Page 30 of Capitol Matters

“Come on,” Avery said, his voice a gritty whine. “I’ll keep your girl company. Not that she’ll mind. Or evennotice.” He latched onto Maggie’s arm, halting her with an abrupt jerk that pulled the cord out of the phone.

Again, Ripley stopped, this time with a hard stomp of his foot. Walking back, he stood chest to chest with Avery, his head tilted to look the taller man in the eyes.

“Fuck off,” he said. Smoke curled from his nostrils.

“You’re no fun, you know that?” Avery said. “Could you at least try to have a personality that isn’t small, dark, and brooding?”

When Ripley didn’t budge, Avery twisted Maggie’s arm, pulling her attention away from the phone. Her lips fell apart, and her red eyes stretched wide as they flicked back and forth between the men on either side of her.

“Keep your corpse bride.” Avery shoved Maggie aside with a snort. “It’s like pegging a dead fish, I bet. Do you at least put her mouth to use? Might as well since she’s too fucked in the head to talk.”

“Jesus, Avery,” I sputtered.

Ripley sprung forward, catching Avery by the shoulders and tackling him to the floor. The two men hit and rolled, their bodies rumbling across the hardwood like peals of thunder.

Maggie shrieked and launched herself at me. She pinned my arms against my sides and buried her face in my chest, trembling.

The commotion attracted the notice of everyone else in the tattoo parlor. People gathered to gawk. At the back of the group, someone started a rowdy chant.

“Fight! Fight! Fight!”

A brawl, I could handle. Busted lips and black eyes were far preferable to the damage these two could inflictif magic got involved. I was inclined to let them duke it out but, with Maggie sobbing against me and Donovan standing stunned at my side, I felt compelled to intervene.

The supernaturally strong zombie girl anchored me in place, so I tried shouting first.

“Hey, jackasses, knock it off!”

Fists flew—only Ripley’s while Avery laughed and took punches he was too drunk to feel. Like Donovan had said, the conjurer’s twisted sense of humor only made the situation worse.

Ripley bucked back from his position atop Avery. Motion paused as he drew a chest-swelling breath. His features dipped into shadow, full of malevolence and lacking restraint. I’d learned enough since our prison run-in to be wary of him, but I hadn’t found him frightening until this moment.

“Stop!” I tried to peel free of Maggie, but she clung on tighter. My chest ached as the crushing pressure mounted.

Avery smiled from the flat of his back. Or maybe he sneered. It was hard to tell with his face swollen and smeared with blood. He had yet to lift a finger in his own defense, I thought, until I spotted the hand he’d worked loose. A dagger appeared in his grasp, aimed upward with the tip dug into Ripley’s chin.

“Breathe on me, and this goes into your brain,” Avery snarled.

Ripley shuddered, winded from exertion and forced to suck air through his nose. Whatever concoction he’d brewed was chambered and ready to fire. I wasn’t surehow long he could hold it or if he might sneeze it out instead. I didn’t wait to find out.

With Maggie pinning my arms, I struggled to take mental control of Ripley’s mouth. I pressed his lips together and held them, then locked up his jaw muscles for good measure. He must have felt it but didn’t look away from Avery until a flick of my fingers knocked the knife from the conjurer’s grip.

Neither of the men moved, and no one spoke as Avery’s green eyes slid over to meet mine.

“Now, Fitch, you know damn well that’s cheating,” he said.

I glared at him. “You want me to let him finish you off?” He deserved it for the shitty commentary. I didn’t even blame Ripley for attacking him.

“Why don’tyoufinish me off instead?” Avery purred and bounced his brows. “I don’t let a good mouth go to waste. Unlike some people.”

“Go ahead and tempt me,” I snapped back. “Real fucking smart.”

Ripley stood and dusted his hands down his chest and arms. He didn’t speak—not that I gave him the option. Instead, he turned aside and offered a hand for Maggie to take.

The zombie girl’s face was still pressed against me, so I whispered to her. “I think your man’s ready to get out of here.”

She pulled back and blinked teary eyes at me. Black liner streaked both of her cheeks. As soon as she spotted Ripley’s waiting hand, she traded me for him, and all of us were happier for it.

The crowd parted, creating a path for the couple to make an expeditious retreat. I waited until they’d put some distance between us before unsticking Ripley’s lips. When the front door closed behind them, I expelled a held breath. The movement jostled my bruised ribs, and I groaned.

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