A Touch Menacing

by Leah Clifford

  She didn’t ask again.

  Now, they sat on cracked leather in some dive of an Italian restaurant waiting for word from Gabriel. An hour ago, he’d told them to stay there and left for Upstairs.

  Across from her, Az sat on the edge of the bench, a statue, his eyes dark violet. Every few minutes, the black center seemed to pulse, swirl out even as what was left of the iris yellowed. No matter what, they stayed glued to the sliver of door visible from where he sat.

  “Anything?” Kristen asked.

  Jarrod scoffed before Az could answer. “Yeah, Gabe walked in here ten minutes ago. He just didn’t feel like telling you.”

  She glared daggers in his direction. “Unhelpful.”

  “Deal with it.” He dunked his straw into the cup in front of him, nervously jostling the ice.

  A waitress buzzed by the table, a tray balanced on one hand. “Can I get you anything else?” she asked, and then looked down at their three full plates. She frowned. “Is something wrong with the food?”

  Kristen plastered on a grin, the fakeness of it aching in her cheeks. “Everything’s wonderful.”

  “Well, all right,” the waitress said, grabbing up a straw wrapper. “But you guys look like you came straight from a funeral.”

  “We did.” Kristen watched the waitress squirm, enjoying the utter embarrassment in her face.

  Across the table Kristen caught Az’s eye. He took his phone out of his pocket and checked the display to get the time. His worry was clear. Not only was Eden missing, but Gabriel hadn’t returned for them. Kristen wondered if, like her, Az wasn’t sure if Gabe would be coming back at all. Which left them with one last person to turn to for help. “Let me know when you want me to call,” she said.

  Jarrod slammed his elbows onto the tabletop. “It’s not happening, Kristen. Give it up.”

  She ignored him.

  Az pinched the bridge of his nose and handed her his phone in defeat. “Do it,” he said.

  “No!” Jarrod made a grab for it. She leaned back out of his reach and put it to her ear. “Az!”

  But Az’s hand shot out, hooking Jarrod’s collar. “Gabe said one hour. We gave him time. We need a plan B.” He clenched his fist tighter. “I am not losing Eden, do you understand me?”

  Jarrod held his hands up. “Don’t let her lose you, either,” he said carefully. “And don’t forget: Luke will kill Sullivan if he gets to her first.”

  Az released Jarrod’s shirt, sorrow on his face.

  Finally, Kristen’s call went through. “Let me guess,” Luke said into her ear. “You’ve had complications.”

  Under the table, she slid a hand down her calf, into her boot. She gripped the hilt of the blade he’d given her. Safety. Security. Kristen struggled for words, uncertain how she wanted to play the situation with Az and Jarrod listening.

  “My, my,” Luke said as the silence went on. “I can tell this is going to be good. Spill it.”

  Already she regretted making the phone call at the table, though she doubted the others would have trusted her if she’d gone out of earshot. She should have at least warned Jarrod of what she planned to say. Before she brought Luke in on the latest developments, she had bad blood to clear between them.

  “Are you aware of her?” Kristen asked, already knowing the answer. “The new death breather?”

  “Don’t say anything about her to him. He knows enough.” Jarrod’s quiet words made the hair on her neck stand up.

  “Yes, I know,” Luke said, a new bite to his voice. “You’re keeping some interesting company, Kristen. Send Jarrod my regards. He always seems to come out on top, that one. Is the girl there now?”

  “I could have been turned to ash. Why was I not told about her?”

  “She’s not common knowledge. The Bound can read your mind, Kristen. I couldn’t take the chance.” He paused. “Am I missing something? It seems as if you’ve put your revenge on hold.”

  “I went to Jackson’s. He’d already fled,” she said. She made no mention of Rachel as she filled him in on how Az was back from Upstairs, how she and Eden’s crew had found Jackson.

  “Were you injured?” he interrupted when she got to the attack from the Bound.

  “No, I used the knife you gave me,” she said. “But both Eden and Sullivan were captured, along with Jackson and another.”

  “Captured? The Bound didn’t destroy them?”

  “Captured,” she repeated. From the look on Az’s face, the way she was drawing out asking for the favor was driving him mad, but he should trust that she knew what she was doing. That she knew Luke. Stay with me, she mouthed.

  “I’m glad you had sense enough not to get yourself taken,” Luke said. “I’m sorry to hear about Eden. As for the rest of them, I’d rather you didn’t get involve—”

  “You’re going to rescue them,” she said quickly.

  “Am I now?” he murmured. “I do believe you’re overestimating your hold on me, kitten.”

  Kristen laughed. “The Bound have Sullivan. What better way to slaughter the Siders they’ve captured than to have her dispatch them Downstairs?”

  There was silence on the line. A thrill trickled through her as she felt the power shift between them.

  “You don’t know where they’re being kept?” Luke asked after a moment.

  “No. I want you to find them,” she said. “You’ll help us get Eden back to Az. And then, instead of killing Sullivan, you’re going to hand her over to a very worried Jarrod without so much as a scratch.”

  “And my reward is you?”

  “We’ll see. There’s another Sider with them who is . . .” She taunted him with another pause. “Different,” she finished.

  “Different how?”

  “Unlike anything we’ve seen before, and not something you want in the hands of the Bound. Jarrod and Az are here with me. Bring them weapons. I want the revenge you promised me, Luke. I want bodies.”

  Before he could respond, she heard a click of static. “Entertaining as always, Kristen,” he said. “But there’s another call I have to take. For now, stay put.”

  Kristen hung up without another word. She leaned back, satisfied, and slid the phone across the table to Az. “He’s taking care of it.”

  Jarrod rubbed his hands across his head. “What’s going to keep him from killing Sullivan?” The sadness in his eyes struck her until he started to speak. “You better pray whatever sick things you did with Lucifer got you enough pull to keep them alive. This isn’t a fucking game, Kristen.”

  Her face went hot with fury, but before she found a retort, he turned to Az. “Let me out. Now.”

  Sliding aside, Az stood awkwardly while Jarrod scooted past. “Come on, don’t be stupid. Stay in here with us. If the Bound find you—”

  “No worries,” Jarrod said snidely. “I’m sure Luke will be happy to save my ass, too.”

  Kristen rose from the bench. “You have no right to treat me like this when I’m trying to help you!” she snarled. Restaurant patrons around her swiveled to stare. “I could have walked away!”

  Suddenly Jarrod’s face was an inch from hers. He didn’t speak. He just stood there, nostrils flaring, fists balled at his sides. It took everything she had not to recoil.

  Az’s phone rang, the vibration bumping it across the table and breaking the tension. Kristen watched as his eyes went wide when he answered.

  “You’re sure?” It was impossible to tell if what filled his voice was hope or heartbreak. Kristen steeled herself. Az bolted up, shoving the phone in his pocket. “Let’s go. Luke knows where they are.”

  CHAPTER 28

  Kristen dragged her fork through the plate of noodles in front of her. None of them had bothered to eat. They’d only picked the restaurant because of its lack of windows, the high booths that cut off any easy view of them from the entry.

  Gabriel had met them on the street outside and pulled Az away without a word. They’d been too far away for Kristen to hear their exchange. She
could only see Az shaking his head, horror-struck. Is it Eden? Kristen wondered. Finally Az came back, sitting in a sort of stunned silence. When Kristen had asked him what was wrong, he’d glanced up at her. His irises had gone nearly black.

  She didn’t ask again.

  Now, they sat on cracked leather in some dive of an Italian restaurant waiting for word from Gabriel. An hour ago, he’d told them to stay there and left for Upstairs.

  Across from her, Az sat on the edge of the bench, a statue, his eyes dark violet. Every few minutes, the black center seemed to pulse, swirl out even as what was left of the iris yellowed. No matter what, they stayed glued to the sliver of door visible from where he sat.

  “Anything?” Kristen asked.

  Jarrod scoffed before Az could answer. “Yeah, Gabe walked in here ten minutes ago. He just didn’t feel like telling you.”

  She glared daggers in his direction. “Unhelpful.”

  “Deal with it.” He dunked his straw into the cup in front of him, nervously jostling the ice.

  A waitress buzzed by the table, a tray balanced on one hand. “Can I get you anything else?” she asked, and then looked down at their three full plates. She frowned. “Is something wrong with the food?”

  Kristen plastered on a grin, the fakeness of it aching in her cheeks. “Everything’s wonderful.”

  “Well, all right,” the waitress said, grabbing up a straw wrapper. “But you guys look like you came straight from a funeral.”

  “We did.” Kristen watched the waitress squirm, enjoying the utter embarrassment in her face.

  Across the table Kristen caught Az’s eye. He took his phone out of his pocket and checked the display to get the time. His worry was clear. Not only was Eden missing, but Gabriel hadn’t returned for them. Kristen wondered if, like her, Az wasn’t sure if Gabe would be coming back at all. Which left them with one last person to turn to for help. “Let me know when you want me to call,” she said.

  Jarrod slammed his elbows onto the tabletop. “It’s not happening, Kristen. Give it up.”

  She ignored him.

  Az pinched the bridge of his nose and handed her his phone in defeat. “Do it,” he said.

  “No!” Jarrod made a grab for it. She leaned back out of his reach and put it to her ear. “Az!”

  But Az’s hand shot out, hooking Jarrod’s collar. “Gabe said one hour. We gave him time. We need a plan B.” He clenched his fist tighter. “I am not losing Eden, do you understand me?”

  Jarrod held his hands up. “Don’t let her lose you, either,” he said carefully. “And don’t forget: Luke will kill Sullivan if he gets to her first.”

  Az released Jarrod’s shirt, sorrow on his face.

  Finally, Kristen’s call went through. “Let me guess,” Luke said into her ear. “You’ve had complications.”

  Under the table, she slid a hand down her calf, into her boot. She gripped the hilt of the blade he’d given her. Safety. Security. Kristen struggled for words, uncertain how she wanted to play the situation with Az and Jarrod listening.

  “My, my,” Luke said as the silence went on. “I can tell this is going to be good. Spill it.”

  Already she regretted making the phone call at the table, though she doubted the others would have trusted her if she’d gone out of earshot. She should have at least warned Jarrod of what she planned to say. Before she brought Luke in on the latest developments, she had bad blood to clear between them.

  “Are you aware of her?” Kristen asked, already knowing the answer. “The new death breather?”

  “Don’t say anything about her to him. He knows enough.” Jarrod’s quiet words made the hair on her neck stand up.

  “Yes, I know,” Luke said, a new bite to his voice. “You’re keeping some interesting company, Kristen. Send Jarrod my regards. He always seems to come out on top, that one. Is the girl there now?”

  “I could have been turned to ash. Why was I not told about her?”

  “She’s not common knowledge. The Bound can read your mind, Kristen. I couldn’t take the chance.” He paused. “Am I missing something? It seems as if you’ve put your revenge on hold.”

  “I went to Jackson’s. He’d already fled,” she said. She made no mention of Rachel as she filled him in on how Az was back from Upstairs, how she and Eden’s crew had found Jackson.

  “Were you injured?” he interrupted when she got to the attack from the Bound.

  “No, I used the knife you gave me,” she said. “But both Eden and Sullivan were captured, along with Jackson and another.”

  “Captured? The Bound didn’t destroy them?”

  “Captured,” she repeated. From the look on Az’s face, the way she was drawing out asking for the favor was driving him mad, but he should trust that she knew what she was doing. That she knew Luke. Stay with me, she mouthed.

  “I’m glad you had sense enough not to get yourself taken,” Luke said. “I’m sorry to hear about Eden. As for the rest of them, I’d rather you didn’t get involve—”

  “You’re going to rescue them,” she said quickly.

  “Am I now?” he murmured. “I do believe you’re overestimating your hold on me, kitten.”

  Kristen laughed. “The Bound have Sullivan. What better way to slaughter the Siders they’ve captured than to have her dispatch them Downstairs?”

  There was silence on the line. A thrill trickled through her as she felt the power shift between them.

  “You don’t know where they’re being kept?” Luke asked after a moment.

  “No. I want you to find them,” she said. “You’ll help us get Eden back to Az. And then, instead of killing Sullivan, you’re going to hand her over to a very worried Jarrod without so much as a scratch.”

  “And my reward is you?”

  “We’ll see. There’s another Sider with them who is . . .” She taunted him with another pause. “Different,” she finished.

  “Different how?”

  “Unlike anything we’ve seen before, and not something you want in the hands of the Bound. Jarrod and Az are here with me. Bring them weapons. I want the revenge you promised me, Luke. I want bodies.”

  Before he could respond, she heard a click of static. “Entertaining as always, Kristen,” he said. “But there’s another call I have to take. For now, stay put.”

  Kristen hung up without another word. She leaned back, satisfied, and slid the phone across the table to Az. “He’s taking care of it.”

  Jarrod rubbed his hands across his head. “What’s going to keep him from killing Sullivan?” The sadness in his eyes struck her until he started to speak. “You better pray whatever sick things you did with Lucifer got you enough pull to keep them alive. This isn’t a fucking game, Kristen.”

  Her face went hot with fury, but before she found a retort, he turned to Az. “Let me out. Now.”

  Sliding aside, Az stood awkwardly while Jarrod scooted past. “Come on, don’t be stupid. Stay in here with us. If the Bound find you—”

  “No worries,” Jarrod said snidely. “I’m sure Luke will be happy to save my ass, too.”

  Kristen rose from the bench. “You have no right to treat me like this when I’m trying to help you!” she snarled. Restaurant patrons around her swiveled to stare. “I could have walked away!”

  Suddenly Jarrod’s face was an inch from hers. He didn’t speak. He just stood there, nostrils flaring, fists balled at his sides. It took everything she had not to recoil.

  Az’s phone rang, the vibration bumping it across the table and breaking the tension. Kristen watched as his eyes went wide when he answered.

  “You’re sure?” It was impossible to tell if what filled his voice was hope or heartbreak. Kristen steeled herself. Az bolted up, shoving the phone in his pocket. “Let’s go. Luke knows where they are.”

  CHAPTER 29

  She has to be alive. Jarrod’s lungs burned as their group raced through the icy streets. We’re going to get to them in time.

  Unless Luke
hadn’t found them at all.

  Jarrod’s heart hammered in his chest. It could be a trap. Even if Luke had something to gain by helping them, he didn’t have anything to lose by betraying them, turning them over to the Bound for what he really wanted. Sullivan.

  They headed down Broadway, following Luke’s directions.

  “Hold up,” Az panted behind him as they cut through City Hall Park. “He’s there.”

  Sitting on the bottom lip of a fountain, Luke strummed on his guitar. A thin stream of pedestrians decked out in suits and dresses wandered past, occasionally dropping coins into a cup set on his guitar case. The fountain was gilded in gold and dry except for the snow filling it. A wrought-iron cross topped it. On either side of him, flames danced inside antique-looking lamps. Luke set the instrument aside as they approached.

  His gaze skimmed over Az, paused on Kristen, and finally, stopped on Jarrod. A cruel smile curved Luke’s lips. “Looks like your girlfriend got herself into quite the bloody mess again.”

  Rage ran raw through Jarrod’s veins, but Az clamped down on his shoulder. “Yeah,” Jarrod said slowly, his voice cold and controlled as he flicked his eyes in Kristen’s direction. “Isn’t that just the craziest?”

  Luke’s grin may have widened at the careful reply, but his eyes swore murder at the barely veiled insult of Kristen. “Do you need to be taught another lesson?” Luke asked lightly.

  Do you need to be thrown off another roof? Jarrod’s mouth opened, the comeback forming. If you say it, he’ll walk away, he thought. And Sullivan will be as good as gone. Jarrod lowered his head without saying a word.

  He didn’t have to be looking at Luke to hear the satisfaction in his voice. “Wonderful. Now that we have the alpha male bullshit out of the way, let’s get down to the matter at hand. Kristen, you still have what I gave you?”