Free Grave Attraction by Lori Sjoberg Page A

Winning a fight wasn’t nearly as hard when your opponent pegged you for a pushover. “Judge me by my size, do you?”
    Adam’s mouth went slack. “Did you just throw out a Yoda quote?”
    â€œI don’t know. Did you just catch it?”
    He stared at her for a second or two before barking out a laugh. “Okay, so we’re both Star Wars geeks. But I’m still having a difficult time imagining you wrangling a demon.”
    â€œBelieve what you want, I’m not here to impress you.” She zipped the bag full of pawpaw closed and slipped the strap over her shoulder. “Come on, let’s go. The market closes at six, and I don’t want to get there too late.”

Chapter 7
    â€œF lea World?” Adam cast a sideways look in Marlena’s direction as they drove through the main gate. The outside walls were painted in a garish red, orange, and yellow striped pattern that reminded him of a circus tent. He’d driven by the market at least a hundred times before but had never actually gone inside.
    â€œWhere else am I going to find demon horn? It’s not like they stock it at Walmart.”
    Well, she had a point there. Billed as the world’s largest flea market with over a thousand booths, you could get a beer, a pet, a haircut, a tattoo, plants, T-shirts, tires, antiques, lingerie, video games, and God only knew what else. All under one roof.
    Marlena pulled into a spot between a minivan and a rusted-out pickup, cut the engine, and pocketed the keys. “Freddie’s not the trusting type, so don’t be surprised if he starts acting squirrelly,” she told him as she stepped out of the car.
    â€œAnd Freddie would be the black market demon horn dealer?”
    â€œAmong other things.” She studied him over the roof of the car, her sunglasses making it difficult to gauge her expression. “Were you ever a cop?”
    During his time on the force, he’d mostly worked undercover, and since that cover had never been blown, the question caught him by surprise. “Why do you ask?”
    She shrugged. “I don’t know. Something about the way you looked just now screamed ‘police.’ ”
    Adam swallowed hard, pushing back at the memories of his final few weeks on the force. The horrors he’d witnessed. The bloodshed. The loss of lives, including his own. A sharp, bitter taste flooded his mouth, and he swallowed that back as well. “I used to be one, when I was human.”
    Her eyebrows rose over the top of her glasses. “Where? Chicago?”
    â€œDoes it matter?”
    â€œJust curious. We don’t have to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable.” She nodded to the left. “We better get going before Freddie closes down for the weekend.”
    Adam fell in line beside her as they walked into the market. For a short woman, she took long, fast strides, forcing him to maintain a brisk pace to keep up with her. She shoved her sunglasses on top of her head, and he couldn’t help but notice how her eyes continually scanned her surroundings. Good. Last he heard, her assailants were still on the loose, and it was wise for her to be on the lookout for the men who’d locked her in a cage.
    If he had his way, she’d stay safe and secure inside Cassie’s house until the bastards were in custody. Every instinct inside him screamed to hunt them down, set up a trap ... something . But his responsibilities as a reaper made that impossible. Until the problem with Samuel was resolved, the best he could do was to protect her during the times they were together.
    With the metal roof, it was hotter than Hell inside, and his T-shirt stuck to his skin in a matter of seconds. Overhead misting fans did their best to cool the air, but in the dead of summer it was about as effective as putting a Band-Aid over a shotgun wound. But the stifling-hot air didn’t stop folks from crowding the aisles. The place