Page 109 of Fresh Old Bounties

“You won’t tell us how to contact your source, you won’t bury the information, and you threatened to snitch on me to the bounty hunters. Easier to just dispose of your body.”

His mouth tightened. “You won’t do that.”

A current of air fluttered my hair—a warning of what was to come if I insisted on threatening him with deadly harm. Ian tensed behind me, ready for action. Crane didn’t move a muscle.

And suddenly, I knew why he was an accountant mob boss, a dark marketplace information broker, and why he was sitting in our presence. And it had nothing to do with attitude.

TWENTY-SIX

Grinning, I crossed my arms. “You can’t do a damn thing to stop us, can you? Your magic is all for show. You used most of it earlier to shove us out of the front door and when slipping back into the kitchen.”

He glowered menacingly. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” The current of air intensified and my hair flew into my face.

“Stop that,” I said, pushing back my hair. “It’s annoying. We’re not going anywhere.”

The wind stopped abruptly.

“What do you want?” he demanded with a bit of a growl.

“I told you—how to contact the seller and for you to forget you ever had the information about the spellbook.”

“I can’t tell you how to contact the seller.”

“I doubt that very much.”

“I bought the information outright.”

My eyebrows flew up. “You did?”

“The seller was in a hurry.” Crane shrugged a shoulder. “It was an excellent deal.”

Ian and I exchanged glances. As we had assumed, Johnathan Smithe had wanted to recoup some of his investment before skipping town while leaving no way to trace him.

“What made you think I wouldn’t figure out who you are?” I asked.

He bristled at that. “Did Bagley really leave a note about me?”

“Yes.” Of sorts.

“That conniving old hag,” he muttered. “I should’ve known.”

“Seems fair to me that she knew your business if you knew hers.” Running a fake dark magic business was proving to be quite a balancing act in secrecy. Couldn’t blame the old woman for keeping blackmail material, just in case.

“Goddamn witch.”

I pointed at him. “That better be about Bagley.”

Crane said nothing.

Hmph. “Are you going to take our offer? You never reveal the information about the spellbook, and we forget you’re a dark marketplace broker?”

“Why would I agree to that? The information wasn’t free.”

I waved toward the beautiful kitchen with its top-of-the-line appliances. “I think you can take the hit.”

“I have a reputation to consider.”

“Nobody needs to know beyond us.”

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