Page 34 of Death Deals

Not reacting much to us, the man curled up and tucked himself more under the blankets for warmth. Did he not remember me?

“Of course you know him,” Ricky said. “We’d pass him every day, pretty much. Since he lives on these streets, he’s always around. I heard he almost jumped some lady who had tried to give him a dollar. It’s better if we leave him alone. Come on.”

This time, when he tugged my arm, I came along.

Maybe I had made a mistake? Was seeing what I wanted to see? The homeless guy hadn’t acknowledged me at all, so that must have been it. Either way, my steps were slower, hesitant.

It wasn’t long before we were in front of the windowless building of Murphy’s Play Room. My stomach twisted, remembering my time as an exotic dancer here and meeting the ominous Mr. Cornelius Jackson dressed in white. I’d had no plans on returning after that night, yet here I was. Guess your past had a way of catching up with you, huh?

We walked inside. As expected, the room was dark, hooded in shadows and saturated with the smells of cigarette smoke and musk. On stage, two girls twisted on poles as the music thumped loudly. And as expected, there was Cornelius sitting in his normal corner booth with his two muscular bodyguards on either side of him. He sucked on his cigarette with a bored expression as he watched the show.

Good thing he hadn’t changed his habits in the two years I’d been gone.

We walked over. I tried not to show my fear, but my insides were trembling. Bile crept up my throat, too. It didn’t matter that I’d been through Archangel Trials, fought demons and Halflings. I really didn’t want to be here, especially with one of the leaders of the Scarlet Knights. There had just been something about him that’d stuck with me. Sat with me the wrong way. And since I hadn’t exactly left him on the best terms last time, something told me he wasn’t a fan of mine, either.

As we approached, he sat up straighter, pulling his wide shoulders back as he set his cigarette into his ashtray. Recognition passed over his face, and his gaze hardened on me.

He remembered me. Great.

“Hello again,” he said, his oddly deep voice making chills run over my skin.

Beside me, Ricky fiddled with his hands.

Leaning back into the cushions, his glare passed over us. “It’s been a while,” he drawled. “Didn’t expect to see you again.”

I swallowed down my raising anxiety. If anything, I had to be strong for Ricky here. Besides, like Ricky had said, I was different now. I wasn’t that same scared and desperate woman I’d been when we’d first met.

Now, I was a scared partial-dead, sorta-angel. And that mattered.

“Same,” I said, making sure to put confidence in my tone. Even if I was fudging it. “But things change.”

“Running away didn’t work out like you hoped?” he asked.

“Not exactly.”

Cornelius picked up his cigarette again and took a drag. Smoked leaked out of the sides of his mouth. “So, tell me then. What can I do for you?”

“I want to take you up on your offer,” I said. “I want to join the Scarlet Knights.”

After another pull, a pleased smile tugged at his lips. “Oh? Can I ask what changed your mind?”

“Like you said, running away didn’t work out like I’d planned.”

“You know, normally my offers come at a one-time basis.”

“Make an exception,” I said.

He glanced at Ricky. “And you’re with us already?”

Ricky nodded, too afraid to speak. I wondered how Cornelius could know such a thing just by looking at him, but I didn’t know how these gangs worked. A database to track all their members?

“Ahhh, well, you see, there’s a problem.” Putting the cigarette down again, Cornelius closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring as he did. When he opened them, two black orbs stared back at us, the whites and irises completely lost to the inkiness. “You reek of DeMonte.”

Ricky and I jumped back. CorneliusThe AngelJackson was a vampire.

How had I not known that before? Now his intimidating nature made sense. He hadn’t revealed himself to me the night we’d first crossed paths, but I’d known something was off about him, even then.

His two bullish guards’ gazes blackened too, their fangs pushing past their lips as they descended.

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