Page 45 of Infernal Hearts

After getting our drinks and ordering, our eyes meet, and he smiles.

“When’s the last time you came to California?” He gently stirs his whiskey sour with the tiny straw they gave him.

I shrug half-heartedly. “Never been out of the state.”

“Come visit sometime. I’ll take you out.” He juts his chin to the kitchen. “I’m sure this place’s carbonara is good, but I’ll take you to Osteria Mozza in L.A. Michelin star. It’ll blow your taste buds out of the water.”

“So you’re a big foodie?” I take a sip of my IPA. The hops hit my tongue, but I barely notice the taste when I look at him.

He nods with a grin that can’t be contained. “Absolutely. If food could be my sin, I’d trade it in a heartbeat. I’m a terrible cook, but I know a good dish when I taste one.”

I look out at the charming old shops running through the middle of town, thinking of how foreign that kind of life would be. “I doubt I could afford a breadstick in a place like that.”

“My treat. As a thank-you for your help.”

My chin drops to my chest. “We already made a deal.”

“This deal means more to me than that.” He rests his elbows on the table. “I think you know that. It’s personal.”

“Doesn’t mean I need special treatment. I’m happy to help.”

“And that’s why I like you.”

The blood rushes to the tops of my ears again. How is he able to do that with such few words?

“You know…” I clear my throat. “I honestly don’t know how much help I’ve actually been. You seem to do most of the work, even if it hasn’t gone very far. We got lucky with the psychic and the necklace, but I know you spend most of your days looking up creature sightings and making calls around the country. I just feel like I haven’t given you much.”

“You stitched me up, which is more than I’ve ever had in my life. You’ve been dealing with the cops, and you had to deal with Michael yesterday. I’d say you’re earning your keep just fine.”

My mouth threatens a smile, but I’ve never been good with compliments. “Tell me about your favorite deal you’ve ever made.”

“I don’t mention clients by name, but that’s easy.” He leans back, putting his hands behind his head. “Ever seenThe Wizard of Oz?”

“No way.”

“Yes way.” He chuckles, cheeks going rosy. “The deal was on behalf of her father for his ‘Baby.’ I met him in California in 1935. It wasn’t too long before he passed, but I held up my end of the bargain afterward. He was unhappy with how his wife was handling her career and couldn’t stop talking about her and how he wanted to get his daughter a break, so I offered him a deal.”

I slowly release a deep breath as goose bumps slide along my neck. Levi was basically a kingmaker with a client that high up. “Did you ever get to meet her?”

“Once at a birthday party for Clark Gable. I was there for work. We shook hands and hit it off immediately. We could have been friends, but Magnus never let me be close to my clients. She was insecure, but she was so sweet. She never knew about the deal. But my God, could shesing. Real talent with that one. She was groundbreaking.”

“How many deals have you made like that? Sorry, I’m a little starstruck right now.”

“Plenty.” He laughs, chin held high and chest thrust out. “But I’ve lost count. Too many one-hit wonders to keep track of. I can give you a boost, but it takes something special to keep it going.”

I run my mind through all of my playlists on my phone. How many of those artists had he had a hand in? How many movies had he seen through to the end? How many books had he read where the authors traded something for a boost? It’s astonishing.

“Your turn.” He takes a drink. “The best patient you’ve ever had.”

I wave him off with my hand and laugh. “Again, easy. Grover.”

His eyebrows raise and he leans in again. “Your dog?TheGrover?”

I nod, lungs expanding with deep and satisfying breaths. “He was hit by a car, and someone brought him into my dad’s clinic a few years ago. Poor guy had three broken legs and some broken ribs, but I wasn’t about to give up on him.”

“So you healed him? And now he’s yours?”

My eyes prickle with tears, and my body relaxes with a full heart. “He shouldn’t have made it, but I wouldn’t give him up for the world. He’s been a lifesaver these past few months. He’s always been there for me. Honestly, I don’t know how he survived. I had to work so fast and even put a metal rod in his leg. Under any circumstance, I would have thought he’d be a goner. I stayed with him for two full days and did weeks of physical therapy to get him going again.”

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