Heart and Soul by Jackie May (reading list .TXT) 📗

“No, no, all that was supposed to happen. It’s just the next thing that…”

“Hm? The next thing?”

“Right. The…” I make a gesture with my hands of an explosion. “The whole dropping out of the sky and going boom thing. That part wasn’t supposed to happen. That was a mistake.”

“A mistake. I see.” Ruby’s thin, pale lips stretch into a mirthless grin. “Whose?”

“What?”

“Whose mistake? You were driving. I know that a man met you on the street. He left a stolen truck. Another man must have been working the crane, and another man must have attached those chains to my darling. The chains, see, they were the weak link, literally. If it’s not your fault, then tell me whose it is. Who hooked up the chains?”

This is no help to me. Brenner hooked up the chains, and Ruby probably knows that. He’s toying with me. When I don’t answer, he elbows his man. Before the demon can unleash a swing at Brenner, I surge forward and bury my claws into the man’s jugular. He lets out a painful gurgle, Ruby screams at me, and a gun presses against my head. Brenner pulls my hand back, releasing the henchman. The other bodyguard keeps his gun trained on my face.

“You owe me!” Ruby screeches. “A lover for a lover, Ms. Davies. I’m a greed demon. That car had greater hold on my heart than any man could ever have on yours.”

“That’s just pathetic.”

“And yet this is all happening because you couldn’t stand to be without your Pontiac. Seems there may be a fair bit of greed demon in you, too, Shayne Davies.”

I have no answer for that, because…truth hurts. Ruby’s right about me being greedy. And Rook’s right about me being blind. And Gorgeous is right about me being stupid. And Mom’s right about me being immature. All of those truths became obvious to me once I started sharing a life with Jay Brenner. Those truths will also be what gets Brenner killed. I know it.

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of killing him.” Ruby spreads a content grin at Brenner. “Then again, sometimes things happen that aren’t supposed to happen. You understand.”

The car makes a sudden stop. Thinking we’ve arrived in the west side, my heart races with panic. Ruby calls up to the front, annoyed. “What is it?”

“This jackass spun out on the ice,” the driver says, honking at a black sedan. “California driver!”

“Take the alley,” Rubicon orders.

We back up and turn into a narrow alley that I recognize with dread. We’re only three blocks from west side territory. Once we cross that border, it would take an army to get us out.

“There’s got to be something I can do,” I blurt. “Pay you back somehow. I can get things. It’s what I do.”

“Fine. Get my darling back.”

Wheels spinning in my brain. Impossible. “Okay, yeah…I mean, if you give me a parts list, I can probably—”

“A parts list?” He snarls. “Sure, honey. Once I’ve made a parts list of Detective Brenner, we’ll trade. Fair?”

“We took down the East Side horde. Arael Moaz was your biggest rival, and now he’s gone for good because of us. That’s got to be worth something.”

“It is,” Ruby agrees. “That’s why I’m only taking one of you.”

“Me, then!” I blurt. “Take me.”

“No, Shayne,” Brenner says.

“Let Brenner go—”

“Shayne, stop.”

Overcome with hysterical rage, I kick at Ruby, but Brenner pins me to the seat, wrangling my feet to keep them from making contact. Ruby giggles, amused by my tantrum. “Oh, but Miss Davies, you have to understand, greed demons aren’t known for being patient, and if I wanted you dead, I’d have to take a number. Listen, I feel that I should say you need to be worried. How did I know exactly where you would be tonight? Think about that. People you know—people who are close to you, Shayne—are willing to give that info up to dangerous third parties like myself. You see, that’s what happens to traitors. Hell, with your standing in the underworld at the moment, being under my roof might be the safest place in Detroit.” He bulges his eyes at me again. “Which is why I’m cutting you loose.”

“Who was it?” Brenner asks. “Who told you where to find us?”

Ruby smirks. “You’re asking me? You two are the super detectives.”

“Russo,” I offer.

Brenner shakes his head. “Not a chance.”

“Who, then, Jay? Your contact? You said you pulled strings to get us those seats.”

Brenner’s shoulders drop. He knows I’m right.

“Who was it? Who got us those seats? Jay?” He won’t answer. His eyes swim with both confusion and anger. “Jay, who was it?”

Behind me, the driver curses loudly. “What the hell’s with people tonight?” He stomps the brakes. In the alley ahead, another black sedan races straight for us. The alley’s not wide enough for two cars to pass. The driver shifts into reverse and backs up, only to stomp the brakes again. Behind us, the alley is blocked by yet another black sedan. Its doors fly open. FBI agents leap out, guns drawn. Brenner throws himself over me just as bullets start pounding Ruby’s car, flattening all four tires at once. The back door is flung open. The henchman with the gun yelps as a tattooed arm jerks him out of the car. Special Agent Hillerman takes his vacated spot next to Ruby. Even though it’s night, her eyes are hidden behind black sunglasses.

“I don’t know who the hell you are,” Ruby blusters, “but I’ll give you exactly three seconds to get out.” Ruby elbows his henchman, who goes for his gun.

Hillerman, cool as ice, raises one hand, as if to say stop. Screaming in pain, the henchman seems to split in two. A dark figure—like a shadow—is ripped from his body. Terrified, the demon spirit clutches at its mortal body, desperate to stay. Hillerman doesn’t hesitate. With a flick of her wrist, she makes a swoosh motion with her hand, as if swiping on her phone, and