Dead to Rites Read Online Free PDF

“And without anyone leavin’ here in a wooden kimono. Just go
ask
. Tell him Mick Oberon’s here, and
he’ll
tell
you
that he knows me. That this ain’t remotely the first time I dropped in.”
    “That…” Shea was shakin’ his conk, like he’d just woken up. I coulda done real damage busting in as I had, and while I wouldn’t shed too many tears over the Uptown
capo
, I was happier this way. It’s an ugly way to destroy a man, crushing his thoughts, and it’s not something you ever really get over doing. I’d seen Fae go mad from crumbling too many minds.
    “That don’t prove you aren’t here for us today,” he finally finished.
    “What kind of a bunny you take me for, Shea? You think if I
were
shadowing you, let alone gunning for you, I’d come barging in here out in the open this way? What was my plan, to come racing upstairs and get-killed you to death?”
    “I… Wait, come again?”
    “You heard me.”
    The other thugs were giving me the evil eye—which didn’t much impress me, since I’ve gotten it from genuine witches and King goddamn Balor himself once—and kept sorta twitching Shea’s way. Like they wanted to help the boss but didn’t really know how, or even what was wrong with him.
    Fortunately (for a change), before they could up and decide to try and clip me on general principles, the choice was neatly taken outta their mitts.
    “
What in the name of everything living below us is going on out here?
”
    “Evening, Hruotlundt,” I said. “How you been?”
    Hruotlundt was a
dvergr
, which means he was a short lug with skin and beard the color of worn stone—which, in turn, means that even in a good mood he comes across grim as the Reaper with IRS problems. Right now, he wasn’t in a good mood.
    “Oh, I’ve been just peachy, Oberon. Right up until my clients started trying
to kill each other in my goddamn hallway
!”
    Yeah, that probably woulda steamed him pretty good, at that. As a fence—sorry, “facilitator”—of Chicago’s supernatural hot merchandise, Hruotlundt didn’t care for his clients even knowing about each other, let alone meeting face-to-face.
    Or, of course, shooting at each other.
    “You know this fucker, then?” Shea asked, soundin’ a little more put-together.
    “No, Shea, I called him by name as a sneaky way of hinting that I’ve never met the man before in my life. You’ve fallen for my cunning ruse.”
    All there or not, the Uptown
capo
sure recognized when he was bein’ insulted. I told you before his face was always kinda flushed, but it darkened notably now. I decided it wouldn’t do anybody any favors to compare it to a flower comin’ into bloom.
    “I don’t like people talkin’ to me that way, Mr. Hruotlundt.”
    “I imagine not. What a shame that I don’t remotely care. If that’s a problem for you, feel free to take it up with your boss. I’m sure you can suggest someone to him who can do my job better than I can. Who did you have in mind?” Then, “Nobody? Good. Then since our business is done and you were on your way out, can I suggest you
continue
on your way?”
    They shuffled past me on down the stairs, Shea glaring fire the whole way.
    The last of the Uptown Boys turned out to be either more excitable or more of a bootlicker than the others. He felt the need to stop and poke me hard in the chest with two fingers.
    “And don’t let us see you around agai
uuuuullk
!”
    Whaddaya want from me? I’d gone outta my way to keep things friendly from the first moment I’d stepped outta the trees a couple nights ago, and I wasn’t lookin’ to escalate things now, but I wasn’t gonna be pushed around, either. A quick flash of the hands, a few painful twists, and Shea’s toady was facin’ his buddies with his back to me, gasping in pain, elbow pressed almost to his spine.
    Shea and his boys skinned iron—again—but any shots they took were gonna perforate their friend well before they reached me.
    “You mind terribly