Elemental Assassin 02 - Web of Lies

forward, picked it up,
    “You’re somewhere safe,” Finn said in a calm tone that turned, and brandished it at us. “Who are you people?”
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    hurt you. We saved you from that dwarf in the parking more foolish years. You’ll be so much more comfortable if lot at the community college, remember?”
    you get out of those wet clothes . Let me help you zip up your Shadows turned Violet’s eyes an even darker brown, dress . Whoops, did I just spill coffee all over your jeans ? Guess and she twitched her nose, trying to see if it was still in you’ll have to take them off . tact. She remembered, all right. The knowledge bruised And it worked. Violet Fox never stood a chance her features just like the dwarf’s fists had. Jo-Jo might against the sheer, overpowering, slightly smarmy charm have healed all the physical damage from the attack, but of Finnegan Lane. She lowered the knife and studied us Violet Fox wasn’t going to forget the emotional trauma all again, carefully this time, without fear clouding her anytime soon. If ever. Something else I was all too familgaze. She stared at Finn the longest. iar with.
    “You look exactly like your dad,” she said. “or at least Violet Fox didn’t look anything like me, of course, but an old photo my grandfather has of him. Same eyes, same for a moment, staring at her was like seeing myself at thirhair, same nice smile.”
    teen again, just after the Fire elemental had murdered my Finn grinned a little wider. Nothing he loved better family. I’d had the same haunted, wounded look that the than being told how handsome he was.
    other girl did right now. I pushed the memory away. Violet nodded at Jo-Jo. “And I’ve seen you once or Finn crept a little closer and turned up the wattage on twice up at the store, haven’t I?”
    his smile. “We don’t mean you any harm. We just want
    “You sure have, darling. Your grandfather has the best to ask you some questions about your grandfather. His homemade honey in the city. I always stop and get some name is Warren, right? Warren T. Fox?”
    when I’m up that way,” Jo-Jo said. “Now, why don’t you Doubt flickered in her dark, haunted eyes. “Why do put that knife to good use and help yourself to some desyou want to know about my grandfather?”
    sert while we talk?”
    “Because your grandfather used to be an old friend of After a moment, Violet nodded, stepped forward, and my dad’s,” Finn kept up his calming tone. “His name was put the knife back down on the table. Finn gently took Fletcher Lane. You came into the Pork Pit today asking her arm, gave her another smile, and sat her down on one about him, asking about the Tin Man, remember?”
    of the stools. I made her a bowl of apricot bars and ice Some of Violet’s panic slackened, and she studied Finn cream and passed her a spoon. Violet stared at me. with a lot more interest.
    “And you,” she murmured. “I talked to you at the res“C’mon,” Finn said. “If we wanted to hurt you, we taurant today. And in the parking lot, after, after—”
    would have done it already. We just want to talk. Promise.”
    “After I killed the man who attacked you,” I said. It was the same smooth voice he’d used to talk so many Violet gulped down a mouthful of air. Jo-Jo reached women out of their panties. Including me in my younger, over, patted the girl on the hand, and shot me a pointed Estep_Web of Lies_1P EP.indd 118-119
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    look. I sighed. I was a former assassin, not a babysitJo-Jo said, cutting into my musings. “He was a wonderful ter. Wasn’t my job to sugarcoat what had happened toman that way.”
    night—or skirt around the trouble the girl was in. But I stared at the dwarf, then at Sophia, who grunted I was patient enough to let Violet Fox get through with her agreement. Even Finn nodded his head in a knowher psuedocobbler before I started asking her questions. ing way. over the years, I’d done a few pro bono jobs. So Besides, there were plenty of apricot bars left. Be a shame, had Fletcher. But helping people on the sly? As a regular really, to let them go to waste.
    gig? When had the old man done that? And more impor“Why did you come into the Pork Pit today looking tantly, why?
    for the Tin Man?” I asked. “Who told you that