Bad Influence (Seven Deadly Sins #2) ✅ Completed

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Gentleman Stops By

Dante was taking the last of the wooden table Hermes' trunk broke out to the dumpster in back. It was officially toast as the weight of the chest had snapped and splintered all four of the table's legs, though if I were being totally honest, I wasn't overly sad to see it go - it really was one of the more hideous pieces occupying my aunt's shop.

As Dante finished up, I pushed our old couch back into its place near the center of the shop floor. When I was done, I flopped over the arm onto the cushions, sending more than a few dust motes into the air. Coughing, I waved my hand to clear the space in front of my face. I was so going to take a real vacuum cleaner or dustbuster to everything in the place once I found the time - that is if I survived long enough to actually clean anything.

When I was pretty sure I wasn't going to die from poison dust inhalation I laid back on the couch and took a minute to just relax. I figured there wouldn't be many more chances for me to do so once Dante got back. He'd return from the dumpster fully in demon-thwarting-drill sergeant mode, so I decided to take full advantage of the moment and enjoy the quiet even if my mind was still going on full tilt.

There were so many thoughts flying inside my brain I wasn't sure if I'd ever get them lined out right. Everything was happening so fast and besides the obvious need to find Andy, there were plenty of other worries clamoring for my undivided attention. My mind turned to the most worrisome of the bunch:

Would Chase be alright? Even if we managed to save his soul, I didn't think he would ever be totally fine again. Maybe he could manage something close to normal, but would that be good enough? And what about all the other people that were starting to put two and two together? How many more people would turn up sniffing around the shop, asking questions we couldn't answer? Would the police come back and dig further? How were we going to save Pete and Caroline without first finding out who'd taken Andy? And since I was thinking about Andy, who could've beat us to her and why? Even if we managed to find the lost beauty queen and get her back, what about the rest of the six? How did we even begin to save those? And I couldn't very well forget all about Lust. Where was she all of a sudden? Was she plotting something, some big trick to get me to fold under her power when I was at my most vulnerable? Maybe she'd figured out how to manipulate me in a new way I didn't even know about? Would it be worse than what was currently taking up space on my back? I hadn't forgotten about the doorway to hell that could open up at any moment - at least this was more than a little likely given the way my luck usually ran.

Closing my eyes, I let each worry pass through my mind. I was hoping by letting each one have a moment in the sun (so to speak), I'd be able to let it go and simply focus on whatever new task Dante was going to insist upon when he got back. As I breathed and found my center, I never saw the figure approach the door to the shop until the small bell tinkled signaling someone was coming inside. I sighed, not in the mood to deal with Chase just yet.

Keeping my eyes shut I called out from the couch, "Sorry I haven't had a chance to call. Things haven't exactly been going according to plan..."

"Why, I am sorry to hear that, Miss Taylor."

I jumped up, expecting to see Chase but I couldn't have been more wrong. Standing inside my aunt's curio shop was none other than Montgomery B. Jackson flanked by two of his gangster goons.

Jackson smiled as he took off his white hat and made his way towards me. "It is so good to see you again, Miss Taylor, though I am sorry to hear about your unfortunate run of luck." His men stepped forward menacingly as he continued, "Still, I hope this is a good time for us to have that little chat of ours...it's a bit overdue."

I opened my mouth at the same exact moment Dante came out of the back stock room onto the floor and spotted Jackson.

And that's when all kinds of crazy broke loose.