The girl let out a sigh of relief. “Just try not to do anything crazy until she comes back.”
“Crazy like what?”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe attacking an entire building like you did with the Harriken.”
James grunted. “Hey, they kept at me until I had no choice.”
Alison snorted. “No attacking buildings filled with bad guys without at least some people backing you up. If not Mom, then the guys at the agency. Promise me.”
“Fine,” James grumbled. “I promise not to attack any buildings filled with bad guys without backup.”
A merry laugh followed. “That’s all I wanted. I love you, Dad. Be careful, and remember you always have the wish if you need it.”
“I love you, too.”
Fuck using the wish. That’s hers, and it’ll stay hers.
Trey, Max, and six more Brownstone bounty hunters surrounded the target house.
Too easy. Why hasn’t this fucker taken a shot? This was near the top of the list that hacker chick gave us.
Trey shook his head. A dangerous target was inside, a wizard who called himself the VR King on the dark web. When Heather had sent Trey the list, she’d warned him there were some oddities about the VR King’s online presence, and she wouldn’t be surprised if he had used magic to alter or scrub some of it. That might explain why VR King only had a level-one bounty for draining a few bank accounts despite being a self-admitted wizard specializing in fire and electronic magic, yet another detail linking him to the attack on James.
They’d shown up for one important reason. The VR King had been bragging lately about how he was ready to move up in the world and “kill himself a pussy-ass motherfucker like James Brownstone.”
Every Brownstone Agency bounty hunter present was suited up with armor, assault rifles, and anti-magic deflectors. They lacked the trademark Brownstone Agency suits and looked more like an AET team.
Trey nodded to Max, who stood on the corner. He signaled the next man. They didn’t want to risk using phones. They couldn’t be sure if the VR King would be able to detect the calls.
Lachlan moved up to the front door, shotgun loaded with a breaching round and racked, and indicated that he was ready.
Trey held up three fingers, then two, then one.
The shotgun spewed out its cargo, blowing through the lock. Lachlan rolled to the side as Trey charged in to knock the door open, his rifle ready. He stepped to the side and swept the room. Another man entered, then another.
“Living room clear,” Trey shouted.
“Kitchen clear,” Manuel yelled from the other side of the house.
No problem entering front or back. This shit was too easy.
Trey gritted his teeth. No way the VR King could be taken down this easily. That was when he heard it.
Someone shouting from a room down the hall.
Trey rushed forward, his rifle still at the ready. Lachlan and Carl fell in behind him. They continued running until they found the source of the shouting, another closed door.
Lachlan and Carl fanned out to either side of Trey. The senior bounty hunter took a deep breath and kicked open the door.
“Repeat myself?” shouted a voice from the darkened room inside. “I said you should kill yourself, you dumbass pussy noob motherfucker. If that doesn’t happen, maybe get cancer while I’m riding your mom. That’s what you get for fucking with the VR King.”
A soft glow came from the side of the room. Someone encased in a thick VR headset, gloves, and headphones sat in front of a computer. Something was wrong.
Too fucking small. Is the VR King a gnome or a dwarf or some shit like that? Not a wizard?
Trey kept his gun trained on the person in front of the computer and flipped on the room light.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he muttered.
The person encased in nothing but his boxers and VR gear wasn’t a dangerous wizard or an Oriceran, but a human kid, probably twelve or thirteen at most.
Trey shouldered his rifle and walked over to the computer. Apparently, their dangerous bounty was playing some sort of VR shooting game.
Several more bounty hunters made it into the room and the men spread out, shouldering their rifles and watching. The rest waited in the hall.
Judging by the screen, the VR King was running through a virtual corridor of an Oriceran castle shooting various Kilomea and elves with a simulated rifle.
“Yeah, suck on it,” the kid yelled. “You can’t fucking handle this heat. You are all a bunch of whiny motherfucking bitches who couldn’t get a positive KDA if your whore mother offered to blow you over it. You think I’m a kid using a voice modulator? You wish I was, you dumbass piece-of-shit cocksucker dog-fucker. I’m a fucking nightmare. I’m fucking you up the ass right now, and you don’t even know it. Maybe I’ll use a spell, trace your ass, and then fireball you for fucking questioning me, you non-magical bitch.”
Trey whistled. “Damn! That boy’s got a mouth. I don’t know if I’m old enough to hear this.”
The rest of the bounty hunters laughed.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” the VR King shouted. “No one is in the room with me. You’re just hearing shit. I told you, I play this shit using magic from Oriceran because humans are nothing but pussy bitches. I do this to help me train. I’m gonna fuck up people next in real life. AET. James Brownstone. Those cocksucking motherfuckers are gonna cry when the VR King comes for them.”
Trey shook his head and marched over to the boy, yanked off the headset, and tossed it on the desk.
“What the fuck, Mom?” the VR King screamed. “I told you never to do that shit.” He spun toward Trey and all the color drained from his face. “Uh, who are you?”
All the anger and feigned street accent left the boy’s voice.
Trey crossed his arms. “You’re the VR King? The guy with a level-one bounty?”
The boy laughed nervously. “Look, that wasn’t even me. I read about it on some message board, and I just took credit for it. Oh shit. You’re the cops? You’re AET, aren’t you?”
Trey shook his head. “We’re with the Brownstone Agency. We heard that a wizard named the VR King was threatening to kill our boss, so we decided to go catch his ass first.”
The VR King groaned and lowered his head. “It’s all just shit-talking. Psych warfare, you know? If people think I’m a badass wizard in real life, they don’t play as well, and I do better against them. Besides, kill James Brownstone?” The kid laughed, the confidence and street accent returning. “I don’t think a fucking army of zombie dragons could kill James Motherfucking Brownstone.”
The men all chuckled, and Trey nodded.
“Ain’t no point in bringing in a kid who ain’t even the bounty. Next time, pick some other guy to threaten.” Trey shrugged. “We ain’t paying for the door, though.”
The kid winced. “Man, my mom will freak. She’s going to take my computer away.”
Trey laughed and shook his head. “Let’s go, boys. If this is how this shit starts, we're gonna have to run down a lot of leads.”
Chapter Eight
Shay laughed, from the other side of the couch. “So far your investigation has netted a bunch of wannabes and one foul-mouthed pre-teen?”
James grunted.
Shit, I’m glad she’s back, but I don’t know who I want more: worried Shay or mocking Shay.
“The guys are chasing down leads from Heather.”
“Peyton’s still on vacation, but I can make him work remotely.”
James shook his head. “It’s fine. I’ve also got Tyler working the underworld angle more directly.” He shrugged. “And there might not be shit to find. Those four guys I killed might have been it.”
Shay snorted. “Bullshit. Whenever people start taking shots at you, it never stops with the first few idiots.” She frowned. “This shit’s gonna escalate. As fun as fake wizards are, there are real people out there who want you dead. I wouldn’t be
surprised if the first guys were just to feel you out. You should be considering getting out of town for a few weeks until we can chase this all down.”
“No fucking way. I’m not afraid of those assholes. If they have to test me, then they don’t have what it takes to kill me. So fuck them. I’ll kill every one of the bastards who comes at me.” He scoffed.
Shay rolled her eyes. “It’ll be really inconvenient if someone blows your house up again, and if you have to live at my place, keep in mind it’s gonna be my rules, not your OCD KISS Brownstone shit.”
James scrubbed a hand over his face. “Fuck. I should issue a public challenge. Just get them to come at me all at once. Tyler can even make some money off it.”
“No.” Shay slapped her hands on her hips. “No fucking way. We’re not gonna give up any shit to anyone until we know who we’re dealing with. For all you know, the minute you do that, you give them some special spell focus they can use to melt your balls.” She leaned forward. “Not only that, but they already didn’t mind going after you in public. If you issue a public challenge, they might not let you pick a dried-up lakebed. They might just decide to come after you in the middle of LA. You ever think about that?”
James frowned. “Then I’ll just wait until Tyler and Heather turn something up.” He leaned back against the couch. “I’m annoyed at all this shit. It’s so fucking complicated. How many asses do I need to kick before people understand they don’t fucking come after me?”
Tyler took a breath and slowly stood, staring down at the message on his computer.
No, no, no. I don’t want to have to go there again. Not so soon.
A light knock came from his office door.
“Come in.”
Kathy stepped in, a slight smirk on her face. “You going to hide back here all night, Tyler?”
He frowned. “I’m not hiding. I’m looking into this Brownstone hit.”
The smirk vanished, overwritten by curiosity. “Any luck?”
Tyler blew out a breath. “The few things I’ve found make me think this isn’t over, and this is a lot more hardcore magic than anyone realizes.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m going to have to hit some magical contacts.”
Kathy closed the door, crossed her arms, and leaned against the wall. “So? Dannec doesn’t even charge you that much, all things considered.”
“If only it were that easy.” He shook his head. “Fuck, from what I’ve found out these guys are linked to serious dark magic. Dannec won’t cut it. I’m going to have to go to the Eyes.”
Kathy snickered. “That thing or guy or whatever the hell he is redefines ‘creepy as fuck.’” She shook her head. “You’re gonna end up dead if you keep sticking your nose into things you don’t understand.”
Tyler scoffed. “That’s what being an information broker is. No way you can reach the top if you’re afraid of a few…weird contacts.” He narrowed his eyes. “You know what. You should go talk to the Eyes.”
She paled. “What?”
He pointed at her. “You’re always talking about how you want to up your game. Well, time to put on your big-girl panties and prove it. If you want to be more than a third-rate backup for me, you’ll need to learn to deal with guys like the Eyes.”
Kathy swallowed and forced a grin onto her face. “Sure. Bring it on. If the guy hasn’t eaten you yet, he’ll love me.”
Tyler smirked. “Keep in mind that whatever he is, he’s not human, so being a hot brunette isn’t going to mean shit.”
Kathy winked. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a lot more assets than a nice pair of tits and a great ass.” She stepped out of the room and slammed the door too hard.
More nervous than you’re letting on? Good. You shouldn’t be relaxed around the Eyes. It’s safer that way.
Tyler fell back into his chair and shook his head. It’d be a good test, and he needed to make better use of the beautiful and intelligent woman anyway.
Brownstone’s got a whole fucking army working under him now. I’ve been so greedy that I’ve been too afraid to hire another bartender, and I fired all the waitresses.
He shook his head. Losing to Brownstone in ass-kicking or intimidation was one thing, but some things weren’t acceptable.
Tyler slammed his fist on the desk. “There’s no damned way I can let Brownstone be a better businessman than me.”
James wandered down the sidewalk several blocks from his house. Every once in a while, someone would pass him in a car and give him a wave or a nod.
He chuckled. Although he’d hosted several community barbeque events, it was rare that he walked around his neighborhood. He wasn’t sure if people were more or less comfortable with the famous James Brownstone after those.
Community outreach wasn’t his goal, though. Ever since he’d almost hit the dog, he hadn’t been able to get it out of his mind. Was the dog a pet? A stray? Some rich family’s dog who had gotten lost and was far from home?
James grunted.
Rich family? Shit. I could buy up most of this neighborhood. I keep telling myself I’m not some rich asshole, but I could stop bounty hunting right now and not know how to spend all the money I already have.
He patted his chest. The last thing he wanted to do was have a major fight in his neighborhood, but if any trouble looked like it was coming, he could bond with the amulet in seconds.
Shit. Maybe I should just be bonded to Whispy all the time.
No, that was a terrible idea. He narrowed his eyes. Maybe the only reason he was still in control was that he didn’t keep himself constantly connected to the amulet. What would it be like to have Whispy Doom in his head all the time? The damned amulet could nag him into submission if anything could.
James kept moving. He needed to find the dog. Once he did, he could get it out of his head, and it’d be one less thing distracting him. One less thing making his life more complicated.
The seconds stretched into minutes, and then into an hour before he finally caught sight of familiar dark fur in an alley behind a convenience store. James charged toward the alley.
A couple coming out of the grocery store yelped and hurried back inside.
Shit. I’m not going after a bounty, people.
This time he got a good look at the dog. Dark, short, flat coat and floppy ears, good size, probably over sixty pounds. James wasn’t an expert, but he’d read enough websites on dogs when he’d first gotten Leeroy to have memorized many breeds. If he had to guess, he’d say the dog was a mix of a Labrador Retriever and Weimaraner. That made the dog a so-called Labmaraner.
He wasn’t sure if some people would consider the dog a designer breed or just a mutt.
The dog zipped down the alley before he could get close to it. James picked up the pace, but despite all his gifts, an impressive sprinting speed wasn’t one of them.
He reached the end of the alley and looked both ways down the street. No sign of the dog.
“Fuck. Why is the dog running? Oh, because some huge tattooed asshole is chasing him.” James let out a loud groan and scrubbed his face with his hand.
There’s got to be a better way to find that dog.
Chapter Nine
Kathy tried to steady her hands as she stepped up to the fearsome Kilomea guarding the double doors to the Eyes’ converted warehouse.
Purple suit and gold chains? Tyler wasn’t kidding. The guy really does look like an ogre pimp.
The Kilomea silently stared down at Kathy, curling and uncurling his meaty hands.
Yeah, I get it. You’re super-intimidating.
“I’m here to see the Eyes,” she managed to say without a single squeak. “On behalf of Tyler.”
The Kilomea sneered. “What? He piss himself last time he was here, so he sends you?”
Kathy shrugged. “Something like that. Maybe.”
The bouncer snickered and threw open the doors. “You know where to go?”
She nodded quickly.
“Then fucking hurry. I’m on
ly letting you in because my boss says he’s taking a liking to Tyler.” The Kilomea gave her a toothy grin. “Maybe someday he’ll take his soul.”
He’s just trying to fuck with you. Don’t react.
Kathy shrugged. “That sounds…interesting, but I should really talk to him. Time-sensitive matter.”
She managed a grin and stepped through the doors. They slammed shut behind her, and she sighed deeply. A second later, she coughed on the thick smoke in the air and shook her head, hurrying straight down the hallway and doing her best to ignore all the people lying about, not dead, but their minds elsewhere, the flicker of magic around them.
Always got to find a new way to get high. That’s humanity for you.
When Kathy arrived at her destination, another set of double doors, she was surprised by the presence of two gnomes. Tyler had told her to expect an elf and a human guard.
One of the gnomes eyed her with obvious disdain.
Wonder what a gnome is looking for in a hot woman? Probably not someone taller than him.
“What?” the gnome barked.
Kathy straightened her back to project confidence. “I’m here to see the Eyes on behalf of Tyler.”
The gnomes exchanged glances, and the first one knocked once. He held out his hand. “Your purse. Or you can just give us the gun inside it.”
Kathy snorted and handed the gnome her purse.
The gnome sneered. “Enjoy your visit, Miss.”
Annoyance outweighed her fear, and she rolled her eyes.
Fuck you. Men are fucking annoying whether they are tall or short.
The gnome opened one of the doors.
Kathy stepped inside the dimly lit and empty room and took several deep breaths as the gnome slammed the door shut. She waved her hand to try to push some of the smoke out of her face.
She sensed them before she worked up the courage to turn toward them, the two solid-yellow glowing eyes not attached to a body. She blinked, and for a second she thought she could make out the vague outline of a shape beneath and around them, but it was gone as soon as she concentrated.
Karma Is A Bitch: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone Book 12) Page 7