Pickup Styx (28 page)

I stared at the door, giving Holden time to make it out of the building before I cleaned Baker’s blood from everything. After a couple minutes, I walked out into the hallway to see what I was dealing with. I closed my eyes and released the energy coursing through my veins. I imagined my light spreading from me down the hallway and stairs, all the way to the front door. Once I made it there, I envisioned everything being exactly as it was before—well, maybe slightly better than it was before, but I couldn’t help that. When I opened my eyes, it looked like we had new carpeting and freshly painted walls, but I didn’t care. At least that wouldn’t alarm people. I went back inside and Femi leaned over Baker, her hands on either side of his head.

As I moved closer to them, I could hear her talking. “I should leave you like this for being a dumbass. Who the hell did you piss off?”

“It’s not his fault,” I told her.

Her head snapped toward me as if she hadn’t realized she’d been talking out loud.

“This was a message to us. You probably aren’t safe here. Anyone who associates with us probably isn’t safe.” All the people I knew and should warn came to mind. Mom would need to go into hiding again.

“You almost sound as paranoid as Holden,” Femi said.

I shook my head, not able to manage a smile, and gestured to Baker. “Can’t really deny this. I was a fool to think this was over.”

Femi gazed up at me, the pupils in her bright green eyes contracting vertically. “That’s one way to see it. Or you can say whoever did this just made the worst mistake in their increasingly short lives. If this comes down to a fight, my money’s on us.”

Her confidence was tempting, but now was the time to be cautious. Holden had been telling me that, and I hadn’t been listening. He knew it wasn’t over, but I arrogantly thought they’d be too afraid to come after us now. “You shouldn’t get involved, Femi. Please, help Baker then take a bounty far away from here.”

She snorted and refocused her attention on Baker, who was already looking better. “Believe it or not, there isn’t a single bounty that sounds interesting right now.”

“Femi—”

She held up a hand. “I don’t have a lot of friends. I’m not going to abandon the ones I do have.”

I had the urge to hug her, but I didn’t want to break her concentration.

“Speaking of work, you should probably change before you go. You look a little like Carrie after the prom.”

I looked at myself. I wasn’t quite that bad, but I did look like I’d been in an accident. I headed for a shower. When I rejoined Femi, Baker was conscious but he sounded weak.

“Don’t take any wooden nickels, doll. The angel’s right. You should get the hell out of Dodge.”

Femi poked him with one of her sharpened fingernails, making him jump. “Keep talking and I’ll kill you myself.”

He leaned his head back, perfectly relaxed. “You won’t kill me. I think you’re a little stuck on me.”

Femi laughed. “Dream on. You couldn’t handle me, Baker. Not on your best day.”

He grinned up at the ceiling.

“You have teeth,” slipped out of my mouth. I knew Femi could assist in some minor healing, but I didn’t think she could grow back missing pieces. “That’s amazing, Femi.”

“It wasn’t me,” she said, inspecting him.

“Then how?”

“Ladies, ladies, I’m a shifter. Teeth are no trouble at all.”

I had seen Baker turn himself into Holden before, but it still seemed strange that he could just change one body part and add something that hadn’t been there before. The only things I knew about shifters was what I’d learned from him.

“You’re thinking too hard over there, angel. Where’s the boss-man?”

Holden. I was supposed to tell Holden when Baker woke up. I reached out with my mind and easily connected to him.

“Baker’s awake and talking.”

“Has he said what happened?”

“Not yet. Do you want me to ask?”

“Yes.”

“Exactly what happened, Baker?” I kept the connection with Holden and repeated Baker’s response word for word in my mind.

“I had just taken Selene to the cemetery in New Orleans, and I was waiting outside the gates for her, minding my own business, when four jinn appeared out of nowhere and jumped me.”

“What do you mean ‘appeared out of nowhere’?” Femi asked.

Baker sat up and dropped his feet to the ground. “I mean they weren’t there, and then they were.”

I shook my head. “That’s not possible. You just didn’t see them.”

Baker gave me a rare, serious look. “They weren’t there.”

“How’d he get back in Chicago if he was in New Orleans?”
Holden asked and I repeated the question.

Baker shrugged. “Search me. I haven’t the foggiest. All I know is if they wanted to bump me off they could have. They just toned me up real good and then tossed me out of the car in front of your building saying to give you a message.”

“What’s the message?” I asked.

“I’m the message,” Baker said. “You don’t just walk away from the jinn or Hell. It doesn’t work like that, angel.”

“Why did they wait so long?”

He shook his head. “I wish I knew.”

“Tell Baker to get his ass back out on the street and find out what’s happening. We’ve been too caught up in the elf problems and haven’t been paying attention to our own.”
Holden sounded calm—too calm. That was never a good thing.

“You don’t have to help us, Baker. Holden and I don’t want to put any of you in harm’s way.”

“The boss-man said that?”

I looked down, trying to think of a lie he’d believe.

He laughed. “You had me worried that he’d really gone soft. I’m not backing out because someone rang my bell. I’d lose all my street cred.” Baker stood and wavered slightly.

“Not a good idea, Champ.” Femi caught his arm and made him sit back down.

I glanced at the clock. I was so late. “I have something I need to do. Will you be okay?”

Femi gave me a sardonic smile. “I think we can manage.”

I rolled my eyes and transported to the guardian headquarters.

Quintus looked up at me. “You’re late.”

“I’m not going to be in for a while.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

I forced a smile. “I just thought you should know.”

“You know, Olivia—”

“Quintus, you aren’t in charge.”

“No. You are. So act like.”

I sighed. It had been awkward between us for a while, and I really had no one to blame but myself. I knew how he felt about me, and once I had sincerely hoped to forget Holden, but now I knew that was impossible. If I wasn’t with Holden, I would never be with anyone. He was my other half. “What is that supposed to mean?”

He stared straight ahead to avoid looking at me. “It means you have responsibilities to us.”

I tried to control the annoyance and defensiveness rising up inside of me by clenching my fists. “And have I ever neglected those responsibilities?”

I missed being friends with Quintus, though there was a period in time when didn’t think I could ever look at him again without anger. I was ready to move on. If I could forgive his sins, surely he could forgive me for falling in love.

“You are now. There are people who need you.” His eyes finally trailed to me, still filled with hurt. “I need you.”

I pressed my lips together and looked down. I didn’t want to hurt him further, but what choice did he leave me with?

“Not like that,” he said quickly. “I get it. You and Holden are soul mates. I can’t compete with that. I mean, I miss talking to you. I miss spending time with you.”

I smiled to myself before I looked up again. “Me too. This isn’t about that. Baker was attacked. I think Hell is going to move against Holden and me soon. I don’t want to involve the Guardians. We are too fragile.”

“So you forgive me for Juliet?”

Her name made my shoulders sag. “It’s not what I would’ve chosen to do, but your heart was in the right place. And maybe it was the only way things could end. I lost her long before that moment.”

He smiled, showing his dimples. “You’ve managed to find trouble again. Do you need help?”

I grinned back. “Yes. I need you to take care of things here so I can focus on everything else.”

He nodded, but I didn’t miss the hint of disappointment in his voice. “If you need anything. . .”

“I know. I should really get back.”

I transported to the apartment where Femi and Baker were talking about movies like it was any normal Wednesday afternoon.

First, there are the people who helped me get the book publishing ready; my editors, Ev Bishop and Michelle Kampmeier, my fantastic formatter, Julie Titus, and all my fans who constantly encourage me. I appreciate you all more than you know.

I want to thank my friends and family for all their love and support. Especially my mom, my brother Richard, and Kim Lammers.

Many authors claim to have known their calling from a young age. Liz Schulte, however, didn't always want to be an author. In fact, she had no clue. Liz wanted to be a veterinarian, then she wanted to be a lawyer, then she wanted to be a criminal profiler. In a valiant effort to keep from becoming Walter Mitty, Liz put pen to paper and began writing her first novel. It was at that moment she realized this is what she was meant to do. As a scribe she could be all of those things and so much more.

When Liz isn’t writing or on social networks she is inflicting movie quotes and trivia on people, reading, traveling, and hanging out with friends and family. Liz is a Midwest girl through and through, though she would be perfectly happy never having to shovel her driveway again. She has a love for all things spooky, supernatural, and snarky. Her favorite authors range from Edgar Allen Poe to Joseph Heller to Jane Austen to Jim Butcher and everything in between.

Books by Liz Schulte

Mysteries

Dark Corners
(Ella Reynolds Series Book 1)

Dark Passing
(Ella Reynolds Series Book 2)

The Ninth Floor

Ella Reynolds Series Book 3 (Coming 2014)