head.
We turned down the next aisle together, looking like some strange shopping ménage à trois, to see Watt checking out the ingredient label on a bottle of ketchup. Concerned with the presence of high fructose corn syrup, no doubt.
"So what then?" Niko continued. "You think she's an undercover cop? The cuffs are a ruse?"
I reached for a jar of mayonnaise, ready to smash it over Mickey's thick head. Niko stilled my hand with a look.
"I am not undercover. I can assure you that my cuffs are terrifyingly real or I wouldn't waste two seconds in the service of a guy like O'Leary."
"Keep your voice down," Niko urged with a nod toward Watt.
I lowered my voice. "I can also assure you that if I had full command of my powers, you'd be nothing more than a pillar of salt by now." I moved a step closer to Mickey. "And one more thing, you hairy, ignorant ape. I absolutely do have a thong ass."
I forged ahead. I was through listening to them shop and chat like two elderly sisters.
Behind me I heard Niko say, "I told you she wasn't a cop."
We paid for our few items in the checkout lane next to Watt. His basket had more items so we inadvertently finished first. Niko carried the bag outside where we lingered.
"I think it's better if I talk to him alone," I said. "You two can hang nearby in case I need backup, which I won't."
"How do you know?" Mickey asked.
"Because every item the man just bought was on sale. He even used a coupon. Thrifty guys don't fence stolen family heirlooms. They just don't."
Niko knocked Mickey with his elbow and jerked his head toward the Challenger. Mickey begrudgingly followed him, one eye trained on me. I don't know what kind of funny business he expected me to pull in front of a mini-mart. The guy was supremely paranoid for an underling.
Watt stepped outside with his purchases, and I quickly moved to intercept him.
"Hi," I said, channeling my inner friendly person. I knew she was in there, tucked away in a dark corner of my soul, begging to be released every now and again.
He tensed at first, but my friendly demeanor seemed to win him over. "Hi."
"Flynn sent me," I continued quietly. "Is there somewhere private we can talk?"
He glanced down at his groceries, and I realized that he was worried about the frozen foods in his bag. It was summer, after all.
I looked over at the Challenger, the motor now running and, no doubt, the air conditioner.
"Follow me," I said.
He continued to stand there, deliberating.
"I promise I'm not going to drive anywhere with you," I assured him. Not that he couldn't shift his way out of it. "Let's sit in the air-conditioned car." I held up my wrists. "I'm defanged. I can't hurt you even if I wanted to." Okay, that part wasn't strictly true. I probably could hurt him, but he was a Shaitan and a PAN agent. I had no interest in pissing off either one while stuck in my human form.
I walked toward the Challenger and pulled open the driver side door.
"Out. Both of you," I said.
Mickey tried to jerk the door closed. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I need a cool place for a quiet conversation so my friend's ice cream doesn't melt."
"Then get in the back," Mickey replied.
I reached in and grabbed Mickey by the collar, yanking him from the car. "I am wearing an armory on my body right now, so get out of the damn car and do as you're told before I drop a few grenades down your pants and put an end to the Mickey Medici gene pool."
Mickey glared at me but moved away from the car. Niko did the same. I gestured for Watt to get in the passenger side. After my angry display, I hoped he would.
I climbed in and shut the door. A blast of cold air greeted me. Gods bless air conditioning.
Watt sat down beside me and set his grocery bag on his lap before closing the door. "You said Flynn sent you?"
I nodded. "He said you might be able to help me."
Watt looked at me and then at the copper cuffs. "You're Alyse Winters?"
"What tipped you off?"
"The bad attitude, for one
We turned down the next aisle together, looking like some strange shopping ménage à trois, to see Watt checking out the ingredient label on a bottle of ketchup. Concerned with the presence of high fructose corn syrup, no doubt.
"So what then?" Niko continued. "You think she's an undercover cop? The cuffs are a ruse?"
I reached for a jar of mayonnaise, ready to smash it over Mickey's thick head. Niko stilled my hand with a look.
"I am not undercover. I can assure you that my cuffs are terrifyingly real or I wouldn't waste two seconds in the service of a guy like O'Leary."
"Keep your voice down," Niko urged with a nod toward Watt.
I lowered my voice. "I can also assure you that if I had full command of my powers, you'd be nothing more than a pillar of salt by now." I moved a step closer to Mickey. "And one more thing, you hairy, ignorant ape. I absolutely do have a thong ass."
I forged ahead. I was through listening to them shop and chat like two elderly sisters.
Behind me I heard Niko say, "I told you she wasn't a cop."
We paid for our few items in the checkout lane next to Watt. His basket had more items so we inadvertently finished first. Niko carried the bag outside where we lingered.
"I think it's better if I talk to him alone," I said. "You two can hang nearby in case I need backup, which I won't."
"How do you know?" Mickey asked.
"Because every item the man just bought was on sale. He even used a coupon. Thrifty guys don't fence stolen family heirlooms. They just don't."
Niko knocked Mickey with his elbow and jerked his head toward the Challenger. Mickey begrudgingly followed him, one eye trained on me. I don't know what kind of funny business he expected me to pull in front of a mini-mart. The guy was supremely paranoid for an underling.
Watt stepped outside with his purchases, and I quickly moved to intercept him.
"Hi," I said, channeling my inner friendly person. I knew she was in there, tucked away in a dark corner of my soul, begging to be released every now and again.
He tensed at first, but my friendly demeanor seemed to win him over. "Hi."
"Flynn sent me," I continued quietly. "Is there somewhere private we can talk?"
He glanced down at his groceries, and I realized that he was worried about the frozen foods in his bag. It was summer, after all.
I looked over at the Challenger, the motor now running and, no doubt, the air conditioner.
"Follow me," I said.
He continued to stand there, deliberating.
"I promise I'm not going to drive anywhere with you," I assured him. Not that he couldn't shift his way out of it. "Let's sit in the air-conditioned car." I held up my wrists. "I'm defanged. I can't hurt you even if I wanted to." Okay, that part wasn't strictly true. I probably could hurt him, but he was a Shaitan and a PAN agent. I had no interest in pissing off either one while stuck in my human form.
I walked toward the Challenger and pulled open the driver side door.
"Out. Both of you," I said.
Mickey tried to jerk the door closed. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I need a cool place for a quiet conversation so my friend's ice cream doesn't melt."
"Then get in the back," Mickey replied.
I reached in and grabbed Mickey by the collar, yanking him from the car. "I am wearing an armory on my body right now, so get out of the damn car and do as you're told before I drop a few grenades down your pants and put an end to the Mickey Medici gene pool."
Mickey glared at me but moved away from the car. Niko did the same. I gestured for Watt to get in the passenger side. After my angry display, I hoped he would.
I climbed in and shut the door. A blast of cold air greeted me. Gods bless air conditioning.
Watt sat down beside me and set his grocery bag on his lap before closing the door. "You said Flynn sent you?"
I nodded. "He said you might be able to help me."
Watt looked at me and then at the copper cuffs. "You're Alyse Winters?"
"What tipped you off?"
"The bad attitude, for one
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