JINXED: (Karma Series, Book Two) Read Online Free Page A

the door, and then we heard Bobby, one of the three Jinxes, yell, “What’s going on in there? Let us in!”
    “Who’s with you?” Crow asked.
    “It’s just us, you dirty bird man. We told Cupid to take a hike. Now let us in before we pluck all the feathers off your crows!” This was followed by a youthful chorus of laughter from the other side of the door. If anyone could scare off Cupid, it would be them.
    Another small fist hit the door.
    The Jinxes; it warmed my public defender heart a bit to hear their foul little voices kick in to a rant of curses.
    Bernie hopped off the desk and wrestled his way in between legs. He opened the door a sliver and Billy and Buddy yanked it the rest of the way open, causing Bernie to sprawl out into the larger room. He got to his feet and the small and stout leprechaun waved a fist in their direction.
    “Whatever, greenie, take your best shot,” Bobby said.
    Bernie made a grunting noise and waved his fist again but stomped off.
    “He’s really gone?” Luck asked as the office cleared out with no sight of Cupid.
    “Yes, you big bunch of sissies.” Bobby looked over to Fate and added, “Of course, I’m not talking about you. Just the rest of them.” Bobby leaned on the wall, mimicking the way Fate often did, as we walked past him.
    “Fate! You going to golf with Death this weekend?” Billy asked as him and Buddy trailed Fate, who was shadowing me as I headed for the door.
    “No. Have plans,” Fate responded and I wondered if I’d end up waist deep in whatever it was they were.
    “Yeah, we don’t have time either,” Buddy said.
    Fate stopped briefly and grabbed my arm, forcing me to do the same.
    “Guys, if you don’t mind, I need a minute.” He didn’t look at them when he spoke, just me.
    The Jinxes’ eyes hopped back and forth between the two of us, and then their little faces lit up with smirks.
    “We got it, bro,” Buddy said.
    “We know the score,” Bobby, who had caught up to us, added. Something similar to a leer appeared on his face. A leer on a prepubescent face was just too creepy for words.
    “Oh my god.” I yanked my arm free and turned to continue on my way. Fate followed on my heels, stalking me out of the office. Even the Jinxes knew? I didn’t care how old they were; they looked like they were twelve, tops.
    I didn’t say anything until we got into the hallway, which provided the thinnest veneer of privacy. Still, it was better than the middle of the office.
    “I told you, I don’t have time for this.” I wrapped my arms around my body to prevent any dangling temptation, since he seemed to keep trying to touch me. It was probably his weird controlling manner.
    He stepped in front of me, blocking my way. “If you had such an issue with people knowing then maybe you shouldn’t have said something.” His eyebrows rose accusingly.
    I just wished I could be more like him about it. He didn’t seem fazed at all that the whole office knew. He also hadn’t been the rejected one, either.
    I felt a blush spread on my cheeks. I wanted to kill Luck right now. She hadn’t meant to spread it—I knew she’d just gotten nervous and wanted to warn Murphy—but it didn’t make it any less embarrassing. But ultimately it was my own fault. Why did I tell her in the first place?
    Either way, the reminder did nothing for my desire to talk to him about anything.
    “I told you, I’m not doing this now,” I said and stepped around him.
    Despite my preventive measures, he managed to force his fingers through my locked arms, forcing me to stop and look at him. “This isn’t going away.”
    “You know what? For me it is. I don’t want to play your games. I don’t know what’s going on and I don’t want to. It has nothing to do with me, and I want to keep it that way.” At least I hoped I could. I knew Suit had been searching for me, but that didn’t mean his colleagues would continue to do so. Who knew how many there even were? Maybe it had