Time Jacker by Aaron Crash (nonfiction book recommendations .TXT) 📕

The man nodded. “I’ve seen other jewelry, and I have a belt, with an inscription. There is a church in Istanbul, sacred to the Achaean Orthodox Church, that I travel to twice a year, but I do not wish to bore you. How did you come by these?”

Jack shot Bailey a warning glance.

The demon made a motion of locking her lips shut. She tapped her shot glass.

Pinetree took care of her.

“Fifteen thousand dollars each, maybe,” Heinrich said. “But I wouldn’t expect you to sell them to me today. You should have others appraise them. However, very few will understand the Enochian. Very few.”

Jack glanced at the angel.

She nodded. It was nice travelling with his very own lie detector. Bailey could probably do it as well, though she just wanted to read people to see what kinky shit they were into. Jack made a mental note to remind Bailey he didn’t want to know what kind of porn Pinetree liked.

“Twenty-five then,” Heinrich said quickly. “That is more than fair. I know. I would very much like them. If you have a bank, I can transfer the money. We are driving to Telluride, but we’ll be back through here. Perhaps then I can pick them up?”

And just like that, Jack had made fifty thousand dollars. He’d forgotten about the belt. He laid it on the bar.

Heinrich breathed, “Oh, yes, there, this is the belt of Meriton. I have another belt like this, so very similar.” The Austrian then realized he was in a backwoods bar and grill, and probably shouldn’t be broadcasting that he had a shitload of money. “Perhaps we can exchange numbers. You can do your work in making sure I am being fair. Then maybe we can make a deal?”

“Sure,” Jack said. And the Austrian hadn’t even seen the horn yet.

Heinrich looked dazed.

Jack knew how he felt.

They said goodbye, Jack and his ladies finished their meal, and they left the place with only the Eternity Cannon. They left the artifacts with Pinetree. He would take care of the goblets, but he’d also get money from the angel gold sale because Jack wasn’t going to be a rich asshole, greedy for every penny. Then he’d be your typical asshole, exactly like the Tarringtons and the Malcolms.

Pinetree said he wouldn’t tell a soul about Jack’s power, and Jack believed him. Besides, who would believe Pinetree anyway?

Later that night, back at home, Jack laid in his bed and couldn’t sleep.

Bailey snored loudly, but she was good. A little shove forced her on her side, which silenced the snoring.

Jack crept out of his room and into the living room, where Gabby slept on the sofa.

She slept far more demurely, her halo shining a little, brightening and darkening with every breath. It gave the room a soft glow that dimmed rhythmically. It was actually pretty and calming.

He went out onto the fire escape, enjoying the cold air and smelling the night. He needed to get some sleep, but he was still keyed up from everything that had happened. Stopping time was one thing, but discovering a hidden world of monsters, angels, and demons? That made him wonder about the nature of reality.

And the fact that they’d have to break into hell to retrieve Annie from a duke of hell’s palace? They had until Friday night because the flow of the Tempus Influunt did affect other places. Gabby and Bailey weren’t crystal clear on the details, but it wasn’t like a minute on Earth was a minute in hell. There were some discrepancies. From what the Clockwatcher said, Kerrata wanted to drink from Annie, and he’d want the slow seconds, which would give him the most power.

Jack had fixed his money situation for the moment. Now he had to figure out how to reload the Eternity Cannon, and he was wondering about Evelyn and Hugo. They were important in some way. As was Annie.

Jack got cold enough that sliding back into bed with the demon would feel good. Bailey did burn hot, which only made sense.

Creeping back into his apartment, he went over to Gabby and pulled a blanket up to keep her shoulders warm. She was a mystery. She was so very pure and innocent, yet when it came to sex, she was anything but. Was she just a voyeur? Or would she eventually join Jack and Bailey in bed?

Jack didn’t know, and he also didn’t know what would happen once they rescued Annie. Or if Annie would want him. They hadn’t even been on one date.

He couldn’t imagine that Annie would want to join him in bed with Bailey.

In the end, Jack just had to focus on the next steps.

How did one get into hell in the first place? Wasn’t death involved?

Jack wondered if it could be as weird as the Cast Away, Gone Astray. Or the Clockwatcher’s eon palace.

The universe certainly was an interesting place.

Chapter Twenty-Six

JACK WOKE UP IN HIS bed and felt for Bailey. He’d gotten so used to her sleeping next to him. Her scent lingered on her pillow, but she was nowhere to be seen.

He heard murmuring in the other room. Pulling himself from the bed, Jack padded into the living room. There, Bailey was up, looking good in jeans and a red silk blouse. The outfit looked new. Had she already gone to Macy’s? She’d max out his credit cards easily. Pinetree better get them a good price on the artifacts.

Gabby sat at the table, adding honey to a mug of tea. “Good morning, Jack. We have a busy day today. We need a hell key, and there’s the gun thing. And I so want to meet Evelyn Mundi and her son, Hugo. Are you ready for another day of adventure?”

It was Wednesday, October 12, and they had until that Friday night to prepare. They had to be at the duke’s palace in hell to grab Annie from Kerrata.

Bailey