Read Online mission magic 01 - the incubus job by Diana Pharaoh Francis - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Diana Pharaoh Francis
Tags: adventure, Romance, Fantasy, Contemporary, Crime, Paranormal, Magic, Mystery, Action, Murder, Incubus, Ghosts, alpha male, love, witch, sorcery, tattoo, gritty, Ghost, Romantic, wealthy, demon, hero, psychic, passion, dark, shapeshifter, shape shifter, mage, lovers, wizard, darkness, Metaphysical, spell, sorcerer, spells, Sorceress, caper, warlock, strong female heroine, old flame, snark, wicked devil, possessive
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idiot.”
“Oh really? Then what was all that business a minute ago about how I’m stupid and take risks?”
“I said you take stupid risks, not that you’re stupid or incompetent.”
“Newsflash. I do what’s necessary. I’m fucking good at my job. I don’t need anybody’s protection, and I sure as hell don’t need you treating me like I’m five years old.”
He sucked a breath in between clenched teeth. “If the shoe fits.” He touched the scar on my face.
I jerked away. “You know what? You can go to hell. I knew nothing good could come of seeing you again.”
He flinched. His hand clenched. “You know that I’m not going to let you just walk away from me this time, don’t you?”
I shrugged and started walking again, giving him a sideways glance. He looked as if he could rip apart steel with his teeth. “I said I wasn’t going to run. Though I don’t see how talking is going to change anything.”
“You’re wrong.”
“Of course I am,” I muttered. Along with stupid and reckless. I decided to change the subject. “How did the incubus die?”
“Messily.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“No.”
So much for conversation. I fell silent. I began to wonder who had killed the incubus and why. I didn’t know much of anything about him beyond what he looked like and that he liked fast cars and luxury, so I didn’t know if someone out of his own past had come for him or if it was about the box. If it were the latter, I wondered if the killer had taken it. If so, I’d be out the door sooner rather than later and whether or not Law and I had our little talk.
“Any evidence as to who might have done it?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” Law said cryptically.
I refused to be put off. “Did LeeAnne find the body?”
“It’s what she came to tell me in your suite, yes.”
That didn’t answer the question, but it wasn’t important. “She must be going nuts. First a poltergeist, now a murder. Whatever will the guests think?”
“She’s handling it. She’d good at her job.”
Why it bothered me that he defended her, I don’t know. I believed that he hadn’t slept with her, not that it was any of my business. Even if I wanted it to be. The bad thing was that I still ached for him. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed him in my life. It wasn’t just the sex; it wasn’t even mostly the sex. I missed his voice and the way he argued with me and the way he always thought he was right, even when he wasn’t. A tiny part of me even liked the way he worried about me and tried to protect me, whether I needed it or not. And I liked the way he talked to the ghosts.
“I have a question for you,” Law said. “Why did the little girl ghost get so worked up that you had to push her loose?”
Another reason I loved Law. He was smart and he had a knack for pulling puzzles apart and making sense of them. Unfortunately he had aimed that sharp intellect at me.
“She thought coming to Effrayant was too dangerous.”
“Why?”
We’d never lied to each other, and I wasn’t starting now. That didn’t mean I was eager to tell him. When I didn’t answer, he stopped and faced me. We’d reached the bottom of the stairwell. I stood just above him on the last step so I was practically nose to nose with him.
“Just what aren’t you telling me, Mallory?” he asked, his eyes accusing. “What scares a poltergeist so bad, she goes on a rampage in a very public place?”
Chapter 4
Part of me wanted to blink innocently and say, “Why, sir, whatever do you mean?” in one of those syrupy Southern accents from Gone with the Wind. Part of me wanted to keep living.
“I don’t know what set her off.”
Law’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. “Bullshit.”
I shrugged. I don’t know that I’d have believed it either. “It’s true. This whole job, she’s been upset, but when we got to Effrayant, she lost her marbles. Didn’t want to come in.”
“Of course you didn’t listen,” he
“Oh really? Then what was all that business a minute ago about how I’m stupid and take risks?”
“I said you take stupid risks, not that you’re stupid or incompetent.”
“Newsflash. I do what’s necessary. I’m fucking good at my job. I don’t need anybody’s protection, and I sure as hell don’t need you treating me like I’m five years old.”
He sucked a breath in between clenched teeth. “If the shoe fits.” He touched the scar on my face.
I jerked away. “You know what? You can go to hell. I knew nothing good could come of seeing you again.”
He flinched. His hand clenched. “You know that I’m not going to let you just walk away from me this time, don’t you?”
I shrugged and started walking again, giving him a sideways glance. He looked as if he could rip apart steel with his teeth. “I said I wasn’t going to run. Though I don’t see how talking is going to change anything.”
“You’re wrong.”
“Of course I am,” I muttered. Along with stupid and reckless. I decided to change the subject. “How did the incubus die?”
“Messily.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“No.”
So much for conversation. I fell silent. I began to wonder who had killed the incubus and why. I didn’t know much of anything about him beyond what he looked like and that he liked fast cars and luxury, so I didn’t know if someone out of his own past had come for him or if it was about the box. If it were the latter, I wondered if the killer had taken it. If so, I’d be out the door sooner rather than later and whether or not Law and I had our little talk.
“Any evidence as to who might have done it?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” Law said cryptically.
I refused to be put off. “Did LeeAnne find the body?”
“It’s what she came to tell me in your suite, yes.”
That didn’t answer the question, but it wasn’t important. “She must be going nuts. First a poltergeist, now a murder. Whatever will the guests think?”
“She’s handling it. She’d good at her job.”
Why it bothered me that he defended her, I don’t know. I believed that he hadn’t slept with her, not that it was any of my business. Even if I wanted it to be. The bad thing was that I still ached for him. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed him in my life. It wasn’t just the sex; it wasn’t even mostly the sex. I missed his voice and the way he argued with me and the way he always thought he was right, even when he wasn’t. A tiny part of me even liked the way he worried about me and tried to protect me, whether I needed it or not. And I liked the way he talked to the ghosts.
“I have a question for you,” Law said. “Why did the little girl ghost get so worked up that you had to push her loose?”
Another reason I loved Law. He was smart and he had a knack for pulling puzzles apart and making sense of them. Unfortunately he had aimed that sharp intellect at me.
“She thought coming to Effrayant was too dangerous.”
“Why?”
We’d never lied to each other, and I wasn’t starting now. That didn’t mean I was eager to tell him. When I didn’t answer, he stopped and faced me. We’d reached the bottom of the stairwell. I stood just above him on the last step so I was practically nose to nose with him.
“Just what aren’t you telling me, Mallory?” he asked, his eyes accusing. “What scares a poltergeist so bad, she goes on a rampage in a very public place?”
Chapter 4
Part of me wanted to blink innocently and say, “Why, sir, whatever do you mean?” in one of those syrupy Southern accents from Gone with the Wind. Part of me wanted to keep living.
“I don’t know what set her off.”
Law’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. “Bullshit.”
I shrugged. I don’t know that I’d have believed it either. “It’s true. This whole job, she’s been upset, but when we got to Effrayant, she lost her marbles. Didn’t want to come in.”
“Of course you didn’t listen,” he
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