Iniquity (The Premonition, #5)(106)

“Whah ting?”

“That thing…the meeting?”

“Oh, dat.” He gives an irritated shrug. “I can put dat off. He hasn’t even said why he wants ta see me.”

“Then you should seriously take the meeting. If he didn’t say, it’s bad.”

“’Tis always bad. He’s an aingeal,” he replies.

“I resemble that comment.” I feign outrage.

He waves his hand dismissively. “Ye’re na one of dem. Ye’re one o’ us. Da queen.”

I smile and rise from my chair, taking my empty plate. I slip the file from his grasp. “You’re forgiven. Eat your orange. I’m going to go give Bruno a look see.” I walk toward the sink.

“Ye’re takin’ da fellas wi’ ye, are ye na?”

“I am not. I’m just going to get eyes on him. I won’t approach him yet.”

“Dat was na a request,” Brennus says scornfully. “Ye do na go anywhere wi’out protection.”

I rinse my plate, before sliding it in the dishwasher. “Keegan,” I say, speaking to the redheaded faerie near Brennus. “What are you doing in an hour?”

“I’m going wi’ ye ta get eyes on Bruno.”

“Happy?” I ask Brennus.

“Na even close.”

I sigh. “Declan, Lachlan, and Faolan, can you come with me in an hour?”

“Aye,” they all say in unison, while continuing to eat.

I give Brennus a there-you-go gesture. “Happy now?”

“Trilled,” he says with a sarcastic smile.




Bruno, it turns out, is a wan-loving playboy with poor business practices and a really scary sense of style. From our position in the abandoned building across the street from his warehouse, I have an unfettered view of our target and his over-sized lapels.

“He’s an arms dealer,” I murmur.

“He is,” Declan growls. “He recently sold me a chillax charm dat jus about blew me face off. I say we end him on principle.”

“Why were you buying a chillax charm from him?” I ask.

“Never ye mind,” Declan replies. “Have ye seen enough yet? I have some personal tings I want ta take care of today.”

“What things?”

“Personal. Tings,” Declan replies. “I agreed ta stay longer wi’ ye while da other fellas followed Bruno’s connection ta da freight yards. Ye could say tanks.”

“Tanks. I guess I’ve seen enough.” I pack up my stuff, shoving it in my backpack. My battle hammer sings when I touch it, it makes me smile. “Shh, little brudder!” I say to it before closing the bag. “I know what will make you happy, Deck. We could stop and get those paczki you like in Poletown.”

“Da ones wi’ da butter cream?” he asks.

“Uh-huh and coffee.” Now that Declan eats real food, we have so much more in common.

“’Tis on da way ta one of me errands.”

“Oh,” I ask, “what do you have to do?” We walk through the dilapidated building to the windows on the other side. We jump five stories to the ground, landing on our feet.

“I have ta pick up me lucky shirt from da cleaners.”

I wrinkle my nose. “That’s why we have to leave.”

“Genevieve, I have a date.”

“Shut. Yer. Gob!” I get into his nineteen-seventies black Cadillac. The white leather of the seat squeaks as I slide over and close the door. I open the window because it’s grown hot in the sun. It’s been a warm spring. “Who is she? He?”

“She. And ye do na know her.”

“When do I get to meet her?”

“I will let ye know.”

“Please do!” I smile. I catch Declan smiling, too.

He drives through town to the dry cleaner. I get out with him and say, “I’ll meet you at the paczki place. I’ll get a dozen of the kind you like.”

“Get two. Eion will eat a dozen by himself.” I nod and walk in the direction of the bakery. I cross the street and jog down the sidewalk. I’m almost to the corner when someone grabs me by the throat and drags me into the alley.

Bruno lifts me off the ground and bashes me into the side of the building. I wince as pieces of the brick wall crumbles to the pavement. “Who are ye?” he snarls. He has one of his Gancanagh crew with him. The thug is rummaging through my bag.

“You don’t want to do that,” I mutter to the undead faerie with the eyebrow piercings holding my bag.

“Whah have we here?” piercings asks with avarice in his tone.

“That’s little brudder, and he hates it when undead faeries mess with him.”

Something stirs in my belly. It feels like butterflies. My eyes widen. Bruno punches me hard in the stomach. The air in my lungs is forced from me. I gasp. Without speaking, I give my hammer a command, Fly to me, little brudder. My weapon is in my hand in less than an instant. Swinging it at Bruno’s head, I crack his skull and knock him sideways. I gaze down at him sprawled on the ground, holding his head. “If you would just listen to me for a moment, I will explain why I’m here and why you want me here. I have a proposition for—” Before I can finish, there’s a blur of charcoal-colored wings. Bruno and his piercing associate are nearly torn in half and their bodies thrown into a dumpster at the end of the alley. Reed drops a lighter into it. It ignites into flames.