MADHOUSE: Book 3 Excerpt
We dumped the snarling, spitting Annis at his feet, and I considered but decided not to stick my hand out for the money. I had a feeling I might draw back less than I put out—a few fingers less. Vampires mourn too, apparently even over lamias. Niko had already delivered the bad news over the phone. Now all he said was, “She is the only one left. The others are no more.”
“And they suffered?” Cool and empty. It didn’t bode well for the Annis. At least with rage you would go quickly. It would be messy, but it would be quick. Icy retribution could go on for…shit, it didn’t bear thinking about. My appetite for dinner had already been ruined by the smell of cooking intestines; I didn’t need to kill it altogether.
“Yeah, they suffered,” I confirmed. “And the godawful things in them suffered too.” The Annis hadn’t really suffered, not the way he meant, but it was going to have to do. A job was a job and torture wasn’t on our menu. But there was no point in disappointing him. Cranky vampires are a pain, and I’d had enough ass-kicking for the night.
Despite what I’d said earlier, we did get paid. An envelope thick with cash was passed to Nik. Living off the radar, we didn’t exactly have the ID to set up a bank account. Promise had offered to keep our share of the payments for us, but once again, we fell back on ways we’d always known. We’d bought a safe and stuffed what we made in there. Unfortunately, it was still pretty damn empty.
As we left, it was apparent that torture was on our client’s menu. The screaming started behind us. I wondered if it sounded like the screams of the people that the Black Annis had killed over the years, because you knew they’d screamed, too.
Karma, she is a bitch. But in this particular incident, not my karma, not my problem.
We moved on, leaving the screams behind us. We were nearly to the edge of the park before they faded completely, and for a few moments the night was perfect. Cool and crisp with the rustle of falling leaves. Perfect. Right up until we saw what was hanging above us. Heavy and ripe like fruit, the color of a nectarine…pale salmon and white blooming with red. Lots and lots of red.
In the trees.
Bodies.
Also in This Series:
NIGHTLIFE: The CAL LEANDROS Novels, Book 1
MOONSHINE: The CAL LEANDROS Novels, Book 2
DEATHWISH: The CAL LEANDROS Novels, Book 4
ROADKILL: The CAL LEANDROS Novels, Book 5
BLACKOUT: The CAL LEANDROS Novels, Book 6
