Page 3 of Grin and Bear It

“Hmm.” Thora pretended to consider this, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “An interesting offer from someone who stole rather than bought the pendant in the first place. Where exactly would this money come from? Thin air? Your sparkling personality?”

Rourke’s confident expression faltered. “I have connections?—”

“Save it.” She pulled out her phone and dialed the local bounty office. “Halliwell, here. I’ve got Maxwell Rourke and the Silverbane Pendant. Currently in the alley between Hawthorne and Fifth.”

After receiving confirmation that agents were on their way, she ended the call and leaned against the brick wall, maintaining her hold on Rourke. More feathers drifted down around them, and she occupied herself with removing them one by one from her hair and clothing.

“You should consider a career change,” Rourke said after a few minutes of silence. “With your skills, private security firms would pay triple what you make chasing bounties.”

Thora snorted. “And spend my days following around entitled rich people? No thanks.”

“Better than ending up dead in some alley because you picked the wrong target.”

“Is that a threat?” She raised an eyebrow, mildly amused rather than concerned.

“An observation.” His expression grew serious. “You’ve made a name for yourself, Halliwell. And names attract attention—not all of it welcome.”

Before she could respond, headlights swept across the mouth of the alley as a black SUV pulled up. Two agents in nondescript suits approached, nodding to Thora as they reached for Rourke.

“Halliwell,” the older agent greeted her. “Nice work, as usual.”

“Morris.” She handed over the pendant along with the necessary documentation. “Try not to lose him this time.”

Morris had the grace to look chagrined. “That mix-up with the Farley case won’t happen again. We’ve overhauled the entire intake system.”

“Glad to hear it.” She didn’t bother keeping the skepticism from her voice. “Transfer the bounty to my usual account.”

“Already being processed.” Morris took custody of Rourke, who cast one final, measuring look at Thora before being led away.

“See you around, Halliwell,” Rourke called over his shoulder.

“Not if I see you first,” she muttered, brushing her hands together as if wiping away the entire encounter.

FOUR

The SUV pulled away, leaving Thora alone in the alley. She continued her methodical defeathering process, determined to restore some professional dignity before returning to the motel. The last thing she needed was to walk through the lobby looking like she’d lost a fight with a chicken.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Unknown number. She considered ignoring it—most of her contacts knew better than to reach out after a completed job unless it was an emergency.

Curiosity won out. “Halliwell,” she answered, her tone clipped.

“Ms. Halliwell.” The voice on the other end was precise, cultured, with a slight accent she couldn’t immediately place. “My name is Jared Clemmins. I represent a client with a matter of some... urgency.”

Thora’s hunter instincts perked up. Something in his tone suggested this wasn’t a standard bounty call. “I’m listening.”

“My client is prepared to offer fifty thousand for the retrieval of a certain item and the... person... currently in possession of it.”

She straightened. “Fifty thousand is significant. Must be quite the item.”

“Indeed. Or rather, quite the individual in possession of it. They’ve evaded several previous retrieval attempts.”

“Location?”

“Near a town called Enchanted Falls.”

Thora nearly laughed out loud. “Enchanted Falls? The magical tourist trap with the namesake waterfall and gift shops selling crystal unicorns?”

“Your description, while colorful, does the place a disservice,” Clemmins replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Enchanted Falls has a... particular reputation for those in certain circles.”

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