The heavy pounding on the metal had Shadow stiffening and his sensitive eardrums rebelling. Damn fuckers. Nik scanned outside. Two humans.
“Time’s up,” a voice yelled. “We know the old man’s gone.”
Shadow retrieved the stolen wallet from her jacket pocket, removed the bills, then got out a few more from her backpack. The hammering reverberated harder, and she jumped, making Nik want to break the idiot’s hand.
“Stay out of sight,” she told him, marching across.
“Are these thugs close to the leader?” he asked quietly.
“Yes.”
Nik took on his shadowy form, becoming one with the gloom.
“Jeez, you’re scary as hell,” she muttered before yanking the door open, revealing the two goons.
The bald, thickset one with tattooed cheekbones smirked. His leather jacket stretched across his shoulders as if would burst its seams. The ponytailed, scrawny dick next to him sported piercings on his ears, lip, and a spider-bite on his eyebrow. He stroked the hilt of his switchblade sheathed to his belt under his gaping, too-large coat.
Did the Arc seriously thinkhelooked like these dumbasses because of his ink?
“Please say you don’t have it.” Tattooed cheeks grinned. “Rough waits to play with you, and we get a turn, too.” He waggled his tongue as if licking her, his gaze skating down her body.
Nik wanted to yank the organ out and feed it to him.
Harm no human,his Guardian oath reverberated in his skull. Too bad, he cared little when it came to shits like them. And this one moved to the top of his hurt-list.
Shadow slapped the money in the thug’s heavily beringed hand. He counted. “You’re short.”
“I still have a few days. Now get out!”
“I’ll be back, bitch. Count on it.”
She slammed the door and paced the five steps to the metal sheet, her fingers clenching and unclenching. She swiped them down her short skirt.
“I could take care of them—”
“No.” She stomped back again in those heels, dragging her fingers through her heavy fall of hair.
“What was the money for?” Oh, he had a good idea but waited to see if she’d share.
“Rough and his assholes think they own everything underground, and that’s payment forrent.”
“They take money from everyone here?”
“No, just Eddi and me, ‘cause this basement supposedly abuts his territory. I’m going out. I have to find Joyce.” She cut him a terse look, her pale features strained. “Lock up with your voodoo magic when you leave. I don’t want my things missing.” She grabbed her keys and stalked out.
The urge to follow her took hold, but he had a direct link to the gang leader he was after.
Nik locked up and dematerialized in a scatter of molecules. He coasted a short distance behind Shadow as she stormed along the debris-littered ground. Moments later, she stalked into the gloomy Refuge, appearing too ethereal to belong in a doomed place like this.
“Joyce!” She hurried toward a young female with brown skin and black, springy hair, holding a little boy. “I’ve been looking for you.” Her voice lowered. “Rough has his goons looking for you. Go to The Shelter, please. It’s safer.”
“I don’t have much choice, do I?” the woman whispered, clutching her young close, her fear abrading Nik like a steel brush.
“Hey, you’re not alone. I’m here for you…”
Yeah, the little fighter would be.
Nik coasted past them, tracking the stink of unwashed bodies beneath the cheap cologne of the two who demanded payment from Shadow.
