The Genie's Witch (Dirty Djinn) by Lyn Brittan Page A

under the ache in his chest and his heartbeat raced in his ears. He cracked his back and told the truth. “Ninety five percent of the people I’ve ever known are dead.”
    “What about the other five?”
    He shrugged. “People I know. Like you, sweetie.”
    “I’ve used these last few days to study up on your kind, genie. If I were you, I wouldn’t go around making threats.” Karlin nodded towards the entrance. “Let’s move.”
    Dinah was within reach, but like his lamp, too far away. It did a helluva good job of putting things into perspective. The one thing he wanted most, was to grant this bitch her wish and get back to the two things he held most dear. His own freedom lagged a distant third. So he walked.
    He stifled his surprise when she bought him a ticket to Oklahoma.  Was it the first place he had in mind? No. Was he shocked? Totally, but he couldn’t let her know. He couldn’t give away anything now. The stakes were too high.
    His guts turned as Karlin’s words replayed in his mind. He didn’t buy for a second that they were heading to her home for the sole purpose of starting divorce proceedings. Those things took months and the lottery winnings would long be discovered by then.
    Unless she meant not to claim them. A definite possibility. With her carefully worded wish, she could be just as rich next month. Or next year, but he didn’t see Karlin as the type to leave money on the table. Whatever they were doing in Oklahoma, it would have horrific and immediate consequences.
    Around him, people shouted and murmured wishes he couldn’t use. He knew Dinah wanted to hear from him, and he had a shit ton to explain, but he couldn’t right now. He needed to concentrate. If there was a place Karlin was likely to screw up, this was it.
    Twice he thought he had her, but Karlin always caught herself fast enough to back down from careless words. As before, she shoved his boarding pass against his chest.  On the flight, he tried coaxing her into conversation, but she either ignored him, nodded or turned away.
    The tension on his spirit grew and he tried to give a name to it. Worry? Yes, but he wasn’t hopeless. Not yet. Dinah was a hell of an ace to have in his pocket. The second Karlin asked for her third wish, he could return to his lamp and have Dinah wish them away. Or have her halt time so he could get out and break the bitch’s kneecaps.
    Out the corner of his eye, he caught Karlin nodding off to sleep. The second her breathing leveled off, he closed his eyes and reconnected.
    ::Dinah?::
    “What the hell?”
    Telling her that she was the reason his lamp was in the tightly grasped hands of a lunatic had all the markings of a conversation best saved for later. ::The woman you saw me with has my lamp.::
    “I wish I were out of this—”
    ::You don’t need me for that anymore. Plus, we’re on a plane to Oklahoma. Not the best time.::
    “Go ahead and assume I’ll need some details instead of these lame half-sentences. I’ve had a rough week.”
    Tig smiled for the first time in days. So, his Dinah got testy in all heated situations. That’s what he wanted, and fought for, time to get to know her weird intricacies. ::Later::
    “Huh?”
    ::I’ve missed you.::
    “Oh. Still angry, but that’s real good to hear.”
    ::And?::
    “Hold on a minute while I work this out. I’m stuck in a lamp because you’re being held captive, but you’ve still got time to flirt?”
    ::She’s asleep.::
    “Just so long as we’re using our time wisely.”
    He could almost feel her rolling those eyes. ::I need to see you.::
    “Go to the bathroom. I’ll wish myself there.”
    Rather than risk waking Karlin, he went through three other grumbling, sighing people in the center aisle to get out. He made it to the back of the plane, but there was no mile high clubbing when he got there.
    Dinah kissed him. Slapped him. Then kissed him again, before collapsing against his chest. He sat her on the edge of the sink and she