Stolen Relics Read online

  Stolen Relics

  Mackenzie Grey: Trials #4

  Karina Espinosa

  Copyright © 2020 by Karina Espinosa

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover design by © Christian Bentulan

  Edited by Stacy Sanford

  Copyright 2020 by Karina Espinosa

  ISBN-13: 9798646903298

  ASIN: B088SC4HQ7

  For my readers.

  This one is for you.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  About the Author

  Also by Karina Espinosa

  About the Author

  1

  It was scorching hot and the A/C unit in the car was busted. The windows were down and muggy air blew inside, not cooling us down one bit. My tank top clung to my sticky skin, and I was pretty sure if I wrung it out, gallons of water would seep out. I didn’t know how much more of this I could take. It was bad enough my body already ran at a high temperature, but this was just torture.

  “All right, Grey, what kind of hero do you want?” Michaels asked as he parked the unmarked police car near a fire hydrant in front of a bodega. He unbuckled his seat belt and turned off the engine.

  “Pastrami. The works.” I wiped more sweat off my neck. “And water. Ice cold water.”

  “You got it.” He got out of the car and strode into the bodega to buy us lunch.

  I stayed in the car to stave off the heat and listen to the police scanner for any incidents in the area. We were on patrol and things had been relatively quiet since my return. I’d been back with the SIU for three weeks, and besides a few minor infractions, we hadn’t had any major cases. It was actually quite dull. Normally, I’d be somewhat peeved and in need of some action, but after everything I’d gone through recently, a little quiet was just what I needed. I was just happy to be back on the team. After getting suspended, it was no easy feat getting back in the SIU. I was embarrassed to admit it required Alexander’s help. He made a few calls, issued a few threats, and I was back on the force. Not that the threats I made didn’t work, but his held a little more weight, being the King of the Lycans and all.

  Now I was keeping a low profile. Someone in the Supernatural Investigative Unit didn’t want me there, for reasons I didn’t know. I had a couple options: I could dig into it, or let it go and go about my business. Currently, I was going with option two, but that could change at the drop of a hat. Right now just wasn’t the time to be meddling in things I should probably stay away from. I had bigger problems to worry about. Like my brother.

  Oliver Grey gave up his career, his life, everything to move back home to be near me. If only I knew what that actually meant. Ollie didn’t want to be close to me simply because we were family; he wanted to be close to me so he could investigate. Ever since the night with Enzo and his wolf sighting, he’s been building a case. I realize now I should have listened to Cassidy when he warned me.

  I’d always thought of my brother as a reasonable person, someone who wouldn’t believe in the supernatural world, but I supposed when you saw things, you felt compelled to see it again to convince yourself you didn’t imagine it. And that was what he did. He followed me until he saw what he wanted to see. Unfortunately, he got bit in the process. I bit him, and now he’ll be just like me. I hated myself for what I did to him and what he’ll go through. He deserved better. To be far away from it all.

  Now the full moon was coming up and he would shift for the first time. It would be the most painful experience of his life. He wasn’t ready. Neither was I.

  The car door opened, and Michaels hopped in with a brown paper bag and two ice cold bottles of water balanced in his arms.

  “Oh my God, gimme!” I grabbed one of the bottles and put it behind my neck. The shock of cold condensation on my overheated skin made a chill run through my body.

  “You’re welcome,” Michaels snorted. “Ah shit, I forgot to get napkins.” He dug through the brown paper bag, looking for the missing items.

  “I’ll get them if you want—” I said when the police scanner crackled.

  “10-31, The Third Eye,” the dispatcher reported through the scanner. “Any available units?”

  “That’s a burglary in progress,” Michaels said as he wrapped up the brown paper bag with our sandwiches and tossed it in the back seat. He turned on the car and I grabbed the receiver and responded to dispatch, letting them know we were on the way.

  The Third Eye was one of the biggest supernatural bars in New York, and well known for corruption. There were rumors that the owner was linked with someone high up in the SIU, but no one had been able to find any concrete evidence. I’d been there a few times, most recently when I was on the run and trying to get information on the vampires. If the place was getting robbed during the day, it couldn’t be good.

  Michaels turned on the sirens and we sped through the city streets. We weren’t far from the bar – just a few blocks away – but with Manhattan traffic, it would feel like hours.

  When we finally pulled up in front of the bar, we hopped out, reaching for our guns.

  “I’ll take the front, you take the back,” I whispered to Michaels and he nodded, running to the back exit of the bar. I gave him a few seconds to get in place before I opened the front door and peered inside.

  The inside looked the same as it did the last time I was there. The bar was on the left, the walls were lined with plastic-upholstered booths, and the center of the room was scattered with a hodgepodge of mismatched tables and stools. At night it was dim and mysterious, but since it was daytime, the daylight filtered in and I could see how dated the bar was. Paint was chipped and faded. The wood panels of the bar were old. But none of that was more fascinating than what was unfolding in the center of the room. A man was on his knees and another person in a ski mask was hovering over him, a black duffle bag slung over his shoulders and his hand outstretched. A yellowish, white glow fizzled from his fingertips as if threatening to shoot at the man on his knees.

  “SIU! Put your hands up!” I shouted as I aimed my gun at the threat before me. He didn’t flinch or spare me a glance. “Put out your magic and turn around!”

  The magic disappeared in a blink and the person in the ski mask turned around to face me. Just when I thought they’d surrender, they began to shudder, almost vibrating in place at a speed beyond supernatural, then the person spilt into two people, then three. Within seconds, I was facing three of the same person. At least I thought it was the same person.

  Before I could register their next move, a blast of magic hit me square in the chest. They threw it so fast, it was as if I’d blinked and it happened. I was thrown back against the opposite wall with a loud thud.

  The blast took me by surprise since I had the Celtic triquetra, which looked like a three-cornered infinity knot within a circle, tattooed on my hip that was supposed to protect me from malicious magic. However, it didn’t protect me from the force of it, just the intent.

  The rear exit doors burst open and Michaels stormed in firing his gun, but the bullets ricocheted as harmlessly as i
f the multiples wore bulletproof vests. It did nothing to them. Two of them stayed behind, flinging arcs of magic at Michaels, while the third strode confidently out the front door.

  I scrambled to my feet, shaking my head and clearing it from the haze it was in and ran outside. The heat smacked me in the face like a living thing, and it took a minute for my eyes to adjust to the beaming sun that pounded down. When I made it to the sidewalk, there was no sign of the robber. Just dozens of New Yorkers walking the streets where he could have easily gotten lost in a crowd.

  I ran back inside the bar only to find Michaels helping the man on his knees up to his feet.

  “Where did the other two go?” I called out from across the room as I holstered my gun.

  Michaels ran a hand through his hair. “They disappeared. Like, poofed out of existence.”

  They appeared to be clones, but that couldn’t be. There was no way. This was way too sci-fi for me.

  “Hello, I’m Detective Grey and this is my partner Detective Michaels. Can you tell us your name?” I asked the man before us.

  “Maximos Limogiannis. I’m the owner of The Third Eye.” The man gripped the back of a chair tightly, his nostrils flaring. He didn’t offer a hand to shake or even a friendly smile. Actually, he looked kind of pissed that we were there. He had shiny, ebony hair that was slicked back with gel and wore pressed slacks, a button-up, and suspenders. Very old-fashioned. Maybe a little mobster looking.

  “Ah, it’s nice to finally meet the man behind the curtain,” I offered with a sardonic smile. “So, tell us Maximos … was this a deal gone bad?”

  “That’s really none of the SIU’s business.”

  “Are you serious?” Michaels scoffed and jerked his thumb at the front door. “You were about to get magically barbecued before we showed up. A thank you wouldn’t hurt, especially when Grey took the hit for you,” he jeered with his thick New York accent.

  I touched my chest, rubbed at it and winced. Yeah, that still stung. Whatever that person cooked up was powerful.

  “I never called for the SIU, and I definitely don’t need them sticking their noses in my business. I won’t be filing a report, so you both can leave.” Maximos waved us both toward the door imperiously.

  I arched a brow. “Unluckily for you, I was hurt, so I will be filing a report and following up on what happened here,” I said with a large smile on my face. He was hiding something, and I was determined to find out what it was.

  “So, what was it that was stolen?” Michaels asked as he pulled out his notepad.

  “Nothing.”

  “Don’t lie to us,” I tsked and wagged a finger.

  Maximos glowered. “I can have your job like this.” He snapped his fingers.

  I chuckled. “No you can’t, but I’d love to see you try.”

  He pulled out his cellphone and held it up. “One phone call and your job is gone.”

  “Grey,” Michaels muttered, placing a hand on my arm to hold me back, but I refused to back down.

  I nodded to Maximos. “Go on. Make your phone call. I’d love to hear this conversation.”

  Michaels leaned into me and whispered in my ear, “There’s confidence, and then there’s arrogance. You’re towing the line.”

  “I know what I’m doing,” I murmured and cleared my throat. “Make sure you get my name right. Mackenzie Grey MacCoinnich. Please send my regards.”

  I clasped my hands in front of me and waited as I watched Maximos’ expression go from self-assured, to pensive, to oh-shit-what-did-she-say, to fuck. I should have recorded the myriad of emotions.

  Maximos steeled himself, straightening and locking his jaw. “You’re the Curse Breaker.” It was more of a statement than a question.

  “I guess Freedom Princess went out of style,” I muttered.

  “I’m not afraid of you,” he declared, almost trying to convince himself instead of me.

  I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “I’m not trying to scare you, you fool. I’m trying to help you. You’re obviously in some sort of trouble, but threatening me is not the solution. I’m not afraid of you either, so the feeling is mutual. Now will you let us do our job, or will we have to do this the hard way?”

  Michaels reached for the iron handcuffs on his hips and Maximos’ eyes followed his movements. The message was clear. Either he told us what we wanted to know, or we took him in using very uncomfortable methods. I didn’t know what species he was, but iron usually did the trick unless he was Lycan, which I doubted. No wolf would be this much of a sleaze.

  The bar owner held up his hands and relented. “Fine, no need to get rough.” He backed up to one of the stools by the bar and sat down, letting out a breath. “That was a Gemini that came in here. They’re a nasty species and extremely rare. Usually they’re hired as hit men, so obviously one was hired to ransack my safe.”

  “Obviously.” I rolled my eyes. “Now what’s in your safe that would make someone put a hit out on you?”

  Maximos gritted his teeth and looked away. “Besides a ton of money and gold?”

  “Yes, smart ass,” Michaels chimed in.

  “I also collect rare artifacts. One of them is the Draupnir.”

  “What?” I frowned as I looked between him and Michaels.

  Michaels laughed. “You’re joking, right? That’s impossible.”

  Maximos smirked. “I do not lie, detective. See for yourself.” He waved toward the back office.

  I slapped Michaels in the arm and gave him a ‘what the fuck’ face. “Care to fill me in?”

  He sighed. “I only know what he’s talking about because I read comic books as a kid, so I know this is all bullshit.”

  “I don’t care; what is it?” I said.

  “Draupnir is a golden ring possessed by Odin the Norse God. It’s supposed to duplicate like, eight rings or some shit. In other words, it makes you super rich. It was made by the same people that made Thor’s hammer.”

  I stared at my partner to make sure he was being for real and wasn’t joking. When he didn’t elaborate further, I realized he was being serious. “That’s it, cuff him.” I pointed to Maximos.

  Michaels didn’t hesitate to pull out the iron handcuffs and grab Maximos by the arm, hauling him out of his seat and slamming him against the bar, face forward.

  “I’m telling you guys the truth! This is real!”

  I snorted. “Yeah, and the tooth fairy also gave me a dollar when I was five. Get real.”

  Michaels subdued him, and once the iron cuffs were secured, Maximos lost all his strength, making it easy to drag him to our unmarked police car out front.

  What a day.

  2

  We made it back to the station where Finn and Cassidy were already at their desks in the squad room waiting for us. Michaels took Maximos to an interrogation room to sweat it out while I plopped down at my desk with my uneaten hero and empty water bottle. The heat was killer outside and the air conditioner in the building was a welcomed reprieve.

  “How is it out there?” Cassidy Chang asked as he threw a balled-up piece of paper at me. It was funny looking at his hulking figure in that small seat.

  “It’s hot as shit,” I said breathlessly. “Other than that, guess who we brought in?” I grinned mischievously.

  He raised a thick brow.

  “Maximos Limogiannis. The owner of The Third Eye.”

  “You didn’t,” Finn marveled as he walked over and perched on the corner of my desk and started fiddling with my pens, his pitch-black hair flopping over his forehead.

  “We did.” I snatched my good pen from him before he stole it. “We got called in for a 10-31, but then the suspect got away and Maximos didn’t want to cooperate. He knows more than he’s telling.”

  Cassidy frowned. “Let me get this straight. He almost got robbed, but he doesn’t want to catch the guy who did it?”

  I threw his paper ball back at him. “Why does the robber have to be a guy? It could have been a woman.”

&
nbsp; “Was it though?” Finn smirked.

  I rolled my eyes. “Fine, it was a dude. It was something called a Gemini. Ever heard of them?”

  Finn grimaced. “They’re nasty. You were definitely outmatched. Literally. Whoever is after Maximos really must hate him.”

  “Well, whatever it is, he’ll eventually crack,” Cassidy offered smugly as he leaned back in his chair.

  The guys started telling me about their patrol in the subways while I finished eating my late lunch. As I listened, I realized how much I’d missed this comradery. Though it had only been a few weeks, it felt like a lifetime. I could only imagine how I would feel when I had to give this up for good. It just meant I needed to soak up every moment until then.

  “He lawyered up,” Michaels said disgustedly as he stomped back into the squad room. “Bastard.”

  I shrugged. “We don’t have much to hold him anyway. It’s all good.”

  Michaels sat at his desk across from mine and started to eat his lunch. “He was going on with some really crazy stories. That guy has some screws loose.”

  I nodded. “We’ll talk to Briggs and open an investigation, maybe stake out The Third Eye.”

  My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out while the guys talked, cringing when I saw the name that popped up on the screen. Alexander. I’d been avoiding his calls lately. I hit decline and shot him a text, informing him I’d call him tonight, which I would actually have to do. He was the last person I should be avoiding, but after what happened to Ollie, I didn’t know how to tell him what I did. I knew he’d be disappointed in me. After everything I’d already done to him, I just couldn’t handle it. Alexander was better off finding someone else to take over the throne. I was a complete fuck up.