Whisper of Shadows (The Diamond City Magic Novels) by Diana Pharaoh Francis Read Free Book Online Page B

The Josh he was before you came into his life.”
    Arnow ignored her. “The clock is ticking.”
    “Getting Price out of jail would be a start.”
    Before she could answer, a noise sounded outside in the garage. The door behind us started to pull open.
    “I’ll be in touch.”
    With that, she vaulted over the railing to the landing below and disappeared. I exchanged a look with Taylor, but didn’t have time to say anything before our bodyguards showed up.
    “Are you all right?” Mason asked. He was one of the guards assigned to me and Price. He was dressed in military pants and a black winter coat that covered a bulletproof vest and assorted weapons. He carried a Beretta combat rifle. The only reason I knew it was a Beretta as opposed to, say, Nerf, was because he talked about it more than any girlfriend he might have. I was about to ask how he’d found us, when I realized he had Taylor’s scarf in his hand. She must have dropped it near the door, hoping they’d follow and find us. I took the scarf from him and handed it to Taylor, mouthing a silent “good job” at her. She smiled smugly.
    My mouth lifted in a quick smile, and then I turned back to Mason. “We’re fine. Let’s get inside.”
    I hurried back into the garage, walking swiftly out onto the sidewalk. Taylor strode beside me, with Mason and three of his people bringing up the rear.
    “What are you going to do?” she asked.
    “Hell if I know. I doubt they’ll let us see Price. We’ll probably have to wait until Gregg’s cavalry of lawyers gets here.” I glanced at her. “What do you think?”
    “I was talking about Special Agent Arnow.”
    I grimaced. “I know.” I’d been dodging the question. I didn’t know what the hell to do about her.
    “I think you’re going to help her.”
    “I can’t trust her. She’s a snake in the grass and she’s bitten me before.”
    “I know. But it isn’t exactly your style not to help people in trouble. Even the ones you don’t like.”
    I couldn’t argue. “But you think I shouldn’t?”
    “I think you should be careful. And I want in.”
    “Want in? What do you mean?”
    “I want to come along and help.”
    I frowned. “Why?”
    “So we can see each other in action. It’s time, don’t you think? Plus you need someone you can trust at your back.”
    “What about your flying business?”
    That was met with silence. I sort of wanted to kick myself for bringing it up, but then again, Taylor wanted to keep it real between us from now on. Less than a week ago, eight of her employees had been killed, most of them pilots. Until she hired new ones, she was going to have to be taking most of the flights. I pointed that out in case she missed my point.
    “Brent is handling the business up on the rim for me. I’ve got feelers out for pilots and should be hiring soon enough. In the meantime, I can lighten my schedule.”
    I considered, then shook my head. “Still doesn’t make sense. You scratched and clawed to get the business going and make it a success. Stepping back now in the middle of a crisis doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. What’s really going on?”
    Flanked now by a half dozen bodyguards, we crossed the street. They’d tucked their weapons out of sight beneath their jackets. I picked my way across the hard crumbles of ice that had made little ridges and divots where snow had collected, melted, and refrozen. Halfway across, the light changed and traffic trapped us on the wide island in the middle.
    “I don’t know that flying is enough,” she said finally. “I love it. Loved it a lot in the wars. The rush was incredible. But here? It’s—” She broke off. “It’s tame. Anyhow, I started flying to give me something of my own I could feel proud of, but it never made the other shit go away. It only pushed me farther to the outside of the family. I know I’m not a soldier or a spy or a cop, and I can’t wrap people in metal cages at the blink of an eye, but I can be