A Shifter's Curse, Raven Steele [the top 100 crime novels of all time .TXT] 📗

“Just tell me what I need to do.” I brushed past him, frowning and ignoring the sound of his deep chuckle that sent a pleasurable chill across my flesh.

I focused on the building in front of me. It was a pawn shop, and not a very classy one by the sight of it. The neon sign was halfway burnt out and read, ‘aw Shop’. Bright yellow and red signs told customers they could get a high price for their gold and diamonds.

Yeah right.

It was almost nine o’clock, and no customers were around. I don’t know why they even bothered staying open, except to rip off the desperate customers who came in at this hour.

Luke’s expression returned to broody and tough as he walked to the front door. “Alright, Briar. You wanted to see what the pack does. You’re about to find out.”

He opened the door for me. I narrowed my eyes and folded my arms. “You don’t think this is a date, do you?”

Huffing his breath, he brushed past me roughly. I grinned, then followed him inside. The interior was worse than the outside. All sorts of trinkets crowded together on shelves haphazardly placed along the wall. The shiniest of the objects laid in glass enclosed counters. Prized possessions and cherished memories easily traded for a dose of silver.

A wilted man sat behind the counter, bald with yellow teeth and fingernails. His eyes widened when he saw Luke, and he jerked up out of his chair. It made me wonder if he knew Luke’s true identity.

“What brings you here, good man?” His left hand fumbled with something beneath the counter. Probably some kind of weapon he thought he could use against us.

“Don’t be stupid, Bill.” Luke walked up to the cash register. “You know why I’m here. Do you have our money or not?”

Bill ran his greasy finger across the glass, staring down at it. “It was a rough week, man. Not many people came in. Can I pay you my share next week? This weekend is supposed to be good weather. That always helps.”

Luke rammed his fist into the glass counter, causing a large crack to race up the side. I jumped at the sudden aggression.

“You know that’s not how this works.” Luke leaned closer to Bill. “We want our money tonight.”

Bill continued to fumble with something on the other side of the counter. “Sure. Whatever you say. You order, I obey. That’s how it is, right?”

“Been that way for two years, and yet you always give me a hard time. Just hand over the money. I know you’ve got it.”

Bill’s eyes flashed to me. “What’s the broad doing here?”

Luke didn’t look at me when he answered. “Oh, you don’t want to get tangled up with that one. She’s worse than me. She’ll carve your heart out with a spoon and feed it to your mother.”

To make a show of things, I snapped my jaws and grinned. Truth was, I was a little nervous with where Luke was taking this. How far did he push until he got his money? I get the Silver Claws being cruel to other supernaturals when needed, but to regular humans? That could spell trouble for all shifters. We are supposed to keep a low profile.

Bill’s eyes quickly darted back to Luke. “I really can’t pay you this time, man. It’s been a rough month. I might even have to close my doors for good.”

“Why do you keep lying? We both know you’re running a profitable side business.” Luke placed his hands on the edge of the counter. Every muscle in his body was wound tight, as if he was expecting something to happen.

Bill’s left eye twitched, and the frightened expression he’d sported a second ago twisted into something dark and evil. “I’m sick of obeying. This is my business, not Dominic’s.”

“Listen,” I said, as the back of my neck began to tingle. Something bad was about to go down, and I really wanted to bring some calm back to the conversation. “Why don’t we all—”

Bill withdrew a gun from beneath the counter and pointed it at Luke. “Get the fuck out of my store!”

Luke lowered his head and shook it. “Bill, Bill, Bill. I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this.”

“I said get out!”

His finger began to pull the trigger but Luke, faster than the next beat of my heart, wrapped his hand around the back of Bill’s neck. He slammed his face into the glass counter, completely shattering the surface. Bill screamed and clutched at his face. Blood ran between his fingers and poured to the counter. The gun, forgotten, fell inside the case.

“It didn’t have to come to this. Too bad.” Luke reached in and grabbed the gun. I took a step back, afraid he was going to shoot him. Instead, he yanked open the magazine to unload the weapon of its bullets. Bill began to cry, but Luke ignored him. “Briar, search the back room and take whatever money you find.”

I stared at him mutely. That sure escalated quickly. Part of me wanted to say what the hell? But the other part, the part that needed to join the Silver Claws, knew I needed to move.

He glanced back at me, and there was something in his eyes that I couldn’t quite place. “Well?”

I jumped to obey. I had to see this through, even though I felt bad for old Bill. The feeling disappeared when I saw what was in the back room. There was an old desk pressed against the wall, resting on frayed orange carpet. A long table sat next to it piled with drugs and several stacks of hundred dollar bills.

Moving in closer, I suddenly felt the need to hurry and get out of here. Some of the stacks were stained in red. I guess old Bill wasn't as innocent as he seemed. I grabbed a grocery sack off the desk, emptied its contents, and replaced it with money. When I was done, I turned to leave the room but changed my mind. I stared at the drugs wondering where they would end up. I should destroy them. I’d seen too many of my foster friends ruin their lives with that shit.

I walked to the room's only window and opened it wide. I pushed out the screen and peered out. Piles of garbage lay outside. I could easily scatter the drugs and none would be the wiser.

I returned to the table and picked up several bags. Just as I was about to rip them open and dump them outside, Luke’s voice made me jump. “You better not be destroying those. Bag them up, too. We’re taking them."

“You can't be serious? Snatching the money is one thing, but we need to destroy the drugs."

"You will do no such thing. You'll bag them up, and do as I say, or I’ll tell Dominic you don’t really want to join.”

I stared at him, the blood in my veins hot. Closing my eyes briefly, I reminded myself why I was doing this and slowly packed up the drugs into another bag. Remaining silent, I walked back into the pawn shop and passed Bill, who was slumped on the floor still crying like a baby. I wanted to kick his face in; all feelings of pity for him had disappeared. How many lives had he ruined? Or for that matter, how many lives had the Silver Claws ruined if they were also mixed up in this?

I walked outside, sucking in a breath of cool air. I focused on the only star I could see, the only one that didn't allow night to suffocate it with its darkness.

Luke put his hand on my arm. “Quit holding those like you’re afraid someone’s going to rip them out of your arms.”

I realized I was gripping the bags tightly to my chest. Luke opened a saddlebag on the bike and pulled out a backpack. He handed it to me and walked off. “This way.”

I shoved everything into it and followed him around the corner, throwing the backpack over my shoulder.

We walked three more blocks in silence. Luke stopped in front of a hippy looking herbal shop. The window displayed an old wood sign that proclaimed, “Incense, herbs, and spell kits.” Glass balls filled the display window, with lots of colored rocks lined up in straight rows. A tag on one of the rocks priced it at three hundred and forty-eight dollars. I almost choked on my spit.

I pointed to the sign. “Looks like they're closed.”

My voice sounded strange. It was the first time speaking since leaving the pawn shop.

He ignored me and entered a code into the keypad on the side. It beeped, and he opened the door. Maneuvering his way around brightly colored clothing racks, he walked behind a curtain and down a flight of stairs. It was pitch black down here, and I had to use my wolf vision just to see at the bottom. We stopped at a door that looked like a normal supply closet, but I could hear faint voices coming from behind it.

Luke knocked on the door in a specific pattern. A moment later, it opened.

A woman with purple hair and vibrant green eyes looked at Luke seductively. She put her hand to his chest. “Hey there, handsome.”

Frowning, I stepped out from behind Luke, eyeing the deep cut of the woman’s tight red shirt. Her swelling cleavage practically spilled from the thin material. When she saw me, her lips pressed into a firm line.

"Who's this bit?" She folded her arms across her stomach, pressing her chest up even higher.

Raising my eyebrow, I looked straight into her eyes. "This ‘bit’ is about to pop the silicone right of those massive zits on your chest.”

"Huh?”

Luke chuckled low, but the lady in red was not happy. Frowning, she turned to Luke. “She stays out here."