Memories choked Tina and the burning rage flared like a Roman Candle during a fireworks show. She turned to look at the man. Fear would not control her. While Riley had learned to use her mouth as a weapon, Tina had learned to use her fists.
“What do you want to know?” Tina whispered. “I was telling the truth when I said I didn’t know where Riley is. I don’t. I received that invitation today.”
*.*.*
Jarred Sanchez frowned. The woman that he had been sent after was staring him straight in the eye as she spoke. There was no wavering, no telltale twitches, no movement of trying to look away when she was talking.
He stepped back, pulling the gun away from her temple and motioning for her to stay where she was. Stepping backwards, he stopped when he felt the edge of her desk press against the back of his thighs.
“Where are the papers you took?” He demanded, scanning the top of the desk.
“Upstairs in my apartment,” she replied. “You work for Knockletter.”
A small smile curved his lips. There was a slightly defiant tilt of her head. Curious, he ran his eyes over the front of her. She wasn’t bad to look at. The dark hair offset her pale, creamy complexion. Her eyes were a rich dark brown framed by thick, black lashes. High, rounded cheeks, a long narrow nose, and full lips finished out her facial features. There was nothing special about her that he hadn’t seen before in his native Columbia.
His eyes moved down over her figure. She was wearing a navy blue sweater that hung down over her black jeans. She wore sensible, low heeled black ankle boots. He could tell she had full, large breasts, but he also had to admit that she did a damn good job of hiding them.
“Who gave you the invitation?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you and I don’t have any desire to be hit again, so why don’t you ask me another question?” She retorted in a quiet voice.
Jarred’s eyes narrowed at her answer. Raising the weapon, he fired it. The silencer muffled the discharge. Flakes of drywall, plaster, and paint exploded near Tina’s left ear. He expected her to scream or at least flinch, but she did neither.
“You missed,” she commented dryly.
Jarred started to fire again, but pulled up at the last second and pulled his finger away from the trigger. His mouth tightened into a straight line as he reached into his pocket to withdraw the invitation he had picked up. His eyes flickered back and forth between the invitation and Tina as he re-read the message, this time at a slower pace.
“Who is Vox d’Rojah?” He demanded.
“You’d have to ask my sister, I’ve never met the guy,” Tina said, folding her arms across her chest. “Then, again, I’d like to ask her that question myself.”
An ugly smirk pulled at his lips. “You are one cool bitch,” he observed.
*.*.*
Tina just stared back at him without saying anything. Instead, her mind raced in a million different directions. She needed a distraction. There were dozens of people in the bar, but from the noise tonight, they wouldn’t be much help. Her grandmother thought she was heading to bed and wouldn’t be back again. Tiny normally came to get a fix for his sweet tooth from the container of Jelly Beans on her desk, but probably wouldn’t have time until things calmed down.
“You said the papers are upstairs?” The man asked.
“Yes,” she replied in a blunt tone.
The cold look in the man’s eyes sent a shiver through her. The stairs leading up to her apartment were narrow. The upper floor was divided into two apartments, one for her and one for Pearl. It had originally been four small apartments, but Pearl had renovated it when she was eighteen.
“I’m tired of dealing with renters,” Pearl had muttered. “You need your space and the bar is paid for and making money, I don’t need the money bad enough to put up with the headaches of dealing with wondering if someone is going to trash the place or worse.”
Inhaling, she thought of the narrow stairs. If she could use them to her advantage, she could lock herself in her apartment upstairs and call the police. She waited for the man to tell her what to do. She stood silently willing him to make a decision that didn’t involve shooting at her again.
“We are going to go upstairs nice and easy,” the man stated. “Don’t try anything stupid. I have no problems shooting every damn person in the bar, including your grandmother.”
Tina nodded and swallowed. She moved stiffly away from the wall when he waved the gun for her to go first. Her plan to knock him down the stairs faded as she unlocked the door to her office. Something told her the man was telling the truth when he said he would have no problems killing everyone downstairs.
Sweat beaded on her brow despite the chill in the air. Pulling the door open, she hesitated when she felt the hard press of metal in her lower back. She glanced down the hallway. A man stood at the entrance to the corridor, his back to her. She saw him lift a bottle of beer to his lips and take a drink. Her stomach rolled when she saw his face when he turned… Douglas Knockletter leaned nonchalantly blocking the entrance and watching the patrons.
A sense of acceptance filled her. Whatever Knockletter was doing, it was more than money laundering. He was willing to commit murder to keep whatever was hidden in the papers she had taken from being seen. Turning to the left, she slowly walked down the hallway and turned by the back door. For a moment, her body stiffened and her legs refused to move.
“Go,” the man growled in her ear.
Tina focused on her legs, willing them to move. Her feet must have heard her because her left one rose to the first step. A brief flash of compassion swept through her as her right foot followed.
This must be what it felt like to Marie Antoinnette, she thought vaguely. Or a prisoner going to the gallows.
Her foot hovered over the fifth board on the stairs that was broken. She could bypass it and kick out at the man, knocking him down the stairs. His words came back to haunt her. He also wasn’t alone. Knockletter was with him and desperate men did crazy things.
“Be careful,” she whispered in a husky voice. “There is a broken board.”
Silence greeted her as she continued up the staircase. Her thoughts flashed to Viper. She could really use a bad-ass alien right about now. He was supposed to return after the bar closed. For once, she would mind if a guy actually not only kept his promise, but showed up early.
Early would be good, she thought as she reached the top. Early and carrying big guns would be better. Hell, I’d even take the damn big black cat! She thought as she fumbled for the keys to her apartment.
Unlocking the door, she stumbled when the man behind her pushed her between her shoulder blades. She turned in frustration. She was doing what he wanted, he didn’t have to be rude about it.
“Knock it off,” she retorted crossly. “I’m doing what you want. You’re probably going to kill me anyway, so there is no reason to be a total jerk about it.”
A low chuckle escaped the man. It was obvious that she had taken him by surprise. He stared back at her in the dim light, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“I heard what your sister did to Knockletter,” the man replied in a calm voice. “From the bruises on his face, something tells me that you have the same fire in your blood. I like a woman with fire.”
Tina glared back at the amused face. “Yeah, well, you know what they say about that. Those who play with fire, get burned,” she snapped with a wave of her arm. “Knockletter is an arrogant ass. I can’t believe anybody would take orders from him. Obviously you don’t have very big balls since you do. The guy is a total prick.”
For a moment, Tina wished she had kept her mouth shut. Pearl’s rule number one, ‘Use your brain, that is why you have one’ flashed through her mind. It was clearly evident that her brain must had taken a break downstairs. The throbbing headache that had started earlier was suddenly beginning to beat harder than a drum core in a marching band.
Raising her hand t
o her head, she rubbed at her temple. She wondered vaguely if the guy would mind if she took a pain pill before he decided to torture or kill her. If he didn’t, she just might tell him to go ahead and put her out of her misery.
“Listen, I know you plan on doing something mean and dastardly, but do you think I could take a pain pill before you do?” She asked with a weary sigh. “The last few days have really sucked and my head is killing me.”
Chapter 12
Viper paused near the low wall. His cat was hissing at him that something was wrong. There were almost two dozen cars parked in the parking lot tonight. He stood in the shadows of one of the trees scanning the area.
A slight movement and the flare of a flame caught his attention. Two men stood near a dark transport. It was parked off to the side near the road. The engine was running, but the lights were off.
“How fucking long does it take to kill someone?” One of the men grumbled.
The other man shrugged and inhaled on the thin stick he was holding between his fingers. Viper’s cat drew back against the irritating scent. His eyes jerked to the back door of The White Pearl.
Mate danger! His cat snarled, raking his insides.
Viper soothed his cat. He needed to keep his head cleared. He gripped the packet of papers in his hand. He had returned a little later than he planned. If not for the meltdown of his stomach, he would have been back hours ago. The only thing that finally drove him to the Medical unit for a regen treatment was the knowledge that being away from Tina was driving him and his cat crazy, which added to his discomfort. Fortunately, there had only been the Medic on duty at the time, so his complete humiliation was prevented.
He had plenty of time to think while he was trapped in the bathroom of his living quarters. He decided that he was going to pick up a couple of pounds of the damn multi-colored beans and keep them as a secret weapon. His first target was going to be Vox. The twisting pain and humiliation was the least he could share with his older brother.
Now, the thought of Tina being in danger was enough to send them both out of control. Viper listened carefully to the conversation in an effort to find out as much as he could before he killed the men. He carefully tucked the packet of papers inside the opening in the brick wall. He would need to return for it later.
“He’s got to find the paperwork,” the man finally replied as he exhaled a stream of smoke. “You know he is one of Cuello’s men. They take their time killing. I just don’t want the bastard to send any more of his men here. Knockletter is scared shitless for a good reason. It’s just bad timing that the bastard showed up when he did.”
“It’s Knockletter’s own damn fault,” the first man mumbled, glancing toward the bar. “He fucking screwed up hiring that blonde-haired bitch. She was fucking crazy.”
The other man chuckled. “Yeah, but she was hot,” the man said before he threw down the remains of his cigarette.
“Shit, did you hear that?” The man muttered, turning and looking suspiciously around the parking lot.
“You’re too damn jumpy tonight,” the second man retorted.
The first man continued to scan the parking lot. “The Columbian Cartel is paying us a fucking house call. You’re damn right I’m jumpy. There it is again,” he muttered. “It sounds like a damn lion.”
The man turned and started walking toward the low wall. “You’re as fucking crazy as the bitch,” the man laughed. “I’ve got to take a piss, keep an eye out for Cuello’s man and Knockletter.”
*.*.*
Viper had heard enough to know that Tina was in trouble. He called forth his cat and let the primitive side of him take over. His thick, black coat of fur blended with the shadows of the night. He had to warn his cat to be quiet when the men laughed about playing with their kill. These human knew nothing about killing. He knew a thousand different ways to draw out a death if he needed to get information.
Jumping over the wall, he padded on silent paws between the parked transports. One of the males was walking away from the dark one that was still running. The other male had opened the door and slid into it.
Hunt, kill, his cat whispered silent as he trotted behind a bright red truck.
Yes, Viper agreed. Quickly, our mate is in danger.
That was all the encouragement that his cat needed. Sinking down until his belly was almost touching the ground, his cat froze as the male turned the corner of the vehicle. The man’s eyes shifted downward and his mouth opened in a terrified scream, but no sound escaped him. Viper’s cat had the male in a choke hold. His teeth pierced the main jugular vein running down behind the male’s left ear. He applied pressure, slowly crushing the human’s throat.
Only when the male’s body quit thrashing did he carefully release his grip on him. Pulling back, he gazed down at the glazed eyes. It was a matter of seconds before the male was dead. Fury scorched him and he raked a claw down over the male’s chest to mark his kill.
Other male, his cat hissed as he turned toward the black SUV.
Yes, Viper agreed. But this one is mine.
*.*.*
Tina ignored the man that followed her into the kitchen. She had to admit that she was surprised that he had agreed to let her take some pain medication. Stepping into the small kitchenette, she didn’t bother turning on a light. She knew her way around the room, but the man behind her didn’t. Opening the cupboard next to the sink, she reached up for a glass. Closing it again, she leaned against the sink as she turned on the tap to fill it.
She made sure that the man didn’t see her pick up the small paring knife in it at the same time. It was left over from where she had peeled an orange for breakfast this morning. Turning the opposite way to conceal her right hand from where he was standing, she slid the knife up her sleeve as she walked back through her apartment.
Pearl had allowed her to work with the General Contractor when he did the renovations. She liked the open design as she hated being closed in. She walked toward the bathroom where she kept her medicine. They had just passed the couch when a dark shape flew across the room.
Tina immediately recognized Ruby’s familiar shape. The Orpington couldn’t fly far, but Ruby didn’t need to. She must have been roosting on top of the atrium that Tiny had built. Tina vaguely remembered that she forgot to close it when she went back downstairs earlier.
“What the…,” the man behind her cursed as Ruby’s dark, fat form swooped toward him.
Tina didn’t wait. Realizing that she was being given a precious chance to escape, she darted across the room. The mirror over the sink exploded as she slid into the bathroom and slammed the door. She thrust the old fashion sliding lock across and fell to the floor as several holes opened up in the upper section of the door.
Her fingers trembled as she pulled the small paring knife out of her sleeve. She scrambled onto her hands and knees and half slid, half crawled over to the large walk-in closet. Pulling the door open, she crawled inside the dark area and closed the door. Her fingers trembled as she turned the old fashion key in the backside of the lock.
She could hear the pounding on the bathroom door and knew that it wouldn't be long before the man broke through. Tina pulled herself up and glanced frantically around the closet. Looking up, she saw the attic access.
Tina raised her foot and began climbing. She was almost to the top when she heard the bathroom door finally give way. Terror pushed her to climb faster. She raised her left hand and pushed the panel aside.
“There is no escaping now, Chica,” the man laughed hoarsely. “Now, I am going to have to teach you what happens when you don’t listen.”
Tina ignored him as she pulled herself through the hole in the ceiling. He can go fuck himself, she thought savagely. Chica, my ass. I’ll show him what a St. Claire does. It sure won’t be rock salt that I shoot his ass with.
*.*.*
Viper wrenched open the back door of the bar. His nose wrinkled as he sniffed the air. His eyes glowed with rage. In the dark, the figure
at the end of the corridor couldn’t see the blood that was splattered on his clothes and skin. Viper immediately recognized the scent of the male from the transport.
He took off at a run when the man turned as the door opened. The bottle of beer the man started to lift to his mouth slowly lowered when he saw the eerie glow of Viper’s eyes in the dark corridor. Satisfaction coursed through Viper when he saw fear replace the arrogant look in the human’s eyes.
The human’s scream was cut short as Viper, in the shape of a huge, black tiger, struck the man in the chest. The force of the impact drove the male backwards where he landed on a table that collapsed under the combined weight of the two of them.
Viper’s massive paw rose, and he brought it down in a slicing movement that ripped through Douglas Knockletter’s throat. Screams and shouts replaced the sounds of laughter. Viper looked up at the group of human men and women staring at him in horror and fascination. His head turned when he saw Tiny approaching; hissing loudly, he flashed his teeth at Tina’s friend.
The sound of his low snarl was enough to ignite the mass of bodies in the bar. Almost a dozen people pushed frantically to get out of the door. Viper ignored them and turned back to where Douglas Knockletter lay staring blankly up at the ceiling.
“What the hell have you done?” Pearl’s horrified whisper finally broke through the red haze that held him captive. “You can’t just kill people, son.”
Viper’s body shuddered as he fought for control. For a moment, the image of the huge black cat and the male blurred and twisted before the man conquered the beast inside him. Breathing heavily, he pushed up off the floor and stared at Pearl.
“He and two other men came to kill Tina,” Viper growled in a low, rough voice. His eyes rose to the ceiling. “There is another upstairs with her.”
Viper didn’t wait to see what Pearl or Tiny did. His only thought was to save his mate. Turning on his heel, he rushed back down the corridor to the stairs. Taking them two at a time, he was already shifting by the time he reached the top. This time, the beast took control.