Elemental Assassin 01 - Spider's Bite

number 7. Like me, Finn had the dwarf programmed into his speed dial. The phone rang twice before she picked up.
    “Hmph?” The low grunt was Sophia Deveraux’s usual greeting. The dwarf wasn’t big on conversation.
    “It’s Gin,” I said. “I’ve made a mess over at Finn’s apartment. Need you to come clean it up.”
    “Hmm.” A little more interest in this grunt than the first one.
    “Two inside, one before you get to the elevator. Small, medium, and large.” Our code for a human, a half giant, and a giant.
    “Damage?” Her voice rasped worse than a whiskey-drinking, hard-living chain smoker’s would have. When she did deign to speak, Sophia liked to limit herself to small spurts of syllables. Nothing too strenuous. Then again, her dwarven sister, Jo-Jo, talked enough for both of them.
    I eyed the blood-soaked carpet. Finn might have thought he was hip having that white shag installed, but now it resembled spaghetti covering the floor—with a couple of meatballs on top. “Let’s just say the marble floor outside the apartment will be considerably easier to clean than the carpet inside. You coming?”
    “Um-mmm.” Sophia’s grunt for yes.
    “Good. And be careful. Small, medium, and large might have some friends come check on them later. We’re heading to Jo-Jo’s. See you there.” I hung up the phone and turned back to Finn. “She’s on her way. Go get whatever you need for the next few days. Clothes, your computer, whatever. You’re staying with me until this is over.”
    Finn nodded, got to his feet, and took a step. One of his legs crumpled. He stumbled, swayed, and almost fell over the chair he’d been tied to. I hurried to Finn’s side, put my shoulder under his, and helped him into the bedroom. Finn sat on the bed while I threw some suits, his laptop, and a few more requested items into a duffel bag, along with the wallets and jewelry we’d taken off the dead guys.
    Ten minutes later, the doors on the elevator slid open, revealing the dim parking garage attached to the back of Finn’s building. I helped Finn limp out of the elevator. Dark, dirty concrete rolled out in every direction. Late-model luxury sedans sat waiting in their assigned slips in front of a narrow ramp that angled and turned up to the next level. Fluorescent lights flickered over the vehicles, and a bug zapper hung in one corner. A moth flapping around the zapper decided to land on the glowing, tempting blue surface. The resulting crack and sizzle sounded like a grenade exploding in the enclosed space.
    Finn pointed to a set of stairs that ran between the levels, and we tiptoed down them. The smell of motor oil and trapped exhaust thickened the air. I skimmed the fingers of my free hand against the concrete wall. Sharp notes of worry punctuated the stone’s mutter. Not unusual. Everybody got a little paranoid and claustrophobic in parking garages, even me.
    The low, growling sound didn’t ease my mind. Not after the long, bloody night I’d had. But we made our way down to the second level without incident. I dragged Finn toward the closest car I saw that was his—a flashy silver Aston Martin that would have looked right at home in a James Bond movie. Finn collected cars like other people did knickknacks.
    “No,” Finn groaned. “Not the Aston. Anything but the Aston. I just got it a month ago. The blood will never come out of the leather seats. Even Sophia won’t be able to get it out.”
    “What do you suggest then, your highness?” I snapped.
    He pointed. “Get my Benz. At least it’s burgundy inside.”
    I rolled my eyes but did as he asked. Finnegan Lane might not have been my blood brother, but he annoyed me just like a sibling would. Teasing, nagging, provoking, until I wanted to cut out his tongue and fry it up in a skillet for dinner. Still, I’d do anything for him. Even smear his clotting blood inside the vehicle of his choosing.
    I opened the door on the black Benz, dumped Finn in the front, threw our stuff in the back, and sank into the driver’s seat. The leather felt as soft as a warm mattress, cupping my ass, straightening my spine, supporting my neck and shoulders. Mmm. It felt so good to just sit still for a minute and not worry about my next move—or who might be waiting around the corner to try and take me out. I could have put my head back on the seat and been asleep in under a minute.
    Too bad my night was far from over.
    Two minutes later, we exited the parking garage. I