Indelible Ink Read Online Free PDF Page B

care. The joy of the hunt seemed to be payment enough sometimes for her.
    “Pack a bag and head for the airport. The company jet will be waiting to take you to Seattle. You can be there in a matter of hours. Maybe her trail hasn’t gone completely cold.”
    After Marsh dismissed him, Morgan made his way to his car and pulled out onto the street, making his way to the freeway and out of town. No matter how concerned Morgan was about magic spells and witches, money would make it all better. As he drove down the winding canyon road out of the city, Morgan added up the possibilities of taking over the business the girls would leave in their wake. It was tantalizing to say the least. Still, the witch scared him. She’d pulled off some amazing jobs using those weird powers of hers and no one really knew what she was truly capable of.
    “You know you can come out of this ahead, or you can come out of this way ahead?” Morgan could hear the voice near his ear. “Get your head out of your ass.”
    “Shut up.” Morgan stared at the road.
    “Please. You know I’m right.”
    Morgan looked into rearview mirror and saw his old mentor, Brandt Stewart, sitting in the back seat. “You want me to cross Marsh? That’s crazy. He finds out, he’ll send someone to gut me.”
    “Who’s he going to send? All his best people are busy. You kill the girl and who’s left? Besides, you could go work for Marsh’s rivals at the drop of a hat. Savannah Thorpe has been trying to bring you over to her gang for years. That lady is no small player herself.”
    “But I don’t have the power that Riordan girl has.”
    “Not many do.”
    Morgan watched the trees as they appeared to zip by his window. He pushed the button and his window went slowly down. He pressed the accelerator a bit more and leaned his head into the breeze, cool air rushing into his face.
    “We’re not just talking about money here. This is a step up. Hell, if you kill these girls, you’ll be the number one problem-solver on this coast.” Brandt paused for a reaction but Morgan refused to give him one. “Maybe you can get paid twice before Marsh figures it out. Get a competitor to pay you for killing the witch and get Marsh’s money in the process.”
    “I’m not switching teams.” Morgan leaned further into the wind; let it blow his hair around, fill his ears.
    “Are you even listening to me?” Brandt asked as he leaned forward.
    Morgan thought he smelled the stench of a cheap brand of cigars that he hadn’t smelled in years. After a moment, the only aroma was the salt of the sea air as he guided the car toward the airport.

5
    After she left the restroom, Deena wandered through the concourse toward the baggage claim, where she could find a taxi or shuttle to get her out of the airport and into the clear. She was surprised to catch a glimpse of Avi out of the corner of her eye. He was hard to spot, because he blended so well with the rest of the crowd in the airport. He didn’t appear panicked, but he was by no means relaxed. Deena had known him long enough to spot the difference. She’d passed him. She was in the clear and could walk off without a hitch. The automatic doors that led outside opened for her and she paused.
    Unfortunately, they had a history and she felt she owed him an explanation for his kindness.
    Deena pulled her bag up higher on her shoulder and approached him from an indirect angle, passing through the seating area of a boarding gate before sitting down near where he was standing. “Let’s go,” Avi said. “I have a car in the lot. We can get out of here and you can rest up for a while before your next job. I’ll check in with Marsh on the way.”
    Deena was surprised that he’d recognized her and noticed her approach. “No.”
    Avi was already two steps toward the corridor that lead to the parking lots. “No, what? We need to get going before the police come looking for you to ask what happened on the plane.”
    “I’m not going