Living with the Dead - By Kelley Armstrong Page 0,73
don’t plan to let you get away, but you don’t really have much choice, do you? How about I give you to the count of twenty this time?”
Robyn rose slowly, brushing herself off as she looked around, getting her bearings. The man eased back, relaxing.
“Come on now,” he said. “We’re on a schedule here.”
“Before I do—”
She wheeled, as if to bolt. The man lunged at her. She spun and kicked, aiming for his crotch. She saw her foot flying, on target. At the last second, he grabbed her ankle, so fast she saw only a blur. He whipped her off her feet and threw her. She hit the ground and lay there, gasping, her brain struggling to comprehend why she was on her back and how she got there.
The man stood at least ten feet away. He’d thrown her. Grabbed her by the leg and thrown her like a doll. She stared at him, his slight build, his wiry arms.
He was barely bigger than she was. How the hell had she mistaken him for Karl? Forget that. How the hell had he thrown her ten feet?
“That was good,” he said, advancing. “A double fake-out. Of course, I wouldn’t be nearly as impressed if you’d succeeded with that kick.” He smiled, teeth flashing. “In fact, I’d say if you had managed it, you’d have been in for a double-dose of pain.”
Wheezing, she pushed up onto her elbows and inched back. The man strolled over and planted a foot on her chest. When she rose, tentatively, he kicked her injured shoulder, bringing tears to her eyes.
And still he smiled.
“So, what are you?” he asked. He said something that sounded like “bitch,” then continued, “Because if you are, I’d say you need some serious practice with your spellbook. If you cast one, I didn’t even notice.”
Witch? Had he said witch?
“Maybe half-demon, like your friend?” he continued. “Mmm, now there’s a cutie. Nothing against you, blondie, but I like them more exotic.”
Was he talking about Hope?
“And from what I hear, she’s definitely exotic. Some rare kind of demon, isn’t she? The kind that likes trouble.” A low, growling laugh. “Really likes trouble, the way I hear it. No wonder Marsten hooked up with her.”
Marsten? Robyn struggled to remember Karl’s last name. It was Marsten, wasn’t it? What the hell was going on?
She squeezed her eyes shut. Forget it. If this was Adele’s partner, he was probably just as crazy as she was. Demons and witches and werewolves. Insane.
The man’s next words were cut off by his cell phone.
He checked the display. “Ah, the boss. Now keep your mouth shut, blondie, okay? Or else . . .” He put his foot on her shoulder, making her gasp. Then he answered with a “Hey.”
A moment’s pause.
“Not so well. Got a bit of a problem. I was following Marsten and his girlfriend, and they led me to the blonde. Adele was chasing her with a gun. I rescued her, which I figured was what you’d want, but I couldn’t do it without making contact. She’s not nearly as grateful as she should be.”
He listened.
“That’s what I figured. I was going to bring her to you, but Marsten’s hot on my trail. We’ve been dodging them, but they’re gaining. I can hear him coming right now.”
Robyn heard only the wind sighing through the trees.
“I’m just saying, this might not go down the way you were hoping. I have a feeling, as hard as I try to avoid it, fur is gonna fly.” His grin belied the regret in his voice. “Marsten’s a cold-blooded bastard. Negotiations with a guy like that usually end with corpses. Just so you know.”
A pause.
“All right then. I’ll do my best—”
Robyn grabbed his foot and heaved. When the man staggered back, off balance, she leapt up, wrenching his leg. He toppled over backward, phone falling.
Robyn ran.
Curses rang out behind her. This time, she was sure the word he used wasn’t witch.
She ran full out, adrenaline pumping so hard that if her lungs were complaining, she didn’t feel it. She kept her head down, watching the moonlit path for obstacles this time.
The path had to end soon. It had to—
And there it was. The end. A barricade across the path with a white sign so big she could read it in the dark. “Soil erosion. Path closed. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
She let out a huffing laugh. They had no idea how damned inconvenient it was. Screw soil erosion. She was going through.