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Authors: Jenna Ryan
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her around beside him, into a one-armed throat lock that had her seeing spots.
“Take your holy book and beat it, preacher.”
When her head cleared, Raven saw a second man standing placidly in front of them. A little bent and a lot scruffy, he sported a chest-length beard, thick glasses and a hat pulled low over his forehead.
“You leave her alone.” The threat was clear even if his reedy voice barely carried over the confusion.
“Don’t see a weapon anywhere.” The arm around her throat flexed, making it impossible for her to swallow. “You gonna hit me with your book if I don’t obey?”
“It’s an option,” a smoother voice inserted from behind. “But I like my way better.”
Aidan...
The man beside her made a sudden strangled sound. The bearded reverend melted quietly into the shadows.
“Let her go,” Aidan advised her captor. “You’ve got two seconds before I drop you and let a bunch of panicking people use you as a floor mat.”
“Bas—” The man choked, flexed his arm briefly, then released her with a shove.
Still behind him, Aidan tightened his sleeper hold on the biker. “You’ve got a lot of mean in you, pal.” Dark eyes glinting, he snugged his forearm until the man’s head lolled.
Raven massaged her abused windpipe. “Aidan.”
“Bullies piss me off,” he said, but shoved his prisoner into the wall and let go.
The man dropped to the floor.
“Are you hurt?” Aidan asked.
“No...bird,” she cautioned, and dipped to avoid it.
Taking her hand, he drew her toward an as yet undiscovered side door. Raven grabbed the blonde under the table.
“It’s a sign,” the woman warbled. “The evil infected two people in the past, and it’s ready to pestitilate...pestilent...Reverend Alley says it’s gonna get someone again.”
“Reverend Alley?” Aidan kept them moving.
“Fanatic,” Raven told him. “Gotta be here for Ravenspell. He tried to help me.”
“And there they are.” Pausing, Aidan indicated three young men who were helping themselves to the money in the bar owner’s cash drawer. “The instigators of tonight’s bird drama.”
Raven peered at the trio. “They look kind of...tough.”
“They look it,” he agreed. “Let’s see if they act it.”
“Interesting answer, Lieutenant.”
Her speculative tone elicited a faint smile. “Three punks don’t equal Johnny Demars.” Aidan kicked the stuck exit door. “Get to the Jeep, and lock yourselves in. There’s a robbery I need to screw up before we leave.”
Raven tugged her hand free. “I’m not going anywhere without Rooney.”
“Your hypothyroid server ushered him out first thing. Under protest, but he’s long gone.”
“Why do I feel like a less-than-great-granddaughter? Go,” she told him, then pushed the blonde ahead of her. “I know where we parked.”
“This way, ladies, if you please.”
The bearded reverend startled her with his unexpected appearance. While Aidan went one-on-three with the thieves behind the bar, Raven found herself being propelled into a back lane where the shadows hung thick and unwelcoming.
Reverend Alley aimed a finger at Raven. “Take care, distant daughter of Hezekiah Blume. The evil that comes will surely seek you out. You and the man you love. You must be strong, have faith and, above all, be clever. Fail in any one of these areas, and you will die. Both of you will die. And mark me, this time the dying will be entirely real.”
The woman sagged against Raven’s arm as the reverend backed slowly away.
“Wait a minute,” she said. Then lightning flashed and she caught a glimpse of his eyes.
His black, red-rimmed eyes.
* * *
N OT GOOD , RAVEN THOUGHT . Not necessarily real, but not something she’d needed to see after everything that had happened that night.
Red-rimmed eyes were her ancestor’s affectation. Real or fake, they had no place in her life. On the other hand, this was Raven’s Cove, where weird was more or less a synonym for
“Take your holy book and beat it, preacher.”
When her head cleared, Raven saw a second man standing placidly in front of them. A little bent and a lot scruffy, he sported a chest-length beard, thick glasses and a hat pulled low over his forehead.
“You leave her alone.” The threat was clear even if his reedy voice barely carried over the confusion.
“Don’t see a weapon anywhere.” The arm around her throat flexed, making it impossible for her to swallow. “You gonna hit me with your book if I don’t obey?”
“It’s an option,” a smoother voice inserted from behind. “But I like my way better.”
Aidan...
The man beside her made a sudden strangled sound. The bearded reverend melted quietly into the shadows.
“Let her go,” Aidan advised her captor. “You’ve got two seconds before I drop you and let a bunch of panicking people use you as a floor mat.”
“Bas—” The man choked, flexed his arm briefly, then released her with a shove.
Still behind him, Aidan tightened his sleeper hold on the biker. “You’ve got a lot of mean in you, pal.” Dark eyes glinting, he snugged his forearm until the man’s head lolled.
Raven massaged her abused windpipe. “Aidan.”
“Bullies piss me off,” he said, but shoved his prisoner into the wall and let go.
The man dropped to the floor.
“Are you hurt?” Aidan asked.
“No...bird,” she cautioned, and dipped to avoid it.
Taking her hand, he drew her toward an as yet undiscovered side door. Raven grabbed the blonde under the table.
“It’s a sign,” the woman warbled. “The evil infected two people in the past, and it’s ready to pestitilate...pestilent...Reverend Alley says it’s gonna get someone again.”
“Reverend Alley?” Aidan kept them moving.
“Fanatic,” Raven told him. “Gotta be here for Ravenspell. He tried to help me.”
“And there they are.” Pausing, Aidan indicated three young men who were helping themselves to the money in the bar owner’s cash drawer. “The instigators of tonight’s bird drama.”
Raven peered at the trio. “They look kind of...tough.”
“They look it,” he agreed. “Let’s see if they act it.”
“Interesting answer, Lieutenant.”
Her speculative tone elicited a faint smile. “Three punks don’t equal Johnny Demars.” Aidan kicked the stuck exit door. “Get to the Jeep, and lock yourselves in. There’s a robbery I need to screw up before we leave.”
Raven tugged her hand free. “I’m not going anywhere without Rooney.”
“Your hypothyroid server ushered him out first thing. Under protest, but he’s long gone.”
“Why do I feel like a less-than-great-granddaughter? Go,” she told him, then pushed the blonde ahead of her. “I know where we parked.”
“This way, ladies, if you please.”
The bearded reverend startled her with his unexpected appearance. While Aidan went one-on-three with the thieves behind the bar, Raven found herself being propelled into a back lane where the shadows hung thick and unwelcoming.
Reverend Alley aimed a finger at Raven. “Take care, distant daughter of Hezekiah Blume. The evil that comes will surely seek you out. You and the man you love. You must be strong, have faith and, above all, be clever. Fail in any one of these areas, and you will die. Both of you will die. And mark me, this time the dying will be entirely real.”
The woman sagged against Raven’s arm as the reverend backed slowly away.
“Wait a minute,” she said. Then lightning flashed and she caught a glimpse of his eyes.
His black, red-rimmed eyes.
* * *
N OT GOOD , RAVEN THOUGHT . Not necessarily real, but not something she’d needed to see after everything that had happened that night.
Red-rimmed eyes were her ancestor’s affectation. Real or fake, they had no place in her life. On the other hand, this was Raven’s Cove, where weird was more or less a synonym for
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