Chapter 4
4
I walked home with bags of takeout dangling from both of my hands. The smell of hot noodles and tangy sauce had my mouth watering, though only about a quarter of the food was for me. Sometimes having a werewolf roommate was expensive, but you couldn’t beat the bodyguard factor.
Braxton was higher up in his pack. Few people messed with him, and those who did usually regretted it.
I stopped abruptly with my apartment in view. The sun was beginning to set, but the white wings of the two angelics were clear. They weren’t keeping them hidden this time, maybe because they enjoyed how people moved to the other side of the street to pass them.
They both stood near my building, casually chatting. Maybe it was a coincidence, but I doubted it. I recognized them from the Circus. It had been unusual seeing them there, but here was even worse. They would never be caught dead in such a neighborhood if they didn’t have a purpose. They should be up in the Silver Quarter with others of their kind.
I retreated the way I had come, then cut a wide path around them into an alleyway that would lead me behind my building. It didn’t seem like they had noticed me, but I couldn’t be too careful. Something was off about those two.
I looped both takeout bags on one arm, looking up at the daunting climb of the fire escape. Braxton should be home. I could just climb up to our apartment and knock for him to unlock the window.
I started feeling silly as I climbed. It probably had been a coincidence. Those angelics had nothing to do with me…
And yet, here I was. Shaking my head, I continued climbing. Better silly than stalked by angelics.
I could hear Braxton’s loud music overhead, rattling the window. He usually didn’t play it so loudly when I was home, lest I break another one of his radios.
Over the music, I heard what sounded like a soft step above me. The metal of the fire escape groaned slightly. I looked up toward my landing and the blond angelic looking down at me.
My body lurched with surprise, then I tightly gripped the metal rung in my hands. “What do you want?”
The angelic leaned forward against the railing circling my landing. He was dressed in white again, but this time it was a button up and slacks. The shirt had delicate pearl buttons that looked like something out of another century. “Have you made a deal with that devil, my dear?”
I furrowed my brow, still gripping the metal rung tightly in my hands. What was this, some sort of game between angelics and devils? “No. Now what do you want?”
The angelic’s smile was more just a showing of perfect white teeth. “I know he spoke with you this morning. Now why would he have any interest in a scrawny little night runner?”
I thought about countering that he had also shown interest the night before, wagering on scrawny little night runners, but with him blocking my path to my apartment, I didn’t think it was a good idea.
Plus, I didn’t owe the devil anything. It wasn’t my job to keep his secrets. “He offered me a job to collect a debt and I refused. I don’t know anything else. Now get out of my way.”
He leaned forward further. He wasn’t close enough to grab me, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t hurt me. I had never been sure if angelics could actually fly with their showy wings, but with him above me now, it had to be true. I glanced back down, considering retreat, but his friend was below me. I hadn’t sensed him, nor had I heard his steps on the asphalt.
I looked back up at the blond angelic. “Whatever game you’re playing with the devil has nothing to do with me. Now get out of my way .”
He flashed another smile. “Very well.“
With a flap of his wings, he launched himself straight toward me.
I gasped as my foot slipped, but I managed to grip the ladder with just one hand. I held on, regaining my footing. He had gone right past me, hopefully to plummet into the asphalt below, though I knew that wasn’t the case.
“Well that simply will not do,” he said to his friend below me.
Suddenly the entire ladder broke loose from the brick wall above me. With a loud screech it tilted away, tossing me sideways. I kept my grip, but barely, my body flailing below me. Panicked, I tossed the takeout bags, then clamped my other hand around the ladder rung, clinging on for dear life. I glanced down at the two angelics, who both just stood there, waiting for me to fall.
“What do you want!” The ladder came down another notch, sending a jolt through my body.
I heard the angelics laughing below, then the whoosh of wings. When I looked down again, they were both gone.
My body swayed in the breeze. My palms were beginning to sweat, and my shoulders burned with exertion. I was several stories up. There might be a chance I’d survive the fall, but I would sure have a lot of broken bones.
“Braxton!” I shouted.
His music continued thumping overhead. Dammit, Braxton . I scooted one hand across the ladder toward my opposite wrist, hoping I could call him from my watch. I was just about to start mashing the screen when I sensed another presence above me.
The devil stood on my landing, perfectly calm. He tilted his head, watching me as a beam of fading sunlight cut across his face. “Care to reconsider my offer?”
My sweaty palms made my grip perilous. “You sent them!” I hissed as a breeze flopped my hair into my face. “You made them do this so I would agree to your deal!” I shook my hair out of my eyes enough to glare up at him.
He casually leaned his elbows on the narrow railing. “Oh no, that would void any contracts we made. I can’t force you into anything, and putting you in peril would be strictly against the rules. But there’s nothing that says I can’t take advantage of whatever situation you have found yourself in.” His expression turned cold. “Work for me, and I will save your life.”
I looked past him toward my window. “Braxton!”
His music continued thumping. I was going to break every radio he ever bought… If I survived.
The fire escape groaned again, another bolt starting to come loose from the brick. The asphalt below was looking pretty damn hard.
“I estimate that metal is going to snap in about sixty seconds,” the devil’s cultured voice sounded above me. “Wouldn’t you like to take a job instead? I’ll even still pay you. You can consider me saving your life a favor.”
My hands slipped a little further. It was going to be a race to see whether I lost my grip or the fire escape pulled free first. “If you really want me to work for you,” I said through gritted teeth, “you’re not going to let me die.”
“Would you care to bet your life on it?”
I didn’t have the strength to lift my head again to look at him. I inhaled sharply. Was I willing to bet my life on it? I had only met him roughly twenty-four hours ago. I didn’t know anything about him. Maybe he just wanted any night runner who was easy to access, and I had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe he would just let me die.
The metal creaked and groaned.
“Five,” he began the countdown on my life.
He was a devil. He probably did actually know when it was going to fall.
“Four.”
The breeze kicked up, swaying my body, making my fingers ache.
“Three.”
Crap. “I’ll do the job,” I panted, clinging on for dear life “but, no contract. You’re just going to have to take my word for it.”
“Two,” he said pointedly.
The metal groaned again. Shit.
“One.”
“I’ll do the damn job! I agree to your contract, but only for the job. After that, we’re through.”
The metal snapped, flinging me away from the building. I expected the pain of impact, but I didn’t go crashing down. I found myself standing on my landing with my hand wrapped in the devil’s. A wash of magic hit me—a hint of evil.
He smiled the proverbial crocodile’s smile. “You begin work in the morning. Sweet dreams.“
I blinked, and he was gone, my hand still extended stupidly before me. I took a moment to catch my breath amidst the pounding of Braxton’s music.
Curse that stupid annoying music. I balled my fist and pounded on the window. After a minute Braxton’s music shut off, then the window unlocked and slid open.
Braxton looked me up and down. “What in the hells happened to you?”
I glared at him. “Braxton, you have terrible taste in music.”
Still shaking, I climbed through the window and trudged past him. I stopped halfway into the living room, sliding my fingers into my pocket and finding something that shouldn’t be there. I pulled out a playing card—the two of hearts. It thrummed with magic.
Braxton had followed me to look over my shoulder at the card. “Don’t tell me that’s what I think it is.”
“It’s what you think it is.”
He let out a low whistle. “I knew that devil was too hot for you to resist.”