“I’ve already told you.” She didn’t back down, didn’t flinch. She had dealt with drunken idiots before, and she would deal with this one.
“I’m not going to ask again, who-the-fuck-put-you-up-to-this?” he growled.
“Jennifer did.” She stood her ground, even when he let out a stream of curses that would make an inmate blush.
“Jennifer is dead. She’s been dead for over a year. Now, who put you up to this?” he asked through clenched teeth, his lowered tone much more intimidating than his yelling had been.
Mason, who had been conveniently absent until then, came around. “Are you okay, Libbie?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m delivering a message.” She hadn’t seen the bartender in months, but she still considered him a friend. The last she had seen him, he was still working across town at the old country honky-tonk, Country Nights.
“Damn, woman, when are you going to stop doing that shit? You’re going to wind up hurt or worse one of these days.” He grabbed Kurt’s glass and tucked it in the sink behind the bar before wiping the area down.
“I tried, but they won’t leave me alone.” She glanced over at him and smiled. “Thanks for watching out for me, though.”
“I know she sounds like a loon, buddy, but she’s one of the sanest people I know.” The bartender moved down to the other end of the bar.
“Whatever, I’m not listening to this shit,” Kurt said, grabbing his jacket from where it had fallen on the floor.
“She says you broke your promise, and she wants you to keep it.” The sooner she got Jennifer’s message out, the sooner she could get on with the evening and go home.
“Is that right?” His voice cracked a little when he spoke. “And did she tell you what that promise was?”
“No, she didn’t, but it doesn’t matter. She wants you to honor your promise to her. She’s refusing to move on until you do.” She tilted her chin up and set her jaw.
“She wants me to find a gorgeous woman, fuck her brains out, and then move on with my life. So, are you going to help me with that, Libbie?”
The way he drew her name out had her rolling her eyes. “That’s not going to work.”
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Isn’t it? It’s what she wants.” He leaned closer and looked down at her breasts, and Libbie fought the urge to slap him. He reeked of whiskey and some other stench she couldn’t quite pin.
“No, it’s not. I’m not going to run away screaming because you’re being an ass. It takes a lot more than a drunk to have me running scared, so forget it.” She shook her head and grabbed a cocktail napkin, jotting her number down before slapping it on the bar next to him. “Call me when you sober up if you want to know more, or don’t. I don’t care. I have done what she’s asked of me. Now maybe she’ll leave me alone, and I’ll have some peace and quiet.”
He took the napkin and scrunched it in his fist. She thought he would toss it onto the bar, but then he surprised her and stuffed it into his pocket before motioning to Mason for another drink. “Go sleep it off, buddy,” Mason said before going to another customer.
Libbie glared at the man as he staggered out the door. She doubted he would remember their conversation, much less the napkin in his pocket, so the odds of him calling were minimal, which was fine with her, more than fine.
Beside her, Jennifer nibbled on her lip. Her gaze shot from her to the door and back several times before she huffed, “Are you just going to stand there and let him walk away?”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” she muttered under her breath. “I’ve relayed the message you asked me to pass along to him, now, go away.”
“You can’t just let him go. He’s drunk. What if he hurts himself?”
When Libbie continued to ignore her, Jennifer huffed, and then disappeared.
Libbie turned toward the table where April was sitting, wishing more than ever that she could just go home and read a book rather than socialize. She’d taken a couple of steps before realizing that sitting next to her friend, with one empty chair between them, sat a gorgeous hunk of a man. Wide shoulders, and strong, angular jaw, he was scrumptious. Hellooo, sexy. His dark hair came to his nape in soft waves, with an errant lock falling over his forehead. He followed her with his gaze, his smile widening when it became apparent that she was heading to their table.
She didn’t have to fake her smile as she reached the only vacant seat. She said hello to everyone as they greeted her, hugging those she could reach, waiting until the very last to face Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. Maybe the night wouldn’t be a total bust after all.
He stood and pulled her chair out for her. Okay, so the guy had manners. Point for him.
“Libs, this is Jay Conners. Jay, this is Libbie,” April rushed through the introduction, a huge grin on her face. Yeah, she’d set this up.
“Pleased to meet you, Jay.” She held her hand out to him. The instant his warm fingers wrapped around hers, a jolt of energy zinged through her, and she gasped. His smile widened. Had he felt it, too?
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Libbie. I was starting to think April had imaginary friends.”
Libbie choked on her drink. If only he knew of the “imaginary friends” she saw on a regular basis.
When he sat down again, he scooted his chair a little closer. His aftershave and the warmth radiating from his body teased her senses. She wanted to lean in close, take a big whiff and bask in his heat. The music was loud, but not so loud that she couldn’t hear him, yet he leaned in closer. “So how come this is the first time we’ve met? April tells me the two of you are the best of friends, yet I’ve never seen you around before.”
Part of her wanted to tell him the truth, watch his reaction and see if he’d run away screaming, but the other part, the one that tingled at his nearness, didn’t want to alienate him just yet, so she shrugged. “I’m just busy, that’s all. Maybe now that I’ve seen the new company she keeps, I’ll try to get out more.” She smiled as she delivered her cheesy line.
His gaze dropped to her lips, and his eyes flashed a shade lighter. “You definitely should.” He smiled, revealing a matching set of dimples on each of his cheeks.
She opened her mouth to ask him where he knew April from, but Jennifer reappeared right behind him. More than anything, she wanted to ignore the woman, but her horrified expression wouldn’t let her. “They’re going to kill him. You have to help,” she cried.
As much as Libbie wanted to wash her hands of the whole ordeal, she couldn’t. She didn’t know who was trying to kill Kurt, and he’d acted like an ass, but he didn’t deserve to die because of it. She took a deep breath and smiled at Jay, then turned to April. “I’m going outside for a breath of fresh air. I’ll be right back.”
“Libs, you promised,” April whined.
“I know. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be back in a minute, I swear,” she assured her.
April furrowed her brow and looked as though she would protest again, but then just nodded. “Would you mind going out with her, Jay? I’d hate for her to run into trouble outside alone.”
Jay was already on his feet. “Not at all. I could use some air myself.” He grabbed his jacket and tossed it over his arm before standing with her.
“I don’t want to trouble you. I’ll be right back.” Heaven only knew what she would find out there. She tried to step away from him, but he followed her. Damn it. The last thing she needed was to worry about a human seeing things he ought not to be seeing, or worse, getting hurt.
“It’s no trouble.” He shrugged and gave her a grin that showed his dimples again. Did he have to be so cute?
Unable to find any more excuses, she glared at her friend and headed for the door. April should have warned her that she had set her up on a date, but knowing her, she’d probably been afraid that Libbie would back out at the last minute. And she would have been right. Libbie sighed.
It wasn’t that she didn’t like Jay, she did, a lot. He s
eemed sweet and polite. His dark, brooding good looks were exactly what made her girly parts tingle, but she hated being set up. The only thing that had kept her from telling April exactly what she thought about it was that she’d done so well in pairing her up with Jay.
She couldn’t deny there was chemistry between them. When he’d asked her why he’d never seen her before, and his breath had fanned against her neck, a small shiver had coursed through her, and she’d wanted to lean closer still. How long had it been since her last date? A year, maybe more, and even longer since she’d last had sex. Maybe going outside was a good idea after all. She could do with some cooling off.
Chapter Three
The air crackled around her as soon as Libbie stepped out of the bar. A cool wind pinched at her cheeks. The weatherman had said clear weather, above seasonal for the next few days, but it wouldn’t be the first time he’d been wrong. Rubbing her hands up and down her arms, Libbie stomped her feet, trying to keep warm.
Jay shook out his jacket and wrapped the soft leather around her shoulders. “So, how long have you known April?”
“All my life. We grew up together. Thanks for the jacket.” Libbie smiled at him and drew the jacket tighter around her. Maybe there were good men still left out there after all.
The deserted street was silent—too silent. A prickle of unease washed over her. She should never have brought Jay out with her. Something was going down. There was a predator out there, and it wasn’t of the human variety. “Listen, it’s too cold out here. I’m just going to grab something out of the car and meet you back inside.”
“I’ll come with you. If it’s quiet you’re looking for, I can do that.” His eyes darted from one shadowed corner to the next, as though assessing for danger.
“No, really, it’s fine. In fact, I think I’ll just grab a cab and head home. Would you mind telling April I decided to head out?”
Jennifer’s high-pitched scream reached her ears just as she fished her phone from her bag. A muscle in Jay’s neck twitched, but he was otherwise still. Had he heard the ghost? She narrowed her eyes at him, but when he didn’t say a word, she released the breath she’d been holding and smiled again. “Maybe I’ll see you around?”
His dark brown eyes flashed pale amber. He was no mere human. She was almost certain of it. Until she knew more, though, she couldn’t risk him being with her when she faced whatever it was that was out there. She had to get him back inside. “Go back inside. I’ll be fine, I promise.” She pushed a small dose of compulsion into her voice, urging him to do as she asked. Not waiting for him to agree, she spun on her heels and darted down the street in the direction where she’d heard the scream.
In her rush, she almost missed the narrow alley half a block from the bar, but a pale blue glow drew her gaze. The overwhelming stench coming from the trash bins to the right had her holding her breath as she walked deeper into the lane. It wasn’t just the garbage. There was an underlying evil that soured the air, making her gag worse than the downtown fish market in July. Twenty feet ahead, hovering a couple of feet off the ground, were both Kurt and Jennifer. Pale blue light flowed from them to two goons. One look at the prickly green aura, and she knew what she was facing. Goblins. Oh, they took on the forms of humans for short periods of time when it suited them, but there was no mistaking what they were. Damn it.
“Put them down.” Libbie put as much power into her voice as she could muster. She hadn’t used her magic since the incident, but it was still there, and she knew how to use it.
The goblins didn’t bother looking at her. “Go away, little girl. This doesn’t concern you,” one of them said.
“I said, put them down. Now.” Throwing her arms wide, Libbie chanted to the heavens, drawing storm clouds directly above them. Bolts of lightning crashed all around. Her hair flew in the electrified air, whipping at her face. Power, raw and pure, flowed into her body. For once, in her witch’s costume, she looked the part. All she was missing was the pointy hat and broom.
Jay rushed up next to her, a muscle in his jaw ticking as he took in the scene before him.
“Go back to the bar, Jay. It’s not safe out here.” She didn’t bother asking nicely. She didn’t have time to watch over him if she wanted to save Kurt and Jennifer from the soul-sucking goblins. People had this notion that goblins were only after riches, and they were right, but what they didn’t know was how they got those riches. Stealing gold and jewels didn’t pay nearly as much as selling souls to the demons they worked for.
“Like hell.” Jay kept his eyes trained on them. “Unless I’m counting wrong, there are two of them and only one of you.”
Libbie couldn’t have been more shocked when he raised his hands and began chanting along with her. Once his deeper voice blended with hers, their combined power swelled around them. In an instant, the goblins dropped Kurt and Jennifer to the dirty asphalt, turning toward them with greedy smiles.
“Witches, brother, two of them. These will taste divine. And so pretty. The girl is mine,” the one closest to Libbie lisped. He licked his lips, staring at her. Behind him, Jennifer shimmered and disappeared in a wink of light. Kurt lay motionless on the ground. A faint wheeze sounded with each breath he took as he struggled to live. The goblins had robbed him of too much of his soul. If she didn’t retrieve it, he wouldn’t survive the night. Lucky for him, she wasn’t about to let the scumbags get away with it.
Libbie held her power in check, waiting for the attack. Giving up her surprise too soon would not only diminish its effectiveness but take all the fun out of watching their faces when they realized who—or what—they were up against. She was a witch all right, but she was also part daemon. The daemon side was what allowed her easy communication with the dead, and her ability to walk in the shadow world. It was also her greatest curse.
“You think you can take me, goblin?” Libbie dropped her hands to her sides. “You think you’re strong enough to take on a weak little woman? I don’t think you are,” she goaded. “I think I could beat you with one hand tied behind my back.”
“She has spirit, this one, brother,” the second goblin said. His voice was soft and silky, almost feminine—not at all what she expected. “I should be the one to take her. I could keep her alive with only half of her soul, and we could share her until the master buys her from us. We could keep her as our pet for a while and then sell her. And the master would, too. He would buy her in an instant. He would pay a high price for such beautiful fiery hair.”
“I said she’s mine.” The first goblin clenched its meaty fists. “I can take half her soul just as you can.”
“You always go too far. They end up dying before the master can pay us. We’d be far richer if you’d stop being so stubborn.”
“No need to fight. You can each have a go at me. I’ll be happy to take you both down.” Libbie stepped to the side with her preternatural speed just as the goblin closest to her struck, aiming for her nose and missing her entirely.
“Didn’t your mother tell you shouldn’t hit a lady?” Jay asked. He looked at the creature, his eyes glowing amber as he stalked up to it. Rather than run, the goblin just looked at him, its eyes growing rounder and rounder the nearer Jay got. When he was within reach, Jay placed his hands on either side of the goblin’s head. The energy sparking in his palms sizzled against the monster’s skin, yet it stood, transfixed—staring.
With its brother immobilized, the other goblin took a run toward her. Whatever Jay was doing, she would have to ask him about later. The creature weaved its head this way and that, trying to capture her with its gaze, but she toyed with it, evading his deadly look. Not that it mattered. Once they locked gazes, it would be too late, her surprise would have been sprung. Her heart pounded, and blood rushed hot in her veins. It had been a long time since she had been in a battle with dark creatures—too long.
The gleeful look in the goblin’s eyes when she finally allowed their gazes to cross paths turned to terror in an instant. Damn. Her ey
es had to have changed already. She had hoped to keep her secret a little longer, but it was too late. The daemon, never one with any degree of patience, had come out to play.
“Run, brother. Daemon,” he yelled.
“He’s not going anywhere, and neither are you. The question is, do we let you live, or do you die tonight?” Libbie stepped closer, reaching out.
The goblin Jay held lost its human form. Only three feet tall at the very most, Jay had to stoop to continue whatever it was he had started. The creature opened its mouth to scream, its mouth yawning wide, revealing three rows of pointed teeth, but nothing came out.
Still gripping its head, Jay lifted the goblin off its feet. Jay’s guttural chants deepened as he stared into its eyes. His voice swelled. Then in a rush of power, a half dozen streaks of pale blue light shot out from the goblin’s body before it shuddered, then turned to dust. The newly released souls scattered, disappearing as they ascended into the night sky.
Libbie returned her attention to the one remaining creature. For half a second, she almost felt bad. It knew it wouldn’t get away, and the fight wasn’t a fair one, but she’d seen first-hand how vicious and cruel the goblins were. They didn’t care if they stole a man, woman or child’s soul. It didn’t matter to them if they killed a young mother or an innocent baby. As long as they were compensated for the life they had taken, they were more than happy to keep killing.
An ancient spell spilled from her lips. Libbie lifted her left hand, palm out, toward the goblin. Fiery heat spilled from her skin as pure white light blasted from her palm toward the quivering creature. “Death is too easy. Go back to the dark realms and face justice.” With a final burst of light, Libbie shoved him deeper into the alley and into the shadow world where two huge columns of black smoke spiraled just beyond the invisible border. Two pale blue orbs flew from the goblin’s chest. One streaked past into the shadows while the other remained, zipping around, frantically seeking. Then in an instant, Kurt moaned and took a deep, shuddering breath as the light disappeared into his body.
Beyond The Veil: A Paranormal & Magical Romance Boxed Set Page 2