Dead Ink: A Karma World Romance (Karma Series Book 4) Read Free Page B

any available inside information to find Malokin.
    Recently it had been a rougher ride for the guys than it had been in a long time, and it didn’t look likely to smooth out anytime soon. They’d all known something wasn’t right with the Universe for a while, kind of the way you could sniff gas in the air before an explosion. But things were starting to get crazy out there. Violent crime rates were exploding. Stores were shutting their doors and boarding up their windows.
    If it were up to Lars, he’d lie low and let things work out however they wanted. It was hard enough to keep their own shit together lately. But his friend Fate had an obsession with finding Malokin, the possible catalyst to it all. Fate didn’t want to ride it out; he wanted to fix things. Lars was pulled in by association and loyalty. 
    Lars looked at Fate. “I know you’ve got this obsession with Malokin. That you think if we can get to him, the rest of this mess will calm down. I told you, we should just let the chips fall how they will and stay out of this mess. You know I’ve got your back but now this shit is leaking into my shop.” Lars felt his irritation growing with each sentence.
    “I know. What are you going to do with her? You can’t let her loose,” Fate said, looking at Lars like she was his problem.
    Lars loved the guy like a brother but Fate was arrogant as all hell. “You mean what are you going to do with her.” Lars shook his head. “This isn’t my problem. You’re the one that got us involved with this Malokin crap. You’re going to deal with her.” He tilted his head toward Faith.
    Fate threw his hands into the air as he said, “Not unless you want her dead.”
    “You sick fuck, you’d just kill her?” Lars saw Faith’s face go white even under all that dirt and realized he’d either spoken too loudly or her hearing had already started increasing with the change. He felt a moment of regret before he reminded himself she was a Malokin recruit. She couldn’t be as innocent as she appeared and was probably going to try and kill one of them in their sleep tonight with a knife clenched in a tiny little hand.
    “I wouldn’t,” Fate explained. “But Karma might. She’s been trying to take out a lot of Malokin’s recruits. It’s sort of her twisted version of a bucket list. I’m not sure if this would meet her requirements but should we really put them under the same roof? I’ve tried to get blood out of grout before. It ain’t pretty. Why do you think I got my floors all redone? That shit stains.” Fate tucked his hands in his pockets and his nonchalance was a little alarming.
    Karma, Fate’s girlfriend—according to everyone but Fate and Karma—had been forced to work for Malokin not long ago and had been tasked with keeping certain people from dying. Lars thought about how aggravating it was that she’d decided to take it upon herself to start chipping away at Malokin’s recruits now, just as he needed to dump one of them.
    “How long ago did she die?” Angus asked.
    “She says she was recruited a week ago,” Lars explained. Everyone was staring at Faith, and he was grateful since it made his interest look normal. He had a hard time not looking at her. There was something about her, even as big a mess as she was, that kept drawing his eyes back.
    He saw her lip tremble. If the scared and helpless look was an act, she was damned good at it. Didn’t mean she was an innocent, though. And what pissed him off more was how it seemed to affect him. He’d never been accused of being soft but goddamn if he didn’t feel some protective instincts bubbling up in him.
    As if sensing his thoughts, he watched as she seemed to mentally take a hold of herself. Her feet dropped down to the floor and she straightened in her chair. She crossed her arms and seemed to suddenly project an air of Go ahead, do your worst. You’re not breaking me.
    He wanted to smile and go pat her on the back. He didn’t, but he