She straightened her stance.She was either getting ready to run or ready to fight.With a demon, it was hard to know which path they were going to choose until it was too late.“Running?I was just waiting for you, sugar.Figured you’d come crawling around eventually.Or maybe you missed me?”She grinned at Levi, letting her gaze linger a beat too long.
Levi rolled his eyes.“Don’t start with me.”
Lisa smirked, her eyes glinting.“Mack, did Levi tell you he and I used to have a little arrangement?Maybe he forgot to mention it when you asked him to help hunt me down.”
I snorted, not rising to her bait.“Nice try.If Levi was in on your heist, I’d have smelled his guilt a mile away.”
Lisa pouted, feigning hurt.“You never did know how to have fun, Mack.You’re wound way too damn tight and always too fucking serious.”She leaned over and tapped her long, black nails on the battered suitcase.“But I guess you’re here for this.”She flicked the latches open, revealing stacks of cash.My cash.She had packed it so neatly that it almost made me laugh.
I stepped forward, letting my bear’s threat bleed into my voice.“Hand it over.”
“Or what?”she teased, tilting her head.“You going to rough me up?You never did like to get your hands dirty with me.”
“Don’t tempt me,” I growled.“You’re a demon, Lisa.Trusting you was my mistake.But you went too far when you made it personal.”
She laughed, the sound echoing off the steel rafters.“Oh, Mack, everything’s personal with me.That’s what makes it fun.”
The urge to lunge at her was almost overwhelming, but I kept my hands at my sides.
“Don’t.Not worth it.Let the law handle her.”My bear’s voice was a low, furious growl.
Levi stepped forward, arms crossed.“You’re boxed in, Lisa.There’s nowhere left to go.”
She sidled away from the suitcase, putting a pillar between us.“You wouldn’t hit a woman, Mack.Not even one like me.That’s why I always liked you best.”She flicked her gaze to Levi, her smile sharpening.“But what about you, Levi?Feeling left out?Maybe you want a little revenge for that deal gone sideways?”
Levi shook his head, stone-faced.“Not interested in your games.”
Lisa tsked, but her bravado was starting to slip.Her eyes darted to the exit, calculating.
I blocked her path and pulled out my phone.“You’re not going anywhere.”I dialed Owen Randall, Arrhythmia’s sheriff.“Got a demon trespassing at the old warehouse.Caught her with stolen goods.Bring backup and a binding cuff.”
Lisa’s smile faltered, but she still managed a smirk.“You’d really call the cops on me, Mack?After all the good times we had?”
“You can explain your ‘good times’ to the council,” I said, not even bothering to hide my contempt.
Levi hefted the suitcase, flipping it open to check the contents.“Looks like all the cash is here, Mack.She didn’t even get to enjoy it.”
My bear huffed, satisfied.“Ours.Justice.Finally.”
Lisa’s eyes narrowed, her mask dropping.“You’ll regret this, you know.Nobody ever really wins in Arrythmia.”
I folded my arms.“Maybe not.But at least I get my money back.”
Owen arrived within minutes, deputies in tow.He took one look at Lisa and shook his head.“You just can’t stay out of trouble, can you?”
Lisa offered a venomous smile.“It’s a talent.”
Owen snapped glowing iron cuffs around her wrists.“We’ll see how talented you feel in a holding cell.”
She shot me one last look.It was all venom and false promise.“Next time, Mack.”
I didn’t bother with a response.I was done with her games.
With Lisa in custody and my money secured, I was finally freed from the weeks of tension.Levi clapped me on the back as we left the warehouse.“You handled that better than I would’ve, man.”
I shook my head.“She wanted to turn us on each other.I wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction.”
Outside, the air somehow felt cleaner with one less low-life demon on the streets.I loaded the suitcase into my truck and turned to Levi.“Thanks for the help with this one.”
