JINXED: (Karma Series, Book Two) (5 page)

Chapter Six

Wrinkled and liking it
.

My old Honda pulled into the usual parking spot the next night. I scanned the condo complex parking lot for Fate's Porsche before I got out. When I didn’t see him, I guessed he’d taken some time off, maybe had a job to do or something. Another twenty-four hours I'd managed to avoid him checked off.

Grabbing my take out, I got out and walked to the condo. I’d left the lights off as I walked in, the dark not bothering me as much now that my eyesight had improved somewhat. I was about to head into the kitchen and pour myself an iced tea when I saw a figure sitting on my couch.

“Lars, what are you doing here?” The only panic I felt was that I might not make it to my bed in the next hour.

He remained seated as he said, “We need to talk.”

Another one who wanted to talk? He sounded just like Fate had the other day. I dropped my food and purse on the counter and went over to where he was sitting. Even with better eyesight, it was more like looking at an impressionistic version of him. I could still see his dark hair hanging down around his broad shoulders, and feel his eyes on my body, but couldn't make out the more subtle features, like the tattoo that ran up the side of his neck.

“I realize you might have missed the finer points of humanity, since you skipped over that grade, but breaking into my condo isn't a great conversation starter.” My lesson in human manners didn't appear to faze him. “Are you just going to sit there?” Even most burglars, who I'd say hung on the very bottom rung of the politeness ladder, would show enough respect to try and run when they're caught.

I looked upward, a habit I'd started to form and said, “I realize he is a past employee, but did you people just hire anyone? Have you no standards?” I brought my gaze back to Lars. “You can't just break in to people's homes. Even if I'm not technically a person anymore, that rule should still apply.”

Lars's head, shifting slightly to the right, caught my attention and that was all the warning I had before Fate slipped an arm around my waist.

He leaned down slightly, just enough to make my skin tingle where his stubble grazed my cheek. “You’re not giving us much choice, now are you?”

I quickly stepped away from him and he didn't attempt to stop me.

“Were you in my bedroom?” It was the only place he could've been.

“Just taking a look around.” He strolled over to the dinette set, leaned a hip on the table and smiled.

“How many times do we have to have this conversation? I can't be the only one getting bored of hearing myself turn you down.”

“You know about us,” Lars said.

“Yes. I do.” I shrugged. “So what?”

“So, we've got a problem. That means it's your problem, too.”

I watched as Fate took a silent back seat. I guessed he was waiting to see how this would play out?

“Sorry, but it's not.” I walked back to the kitchen area where I'd left my food.” My problem, that is.”

Lars stood and walked past Fate, who was still leaning in the same spot. It shouldn't have bugged me so much but it did. Then I realized; it wasn't so much the leaning, it was that he seemed to always own the space. This was my apartment, not his. Who was he to nonverbally own it?

Lars stepped closer, blocking my view of Fate and his leaning compulsion. “You knew the deal. And if you had a problem, maybe you should’ve voiced it
before
you took out our best lead.”

I went and grabbed the iced tea from the fridge and finally poured myself the glass I meant to earlier, before I answered. “I figured that subject was dead and buried by now. Seriously, didn't you throw him in a ditch somewhere? I don't know, maybe in the field out back?” Sometimes, I really cracked myself up. A giggle welled up as I unwrapped my food and took out a fork. They were uninvited guests. Why should I not eat in front of them when I was starving?

“This isn't a joke.” Lars leaned over the counter between us. Lars was a nice male specimen, but I could handle him. He didn't make me nervous like some others.

My fork pierced through a particularly nice piece of grilled chicken and grabbed a piece of romaine to go with it and then paused halfway to my mouth. “I'm sorry, I'd offer you some but there's only enough for me.” I bit into the crunchy lettuce and hummed in satisfaction. It was a good thing my mother thought I was dead, or she'd kill me for how bad my manners had become. The speed of the decline was shocking. “Really sorry, because this is a great dressing.” I took another bite and made an exaggerated moan.

“Lars.” Fate stood and motioned to the door.

Lars straightened up and then looked at him. “All yours.”

“Antonio's Pizzeria on Ocean Drive,” I yelled as Lars walked toward the front door. “You know you want it!”

And then there were two. The chicken didn't go down as easily now, as I watched Fate close the distance between us.

“You know, they all think we should just off you. Eliminate any possible future problem. If it weren't for me, you'd have to watch your every step.”

He walked around the counter and just as I was preparing to take another bite. He stopped right beside me and wrapped his hand around mine, directing the bite into his mouth instead. I didn’t even try and stop him. There was something incredibly intimate about the act and I was too frozen in my spot to think of stopping him.

“Seriously? This is what you think is fantastic dressing?” He made a face. “It's okay at best.”

I didn't argue with him over the salad. I knew I'd oversold it.

“For all your intimidation, Lars didn't look too worse for wear. Am I supposed to be prostrate in gratitude for you telling them not to try and kill me? For people who are supposed to be on the right side of this situation, it's a bit questionable that this is even a problem.”

He took a sip of the iced tea I'd poured myself.

“I'm glad you switched brands. I hated that other stuff,” he said as he placed my now empty glass back down and walked into the living area. He dropped onto the couch where Lars had been and kicked up his feet onto my couch, shoes and all.

He looked around, scanning the room and the exits. I'd noticed recently that he did that everywhere he went. For as much as he always looked relaxed, I was starting to doubt that he ever really was. “I think it would be better for you if you came into the fold.”

“I don't need to be in the fold. I’d prefer to stay wrinkled.” The salad in front of me didn't look so good anymore. The last piece went down about as tastily as a piece of cardboard.

Leaving the kitchen, I walked over and perched myself on the dining room table. I only had one couch and I wasn't sharing it with him.

My feet planted on the seat of the chair in front of me, I rested my forearms on my knees. I tilted my head forward and my hair fell in front of my face. I was tired of the cat and mouse game of the last couple weeks. He wasn't going to leave easily, so I resigned myself to hashing this out; to a point, anyway.

“You know I won't say a word about your guys and how they aren’t really retired, or that you know how to cheat the system, so to speak. I would've done it already. And I’ve got zero interest in the invisible boogeyman you are secretly hunting. I've had plenty of opportunity to spill the beans and haven’t, so why don't you tell me what this is really about?”

“I'm trying to do this the nice way.” His jaw tensed. He was still reclined on my couch, but not one part of him appeared relaxed.

“Can’t you just forget that night and leave me out of this?”

He sat up but wasn’t looking at me as he started to speak. “You're strong and you aren't even finished transitioning completely. The mortal that a lot of us sense is still there. And yet...” His eyes finally landed on me across the dark room. “They want you. No one in that room the night you killed Suit believed anything but that. You
let
him out of that cage.”

It was the first time he’d asked about why I’d killed Suit since it had happened. I felt myself looking at the wall instead of meeting his eyes and then forced myself to look at him.

All those years I’d wondered why some of my clients couldn’t stop themselves from showing their guilt. Being adept at lying wasn’t as simple as I’d imagined it to be. And just like with them, I would still lie. I wasn’t ever going to admit Suit had been after me. Not to him or anyone else.

“I was trying to be nice to him, so I could get information for you, since you believe he’s part of some big conspiracy theory. You’re so intent on finding this disruption you believe exists that I felt compelled to help.”

“Stop lying. I don’t want to hear it anymore. I'd rather you joined us willingly, but if it comes to it…”

There was a threat left unsaid but instead of scaring me, it drove me to anger. “You don’t even know who
they
are.”

He stood, and as he did, every last shred of his relaxed demeanor fell from him. For the first time ever, I realized I was seeing the real Fate. He wasn’t holding anything back and the energy he put out rippled off him so strongly that I knew he wasn’t someone I wanted as an enemy. This was why he commanded a room and everyone in it. This was that thing everyone sensed. I still couldn’t put a name to it, but it was scary as hell. I had no doubt that if he chose, he could indeed force me to be whatever he wanted.

“What are you?”

He didn’t answer but crossed the room and I felt myself leaning backward. He didn’t stop until I was resting my hands on the table behind me and he was leaning over me.

“I know you’re hiding things. Keep your secrets. I don't care. But this is going to happen.”

I had to consciously force myself to breathe, as I could feel the heat from his chest. My lips parted and his eyes shifted to them and paused there a minute before he abruptly straightened up and put some distance between us.

Once I could think clearly again, I knew he was right. Whatever they were after did want me. And joining with him and his men would put me in closer proximity to something that could jeopardize my situation. I didn’t say that to him, though. I said nothing.

He walked out of the condo without saying anything else. It was the second bad departure from my condo in less than fifteen minutes. I really knew how to make friends, I thought to myself sarcastically.

My head dropped a little lower until it was finally resting in my palms. It didn't matter who I pissed off, my gut instinct was screaming that I needed to steer clear of what they were after.

Chapter Seven

Employment Opportunities

A glass of red wine was placed in front of me and I turned to the bartender.

“I didn't order this.”

“It was sent by the gentleman over there.” He pointed to a man sitting at the other end of the bar.

“Thanks.”

After Fate and Lars left my condo, I hadn’t been able to sit there another minute. Problem was, I didn’t want to speak to anyone, either. My aversion to having company spurred my exit and I grabbed my purse from the seat next me to leave. By time I grabbed it, the man was already standing there next to me.

He was in his late forties and aged to perfection in a Clooney kind of way. Everything about him was well manicured, like he had all the time and money in the world. He was the type of guy that wouldn't have noticed me in my old body.

My human form had been attractive, but my appeal never kicked in to full force until I spoke to someone and my wit won them over. I hadn't had the looks that would bring unknown men to my side. It was flattering, but I still didn't want to talk to him.

“Just a moment?” he asked. His impeccable manners encouraged my own to resurface from where I'd buried them alongside my human body.

“Of course.” I settled in my chair as I tried to get a read on him. I couldn't figure out if he was human, or if his karma was in perfect balance. He had to be human. Wouldn't I know him otherwise?

He pulled out the stool and settled in with more elegance than should have been possible.

“My name is Malokin. I'd like to offer you a job.” Hands in front of him, fingers knit, he waited for my reply.

“I'm already employed, but thank you.” He didn't even know who I was. He could at least ask a few questions before using a line like that, to make it a bit more believable.

“Yes, Camilla, I know you do. And you could be so much more.”

I’d gone from figuring out how to get rid of him to giving him my full attention. “Who are you?”

“I'm someone who
could
help you.”

There was a threat in the way he said could. As if he could do other things that wouldn't be as appreciated.

I looked into his nearly black eyes and saw the menace and intent there. This man, whatever he was, got his way no matter what it took.

He smiled. “Or not. It's your choice.”

“What exactly are you saying?” There wasn’t a doubt in my mind anymore that this person wasn’t human, and he wasn’t from the agency. That didn’t leave any good options left.

“I'd like you to come and work for me.”

“I’m not interested.” Whoever Suit had been, like he’d warned, he hadn’t been alone. All this time dodging Fate just to keep my distance from this—to avoid this moment—had been futile.

Paddy appearing right next to us threw us both off guard. The stranger looked alarmed, but I was one hundred percent grateful.

“Didn’t know we were having drinks tonight?” Paddy said, already with a beer in hand.

“Who is this?” Malokin asked.

He looked alarmed. And why did nobody know who the hell Paddy was?

“Name's Paddy.” He held out his free hand to Malokin, who still looked ill at ease.

Malokin shook his hand and I saw a flash of apprehension shoot across his face. Malokin relinquished his grip and pulled his hand away a little too quickly.

“What are you doing here?” Malokin asked. That was an odd question for someone he didn't know. Did he
know
him, or not? What was going on here?

“Can't an old guy enjoy a beer out?” Paddy replied, but I had the strangest feeling that wasn't what Malokin had meant at all. I was pretty sure Paddy knew that as well.

“I'll be going.” Malokin smiled stiffly and then reached into his pocket and laid a business card on the bar before me. “Call me. Soon.” He looked at Paddy one last time before he stood and left.

Paddy took his vacated stool as I looked down at the card. The only thing on it was his first name and a phone number.

“Now that's a bad sort you might want to watch your step around.”

I took a sip of the wine I'd initially wanted to decline. “What's that say about you then? If you're scaring off the bad element?” Malokin had taken off pretty quickly after Paddy's arrival.

“Oh no, lassie, we aren't going to go down that path again today, are we?”

“You mean the one where I ask who you are and you ignore me or give me some lame recruiter explanation? Nah, I'm done getting stuck on that dead end myself. Keep your secrets. Just know that they come at a price.” I had a bigger issue. I pocketed the card, hoping I wouldn’t ever need to look at it again.

He sighed in agreement. “When do they not?” He took a swig of his beer. “So, how've you been settling in?”

“Cliff jumping is starting to lose its appeal.” I spun my cell phone on the wooden bar top.

“I'll take that as a good sign.”

“I thought so.” I took another sip of wine. “Hard to get cell service up there, anyway.”

“You know, you're a lot like me.” Paddy plunked his draft down on the bar, causing the beer inside to splash over the rim, but somehow not get the bar wet. When he lifted it, I waited to see if there’d be a puddle left behind, but there was nothing.

“That statement might mean something to me if I knew exactly who you were. As it is...” I shrugged and then pushed the wine to the edge of the bar and asked for a Maker's Mark on the rocks. Wine felt too refined for the life I led now. My existence was definitely more in line with bourbon. I was even contemplating switching to straight up.

I turned my head back to Paddy, just in time to see him smile before he vanished. There wasn't really a point to looking around the room for him. He was an old hat at the vanishing act, and I'd become almost as experienced at ignoring the oddities that surrounded him. Still, it was a nifty trick I wished I could pull off.

I'd have to settle or my own less impressive skills for now. A guy with bad karma was sitting a few stools down. I blew out a gentle breath and watched as his money flew off the bar and into the bartender's tip cup. It was enough to entertain me while I worked on a nice bourbon buzz.