“In the car, with my gun.” I took off across the parking lot with his sister in tow. “I snagged this from one of the three stooges.” Without slowing, I held up Hagen’s nine-millimeter. Murphy’s Desert Eagle rubbed against my lower back as I walked, reminding me that I’d picked uptwonew weapons over the course of the evening. Not bad, considering I still had half my fee to collect. Things were looking up.
Murphy’s steps stopped, and I glanced over my shoulder to find him staring at me in astonishment. “You took on three goblins unarmed and barefoot?”
“Nah. I had a dagger and a pair of strappy sandals. Anything more, and it wouldn’t have been a fair fight.”
His eyes widened, and I grinned.
Andthat’show the rumors start…
Berg, the Rent-a-goon I’d shot in both legs, still lay in a pool of his own blood, and as we neared, he began cursing at us in his guttural native tongue. I couldn’t understand the individual words, but his meaning was clear: if we ever met again, he would definitely be carrying a grudge.
I tucked the nine-millimeter into the front waistband of my jeans, freeing both of my hands. Bending, I grabbed my soaked sandals and the alarm remote half-poking out of Berg’s pocket. As I stood, his fist sailed toward me, and I jumped back, dodging it easily. “Get back here, you stupid bitch!” Berg shouted as I passed him.
“Damn, what’d you do to him?” Murphy demanded, still several steps behind us. I turned to see him eyeing Berg’s broken, bleeding legs.
“I just shot him.” I shrugged. “He busted his knee on his own. Not my fault.”
Murphy shook his head, running one hand through still-damp hair as he jogged to catch up with us. While the rain had flattened my hair into straggly strands, his looked great wet. All thick and wavy, like it might look after a shower. Or when he worked up a really good sweat. “Glad you’re onourside,” he said, his gaze smoldering as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.
“I’m on the side of whoever signs the check.” I dug my keys from my pocket as Cari pranced through the open gate after me. “Here. Let yourself in, but don’t step on my boots. Or sit on my gear.” I dropped the keys into her palm, but she just stared at them.
“I’ll take her home,” Murphy said. “I’m parked around the corner.”
“You’re not taking her anywhere unless you have the other half of my fee in your back pocket. And I happen to know you have nothing in either of your pockets. I don’t care whether you ride with us or go fetch your car, butshe’snot leaving my sight until there’s a check in my hand.”
He scowled, his gaze shifting to his sister, then back to me.
“Don’t worry, cupcake.” I winked at him. “I’ll take good care of your sister. I don’t get paid unless I deliver her unharmed.”
Cari crossed thin arms over a nearly flat chest. “So glad to see you care!”
“I work for cash, child, not warm fuzzies. Get in the damn car and watch out for my gear.”
She glanced at her brother, and he nodded slowly, eyeing me. “I’m riding with you.”
“Suit yourself.” I shrugged and turned back to the warehouse.
While the Murphys let themselves into my car, I closed and latched the front gate, then reset the alarm with the remote. Smiling grimly, I threw it into the field across the street from the parking lot. Then I kicked the gate to trip the screeching alarm.
I hoped all three goblins went deaf listening to it.
In the car, Cari had settled into the backseat, her seatbelt already buckled. Murphy held my duffle bag on his lap in the passenger seat, my keys dangling from one finger. “I tried to start the engine, but there’s something’s wrong with your car.”
“Nah.” I snatched my keys and slid the longest into the ignition. “Rusty just doesn’t trust men.”
He arched one brow at me. “Rusty?”
“Yeah.” I turned the key in the ignition and the car started smoothly, Rusty purring at me in contentment. “See?”
Cari’s gaze found mine in the rearview mirror. “I’ll be damned.”
Murphy frowned as I flipped on the headlights. “Where’s my gun?”
“In my waistband.” Leaning to one side, I pulled my duffle from his lap and lifted it over the seat back, dropping it on the floorboard at Cari’s feet.
He held out his palm expectantly, eyeing my midsection longer than necessary, and I shook my head. “Finders keepers, cupcake. Better luck next time.”
Murphy glowered at me. “You can’t just—”
