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And neither did Elektra LaFleur.
A drop of water landed on her skin, and a green spark immediately sizzled to life there. Bzzzt. The water crackled against her flesh as though she was a real-life bug zapper, and since one of my hands was down in the water on the table, I felt the shock of it zip through the liquid and up into my body. To my surprise, it hurt, like I'd just stuck my finger into a socket and gotten a bad jolt-one that made my teeth clench and my heart race. Startled, I looked at her.
LaFleur gave me a soft, warm smile, her eyes a much brighter green now, more electricity sparking in her gaze. She knew that she'd zinged me with her power, and she'd liked the fact that I'd felt it and that it had hurt. Maybe she'd even sensed my surprise and discomfort, given her elemental magic, the way that I could hear murmurs in stone. And I suddenly knew that's why she electrocuted people when she assassinated them, instead of using a knife or a gun. LaFleur enjoyed feeling other people's pain. She probably got some kind of high off it, like so many elementals did when they used their magic. Sadistic bitch.
"I hate winter, don't you?" Elektra said in a bored tone. "All this static electricity in the air. I'm always getting a jolt. Aren't you?"
"Sure," I muttered. "Happens all the time. What'll it be?"
Jonah McAllister ordered a cheeseburger and fries, while Elektra LaFleur opted for a barbecue pork sandwich with baked beans, French fries, and a side of coleslaw. The woman had a healthy appetite, that was for sure. I wondered where she was going to put it all on that lean frame of hers. Then again, I supposed she needed a lot of juice to fry people alive with her electrical magic.
I went back over to the counter. Sometime while I'd been talking to McAllister and LaFleur, Sophia had disappeared into the back of the restaurant. A moment later, the Goth dwarf pushed through the swinging doors and resumed her position in front of the stove.
"Finn?" I asked in a low voice, slapping a hamburger patty onto the hot griddle.
"On his way," Sophia rasped in her broken voice.
In silence, the two of us worked to get the order ready. I finished McAllister's cheeseburger, while Sophia dished up LaFleur's baked beans. I didn't look over my shoulder, but I could hear McAllister and LaFleur talking softly.
I turned around and grabbed some clean white plates to put their food on, which meant that I was facing out toward the restaurant again.
To my surprise, Elektra LaFleur had slid over in the booth so that her back was up against the storefront glass and she could see the whole restaurant. Her green eyes moved slowly over the interior, checking out every single thing inside, from the floor and walls to the long counter to the swinging doors that led to the back of the restaurant.
Finally, her eyes landed on me, and she watched me assemble the food. Her sharp green gaze took in everything about me, from the way that my hands moved to the greasy blue apron that covered my long-sleeved black T-shirt and jeans. She didn't sneer at me the way that Jonah had done earlier, though. All she did was watch me, a thoughtful, calculating expression on her beautiful face.
It was a look that I knew-a mask I'd worn on more than one occasion. And I realized what she was doing, why she was here in the first place. She was scoping out the restaurant-and me.
Sizing up her latest target, just like assassins did.
Just like she was going to come back and kill me later.
Of course.
Jonah McAllister hated me. He had ever since I'd dared to stand up to him when he'd tried to pressure me into forgetting that his son, Jake, had tried to rob my restaurant and kill the innocent diners inside. The lawyer had wanted me to drop the charges against Jake, but I hadn't played ball, which had annoyed him to no end. Plus, McAllister thought that I knew something about Jake's murder. That's why he'd had Elliot Slater almost beat me to death a few weeks ago at the community college. And McAllister had wanted Slater to go ahead and finish the job when I'd run into the two of them again a few days after that.
That's why Jonah McAllister had come here tonight and brought LaFleur along with him. He wanted the assassin to kill me, Gin Blanco. She was in town anyway to take care of the Spider. Why not have LaFleur get rid of me while she was at it? The arrogant lawyer just didn't realize that I was the Spider as well.
A cold, hard smile curved my lips. Irony. What a bitch. But something that could actually be useful to me in this instance.
With Sophia's help, I finished the orders, grabbed the plates, and took everything over to the booth. Again, I felt LaFleur's eyes on me, watching the way I moved, calculating my strength, balance, and stamina, just the way I would have if I were looking at a person that I was planning on killing later.
I dumped the platters on the table much the same way that I had their drinks. But there was no water slopping around, so LaFleur couldn't shock me again this time. "Enjoy. "
I hoped they both choked on their food, but I knew that was just too much to ask. Especially with my bad luck.
"Oh," LaFleur drawled. "We will. "
I looked at her, careful to keep the calm, cold violence out of my face. LaFleur stared at me a second longer before turning to her food. Apparently she thought that she knew everything there was to know about me. She just didn't realize I could wear the mask of a simple restaurant owner as well and easily as she wore her expensive clothes. That I'd been taught how to do so by Fletcher Lane, by the Tin Man, one of the best assassins there had ever been.
One of the other couples was ready to leave, so I went back to the cash register, took their money, and sent them on their way. Then I plopped down on my stool behind the counter and picked up the latest book that I was reading, The Iliad. Winter classes weren't due to start back up at Ashland Community College until after the first of the year, but I was getting a head start on the classic Greek literature course I'd already signed up for.
Everything was quiet for the next thirty minutes. I read my book, Sophia cooked her latest batch of beans, the other couple gobbled up their dinner, and my enemies dug into theirs.
Finally, Jonah McAllister and Elektra LaFleur finished their meal and headed over to the cash register. McAllister reached into his wallet and handed me some bills. I was vaguely surprised that he was even bothering to pay at all, but I supposed that he wanted me to think he'd come here tonight only for the food. As if I could be that stupid.
"Keep the change, Gin," McAllister said in a smarmy, mocking voice. "Consider it an early Christmas present. "
"Aw," I drawled. "A whopping thirteen cents. You're too kind, Jonah. Why, you'd put Ebenezer Scrooge to shame with your bighearted generosity. "
