JINXED: (Karma Series, Book Two)

by Donna Augustine

  I leaned back on the lounger, my hat falling off as I pushed my hands through my hair. It didn't make sense, and all I could think of was the web I’d seen in Malokin’s dream, tightening around me and stealing my voice.

  Chapter 17

  Undesirables

  The parking lot at the restaurant was full, except for a small spot next to the dumpster the Honda barely squeezed into. If that wasn't an omen of the job to come, I didn't know what was.

  I locked the door for no particular reason other than habit, from my human years, when I’d had a nicer car. The gravel crunched under my feet and played havoc with the heels of my shoes. I was running out of available tactics. If a snug black dress and high heels gained some leverage, I wasn't above using my newly improved looks.

  My heel got caught in a particularly troublesome patch of gravel as the smell of smoke hit my nostrils. Turning back toward the rest of the driveway, I didn't need to look far, or wonder too hard, to find the source.

  The beautiful Maserati I'd admired on my way in had flames shooting through the cracks of the hood. The explanation stood not more than five feet away, with their blond heads bent over, laughing. Their skateboards were tucked under their arms and they were passing around a bottle wrapped in a paper bag.

  What were the odds they'd be here right now, before my meeting? Was this some sort of set up? I was starting to wonder if I was the one who was jinxed.

  I turned quickly, hoping they wouldn't notice me and almost walked into Luke. I stopped just short of a collision and took a step back.

  “Karma.” His eyes darted behind me, probably looking at the car fire that was quickly attracting a swarm of attention. People from inside the restaurant had begun piling out to see what the hubbub was about. The burly owner, identified by the girlish squeal at the sight, was in the lead.

  I hoped the whole place swamped the parking lot, as the more people who poured out of the restaurant, the better. I didn't need the Jinxes to see me here with Luke.

  “Let's—” I was right about to suggest we move to a different locale when I was interrupted.

  “Hey, who's the loser?”

  If I hadn't recognized Bobby's voice, I would've known it was him anyway. There were few beings in existence who were that naturally abrasive.

  The look on Luke's face was nothing new either. The Jinxes didn't have a large fan base. It was an expression I'd come to expect when I was around them.

  “Give me a minute?”

  Luke nodded and I ushered the Jinxes several feet away and over to the side, hoping the uproar around us masked our discussion. The parking lot was becoming chaotic with fire engines screaming in the distance.

  “So? Who's the jackass?” Buddy said, Billy nodding so vigorously in agreement his baseball cap came loose.

  “You steppin' out on Fate?” Bobby said as he took in my display of rarely seen cleavage. He was the most vocal, and the defacto ringleader of the three terrors.

  “I'm not with Fate.” I shifted some of my hair in front of my breasts.

  “I can't believe you're doing that to our boy.” Now their little heads were all shaking.

  “This isn't a date! And I'm not dating Fate, either. I'm dating no one.” Three little scornful, jaded faces looked at me. They would've been a tough jury. “Look, I need you to keep your mouths shut about this.” I snuck a quick look back over where Luke was waiting, his arms crossed and his lips pursed. Not a good way to start off.

  “What's it worth to you?” Bobby asked.

  More than you can know, right now. “What do you want?”

  They took a few steps away from me and whispered amongst themselves. When I saw the nodding, I knew they'd decided. Bobby took the lead again. “Gallon of scotch, brand of our choice, every week for a year.”

  I'd expected chocolate or rides to amusement park, maybe accompaniment to an R rated movie. “I can't buy you scotch. You're kids!”

  “Collectively, we're over a thousand years old. Who you calling kid?” Buddy added.

  They had such little angelic faces it was hard to remember their true age. “Fine.”

  “First delivery within the next couple of days,” Bobby added, and looked like he was jotting it into his phone calendar.

  “Fine! Now go. And remember, one word of this to anyone and you're cut off.” I pointed an arm away from the restaurant, not caring where they went, just desperately wanting them gone.

  Buddy, the quietest of the three looked at me quite somberly. “Don't worry. This isn't our first extortion. We’re consummate professionals. Once we’re paid, you won’t hear anything from our lips.”

  They left then, carrying their boards under their arms, while high fiving each other on their negotiations. As soon as they hit solid pavement, they hopped on their skateboards, grabbed a passing truck's bumper and hitched a ride

  Luke stood waiting in his expensive suit, platinum watch and shiny shoes. The Jinxes were right; still a loser.

  “Sorry about that,” I said, as I imagined delivering a kick to his face.

  “Here.” He shoved an envelope into my hand. “These are the details of your next assignment.”

  He turned to walk into the restaurant and I went to follow him.

  He stopped walking. “What are you doing?”

  “Coming with you. I thought we were going to discuss them?” I said holding up the envelope.

  “Are you illiterate?”

  “No,” I replied, not understanding where he was going with this yet.

  “Then I have dinner plans.” He turned and walked away.

  What a dick.

  Chapter 18

  Take a Hint

  The brown envelope rested on the dashboard. I'd been staring at it for a good ten minutes while I sat in the parking lot.

  It was ridiculous. It's not like it would magically disappear if I didn't look. I ripped the seal open and pulled out the beautiful ivory sheet inside.

  At eleven pm tomorrow evening, the blonde girl must die.

  There was a local address included.

  I was right. I wish I hadn't looked. I couldn’t do it. I wanted to save Kitty but not at the expense of some other innocent woman. They’d need to understand that even with my back against the wall, there were limits. I dug out my second phone and dialed the number I had for Malokin. No answer. I dialed Luke next, and again, no answer. I was positive they weren’t answering on purpose. They didn’t want to hear it. I punched the dashboard a second later.

  I got out of the Honda and looked upward. “Paddy! Where the hell are you?” I screamed not caring who heard. I spun around in the parking lot, keeping my eyes upward and raising my hands as well. “Anybody?”

  It took another hour of me sitting in my condo for it to sink in that Paddy wasn't going to show up this time. If I called Fate, Kitty would be dead anyway. I’d already been warned once of that so he wasn't an option and Harold had never been. This was all me.

  I needed to figure out some way to get to Kitty. That was proving near impossible and had zero percent odds of happening before this assignment tomorrow night. Since I couldn't even make a step without them knowing, my options were very limited. I'd have to figure out a way not to kill the un-named blonde but still perform the task given to me.

  I am a smart woman. I can handle this. They might know every move I made, but they couldn't read my mind. I could figure a way out of this.

  If I killed her, I’d have fulfilled my obligation. Nobody said she had to stay dead, though. It was risky but possible.

  I reached under the kitchen counter for the butcher block with the scribbled face on it, grabbed the new pair of knives I'd bought this afternoon and started throwing them.

  I didn't stop until I had one in each eye.

  ***

  Today could go very badly. It wasn’t a great plan to begin with. No matter how long I’d thought it over, I hadn’t come up with a better idea.

  Fate’s car wasn’t in the office’s parking lot.
Strike one.

  I grabbed my purse, which I’d placed on the dashboard when I got in the car, along with the instructions and information underneath. Malokin and Luke were both men, they’d have no idea how unusual it was to place your purse on the dash.

  I shut the car, the paper in plain view now and headed into the office.

  A long-sleeved shirt hid the address and time I’d scribbled in pen on my skin. I had all the red flags lined up. Now I just needed the opportunity to wave them.

  I pulled out my manual and flipped to my page to distract myself as I waited.

  Karma

  The page was still blank. It should’ve been the easiest one to write but every time I started, the words that came out made me cringe.

  Karma - in charge of equalizing the balance of people’s actions.

  I tore it out, crinkled it and shot it into the garbage.

  Karma - a complete fuck up, who can’t even save herself, let alone fix anyone else.

  Nope, that wasn’t good.

  Karma.

  Duties: equalize people’s actions and sometimes throw the Universe into even worse shape, just because you don’t know what else to do.

  That was fairly accurate, but I couldn’t leave it in. Another paper ball hit the trash as I shut the notebook, giving up on being productive to simply wait it out.

  I watched people come in and out all afternoon but still no Fate. When the clock struck four, I was starting to believe he wasn’t coming in today. What if I needed a stand in?

  Crow stood next to the water cooler with a bird perched on his shoulder. He’d be useless. Even if he did notice the address and time scribbled on my skin, he’d never figure out it was a clue. Plus, he didn’t go out into the field.

  Bernie was flitting around. He was always looking down, and unless I could promise him a yard full of clovers, he was another waste of time.

  Luck was perched on the corner of her desk. She’d been quiet since Kitty disappeared. Murphy was pretty sure she’d only slept with one new guy in the last couple of days. Definitely in a depression, and too unreliable.

  If I managed to get Murphy, the girl might end up worse off than dead. Saving wasn’t his forte. His natural inclination was to compound a problem. I didn’t want him anywhere near me tonight.

  Jockey strolled in through the door. Nah, not him either. The Jinxes skated in a few minutes after. Bobby tilted an imaginary bottle to his lip and threw me a wink. Billy and Buddy high fived. Definitely not them.

  Finally, just when I’d about given up hope, Fate arrived.

  His eyes scanned the room and moved right over me. Then he walked over to Harold’s office. Today, of all days, he was giving me peace? This had to be some kind of karmic joke. Except I was Karma and I wasn’t laughing.

  I fiddled with the book in front of me until I saw Fate stepping out of Harold’s office again.

  Time to make a nuisance of myself. I wasn’t sure what actions of mine tipped off Malokin and his people, but they couldn’t read my mind. If I did this just right, I could pull it off.

  Fate walked in a straight line, heading for the door, and I did the same. His eyes narrowed as I edged in front of him, entering the hall first. The second I reached the hallway in front of him, I slowed down to a snail’s pace.

  His eyes narrowed. “What are you up to?”

  “Nothing.” I squatted down to tie my sneakers, the ones I’d worn on purpose and just for this occasion. He’d have to step over me to get out of the hallway.

  “You’re acting stranger than usual.”

  Red flags shot off in my brain. I couldn’t have his words tipping them off. Those bastards heard everything.

  “Because I had to tie my shoe?” I stood, raising my arm to tighten my ponytail which flashed the time and address.

  “What is that?” His eyes shot to the ink scrawled on my forearm, and I lowered it quickly but not too quick. Hopefully, he’d seen enough and would remember.

  “Just a note to myself. Mind your own business.” I put as much nastiness into the reply as I could squeeze in. I had to. If they knew what I was about, it could be a disaster.

  I strode off down the hallway with him staring at my back. He’d be there.

  Chapter 19

  Domestic Bliss

  The blinds were up at the Cape Cod house located at the address on the instructions. It was a nice home on a quiet street. There was a reserve along their backyard, and I hid easily among the trees as I peered inside the large windows.

  A couple in their early thirties sat on the couch, watching Lord of the Rings in their den. The guy’s karma wasn’t horrible, but he was a bit dull around the eyes. The girl, also my supposed target, was glowing. It made it all the worse.

  It’s not like I was going to kill her; not for good, anyway. But the risk would’ve been easier to handle if she’d been all dark and dingy. What if I didn’t manage to get this worked out, would she end up dead by someone else’s hand later?

  I couldn’t worry about it tonight. In approximately twenty minutes, something was going to happen. No clue what but something. That would be my opening to push things in the direction Malokin wanted. Hopefully, Fate would show up and undo whatever horrible thing I was about to set into motion.

  The clock on the wall ticked along the slowest fifteen minutes of my life as I waited. I knew Fate would come, but where was he? What if he’d read the address wrong? What if he hadn’t read it at all and I’d misinterpreted the entire hallway scene?

  Three minutes left on the clock when she reached for the remote and paused the movie. The light turned on in the kitchen as I saw the man open the back door. I ducked further into the shadows.

  He shut the back door and walked around to the trashcans for garbage night. She was making popcorn in the kitchen. She was the one in trouble, so I had to keep my eyes on her, but the sound of the loud wheels of the can grinding against the pavement drew my attention back to him.

  He pulled them to the corner and turned around. I looked back at the woman standing in the kitchen. She was choking.

  He was just about to go inside, and I knew what was supposed to happen. I was supposed to stop him.

  She couldn’t breathe. If I stopped him—or even simply delayed him—she’d die. If he went in, he’d save her.

  The man’s hand was on the door and Fate still hadn’t arrived.

  Kitty’s face in my mind urged me forward and I took a step toward him but froze. I couldn’t do this. Not for anyone. Not if I wanted to be able to live with myself. This was a decision that would define who I was, and I didn’t like the definition attached to the action.

  The man walked into the house and I took a step closer. Not to stop him, but to help if he failed to save her.

  “Why are you here?” Fate stepped forward to stand beside me. I hadn’t heard him approach, not even with my improved hearing. How long had he been there watching?

  “Nothing. Was just in the neighborhood,” I said, for the benefit of whoever might be listening.

  When Fate didn’t say anything, I looked at him. I was letting him in on what was happening and he knew. It wasn’t a lot. There wasn’t some great opening up of details and information, but it was acknowledged, and I guess it was enough for him. For now, anyway.

  We stood next to each other as we watched the man in the kitchen giving her the Heimlich. Once, twice, then she was breathing. Their panic slowly turned into relief and then the type of elated laughter that’s born from escaping a close call.

  As I watched their shared joy of surviving, I couldn’t stop feeling the dread of Kitty’s possible death that might accompany it. I hated that their happiness was causing me such dread.

  I started to walk away, and Fate’s hand reached out, grabbing my wrist and stopping me. My eyes immediately shot to where we made contact, as if that were the only part of my body I was aware of anymore. Why did I react so strongly to his simplest touch?

  “You touch me a lot,” I said it bef
ore I thought better of it. He immediately dropped his hand from me, as if trying to prove he didn’t have to touch me at all.

  “No, I don’t.”

  But he did. He touched me every time I saw him.

  “Should I expect more of these meetings?” Fate asked, changing the subject.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I threw my hands up in the air, silently gesturing his guess was as good as mine as I did walk away this time.

  There wasn’t a doubt that as soon as I got in my car, my phone in the glove compartment would be ringing. Time to give the devil his pound of flesh, if he hadn’t already taken it himself.

  Chapter 20

  Born to Fight

  We stood in a different hotel suite, this one a block away from the first. It was equally elegant and the top floor again. Constantly changing things up had distinct advantages for him and made it impossible for me to find them.

  “How did Fate know that you’d be there?” Malokin asked from where he stood, facing out the window. He watched my every move in the reflection.

  “I can’t imagine.”

  “But I think you can.” He turned back to me and walked over, propping a hip on a table, leaning just like Fate did. I rejected the thought immediately. He was nothing like Fate.

  “We could have a beautiful relationship. Don’t make this ugly.” He picked up a random pen, letting it drop and bounce off the wooden surface.

  “I’m telling you, I have no idea how he ended up there.” What did liars always say? Deny until you die? I might be taking that advice quite literally, today.

  His eyes shot to where I had my arms crossed in front of my chest. “Did you wash all the ink off your arm yet?” He took a step forward and yanked my arm away from my body. I let him, without putting up a struggle, while I stared at his neck. He was so close. Could I take him on? Reach over and break it, ridding the world of this monstrosity. Risky or not, I’d try, if it weren’t for Kitty.