Page 60 of Greed
Griffin’s stomach twinged.
Greed.
Coming in fast.
Further along the alley, near the exit at the street he felt another group of people silently approaching with the sense of sin pulsing gently from their cores. Four in total. Possibly not related to the mob in the alley, maybe even a group of waylaid homeless people. Inside the warehouse, out of sight, was a further five.
“I’ve got fourteen,” he murmured.
“Really? I’ve got fifteen. You must be going soft, brother.”
Griffin counted again. “No. Definitely fourteen.”
“Shit.” Evan went silent while his pointed finger bobbed methodically as he recounted. “Fifteen. Six in the warehouse. Five in the alley. Four approaching.”
Why would they have a discrepancy? Evan sensed envy, he sensed greed. Most people always felt something. Why would one person have no greed?
The floor tilted and Griffin had to sit back from the edge. “That’s not possible,” he breathed. “She said she’d stay home.”
“Aww, dog. Your girl’s got guts.”
Griffin couldn’t respond, his mind was stuck on the woman inside the warehouse surrounded by all that sin. His girl, his balance, his… she wasn’t his anything…yet.
“What are the odds,” Evan whispered.
Griffin’s gut churned, thinking the worst before his rational mind caught up.
“You got those smoke bombs from Flint?” he asked.
Evan pulled two metal orbs from his cargo pocket.
“Good.” Griffin took one and rolled the icy ball in his palm. The sense of metal connected with him on a molecular level. The round item buzzed in his palm and he could feel the object’s construction. An inch in diameter, etched on the outside, hollow in the middle. On second thought. “Give me both.”
He could use them. He could control them.
“We disarm the men outside first, then go in the warehouse over the roof, drop the bombs, then get the rest. I’ll get Lilo. You get her father. You cool with that?”
“As a cucumber.” Evan pressed his finger to his ear. “Ground control to Major Tom.” He hesitated, then updated Flint on their situation, requesting backup.
Two-seconds later, a slice of pain pierced Griffin’s gut, and he doubled over with a grunt, hand splayed on the roof for support.
“What’s wrong?” Evan paused.
“It’s another signature. Deadly. It’s Doppenger.”
A shot fired from inside the warehouse and Griffin’s heart leaped into his throat.
“Shot fired,” Evan said into his comms. “Doppenger is here.”
Lethal intent washed over Griffin, and he threw the metal orbs over the edge to hover with his power. He took a running jump and launched before Evan could speak.
Suddenly, in that airborne moment, he knew with all certainty that a life without Lilo wasn’t something he dreamed of.
That was his mate down there, surrounded with deadly greed, and she had no idea what she was up against.
Two levels of air whooshed by before Griffin’s boots slammed into the pavement. He tucked and rolled automatically to lessen the impact. In a fluid motion, he found his feet, checked his hold on the metal orbs and hurtled them at the heads of two gun-toting men swinging their weapons his way.
They had no chance.
