What the fuck? How about a little class, assholes?
Shay fired once into the air. That shut them up.
“I’m trying really hard not to kill anyone tonight. I don’t want trouble with your buddies, but at the same time, I can’t have you going after this girl. She’s a friend of mine.”
A tall man with a scarred face who Shay pegged as the leader pointed at Lily. “That little bitch stole from us. Not just anything, but a magical artifact.”
Shay rolled her eyes. “That you stole yourself.”
“It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that she took something that belongs to the 25K Group.”
Shay sighed and shook her head. “You know, I get it. You guys are with a big triad, and your triad has a reputation. You can’t have anyone damaging that reputation.”
“That’s right. You can kill us here, but then our brothers will flood these streets and make everyone you love pay in blood for what you’ve done.”
“Like I said, I’m not trying to kill anyone. The thing is, I don’t have a reputation I can scare you with because I’m trying to keep a fucking low profile.” Shay gestured with the gun, and her mouth twitched. “But I can still trade on a reputation. I hate to do this, but if you guys won’t be reasonable, I’m going to have to take drastic measures.”
The gangster leader frowned. “What does that mean?” He rattled something off in Cantonese, and the other men offered a dark laugh.
Shay pulled a business card out of her pocket and handed it to Lily.
The teen took the card and eyed it. “What is this?”
“It’s a one-use card. It’s got a phone number and some magic. When you use it, the guy who gives out the cards will know your location. The real point is that the guy connected to the card will come if you use it. Read who the card is from for the nice 25K gentlemen.”
Lily flipped the card in her palm. “James Brownstone.”
Murmurs rippled through the men.
Shay grinned. “Yeah, I’m out of town sometimes, but James usually isn’t. You can use that card to help you with trouble.” She nodded toward the men. “Trouble like them.” She motioned with the gun. “You can drop your hands, but if any of you go for a gun, you all die.”
The men grimaced and slowly dropped their hands.
“Anyway, back to the card.” Shay sighed. “I hate trying to ride on anyone’s coattails, but shit, if this were tomb raiding, I’d have the rep to push you. Just to be clear, that’s a card from the one and only James Brownstone, and I’ve just given it to this girl you’re after. She might decide in a few minutes to call James Brownstone and explain to him that the triads are after her and ruining his city.”
The leader’s eyes widened, and he visibly swallowed. “James Brownstone? The Granite Ghost?”
Shay winked. “You forget my favorite, Scourge of Harriken.” She shook her finger and made a mocking face. “But that’s just it. There aren’t any Harriken left to harass.” She shrugged. “But there are a lot of triad guys he might want to take a crack at. This is a man who traveled all the way to Japan to finish them off. You think he won’t waste your asses and take a road trip to San Francisco to kill the rest of you?”
She yearned to brag about her participation in the Tokyo assault, but keeping the men focused on the Brownstone threat would make it easier to manipulate them.
The leader gritted his teeth. “We can’t just let someone steal from us and walk away. It’ll make the 25K Group look weak.”
“I don’t even have it anymore,” Lily explained. “I lost it.”
The man sneered. “Then you must offer restitution.”
Shay nodded. She had to give the triad members credit. None of them panicked that they’d been cornered in a dark alley where they could easily be killed.
“Give it to them, Lily.” Shay pointed at the bag.
The teen tossed the bag toward the leader, and he snatched it out of the air.
“What’s this?”
Shay nodded toward the bag. “There’s an onyx brooch inside. It’s magic, but it only works for magical beings. You can probably sell it for a couple thousand, which from what I understand exceeds the value of your incense.”
He narrowed his eyes. “This isn’t the same.”
“Don’t be a dick. You whined about restitution. Well, that is restitution.” Shay waved the gun. “You’ve been paid back, so don’t become a greedy fuck now. I’m trying to provide everyone a way out of this shit without anyone getting hurt.”
The leader frowned and held up the bag. “And how do I know you’re telling the truth?”
“Go get it checked by someone magical. If it’s fake, then feel free to keep searching for my friend. But otherwise, you stay the fuck away from this girl. Take your prize and go home, but if you come at her again after being paid back, we’ll find a more permanent solution. One that probably involves James Brownstone earning the new nickname ‘Scourge of Triads.’”
The men all winced.
Shay backed up, and Lily followed.
The tomb raider gestured with her gun. “Now get the fuck out of here before my finger slips.”
The men filed out in a single line, each casting an angry glare at Shay and Lily. Once they were out of the alley they ran off, and a few them flipped Shay off over their shoulders.
Shay let out a breath. “Well, that shit went better than I thought. I think mentioning James combined with that artifact will be enough to keep them away from you.”
Lily looked down at the ground. “Thanks, Shay. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“This shit wasn’t free.”
The teen blinked and looked up. “Excuse me?”
“That brooch was worth a couple thousand, and I just gave it away.” Shay holstered her gun and pointed to the retreating gangsters in the distance. “That two thousand belongs to Peyton and it’s going to come
