“You’re The Boss,” I said once I realized who the second voice belonged to. “Who’s the other guy?”
The hood was torn off, and my hair flew across my face. I shook my head, spitting out short strands of hair and removing the rest with my tied hands as my eyes squinted from the sudden brightness. My gaze whipped back and forth, taking in my surroundings and getting a feel for the environment.
Before me stood a stranger, yet he was a man I recognized—Police Commissioner Chuck Carter. His eyes were sinister, revenge clouding his better judgment. I reached into his soul and saw he wasn’t as innocent as the people believed him to be. The darkness in him resembled a lot of the reasons my sisters had left Midgard. Next to him stood a man I would have never thought would be The Boss. He was of average height, clean cut, wearing khakis and a button-up shirt. His loafers really completed the ensemble. He did not look like a drug dealer.
I quirked a brow. “The Boss?”
He grinned. “The one and only. Surprised?”
“Yeah,” I grunted. “Where’s your wife and two and a half children?”
“Divorced, no kids.” He shrugged. “Now, let’s talk about the elusive Raven Romero. You’re quite the prize, young lady.”
“What an honor,” I deadpanned.
“Enough of this bullshit!” Chuck yelled, his rosy cheeks and heavy breathing giving away his frustration. “Let’s get this over with. I have a fundraiser to attend.”
They’re going to kill me.
“I didn’t kill your daughter,” I said. “You have the wrong person.”
“Liar!” He charged toward me, but one of the goons in the room pulled him back.
“Why would I kill her at my home and place of employment and leave the weapon? Who does that? You can’t possibly think I’d be that stupid.”
I imagined his blood pressure rising as a vein on his forehead pulsed. He wouldn’t believe me. The man wanted justice for his daughter, no matter who took the fall for it. I was beating a dead horse, but I thought I’d try.
“I’ll kill you myself for hurting my baby girl,” he raged.
“Now, now, Chuck. Let’s be rational. If we kill her now, we’re throwing away untapped talent. Take advantage of the situation.” The Boss placed a hand on his shoulder. “Look at the bigger picture.”
“The only picture I want to see is hers on the news when she’s found dead in a dirty alley,” Chuck spat. “Now kill her!”
“That doesn’t seem too kosher, Commissioner,” I said. “Don’t tell me you’re a crooked cop.”
“You shut your mouth!”
“Well damn,” I raised my brows, “you really are.” I turned to The Boss. “Is that how you get away with so much?”
“What can I say? You gotta have contingency plans.” He shrugged. “We’re all in the business of making money. Chuck has been a dear ol’ pal since we were young boys. Ain’t that right, Chuckie?”
The commissioner glared at him, unamused.
“Admit what you did,” he gritted through his teeth. “Admit you killed my only daughter. Say it!”
“I won’t lie …” I shook my head. “Kendall and I slept together and that was it. A one-night stand and nothing more.”
Chuck brought his face to mine. I could see every bead of sweat and blackhead on his skin. “Then why was she upset? What did you do to her?”
Chuck Carter was a bad man. There was no hiding the pure evilness in his soul. All of that aside, he was still a father mourning his child. He wanted answers I could give, but he wouldn’t believe them. In his mind, I was the killer, and no amount of proof would dissuade him.
“She wanted more than I could give her,” I said. “If she wanted a relationship, she shouldn’t have fucked a stranger at a bar.”
The commissioner wrapped his hand around my throat and squeezed. Making my chair tip backward, he choked me with both hands. The veins in his neck popped as he practically held his breath while he cut off mine.
My eyes bulging from the lack of oxygen, I could feel my face turn beet-red. I pounded his chest for release but it only made him tighten his grip.
Two of The Boss’s guys hauled the commissioner away and he thrashed against their hold.
I coughed, gasping for air at the same time as my throat burned. Wiping tears from the corner of my eyes, I chuckled. “That’s all you got?”
His face looked ready to explode. “Kill that bitch!” he demanded as he pointed at me.
“Let’s be smart,” The Boss placated. “We can use her—”
“Kill. Her.”
A twinkle in The Boss’s eyes made me want to laugh even more. They both had different agendas, and the only question was, who would win?
“Chuck,” The Boss sighed, “you were never a visionary.” He snapped his fingers, and the goon behind the commissioner pulled out a gun and shot him in the back of the head. It all happened so fast; I hadn’t even blinked when a splatter of blood smacked my face. Chuck dropped to his knees before face-planting the floor. I didn’t move.
“See?” The corners of his lips rose, and he pointed at me. “That’s what I like about you, Raven. None of this bothers you. You’re desensitized to death and gore. Utter perfection.” He came toward me and pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket. With delicacy, he dabbed my face, cleaning me up.
“What do you want?”
“What my dear friend Chuck failed to realize was your potential. I’ve been following your escapades for the last few weeks and I’m completely fascinated with you. How you escaped police custody twice, broke into the station, and evaded dozens of cops at the grocery store. You’re special, Raven—supernatural.”
He couldn’t know … could he?
“You didn’t answer my question. What do you want?”
Thumper had told me The Boss wanted a favor, he’d even sent one of his goons after me at The Drunken Monkey. He already knew I was a fighter, but now my skills had shot up beyond what he’d imagined. I didn’t know if I should be flattered or pissed that he was analyzing me so closely.
“I’m in a predicament, Raven. It’s really unfortunate, honestly.” He sighed and sat in the seat beside me, crossing one leg over the other. “My shipments have gone missing. It started off with a box here and there, but now it’s too many to ignore. I originally wanted to hire you to rough up some suspects, but now I’m thinking you’re worth so much more.”
“I can’t help you.”
He smiled. “I think you can. See, I have your friend …” He looked to one of his goons. “What’s her name?”
“Charlotte.”
“Right. Charlotte. Such a pretty name. If you don’t want anything to happen to her, you’ll do as I say.”
“Maybe I’ll just torture it out of you,” I said.
“You can try,” he leaned back, “but even I don’t know where she is. It’s my insurance that you’ll do what I want. Always have to think ahead,” he said, tapping the side of his head.
My jaw ticked, and I sat very still as I assessed the situation. If I risked Charlie’s life by beating the shit out of The Boss, I could be left with no information. I had to play my cards right.
“If I do this, will you release Charlie?”
“I’ll release her once the job is complete.”
He was smart; I’d give him that.
“What do you need?”
His grin widened. “I knew you’d come around. Whoever is stealing my product is extraordinarily fast. My cameras can’t even catch this person—they’re a blur. Whoever it is, they’re not human. That’s where you come in.”
I shook my head. “If that’s the case, I don’t know how much help I can be. I’m not fast.”
“You’re not necessarily human either,” he smirked.
My insides dropped. He knew something about the supernatural world if one of his thugs worked as a bouncer at Demon City.
“No need to explain, I won’t ask questions. I’ve seen and heard enough to put the pi
eces together. But I digress. I need you to be there when my next shipment arrives and find the son of the bitch that is stealing from me. Then, and only then, will I let your friend go. Do we have a deal?”
I would kill him. He wouldn’t get away with taking Charlie. With this deal, he was signing his death certificate; he just didn’t know it yet.
“Deal.”
I sat behind a stack of crates. It was bright and early in the morning and I hadn’t slept a wink last night. The Boss wouldn’t let me leave his home, and I was locked in a room with no windows and only a bathroom. I could’ve bulldozed the door and slaughtered every individual in the house, but I had to think of Charlie. Fucking Charlie. I knew something would happen. My gut never steered me wrong, and all the worry I’d been feeling was right. It was the wrong enemy, but nonetheless, she was still put in danger for associating with me.
Recognizing The Boss’s men as the ones handling the crates while unloading the shipment, I scanned the docks for anyone who was out of place. The morning sky was bright and affected my vision, but near the cargo containers was a small man—a single soul—no more than five feet tall. He had shaggy orange hair that fell just above his eyes. Once he narrowed in on his target, his eyes glowed yellow. The Boss was right; he wasn’t human.
I ran behind the crates to where the creature stood. If he was as quick as described, I needed to catch him off guard. I was as fast as a human without my wings, so I stayed light on my feet and made my way behind him, tiptoeing closer until I was just an arm’s reach away. His whole body pulsated, and it made me retract a little.
What the hell is he?
Before I could second-guess myself, I snatched the collar of his shirt and pulled him back.
“Hey!” he squealed.
I brought him closer to me and covered his mouth with my hand. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to bring him to The Boss just yet.
“Keep quiet unless you want them to find you,” I whispered.
His eyes widened, and he nodded in understanding.
“Good. I’m going to remove my hand. I want you to answer my question as quietly as possible.” He nodded again. “Now, tell me why you’re stealing from one of the biggest drug dealers in Oregon.”
He sucked in a few breaths after I took my hand off his mouth. “I need to get them off the streets. They aren’t safe.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“They have a new drug called Venom. It makes people crazy until their eyes start to bleed and then they die. I need to stop them from selling it.”
Well, wasn’t this a plot twist? The thief was a modern-day Robin Hood. I wanted to laugh at how scrawny he was and wondered what he could possibly do.
This was the drug Charlie had warned me about. The fact that The Boss was the one pushing it made me wary.
“What kind of drug is it?” If these assholes had been giving me some strange drugs, I’d kill them before I found Charlie.
“It’s a liquid. I swear I’m doing this for the right reasons.”
I assessed the little guy who couldn’t be older than nineteen. I searched his soul and found it to be strong with a sense of righteousness.
“I believe you.”
He sighed in relief. “Can you put me down?”
“No.” I pulled the kid behind me, away from the drug deal. “You’re not stealing any more drugs.”
“But—”
“I totally get it,” I said. “But you’re dealing with some very dangerous people. They will kill you. I was sent to kill you.”
“I’m fast! They’ll never catch me.”
I quirked a brow. “What are you?”
His cheeks turned pink. “I’m a kitsune.”
It all made sense. Kitsunes were Japanese fox shifters known for their trickery and speed.
He leaned toward me. “What are you?”
“None of your business. Go home and forget about this.”
He exhaled loudly like a petulant child. “I can’t! It’s my duty—”
“Fuck duty,” I said. “Keep yourself alive and let the humans deal with this.”
He grimaced. “It’s not the humans this is affecting. It’s infiltrating the supernatural community. Our people are dying. Someone has to do something.”
He had a good heart and his intentions were pure, but this wasn’t going to end well for him.
Why do I care? I should walk away and let him learn the hard way. It was what I was taught to do.
“What’s your name?”
“Ken.”
“I’m Raven,” I said by way of introduction. “Listen to me carefully. I will stop the drugs from infiltrating your community, but for me to do that, I need you out of my way. You’re a liability. Understand?”
The kid was stubborn. I could tell he didn’t believe me but would leave it alone for now. He’d be back. I was sure of it. Hopefully, when he did, I’d have taken care of The Boss and it would all stop.
The men who had driven me to the docks were waiting for me in the parking lot to escort me back to the house. Once again, the hood was placed over my head and my wrists zip-tied.
When we arrived, I was face to face with a very angry drug dealer.
“Where is the thief who is stealing my product?”
“You didn’t tell me I had to bring him to you. You only said to find out who it was, and I did. Now, I’ll tell you only when Charlie is released.”
The Boss squeezed his fists until his knuckles whitened, but he kept his composure.
“You’re very slick, Raven Romero. Unfortunately, I’m not happy with your services. I’m going to need you to do me another favor in exchange for your friend’s life. It’s only fair—an even trade.” He gave me a tight-lipped smile, and I sensed I was testing his patience. He was testing mine.
“That wasn’t our deal,” I gritted between my teeth.
“The rules have changed.”
“Fuck this,” I growled and pulled my wrists apart. The zip-ties snapped, freeing me. “I’m not playing any more of your games.” Wrapping my hand around his throat, I slammed him onto his desk. Miscellaneous items flew everywhere, and his head bounced off the oak surface.
“Tell me where she is,” I demanded, loosening my grip a smidge.
“I don’t know,” he choked out.
“Bullshit,” I yelled and slammed his head again. It rattled, and I had to restrain myself from killing him. “Tell me where Charlie is!”
He gasped for air, his eyes dilating as his vision was going in and out. My anger was getting the best of me, the bloodlust clouding my vision.
“Tell me!” I screamed. Just as I was about to slam his head for the last time, a hand took hold of my arm, stopping me.
“Raven,” Charlie whispered, “I’m right here.”
Releasing the scumbag, I spun around to see Charlie and a big, growling, gray wolf standing next to her. He snapped his canines at The Boss who flinched, scooting back on the desk.
I relaxed as I saw her wide eyes behind her glasses. Besides a little dirt, she was okay.
“How are you—”
She pointed to the wolf and giggled. “He sniffed me out.”
My eyes darted to him. “Thank you, Fen.” I reached over and ran my hand through his coat. It bristled underneath my touch as he leaned in to nuzzle me.
Without thinking, I pulled Charlie into a hug, making sure she was real and not a figment of my imagination. She paused before wrapping her arms around me.
“I’m okay,” she muttered, but I could see she wasn’t. Her soul told me everything I needed to know. This experience had rattled her to her core and she was second-guessing her stance.
Suddenly, Fen began to growl ferociously, and I turned around to catch the retreating figure of The Boss. I stopped the wolf.
“Leave him,” I said. “He isn’t worth it.”
I’d deal with him eventually. Just not today.
22
Charlie paced the room. She was desperately
trying to come up with an excuse to stay, but her heart just wasn’t in it—at least not at this moment. And rightfully so. She’d experienced something scary that would take a while to overcome. I wanted her around—she’d become a friend—but I wasn’t too selfish to keep her by my side.
“Listen to me, Charlie,” I said. “I’m not telling you to go away forever, but you need to take a break. Stay with some family, lay low.”
“But … but—”
“But nothing.” I smiled weakly. “I’ll still be here when you get back. I promise.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’ll only be gone for a week and then I’ll be back.”
“Good. Take a break, relax a little.”
She was wary, and I didn’t blame her. I wouldn’t even believe the horseshit I was selling her.
Charlie was still packing her bag when my burner phone began to ring.
“Hello?” I answered and stepped out of her room.
“The police commissioner has gone missing,” Will said. “All eyes are pointing to you.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Do you know what happened?”
Will was out of the loop with recent events. Because I’d spent so much of my time with Charlie to make sure she was okay after being taken by the humans, I’d forgotten all about him.
“Where’s the body?” he asked once I told him everything that had occurred in the last forty-eight hours. “Please tell me you have his body,” he groaned.
“It’s kind of weird that you want me to hold on to a rotting corpse.”
“You know why, Raven. You’re the number-one suspect in his disappearance with your connection to his daughter’s murder. Everything is going downhill.”
“He was shot in the head. A random killing.”
“Doesn’t matter. You have motive. Commissioner Carter has been dragging your name through the mud. They wouldn’t rule you out as a suspect.”
He was right about that. Death was starting to follow me everywhere I went and not in a good way.
“We left it at the house. Fen has stuck around in case The Boss shows up again.”
The Last Valkyrie Series Complete Boxed Set Page 17
