about this information?”
She rolled her eyes. “Misdirection isn’t going to work. You’re stalling.” She looked right at him. “You said we needed to talk. Tell me what happened.”
The picture was becoming clearer. She had been quiet most of the way back. Something had set her on edge and all signs pointed right to the boss, which was my cue to get the hell out of here. Domestic disputes were more their thing than mine.
“The jinn want to join us. I told them we would consider it,” he said evenly.
Holden wasn’t one to mince his words, but there had been probably better ways to present this idea to someone in Olivia’s situation. She had a natural reaction when it came to demons and jinn. Her knee-jerk would always be to destroy or avoid. However, on the flip side, this was great for us. There was no way we could get in front of this without them. We needed more eyes on the street and more ears listening to the buzz. We’d be fools not to take them up on the offer.
Olivia tugged at her lower lip then pinched the bridge of her nose. “Why would they want to do that?” she asked softly, sending the boss a dangerous look. “Jinn aren’t really self-sacrificing. The demons don’t have a weapon that would work on me.”
“Yet,” he said. “They’ll find one, Liv. Do you think we can fight them off forever?”
She pressed her lips together. At least she wasn’t shutting him out completely. “What do they want in return?”
“To be free.”
Olivia visibly paled, which was saying something since she was white as a ghost normally. I could see the angel angrily fluttering in her eyes at the thought of freeing the jinn. I whistled through my teeth. Honestly, that was a bit much even for me to stomach.
“You have something to say, Baker? Don’t hold back.” Holden shot me a ‘shut the hell up’ look despite his words.
“Not a chance, boss. You’re on your own.” Olivia had more dirt on me now than Holden had ever had. There was no way I would cross her.
He shook his head. “We’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
There was a storm brewing, and Holden was no dummy. He would have an easier time handling her alone than with us here, though Olivia didn’t look like she was in the mood to be handled. Last time Holden tried to free the jinn, she ran away and he backed down. This time, she really didn’t have a choice. We needed their help desperately, and they knew it. Olivia had to get on board or all of our days were numbered.
Femi grinned wide as she strutted toward the door. I followed her, still sore as hell.
“Baker,” Holden called out when I reached the door. I stopped and looked back. “Try not to get your ass kicked tonight.”
“You betcha, boss.” I saluted both of them and closed the door behind me. Hopefully, the angel was too pissed at whatever angle she thought the boss was running to deem tonight the best time to tell him about Maggie.
Maggie.
What was I going to do with her? I had my doubts that Olivia would ever free the jinn, and I couldn’t blame her for that. They weren’t to be trusted. The complete chaos and havoc they could lay on the Abyss would be staggering. Without their help, though, we had to find a way to either appease Hell or make them not care about Olivia and Holden. She could have walked into the church today and cleared out the cell, but another one would have risen in its place. And there was no guarantee we would find the next one or that this was the only demon hideout in the city. There was absolutely no way I could string Maggie along for an endless amount of time. Plus, her life was short. Despite Olivia’s hopeful attitude, the responsible thing to do was cut Maggie loose. She didn’t need to be introduced into this world.
I walked up the brick steps of my house, legs heavy. All I wanted to do was crawl into my bed and never get out. My house was small and it wasn’t in a great part of town. It had been Shorty’s house, and when he died,
She rolled her eyes. “Misdirection isn’t going to work. You’re stalling.” She looked right at him. “You said we needed to talk. Tell me what happened.”
The picture was becoming clearer. She had been quiet most of the way back. Something had set her on edge and all signs pointed right to the boss, which was my cue to get the hell out of here. Domestic disputes were more their thing than mine.
“The jinn want to join us. I told them we would consider it,” he said evenly.
Holden wasn’t one to mince his words, but there had been probably better ways to present this idea to someone in Olivia’s situation. She had a natural reaction when it came to demons and jinn. Her knee-jerk would always be to destroy or avoid. However, on the flip side, this was great for us. There was no way we could get in front of this without them. We needed more eyes on the street and more ears listening to the buzz. We’d be fools not to take them up on the offer.
Olivia tugged at her lower lip then pinched the bridge of her nose. “Why would they want to do that?” she asked softly, sending the boss a dangerous look. “Jinn aren’t really self-sacrificing. The demons don’t have a weapon that would work on me.”
“Yet,” he said. “They’ll find one, Liv. Do you think we can fight them off forever?”
She pressed her lips together. At least she wasn’t shutting him out completely. “What do they want in return?”
“To be free.”
Olivia visibly paled, which was saying something since she was white as a ghost normally. I could see the angel angrily fluttering in her eyes at the thought of freeing the jinn. I whistled through my teeth. Honestly, that was a bit much even for me to stomach.
“You have something to say, Baker? Don’t hold back.” Holden shot me a ‘shut the hell up’ look despite his words.
“Not a chance, boss. You’re on your own.” Olivia had more dirt on me now than Holden had ever had. There was no way I would cross her.
He shook his head. “We’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
There was a storm brewing, and Holden was no dummy. He would have an easier time handling her alone than with us here, though Olivia didn’t look like she was in the mood to be handled. Last time Holden tried to free the jinn, she ran away and he backed down. This time, she really didn’t have a choice. We needed their help desperately, and they knew it. Olivia had to get on board or all of our days were numbered.
Femi grinned wide as she strutted toward the door. I followed her, still sore as hell.
“Baker,” Holden called out when I reached the door. I stopped and looked back. “Try not to get your ass kicked tonight.”
“You betcha, boss.” I saluted both of them and closed the door behind me. Hopefully, the angel was too pissed at whatever angle she thought the boss was running to deem tonight the best time to tell him about Maggie.
Maggie.
What was I going to do with her? I had my doubts that Olivia would ever free the jinn, and I couldn’t blame her for that. They weren’t to be trusted. The complete chaos and havoc they could lay on the Abyss would be staggering. Without their help, though, we had to find a way to either appease Hell or make them not care about Olivia and Holden. She could have walked into the church today and cleared out the cell, but another one would have risen in its place. And there was no guarantee we would find the next one or that this was the only demon hideout in the city. There was absolutely no way I could string Maggie along for an endless amount of time. Plus, her life was short. Despite Olivia’s hopeful attitude, the responsible thing to do was cut Maggie loose. She didn’t need to be introduced into this world.
I walked up the brick steps of my house, legs heavy. All I wanted to do was crawl into my bed and never get out. My house was small and it wasn’t in a great part of town. It had been Shorty’s house, and when he died,
Similar Books
