Read Online The Serpent in the Stone (The Gifted Series) by Nicki Greenwood - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Nicki Greenwood
Ads: Link
cases. A radio stuffed between stacks of old books droned out a staticky racing broadcast.
The weedy, grizzled man behind the counter glanced up when they entered, then went back to puffing on his cigarette over the newspaper. Ian saw a few gruesome knives in the cases and speculated at their previous use. He bent close to Sara ’ s ear and whispered, “ If this is a jeweler ’ s, I ’ m the king of England. ”
Sara turned her back on the shopkeeper and murmured, “ Just follow my lead, okay? ”
She turned around again, and Ian wondered why she didn ’ t move forward. She stood still a moment, just looking at the shop ’ s proprietor. He was about to ask why she waited, but she walked to the counter, withdrew a leather billfold from her pocket, then slapped it down.
The man snapped to attention and dropped the stub of his cigarette on the paper. It began to singe a hole in the sports page. He patted at it with frantic motions, gave up, then doused it with the half pint of beer sitting beside the cash register. “ Whassis? ” he blustered, sopping up the mess with a dirty handkerchief plucked from his belt.
“ This should be sufficient to pay off your substantial gambling debts, plus a little more to renew your good standing at the pub, Mister MacRae. ”
The man ’ s bloodshot eyes narrowed at her. “ Why? ” he shot back, which Ian took to mean Why would you want to help me?
Ian would have liked to know that and more, himself. How the hell did she know the shopkeeper had gambling debts?
“ Let ’ s just say I know your creditors, and I ’ d hate to see them ruin your good looks. Do you want it, or not? ” she asked.
Ian watched the man ’ s gaze shift from the billfold to the gap in the counter, and then to the shop door. He slid into the gap and blocked it with a casual air. When the man gave him a dirty look, Ian answered it with a philosophical tilt of his head.
MacRae turned his sneer back on Sara. “ What do you want out o ’ me? ”
Sara set her locket on the counter, followed by another, golden one. She reached into her pocket once more, then set the last item down. Her hair swung forward so that Ian couldn ’ t see her eyes. She took her hand away. The stone necklace rested on the stained wood. “ I want you to fix this. ”
MacRae peered at the amulet as if he expected it to jump up and bite him. “ What kind o ’ trinket you got there? ”
She showed her teeth. “ A birthday present. ”
The man grunted and scooped up the lockets.
“ I want you to melt those down into oval beads, ” she said. “ One goes in one side of this necklace, and one in the other. You give me my present back in one piece, and ” —she picked up the billfold and stuffed it back in her pocket— “ I give you your pretty face. ”
She spoke pleasantly enough, but the underlying menace in her tone made Ian ’ s skin crawl. He hadn ’ t thought her capable. He hadn ’ t wanted to think so.
Of course she was capable. He itched with the desire to be anywhere else. Away from this insanity.
Away from her.
The shop owner divided a guarded look between Sara and Ian. “ Who are you people? ”
She held out her hand for the lockets. “ If you ’ re not interested— ”
“ I didn ’ t say that. ”
“ Good. ” She beamed. “ We ’ ll wait in the pub, then, shall we? ”
They entered the Rampant Lion to the roaring din of arm-wrestling customers at one end of the bar. Smoke lay thick on the air, mingling with the pungent odor of unwashed bodies. Ian bought two cups of coffee and set them on the table at the back of the pub, well away from the impromptu test of manhood. He sat down across from Sara. “ What did you do to that guy in the pawn shop? ”
“What makes you think I did something to him?”
“ I ’ ve never seen a guy cave under pressure that fast, is what. ”
She studied him. “ I thought you didn ’ t want to know anything about me. ”
He took a swallow of his
The weedy, grizzled man behind the counter glanced up when they entered, then went back to puffing on his cigarette over the newspaper. Ian saw a few gruesome knives in the cases and speculated at their previous use. He bent close to Sara ’ s ear and whispered, “ If this is a jeweler ’ s, I ’ m the king of England. ”
Sara turned her back on the shopkeeper and murmured, “ Just follow my lead, okay? ”
She turned around again, and Ian wondered why she didn ’ t move forward. She stood still a moment, just looking at the shop ’ s proprietor. He was about to ask why she waited, but she walked to the counter, withdrew a leather billfold from her pocket, then slapped it down.
The man snapped to attention and dropped the stub of his cigarette on the paper. It began to singe a hole in the sports page. He patted at it with frantic motions, gave up, then doused it with the half pint of beer sitting beside the cash register. “ Whassis? ” he blustered, sopping up the mess with a dirty handkerchief plucked from his belt.
“ This should be sufficient to pay off your substantial gambling debts, plus a little more to renew your good standing at the pub, Mister MacRae. ”
The man ’ s bloodshot eyes narrowed at her. “ Why? ” he shot back, which Ian took to mean Why would you want to help me?
Ian would have liked to know that and more, himself. How the hell did she know the shopkeeper had gambling debts?
“ Let ’ s just say I know your creditors, and I ’ d hate to see them ruin your good looks. Do you want it, or not? ” she asked.
Ian watched the man ’ s gaze shift from the billfold to the gap in the counter, and then to the shop door. He slid into the gap and blocked it with a casual air. When the man gave him a dirty look, Ian answered it with a philosophical tilt of his head.
MacRae turned his sneer back on Sara. “ What do you want out o ’ me? ”
Sara set her locket on the counter, followed by another, golden one. She reached into her pocket once more, then set the last item down. Her hair swung forward so that Ian couldn ’ t see her eyes. She took her hand away. The stone necklace rested on the stained wood. “ I want you to fix this. ”
MacRae peered at the amulet as if he expected it to jump up and bite him. “ What kind o ’ trinket you got there? ”
She showed her teeth. “ A birthday present. ”
The man grunted and scooped up the lockets.
“ I want you to melt those down into oval beads, ” she said. “ One goes in one side of this necklace, and one in the other. You give me my present back in one piece, and ” —she picked up the billfold and stuffed it back in her pocket— “ I give you your pretty face. ”
She spoke pleasantly enough, but the underlying menace in her tone made Ian ’ s skin crawl. He hadn ’ t thought her capable. He hadn ’ t wanted to think so.
Of course she was capable. He itched with the desire to be anywhere else. Away from this insanity.
Away from her.
The shop owner divided a guarded look between Sara and Ian. “ Who are you people? ”
She held out her hand for the lockets. “ If you ’ re not interested— ”
“ I didn ’ t say that. ”
“ Good. ” She beamed. “ We ’ ll wait in the pub, then, shall we? ”
They entered the Rampant Lion to the roaring din of arm-wrestling customers at one end of the bar. Smoke lay thick on the air, mingling with the pungent odor of unwashed bodies. Ian bought two cups of coffee and set them on the table at the back of the pub, well away from the impromptu test of manhood. He sat down across from Sara. “ What did you do to that guy in the pawn shop? ”
“What makes you think I did something to him?”
“ I ’ ve never seen a guy cave under pressure that fast, is what. ”
She studied him. “ I thought you didn ’ t want to know anything about me. ”
He took a swallow of his
Similar Books
