Elemental Assassin 02 - Web of Lies

restaurant, taking in owen Grayson stared at me a moment more before the faded pig tracks on the floor and the well-worn booths, turning to his sister. “If nothing else, tonight has proven chairs, and tables. Disbelief filled his features, but he was my point about Southtown. From now on, someone will enough of a Southern gentleman not to call me a liar to be with you during school hours.”
    my face. Little did he know I was telling the truth. I’d Eva rolled her eyes again. Looked like something she salted away a lot of money—a lot of money—from my did a lot when her big brother was around. “No. No more assassin jobs over the years, and Fletcher had left me an exbodyguards. I’m nineteen years old, owen. I’m in college . ceptionally healthy bequest in his will. I could hemorrhage I can take care of myself.”
    C-notes for years, decades even, and it wouldn’t hurt a bit.
    “Like you did tonight?” he replied.
    But instead of offering his money to me again, owen
    “Tonight was a freak event, and you know it,” she rereached into his suit and drew out a small white card. I torted. “I’m not going to let you use it as an excuse. Betook it from him. Along with his name and a cell phone sides, I was perfectly safe the whole time.”
    number, a hammer was embossed in silver foil on the
    “That bruise on your cheek tells me otherwise.”
    card. Grayson’s rune. A large, heavy hammer, symbolizing owen glowered at his sister, but the hostile gaze slid strength, power, hard work.
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    Web of Lies 37
    “If you ever need anything, please, don’t hesitate to moved in the cold, quiet night, not even the rats and call, day or night,” he said.
    alley cats searching for garbage. Still, I brushed my finMy finger traced over the hammer rune, and I memgers against the hard brick of the restaurant, using my orized the number. Might not be a bad thing having elemental magic to listen to the stone.
    someone like owen Grayson owe me a favor. Besides, The brick’s slow murmur was one of muted, clogged Finnegan Lane, my foster brother and general partner in contentment—just the way the stomachs and arteries of crime, would kill me if I turned him down. “All right.”
    the Pork Pit’s customers felt after eating a hot, thick, juicy We locked gazes. Cool, calculating, and shrewd, on barbecue sandwich. over time, emotions, feelings, and both sides. Grayson tipped his head at me. I did the same, actions sink into the earth and especially stone, where and we had an agreement.
    they can linger indefinitely until something else, some owen turned to the two women. “Come on, girls. other action, comes along to add to, change, or overTime to go.”
    power them. My elemental Stone magic let me sense He held the door open for them, and they headed outthese vibrations, analyze, interpret, and even tap into side. owen Grayson paused, looking over his shoulder. them if I wanted to. But the brief bit of violence that The businessman stared at me a moment more before had happened earlier tonight hadn’t lasted long enough stepping out into the dark night.
    or been brutal enough for the brick to permanently pick up its vibrations. Good.
    I locked the front door behind the three of them and Still, I looked and listened a moment more, searchturned the sign over to Closed . It was barely after seven, ing for the telltale shape of a half giant or some sort of but we weren’t going to have any more customers tonight. fire flickering in the shadows. But Jake McAllister wasn’t This close to Southtown, people could sniff out violence waiting for me. Daddy was probably bailing him out of better than bloodhounds. Besides, I didn’t feel like mopjail right now. McAllister would be here sooner or later, ping up Jake McAllister’s blood just yet.
    though. I’d gotten the better of him, and he knew it. He I went into the back and said my good nights to Sowouldn’t be satisfied until he’d returned the favor. I hoped phia. The Goth dwarf grunted, gathered up her glass he tried. Might alleviate some of the boredom that had Mason jars full of baked beans, and headed out the back settled over me these last two months during my retiredoor to go home to her sister, Jo-Jo. After I made sure the ment. For a few minutes, anyway. Guys like Jake McAlstoves, french fryer, and lights were off, I followed her out lister always thought they were tougher than they actually into