23
Lyre
“What do we know about this bitch aside from the fact that she’s on her way to drain my powers?” Bolt asks. “Including my ability to shift, which will piss me the hell off. I’m beginning to think it might be karma getting back at me for being such a dick when you informed us about what had happened to you.”
“You don’t believe in karma.”
He shakes his head. “No, but I’ve come to realize that I’m partial to my powers. More than I thought I was.”
“I’m sorry.” I run a hand through my hair. It’s getting too long. Stupid thing to think about right now. “I couldn’t think of anything else but to contact you. I have to get Morgan back.”
“Of course.” He shrugs. “Which brings me back to my original question, what do we know about the harpy?”
“Not much.” I push out a breath, sounding despondent.
His eyes darken. “Give me what you have.”
“Power is like candy to her. Actually,” I scratch my head, “more like crystal meth or heroin. She may need it as food, but I also think that she’s addicted. She sounded strung-out when I spoke to her.”
“Great!” Bolt gets a murderous look. “It’s impossible to negotiate with an addict.”
“I don’t think negotiating will work with her. It’s important that you don’t underestimate her. She’s petite and sexy for an evil-as-fuck bitch.” I can’t believe I ever thought she was attractive, but I have to warn Bolt. It’ll be his first tango with the creature. “She has a way of getting under your skin.” It’s the best way I can describe it. “I acted out of character around her.”
“That makes sense.” Bolt rubs his chin. “I was shocked when you said you hooked up with some strange woman. I doubt she’ll be able to mess with my head. I’ve been around the block too many times. Dealt with more sharks than a surfer in open water.”
“Be careful! It’s thinking like that that’ll get you in shit every time. Very important, don’t let her get close enough to give you that neck squeeze. Here,” I touch the place Morgan showed me. “If she squeezes you here, you’ll pass right out. I told you about it before. Do you remember?”
“I still can’t believe that is even a thing.” He widens his eyes.
“You’d better believe it,” I tell him. “I’ve landed on my ass twice now. It knocks you out solid. Not just for a few minutes, either. Don’t let her get close enough.”
“Okay. What else?”
“I want to get my power back. That means capturing her instead of killing her.”
He snorts. “You’re optimistic. There’s a chance she’ll hurt the human if we try anything. You realize that, right?” He quirks a brow.
“About that…I’m not risking Morgan under any circumstance.”
“I can scent that you’ve been fucking her. This house reeks of sex. I can smell it on you too.” He makes a face and folds his arms. “What I want to know is, do you have feelings for her?”
I nod. I don’t say anything else.
He rolls his eyes. “I had a feeling. Don’t overreact to my next question—”
We both look towards the stairs. A car just pulled up outside my house. The engine cuts. My phone starts to ring. It’s Morgan’s number. “Yes,” I say.
“We’re here,” Gabby says. “Is the door unlocked?”
“It is. We’re up the stairs in the living room.” I figured it was more open than in one of the bedrooms on the ground floor. I don’t want any mistakes to be made. The harpy has been inside my house. She knows the layout.
“I see your friend’s car is parked outside.” I can hear she’s smiling. “So far, so good. I will have a gun to Morgan’s head. If you try anything, she dies. Are we clear?”
“Yes.” My gut churns. I break out in a cold sweat. “We’ll be up in a minute,” she says.
“I look forward to this being over.”
She ends the call.
“You heard?” I ask Bolt.
He nods once.
“What did you want to ask me?” I say.
“Can you trust this human?”
“I trust her one hundred percent,” I answer immediately. I want to tell him about Stephan’s prediction, but I don’t because they are coming through the front door. Then again, maybe it’s a good thing he doesn’t know that Morgan might shoot him and more than once. That the probability is good. I will change the premonition. I have to.
I trust her with everything in me. I know that if she is going to shoot Bolt, that she will have a good reason for doing it. I doubt he will feel the same.
“We’re on our way up,” Gabby says.
I can hear that there are two of them, but Morgan doesn’t say anything.
“Keep your hands where I can see them,” Gabby yells. “You don’t want blood staining your nice wooden floors, do you?”
I grind my teeth as I listen to them coming up the stairs. Everything bristles. I have to suppress a growl when I see them appear. Gabby has a gun pressed into Morgan’s side. As soon as they hit the landing, Gabby grabs Morgan around her torso, putting the gun into the underside of Morgan’s jaw. If she pulled the trigger, she would blow Morgan’s brains out. I recognize the weapon as Morgan’s Glock. I put my hands up to show her that I am unarmed.
Morgan has a gag in her mouth. Her eyes are surprisingly calm as they lock with mine. She looks down and then back up and then sharply down again. Then she does a side-to-side movement with her eyeballs.
She’s trying to tell me something. I don’t know what that something is. I don’t look down because I might give it away if I do.
“You,” Gabby says. “What’s your name, handsome?” she says to Bolt, who looks at her like she’s garbage.
“Lyre,” he says, turning to me, “the harpy is exactly as you described her.”
“Oh?” Gabby licks her lips. She’s looking at Bolt with greed and longing. “How did he describe me?”
“Small, sexy, and fucked in the head.” His eyes narrow on her.
She makes a noise of agreement. “About right, and you don’t mess with someone who’s fucked in the head.” She presses the gun a little harder against Morgan’s jaw. She winces but doesn’t make a sound.
I step forward, my hands fisting at my side.
“Don’t you dare,” Gabby snarls. “I will kill her. You…” she looks at Bolt, “get over here. Move nice and slow. Stand here on my left, so that I can keep an eye on Lyre.”
Bolt pushes out a breath. He looks my way.
“Eyes on me, handsome,” she says. “I’m the one giving the orders. Your friend will hate you forever if his girlfriend ends up dead.”
Bolt’s jaw tightens, but he does as she asks and walks to her, standing on her left. I notice he doesn’t get close enough for her to reach his neck.
The gun is still flush against Morgan’s throat. I’m not sure how the hell we’re going to get out of this. Bolt might have to give the harpy his powers first.