Page 8 of That Mafioso Magic
They both laughed at that.
“Let’s go home,” I said.
We were just about to get on the expressway when a black car with dark windows pulled up alongside mine from out of nowhere. It immediately put me on high alert. I’d been in this business long enough to know when shit was about to kick off. I ducked as I saw the windows roll down and a shotgun poke through. Nadia swerved, ramming the vehicle, but not before a shot got off. My ride was bulletproof and also spelled with a magical barrier, and that was what saved me. But even with all of that protection, the first bullet managed to splinter the glass, which meant those bullets were magical too. I tried to peer into the other car to see who was attacking me, but their faces were covered with masks and with my windows up, I couldn’t get a scent.
Nadia pulled onto the expressway and the car followed. There wasn’t a license plate where I could see. I did note the make and model. Even with the emblem missing, I knew it was a Lincoln MKZ. They were right on our tail, and when one of the attackers stood up through the sunroof, this time, a rocket launcher was their weapon of choice. I didn’t know just how well my car would hold up against that monster, nor did I want to find out. Fire could kill me and my pride.
“Get us out of here!” I yelled.
Nadia was driving her ass off, weaving from lane to lane and dodging cars along the way. She cut across three lanes and exited the expressway, but the car was still on us.
“Fuck this.” I pulled out my gun.
“Sage, stay down!” Shi shouted, then rolled her window down, her guns in hand as she partially leaned out. I looked behind me to see her bullets bouncing off the hood of the car and windows with sparks, but when one hit the tire, the car swerved. The guy holding the rocket launcher slid back inside just as the car slammed into a parked car on the street.
“Go back, finish them!” I growled. “Sons of bitches!”
Nadia did a U-turn and we started back. That was when the guy with the rocket launcher stuck it out of the car and fired. Shi slide back through the window and into her seat just as Nadia barely manage to swerve our car out of harm’s way. The missile hit a building on the corner, turning the first level into an inferno. We slammed into two parked cars, which jarred the hell out of me. Once I had gathered myself, I saw them again, aiming their rocket launcher.
“Drive!” I snapped and Nadia peeled off with seconds to spare before the rocket launcher’s missile destroyed the two cars we’d crashed into. The explosion was powerful enough to rock my car even as we sped away. It sent the other two cars airborne and they crashed back to the pavement. I could feel the heat from the fire, which was intense enough to instantly char both cars.
I looked behind me to see they weren’t following us, which gave me a minute to breathe and collect my thoughts. Maybe their car was too badly damaged to follow us again. Shi had managed to take out one of their tires and their crash had been pretty bad.
Judging from what had just happened, apparently, the letter I’d received a month ago hadn’t been a hoax. Sure, I’d told Nadia to look into it, but nothing came of it. No scent was on the letter, no return address. Just a message that said I was a dead man. As if any mob boss would bow down to such a piss poor threat. I had cast a spell on the note at the time, trying to find the sender, but had come up empty. After that, I’d put it out of my mind. Most didn’t fuck with me because they knew about my magical inclination, so I didn’t take the threat as seriously as I should have. But now the note sender had my undivided attention. Nobody made an attempt on my life and got away with it. It was time for me to take more drastic measures.
CHAPTER THREE
Iwas doing one of the least favorite tasks a person could be doing. Rifling through envelopes of bills I couldn’t afford to pay. I was still waiting on Lacey’s mother to give me the reward money for finding her daughter. Turned out, she had posted the ten-thousand dollar reward without actually having ten-thousand dollars in the bank to pay it. But she had been just that desperate to find her daughter. I hadn’t put my life on the line for money. I really had wanted to find that poor child. But I also had to be able to sleep with a roof over my head and put food in my stomach and Xavier’s. Goodwill and intentions didn’t make for viable currency.
Every bill, save one, had a “past due” notice on it and soon, I’d have to run my agency out of my car. “Fuck,” I cursed under my breath and tossed the envelopes on the desk without even bothering to open them.
There was a knock on my door that I knew was Xavier. “Can I come in?”
“Yeah, sure,” I called out.
He entered with more envelopes in his hand.
“That better not be more bills,” I said, pointing at the envelopes.
“I wish I had better news for you, but our rent is due and the landlord just gave us a final notice,” Xavier said, placing the bills on my desk.
“This wouldn’t even be a problem if I could have gotten that reward money,” I said.
“She’s working on it. Got a Please Fund Me going and everything. So far, it’s up to five hundred dollars.”
“People must not be willing to donate now that the child has been found. Meanwhile, I’m going to have to turn tricks on the corner just to buy a ham sandwich!” I snapped.
“I plan on using my handsome Latin looks to become a real Lothario,” Xavier teased.
I chuckled. “Man, we have to do something. Anything on the voicemail?”
He shook his head. “We’re not the only P.I.s in the business, and the others have more credentials and customers. Not to mention, better offices.”
“Don’t remind me. I wish I knew a spell that could conjure money,” I huffed.
Xavier barked out a laugh then. “You and me both.”
The ringing of the bell above our entry alerted us that we had a visitor and hopefully, a new client. Xavier walked to the door and I could hear him from my office.
