Page 21 of The Devil You Know
“Mack made a deal with some ancient Slavic god who saved his life and gives him magic. He’s super strong, his skin can be metal for short periods, and he’s almost impossible to kill,” Toby continued.
“Okay,” Evan replied, drawing out the syllables. “That could be handy.”
“Mark says Joe is a stand-up kind of guy,” Toby went on. “But he’s also got friends in the Laveccia crime family. Old ties there, especially with theirstrega.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s an Italian witch—someone with very strong magic,” Milo chimed in, as if he needed Evan to know he wasn’t out of the game.
“Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to have a witch and a magical metal man in our corner if Osborn is this big of a threat,” Evan conceded.
“You can’t take the witch disciple on alone, and you’re going to need help to get Seth if Osborn’s the one who took him.” Toby sounded worried.
“If Mack is an okay guy, why’s he in bed with the Mob?”
“It’s a long story,” Toby replied. That Milo wasn’t hijacking more of the conversation told Evan volumes about how the other man must be feeling.
“Mack is around a hundred and fifty years old—doesn’t look it, so I hear. He’s worked with the Lavecciastregassince the 1800s. The witches tend to be lone wolves—connected to the Family, but separate in their own way. Hold off on judging until you get a sense for him,” Toby advised.
“If he can help me get Seth back, he could have horns and a tail for all I’d care.”
“Don’t joke about such things. You never know who’s listening,” Milo spoke up, utterly serious.
“It’s still early. Let me call Mack and see what he has to say. If Osborn took Seth, we don’t know how much time we’ve got.”
“Evan—you can do this,” Toby said. “You’ve got good instincts, and you’re a fine hunter. Seth trained you well—and he’s right to believe in you. I know you’ll bring him back.”
“I intend to,” Evan replied, resolute.No matter how many witchy sons of bitches I need to take down to do it.
The call ended with admonitions from both sides to take care. Evan shoved the phone in his pocket and dropped onto the leather couch, then leaned forward with his head in his hands. The RV felt empty without Seth. Evan remembered the last time one of the witch disciples tried to snatch Seth and how he and some friends saved the day.
Osborn’s holding all the cards. Does he know that Seth and I are both descendants of the deputies who killed Gremory? Did he grab Seth for a sacrifice instead of Nelson? Could I trade myself for Seth?
Evan knew Seth would never forgive him if he tried the last option, but Evan intended to consider every possibility.
We thought that knowing so much about Osborn before we came to Cleveland would make this a slam dunk. We got cocky, and now Seth’s in danger.
Witches generally preferred a full moon for their rituals, a natural time of power. That was the only thing keeping Evan’s panic in check. A quick look at his phone verified that they had several days left before then. If Osborn intended to sacrifice Seth instead of Nelson—which would decrease the power boost from the ritual—then he was unlikely to reduce the advantage even more by working the magic at the wrong time.
Think. Don’t feel. There’ll be time enough to feel when it’s over.
“I’m coming for you, Seth. Hang on,” he whispered. His thumb hovered over the phone number Teag sent him. Then he pressed and heard the call ring through to voice mail.
“My name is Evan Malone. I’m a hunter. Mark Wojcik says you can be trusted. I need your help. We should talk. Willis Osborn kidnapped my partner, and I intend to get him back. Call me.”
Evan ended the call and hoped his voice didn’t shake as much as his hand.
Seconds later, the phone rang. “We should meet,” a gravelly voice said. “Come to the diner at Fifth and Main in an hour. Last booth on the right. Tell me your story, and I’ll see if I can help.”
“Thank you,” Evan replied, assuming it to be Joe Mack.
“Don’t thank me yet—I haven’t done anything,” the person replied and ended the call.
Evan stared at the phone, trying to collect his thoughts and quiet his emotions. Meeting with Joe would have terrified Evan a few months ago before he and Seth fought the Charleston witch disciple. They’d been supported in that fight by supernatural allies that included witches, psychics, a medium, root workers, and a vampire. After that, an immortal champion of a forgotten god didn’t seem all that strange.
Man up, Malone. Gotta save my guy.
He forced himself to eat a bologna sandwich for a belated lunch, even though he hardly tasted it. Evan spent the time before his meeting with Joe sorting through what he and Seth had discovered at the library. Old photographs made a persuasive case for Osborn existing under many aliases for more than a century. The public records search provided clues to what Evan suspected were dummy corporations Osborn had used to buy and sell real estate through the decades without linking the properties directly to himself. Seth’s map research raised some interesting possibilities of locations to check out.
