Page 9 of Lourdes & the Mafia
One of them clears their throat, stepping forward to face me.
Then it is him who will die first.
“Sir, we are looking for—”
“I do not give afuck.” I don’t let him finish his sentence before I let my painful wrath consume him.
The crack of his knees against the pavement mimics the sound of thunder across the sky. He cannot even scream as the torture spreads from the inside out. His veins bulge against his skin, threatening to burst.
When they do, tears of blood track down his cheeks and he falls, his head cracking against the ground.
Dead.
Just like that.
The others shiver and step back, holding their hands up in a very human gesture of surrender.
“Please…”
“You brought violence to Sinful’s doorstep.”
They beg and plead and cry.
Pathetic sounds. If they think to move me with empathy, they are mistaken.
I have none.
But I give them the brief illusion of freedom as they turn and flee. I let them get a few meters away before I tilt my head to the side and let the magic swallow them.
I am almost disappointed that they didn’t scream before they died.
It would have made my day better.
I flash back inside the club, appearing over the woman. There is no doubt in my mind that it was her they were looking for.
I honestly do not care why. People die every day on the island. Thousands of souls appear in my domain as evidence of this. You do not live as long as I do within the vast criminal world and not grow accustomed to death.
But I know if I leave her here, my brothers will have something to say.
And that is a battle I want no part in.
With no other choice, I bend to pull her into my arms—let someone else deal with this fucking mess—but the moment I touch her, a charge goes through my body.
A tingle of electricity spreads through me, and I gasp aloud right before an invisible force of magic shoots me backwards.
I fly across the bar, hitting the shelf of prized, expensive liquor. Glass embeds in my skin, and when I slide down to the ground, alcohol rains over my body.
I let slip a curse and stand up, dusting the crystal off my body though my eyes stray to the woman.
What thehellwas that?
I take another look at her, using my shadows to reach cautiously to her. I sense magic around her, if that blast wasn’t fucking clue enough.
Fuck.
How am I supposed to get rid of her if I can’t even touch her?
And why the fuck can’t I touch her? The thought fills me with a sudden rage. I don’t even know this woman and it feels like she’s insulted me.
