Elemental Assassin 02 - Web of Lies

Let’s just get the money Lance rifled through the green bills. “A little more than and go.”
    two hundred.”
    Jake stared at me, the flames dancing in his red eyes
    “That’s it? You’re holding out on me, bitch,” Jake matching the movement of the ones on the knife blade. snarled.
    Pure, malicious glee filled his crimson gaze. Even if I I shrugged. “Monday’s a slow day. And not many peohadn’t been good at reading people, that emotion alone ple like to get out in this kind of cold weather, not even would have told me that Jake enjoyed using his magic, for barbecue.”
    loved the power it gave him, the feeling of being invinThe Fire elemental glared at me, debating my words cible. And that he wasn’t going to be satisfied just stealing and what he could do about them. I smiled back. He my money. No, Jake was going to use his Fire power to didn’t know what he’d gotten himself into—or whom he kill everyone in the restaurant just because he could, bewas messing with. cause he wanted to show off his magic and prove he was a “Let’s just go, Jake,” Lance pleaded. “Some cops could real badass. Unless I did something to stop him. come along any second.”
    “Jake? The money?” Lance asked again.
    Jake tightened his grip on his flaming knife. “No. Not After a moment, the fire dimmed in Jake’s eyes. He until this bitch tells me what she did with the rest of the lowered the glowing blade a few inches, giving the girl money. This is the most popular restaurant in the neighsome much-needed air. “Money. Now.”
    borhood. There had to be more than two hundred dolI opened the register, grabbed all the wrinkled bills inlars in that cash register. So where did you hide it, bitch?
    side, and held them out. All Jake had to do was let go of You wearing a money belt underneath that greasy blue the girl long enough to step forward and grab the cash, apron?”
    and I’d have him. Come on, you bastard . Come and play I shrugged. “Why don’t you come and find out, you with Gin .
    pathetic fuck?”
    But some sense of self-preservation must have kicked His eyes grew darker, redder, angrier, until I thought in, because the beefy half giant jerked his head. Lance left the sparking flames flickering inside might actually shoot his post by the injured woman, tiptoed forward, snatched out of his magic-tinted irises. Jake let out a furious growl. the money out of my hand, and stepped back. I didn’t He shoved the girl away and charged at me, the knife held bother grabbing him and using him as a hostage. Guys straight out.
    Estep_Web of Lies_1P EP.indd 8-9
    12/17/09 9:32 PM
    10 JENNIFER ESTEP
    Web of Lies 11
    My smile widened. Finally. Time to play.
    his wrist, bending it back so he couldn’t move it. I eyed I waited until he got in range, then stepped forward the weapon in his locked hand.
    and turned my body into his. I slammed my elbow into
    “Fuck,” I said. “Get a real knife. You couldn’t even peel his solar plexus and swept his feet out from under him. potatoes with that thing.”
    Jake coughed, stumbled, and did a header onto the floor. Then I plucked the blade from his chapped fingers and His temple clipped the side of one of the tables as he snapped his thick wrist.
    went down, and a resulting bit of blood spattered onto Jake howled in pain, but the noise didn’t bother me. my jeans. The sharp blow was enough to make Jake lose Hadn’t in years. I shoved him down onto his back, then his grip on his Fire magic. The prickling power washing straddled him, a knee on either side of his beefy chest, off him vanished, and the flames snuffed out on the knife squeezing in and putting pressure on his ribs. Giants, in his hand. The hot metal hissed and smoked as it came even half giants like Jake, hated it when they had trouble into contact with the cool floor.
    breathing. Most people did.
    I looked to my right. The woman Jake had thrown I adjusted and tightened my grip on the knife, ready across the room scrambled to her feet and prepared to to drive it into his heart. A flimsy weapon, but it would launch herself at Lance. But Sophia grabbed the girl’s do the job. Just about anything would, if you had enough waist and pulled her back. The woman started to strugstrength and determination to put behind it. I had plenty gle, but the Goth dwarf shook her head and stepped of both.
    forward, putting herself in front of the customer. Lance A small, choked sob sounded, drawing my attention swallowed once and