, both he and I knew Lena’s history, which was bad enough. The fact Zev had dug just as deep, if not deeper, and Lena would be working with the Cordova Family in the near future, worried me. Taking a deep breath, I dove in. “When Evan and I were looking for you, he stumbled across your sealed records.” At her sharply indrawn breath, I looked up. Her face was back to pale, and the sheet was caught in her white-knuckled hands. My words tumbled over each other as I rushed to reassure her, “It doesn’t change a damn thing, Lena. For Evan or for me.”

  “Why?” Her question came out shaky, but there was a ribbon of heat under it.

  “Because Evan was worried, I was worried, and we needed all the information we could get to find you. No way in hell were we leaving you swinging in the damn wind. The thing you need to understand is we weren’t the only ones poking around.” I sat up and leaned in, gripping the bedrail. “Evan thinks one of his searches tripped something for someone else, but he couldn’t go any further without raising more flags. He was worried, but he didn’t want to go deeper and possibly put you in more danger.”

  “Dammit, Rory.”

  I held her furious gaze. “We know Zev knows. He brought it up to me during one of our discussions.”

  She studied me. “Anyone else?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  A slew of low, vicious curses fell from Lena’s mouth. When she wound down, she closed her eyes in defeat. “I want nothing to do with the Clarkes. Nothing. They were shits to my mom and me. I was relieved when they renounced me, because the Guild was my family. I don’t want anything to do with the Families.”

  “I get that,” I said.

  She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at me. “Do you?”

  “Yeah.” I swallowed hard and shared. “You’re not the only one with secrets, Lena.” My gaze skittered to the door, a nervous check to ensure we were alone, then I lowered my voice. “Have you ever heard of a Prism?”

  Her eyes widened, and she turned to her side, bringing us closer. “Seriously? I always thought those were just made up. You know, wishful thinking.”

  “Nope, it’s real. I’m real,” I admitted, even as a panicked voice in my head screamed at me. “There’s not much information out there about it, and I barely understand how it works.”

  “Not a surprise. Most stories surrounding that ability are considered myths.” She eyed me shrewdly. “The one thing all the stories agree on is that if a Family gets their hands on a Prism, it doesn’t end well for the Prism.”

  “I know.”

  “Do you?” Apprehension replaced wonder, and she covered my hand on the bedrail, the warmth of her touch seeping into my chilled skin. “If that’s true, you can’t tell Zev, Rory.”

  I dropped my forehead against our hands. “I know, but I think he’s on his way to figuring it out.”

  “Then you need to avoid him at all costs,” she warned.

  I lifted my head and gave her a sickly smile. “I’d love to, but unfortunately, I owe him a favor.”

  She studied me, then proving she really was my best friend, she said, “You like him.”

  There was no use denying it, so I didn’t try. Instead, I tugged my hand free and slumped back in my chair. “It’s such a mess.”

  “Yeah, it is,” Lena agreed. “But if anyone can figure a way out of it, my money’s on you.”

  I blew out a breath and wished I had as much faith in me as she did.

  Chapter Twenty

  A few days later, Sabella’s contract arrived by secure courier, along with a sealed letter on thick stationery. I was home alone as Lena was out to dinner with Evan. It was their first “real” date and their first foray into making their relationship public. I was happy for both of them, but I knew the future wasn’t guaranteed, especially since they worked for the Guild.

  I’d spent the days immediately after rescuing Lena typing up reports, answering questions, and fruitlessly waiting for Zev to call. He never did. I tried to lose myself in the mysterious journal, but my thoughts were too fragmented to concentrate.

  I reviewed the contract, which appeared fairly standard. When Sabella was in town, I would be her on-call driver. Her requests would take precedence, and the compensation made my heart and my bank account deliriously happy. Before I signed, I needed to review it with a Guild lawyer. I took Sabella’s letter, dropped onto my sofa, and tucked my feet under me. As I broke the seal, a buzz of magic woke mine. It quietly hummed under my skin, and although I braced and waited for something to happen, nothing did. I pulled out a thick piece of linen paper. Sabella’s handwriting flowed over the page in bold strokes.

  Dear Rory,

  I apologize, I intended to invite you to lunch to do this properly. However, an unexpected situation required my presence at home. I do hope you’re enjoying my gift. I ran across it in a small monastery library, where it appeared to have been forgotten. Perhaps for the best, all things considered. I’m sure you have many questions, and I’ll be happy to do my best to answer them when I return. Until then, a word of advice from an old woman: be careful who you trust, dear. Some things are coveted to a dangerous extent. There are whispers that such items command unrelenting demands, and those who can afford to meet those demands will do so at any cost. I would so hate to see such a gem shattered under the unrelenting pressure.

  Until later,

  Sabella

  Stunned, I read the letter—twice. “Holy shit.” My attention shifted to the leather-bound journal on my coffee table, and my earlier excitement dimmed under a rising tide of anxiety. A shattering realization hit. The journal had been delivered before I’d even met Sabella. So how did she know?

  My mind whirled with questions as I tried to adjust to my new reality. First Zev, now Sabella. It looked as if my secrets weren’t as secret as I thought. After my initial panic receded, I re-read the letter. It didn’t take a genius to read between the lines. I took small comfort from the fact that s
he appeared to be on my side—at least for now. I wasn’t naive enough to believe it was out of the goodness of her heart. The part about unrelenting demands, if I were to hazard a guess, would confirm that Prisms were still hunted. By Families or other interested parties, it didn’t matter. History proved no price was too high to obtain one. That did not bode well for me at all.

  I looked at the contract lying next to the journal. I would definitely have the lawyer look it over. I needed to take my time analyzing the pros and cons of working for Sabella. No way did I want to sign anything without ensuring I wasn’t setting myself up for unending servitude. Sabella wanted something from me, but the thing was, I wanted something from her, as well. For the first time, I had access to actual information about what I could do. Not to mention, as Zev explained, allies were everything in his world. Since it looked as if I would be part of that world in more than just a professional sense, I needed to make sure I had the right weapons—and the right connections—to survive.

  As for Zev… well, I owed him a favor, and I would pay up. I had a reputation to uphold, after all. Unlike Zev and his empty promise. I hadn’t heard a thing from him, which left me vacillating between anger and disappointment. My fascination with him was stupid, but logic held little sway over emotions. Still, I was working on snuffing out that pesky crush, one bite of chocolate at a time. Give me a few more days, maybe a week, and he would be an interesting memory.

  And if you believe that, I have a bridge I could sell you.

  Before I could indulge in a schizophrenic discussion on my unhealthy infatuation with Zev, there was a knock on my door. I tucked Sabella’s letter into the journal then stuffed both under the couch cushion before heading toward the door. I checked the peephole and dropped my head against the door with a soft thump as I stared unseeingly at my bare toes, unsure what I was feeling. “It figures.”

  Another knock had the door vibrating under my forehead. Blowing out a long breath, I straightened, undid the locks, and pulled open the door. “What are you doing here?”

  Dressed in a faded concert T-shirt and equally faded jeans, Zev leaned against the doorjamb. “I told you I’d be in touch.”

  “Ever heard of a phone?” I grumped, trying to ignore the way my hormones sat up and panted at the wildly sexy picture he presented.

  He straightened, put a hand on my door, and pushed it wider. “Let me in, Rory.” He dipped his head down when I stayed stubbornly in place, and put his mouth close to my ear. “Otherwise, I’ll give your neighbors something to talk about.”

  I fought back the shiver that erupted at his nearness and prayed my T-shirt was up to the job of hiding my body’s reaction. With a frustrated growl, I spun on my heel and stalked back to my couch, leaving him to follow. As the door shut, I dropped into the cushion and folded my arms over my chest. I watched moodily as he strolled in and made himself comfortable at the other end of the couch.

  “So, how’s things?” he asked, propping his ankle on a knee.

  “Shouldn’t that be my question?” I shot back, doing my best to ignore how his position tightened his jeans over a rather impressive package. Down, Rory. No drooling.

  “Did you miss me?” He grinned, and I realized the lines of strain I’d become used to seeing on his face were gone.

  Fighting a telling blush, I rolled my eyes, exasperated with him and myself, but there was something about this version of Zev that made it hard to hold on to my mad. “Were you gone? I didn’t notice.”

  He laughed. “Liar.”

  Since he was right, I shrugged.

  His grin faded, but he continued to study me. “I would’ve stopped by earlier, but things have been hectic. I wanted to let you know I got Theo.”

  “I figured you would,” I said. “Is he going to get his day in court, or is he making time in hell?”

  Something heated in his gaze. “You’re a bloodthirsty thing, aren’t you?”

  “I’m not very forgiving of those who hurt my family,” I admitted without shame.

  “I get that,” he said.

  I bet he did, and the fact he did made him even more fascinating. Doing my best to stay on track, I asked, “Did you get the drive as well?”

  “Yeah.” He looked around the condo. “Is Lena here?”

  “She’s out.” I tried to ignore the burst of disappointment at what I suspected was the real reason behind his visit. “But I can give her a message.”

  “No, that’s okay. Emilio wanted to make the request through the Guild.” He paused, and if I hadn’t known better, I might have thought he was uncomfortable, but this was Zev, a man who was never out of step and always in control. His attention came back to me, and he arched a brow. “This how you spend your nights?”

  “When I can.” I refused to be embarrassed by my less-than-exciting lifestyle. “It helps offset the few unexpected turns my life has taken lately.”

  “And what kind of turns would those be?” Something changed in his eyes, and a subtle tension sprang up.

  Is he flirting with me? I licked my lips, and his gaze followed, like a cat spotting a tasty treat. Before I could rethink, I said, “The dangerous kind.”

  Heat rose under his cheeks as he shifted, angling toward me. “Do you like it?”

  I blinked, trying to drag my attention away from the temptation he presented. “Like what?”

  His voice deepened, taking on a note that tempted. “Danger.”

  I swallowed back my clamoring hormones, trying to focus on anything other than the rising sexual tension clogging up the room. “I don’t know.” It came out husky, and it was an outright lie. I wanted the thrill of pitting myself against the odds. Even here, in this very dangerous arena, despite knowing how much it would complicate—everything. It felt a lot like racing, when I rode that breathtaking edge between control and disaster.

  “Want to find out?”

  It took a moment for his question to sink in, but when it did, it swept aside logic and beckoned like a sexy, sweet, low-slung sportscar, leaving behind the pulse-pounding thrill that left me higher than a damn kite. It was too much and not enough. But staring into his wicked eyes, I knew I was going to go for it. Curiosity might kill the damn cat, but a cat had nine lives, right? Why not find out? Before my courage could bail, I fisted a handful of Zev’s T-shirt and dragged him close as I leaned in.

  I curled my other hand around his neck and took the taste I wanted. I brushed those full lips with mine, lightly tracing them with my tongue even as the rasp of his beard set every nerve ending alight. I licked over those lips that had haunted way too damn many of my over-enthusiastic thoughts. There was the faintest hint of something intoxicating, like the spicy burn of a good whiskey, and it started a slow burn deep inside where dirty Rory lived. She perked up.

  Even though the hard muscles under my hand didn’t relax, he didn’t push me away. In fact, I took my time tasting him and teasing myself. Yet when he continued to hold still and stiff, doubts began circle in for the kill. Unwilling to force myself where I wasn’t wanted, I traced those stubborn lips one last time, loosened my grip on his neck and shirt, and started to edge back.

  A low growl rumbled against my lips, and his hand gripped the back of my head, holding me where he wanted. Suddenly, instead of trying to hold him close, I was holding on for dear life as my world tumbled into a fiery heat that threatened to burn everything to ash. His mouth opened, and he took over with a ferociousness that left me breathless. He shifted my kiss from teasing to devouring and demanding. Happy to let him indulge, I let everything else disappear under the onslaught.

  As suddenly as it changed, it stopped. He tugged my head back, forcing our mouths apart. Not far, because he dropped his forehead against mine, and I could feel his breath against my wet lips. His dark eyes stared into mine. Emotions I wasn’t sure I was ready to tackle swam in the heated depths. We stared at each other as the inferno he ignited slowly banked.

  “You’re trouble.” His hand tightened in my hair.
<
br />   It didn’t hurt. In reaction, my body pressed closer to his. His eyes flared, and for a moment, I caught it—what he tried to hide. Zev loved the chase too, and he’d just caught my scent. Naughty Rory cackled in wicked glee. Unwilling to let him off the hook, I smiled. “So are you.” So fucking much trouble I will probably regret it. Eventually. But it would be so much fun until then.

  I got a hard, quick kiss, then he was gone, my door shutting behind him.

  - YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT YOUR DESTINATION -

  Thank you for strapping in for GRAVE CARGO. Craving the open roads? Hitch a ride with Rory in RISKY GOODS and race through the twists and turns of an unexpected assignment, a jealous ex, & a game-changing serum with Rory.

  Buckle in and enjoy the ride HERE (available in Kindle Unlimited)

  Want to know how Rory and Zev met? Then don’t miss out on exclusives & new release information by subscribing to Jami’s newsletter HERE.

  Arcane Transporter Books

  Binge this urban fantasy thrill-ride today!

  Need to ensure you delivery, magical or otherwise, makes it to its destination? For guaranteed delivery, hire the best in the west, Rory Costas, Arcane Transporter. (Independent contractor - not responsible for damage incurred in transit.)

  GRAVE CARGO

  When a questionable, but lucrative delivery job takes an unexpected turn, will Rory survive the collision or crash and burn?

  RISKY GOODS

  A dead mage, a missing friend, and an unpredictable alliance merge into a volatile package sending Rory careening through the Arcane elite’s deadly secrets.