Twisted Ginni by Nicola Rose

6

Sam

“You realize the shit you’ve landed us in?” Phoenix asked, stuffing the demon books back into my bag.

“Y… y… fuck it, you put your fucking hand on that lamp and said the words. Didn’t motherfucking force you.”

Dropping to the ground with a groan, he started doing crunches. “Are you okay? I thought you’d totally retreated when she was here.”

My heart still raced. “Fucking opposite. She couldn’t have drawn m… m… more fucking focus from me if she tried. Fucking consumed me.”

“Demons are demons, Sam. She’s going to twist us up until we’re putty in her hands.”

Our fucking slave. Belongs to us. Fuck her!

He snorted. “Do you think there’s—”

We both spun to face the empty window, to the sound of screeching tires, the skid and grind on gravel as a vehicle pulled to a rapid stop. Followed by flashing blue and red lights. Footsteps hammering through the building. Cops yelling.

Ginni burst into the room. “Time to run, boys!”

“What the hell?” Phoenix gaped at her, shooting to his feet.

“Kind of in a hurry here! Haul ass first, questions later.” She grabbed our hands, dragging us out the door.

Two cops approached. “Freeze. Hands in the air.”

“Fuck you!” she yelled, letting go of us and thrusting her palms out. Smoke and fire erupted in a violent burst, blocking the police. “This way.” Ginni took off in the other direction.

“Wait!” Phoenix darted back into the room and reappeared a moment later wrestling with his huge camping backpack, stuffed with our clothes, the laptop, everything of importance. “Grab your bag too, we can’t leave it with the lamp and all that shit!”

I glanced nervously down the corridor, but there was no way the cops could get through the blazing fire. Heat surged against my face, but somehow it didn’t look quite real. I grabbed the other bag and we bolted out of the building through the rear exit. Ginni waited with an impatient hand on her hip, a canvas sack dangling in her grip. “Any time today, it’s only the cops, no rush.”

She took off again and we had no choice but to follow. What else was there to do? We fled around several blocks before pausing by a truck. “You know how to hotwire?” she asked.

If my tongue worked properly I’d have had a barrage of words for her right then.

“Never mind, pretend you don’t see this. I hate having to explain myself.” The djinn placed a palm over the door and the electric lock clicked. We bundled inside. She tried to take the driver’s seat until Phoenix ordered her to move over.

“What you gonna do now, smartass?” She settled in the passenger seat, smirking.

“Don’t push me right now,” he growled.

Rolling her eyes, she put a hand to the ignition and the truck came alive. We drove in simmering, boiling silence. Silence was my thing. I embraced it. But I was starting to think I couldn’t take any more when we finally pulled into a motel.

Calmly turning to our devious djinn, Phoenix held out his hands. She dropped the canvas bag into them. He opened it up, then snapped his attention back to her. “This is it?”

“You wanted more?”

He leaned over the wheel, burying his face against it, heaving deep breaths. “Okay. Don’t move.”

He headed across the lot and inside the office. Moments later, he ushered us to a room, leaving the truck idling outside. Ginni gracefully draped herself on the bed, toying with her hair.

Phoenix wouldn’t look at her.

I couldn’t stop staring.

He pulled out his cell. Prepaid phones were one of the few things we’d been able to acquire with the cash he’d stolen from under his parent’s bed during our chaotic escape.

“Andras?” he spoke into the phone. “We’ve had a small problem, don’t go back. Where are you?”

Ginni traced a finger in circles over her hip, slowly drawing it up, over her stomach, toward her tits—

“I’m coming to get you. Stay put.” Phoenix opened the door. “Same goes for you y’all. Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

I barely registered him leaving. Ginni licked her lips and I wanted to suck on them.