Brutal Justice (The Other Detective #4)

Prologue

Troy Fairglass held a bouquet of zinnias in his hands, Kate’s favourite flowers for this time of year. He’d been trying to catch Kate Potter’s eye for a while, yet the medical examiner seemed oblivious to his obvious flirtation. You couldn’t get more obvious than flowers, right?

Kate had invited him over to watch a film, but he was almost certain the invitation was as friends.

If that’s all she wanted, he’d accept it, but he was sure he’d seen a warm glance, a coy smile, at least a couple of times.

And she’d blushed like hell when his fingers touched hers the last time they met at the Storyhouse.

He was still thinking of that silken touch when someone stepped out of the shadows.

A dryad.

Troy automatically gave him a friendly tilt of his lips, but it faded slowly when it wasn’t returned. Instead, the dryad reached into his pocket, pulled out a switchblade, and flicked the sharp edge out with intent.

Dryad assassins were among the deadliest in the Other realm and Troy’s heart started to pound, even as he hoped against hope that this was nothing more than a robbery. Maybe he could chuck him his watch and this would all be over.

‘Whoa, mate. I don’t want any trouble.’ Troy held up his hands, bouquet and all, and froze where he stood.

The dryad smirked. ‘Ah well, sorry about that. But it’s trouble you’ll be getting. Your father is a busy man, Troy. And I want a chat with him.’

Some tension slid away. The dryad was a threat, nothing more. If he wanted to talk with Father, he was welcome to do so. His father could more than handle himself.

Troy licked his lips. ‘I can sort that. I can arrange a chat with my father. Just … lower the weapon.’

The dryad’s smirk grew. ‘I don’t think so, Troy.’ The green-skinned man looked towards the steps of Kate’s home. ‘I think I’ll go in and visit your little bitch. Teach her how a real man fucks.’

Fear and anger came swiftly, eclipsing all rational thought. ‘Don’t you fucking touch her, you bastard! Don’t you fucking dare.’

‘Oh,’ the man mocked, ‘but I do dare.’ He took a step towards Kate’s home and then another.

Troy could hear her dogs barking. They knew something was wrong.

Fuck!

The dryad would probably gut the dogs too. All of the Other knew dryad assassins were feral creatures. They had twisted their own nature too greatly to become feared, and Troy found he believed the dryad utterly. The assassin would walk into that house full of Disney cheer and rape Kate.

Troy didn’t hesitate. The IR rose within him. He drew his magic up and wrapped it around his fist, giving him extra strength. Then he ploughed his fist towards the dryad’s smirking face.

The knife remained in the dryad’s hand, but he made no move to swing it at Troy, and somewhere in his mind, that struck him as odd, even as his fist struck the dryad’s nose. With a satisfying crunch, blood began to flow.

A blonde vampyr walked past, gave a lick of her beautiful lips at the scent of blood in the air, and – with admirable restraint – kept on walking.

The dryad laughed, focused on his mer aggressor.

‘Come now, Troy. You can do better than that. You need to do better than that. A punch won’t stop me.

Nothing is going to stop me. I’m going to fuck her in two.

Then I’m going to choke the life out of her pretty little neck.

’ The dryad’s green-skinned hand touched the bouquet, and the flowers shrivelled, wilted and died.

‘Just. Like. That. You can’t stop me. You’re a bleeding heart.

I’ve been watching you. You’re far too nice, Your Highness.

Has anyone ever told you that? I expected a whole lot more from the seventh son of a mer king.

A whole lot more.’ He smiled. ‘Poor little Kate. She’s going to scream. ’

The merman pulled his fist back and pummelled the dryad, even as the crazy bastard laughed.

Not once did the dryad use his blade.

Troy heard the moment his fist snapped the dryad’s spinal cord.

The fucker stopped laughing.

The dryad couldn’t hurt Kate now, not dead. Relief streamed in. This would be an unholy mess, but Father would keep him out of Wraithmore. And Kate? She would be safe.

He paused, fist still raised, still panting, when something unseen hit him, like a strike to the solar plexus.

He couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t pull air into his lungs. And his head. His head screamed. Agony like nothing he’d ever felt poured over him as something crawled into him. His thoughts fractured and slid sideways as something else reached for the controls.

How obliging of you, a new voice sneered in his head. I’d grown incredibly bored of Aspen’s tiresome whinging. And his body was downright pathetic. How anyone is supposed to inspire fear in such a weak body is beyond me.

Without his knowledge or consent, Troy’s shoulders rolled back and his panting stopped, like a switch had been thrown.

This is much better. You take care of yourself, and I appreciate that.

What the fuck was happening? Why couldn’t he move? Breathe? Speak! And who the fuck was in his head?

Ah. How rude of me. Jude Jingo, at your service.

In the depths of his own mind, Troy froze. He’d heard that name, had to be living under a rock not to have done so. Jude Jingo – the deadliest criminal the Other realm had seen in a decade or more.

You’re too kind, the urbane voice said. Now let’s pay Kate a visit, shall we? And if you don’t play along and tell me everything I need to know to pretend to be you convincingly, I promise she’ll be the first one to die.

Fear punched through him, not for himself, but for Kate. For what Jingo could do – would do – to her.

The merman’s body straightened at its parasite’s command.

‘I’m in,’ Jingo called out, even though Troy hadn’t commanded his voice to speak.

Another man melted out of the darkness. ‘Easier than I’d feared,’ he commented.

‘Threaten a man’s woman, Reed, and he’ll indulge in his most basic instincts. Protect. Ugg.’ Jingo thumped his chest mockingly. ‘Any witnesses?’

‘Just one. A vampyr.’

‘Do you know her?’

‘No, but it’ll be easy enough to identify her. Shall I get Witterhall on her?’

Troy’s head shook. ‘I don’t trust the prick, not with this. I need to fly under the radar a while longer yet, until I’ve got close to the mer king. Kill her,’ Jingo ordered. ‘Discreetly.’

Reed placed a hand over his heart. ‘I’m the soul of discretion.’

‘Good man. Cameras?’

‘Two door cameras,’ Reed confirmed. ‘I already arranged for both to be out of commission.’

‘Excellent. How do I look?’

Reed ran his eyes over his boss. ‘The hair is a little wild and, as expected, a little blood has splattered on you.’ He got out a packet of baby wipes from his backpack and cleaned the blood from Troy’s hands and face. ‘A little on your shirt too.’

Reed set his backpack on the ground and pulled out a fresh white shirt. Jingo raked his fingers through his newly acquired long hair, then deftly removed the light blue top he was wearing. He buttoned up the crisp white shirt, which contrasted nicely against his dark blue hair.

‘Your knuckles are a little red, sir. Allow me?’

Reed was a wizard with many talents, and his healing skills were one of the main reasons Jingo had first identified him as an excellent second, even as a young lad.

Reed’s ability to heal even the most terrible wound meant torture could go on and on until Reed had to recharge.

Reed had proven himself invaluable many times. And this was no exception.

He took Troy’s hand in his and healed it. Not a single mark remained on his pale skin, no hint he’d struck Ash Aspen once, let alone until he’d resembled a pancake.

‘All done, sir. Enjoy your acting.’

Jingo grinned. He did so enjoy this bit. He dropped the dead flowers next to Aspen’s body, waited until Reed had gone from view, then knocked on the front door.

Kate answered with a wide smile, and trapped within the confines of his own mind Troy felt sick. She was pleased to see him, and he was terrified for her.

Gorgeous curls framed her face, and she wore glasses with gems across the frame, bold and dazzling.

Her lips were painted perfectly red, and although she was dressed casually in jeans and a top, Troy suspected she had indeed hoped for a date, and fear swamped him again for what Jingo might do to her with his body.

‘Kate,’ Jingo began, tone serious. ‘Something dreadful has happened. We need to call the Connection. I’ve found a body.’