"How do you know who I am?"
The guy who'd backed away smiled, showing perfectly white, bleached teeth. "Had my bachelor's party there last spring. We came every night we were there to watch you perform. You're amazing."
"Anyway, we just wanted an autograph. That's all."
Quita shook her head. How was it even possible that on the other side of the United States, she'd have two Elvis impersonators following her around to get an autograph, of all things?
"Sorry," she mumbled. "But you shouldn't follow someone around like that. It creeps them out."
The guy with the bruised jaw punched the other guy in the arm. "Ow!" he cried. "I told you we shouldn't run after her. We scared her."
"Ok, what am I autographing?" Quita asked, ready to be done with the nonsense. Plus, her hand hurt. She needed ice.
"Um…" The guys started to check their pockets. Quita rolled her eyes and pulled out a receipt from her shopping spree. On the back, she wrote, A banana a day keeps the doctor away, and signed it Chaquita. She wrote it again on the other end of the receipt and then tore it in half, handing each of the guys an autograph.
"There you go, boys. Don't chase anyone else, ok? You're lucky I didn't have pepper spray on me."
"You don't need it. You've got a mean right hook," the guy she'd hit said.
Quita laughed. "Thanks. Have a good day!"
She stooped to pick up her packages and crossed the street to where Zach was waiting for her at the coffee shop. He'd already packed up his computer.
"Sorry," she said as she sat down at the table, the packages crowding her.
Zach raised an eyebrow and looked at the many bags dubiously. "Did you find what you needed?"
"Yep," she answered with a big smile on her face. "But I need ice. My hand is killing me."
Zach took her hand in his and examined her knuckles.
"What happened?"
"I punched a guy that was following me."
"What?"
"It's a long story."
"Why was he following you?" Zach growled, undeterred by her avoidance of his questions.
"He said he wanted an autograph. Can I get some ice?" she asked, irritated that he kept asking questions.
Zach rolled his eyes and went up to the counter to ask for some ice. He came back with some in a baggie. Gently, he took a napkin and covered her hand, and then placed the ice pack on her knuckles.
"Why did he want an autograph?"
She sighed, embarrassment coloring her cheeks. "He saw me perform last spring in Vegas. He and his buddy were there. Said they loved me."
Zach stiffened. Quita wondered if it bothered him that she'd taken her clothes off in front of other men. She'd done a lot more than strip, actually, but she didn't want to go into details with Zach about that. They weren't together, but she felt like there was a connection they shared. That maybe—one day—they could be.
"Where'd you hit him?"
"In the jaw. He was already bruising," she said proudly.
Zach chuckled.
"Let's go, Mike Tyson. Remind me never to get on your bad side."
Chapter 15
Zach waited as Quita took a shower and changed her clothes. He'd made excellent progress on the encryption and was anxious to get back to it. Since he had promised Quita a night out, though, he would stay true to his word. When they returned from dinner, he could open his computer and finish the job.
Sully had delivered on the rental car. His friend in Memphis had met them at the motel and switched the cars out, promising to get the hot-wired one back to its original owner.
Quita exited the bathroom, her hair damp, wearing jeans that fit like a second skin, and a tight black top that plummeted between her breasts. She was a walking dream. Every man's fantasy come to life. It was no wonder she was so popular in Vegas. If she hadn’t had to work for Tobias, there’d have been no telling where she could have gone. Zach knew she would have been a hit.
He wondered what her dreams and aspirations were, now that she was no longer bound to Tobias and Bruno. Would she want to continue living in Las Vegas? Try to work as a legitimate showgirl there? His heart clenched a little at the thought. He wanted her to do whatever she wanted to do, but Vegas was a long way away from D.C. And the more he knew about this woman, the more he wanted to know.
"I just need to dry my hair, and I'll be ready to leave," Quita said, watching him from the mirror.
"Take your time. I'll check out some places around the area we might want to try out."
Zach googled some of the fun places to eat in Memphis and landed on a music venue that offered live music as well as good Southern cooking. It sounded perfect. Since the Elvis convention was in town, that night's performance would be by an elite impersonator. By the time he'd finished searching and getting reservations, Quita had blown out her hair into long waves, and stood before him in four-inch stiletto heels.
"Damn," he said breathlessly.
Quita grinned. "It's nice to be in my own clothes again."
"I'd say."
Zach stalked towards her. He had to touch her. Had to kiss her. It was as if his next breath depended on it. He reached her in two long strides and wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her to him. Her eyes widened in response. With fear or desire? Maybe a little of both.
He was scared, too. Scared of what these feelings rolling around inside of him meant. But he couldn't stop himself. He had to taste her.
Lowering his head, he hovered his mouth over hers, their lips barely an inch apart. "Tell me to stop, Quita, and I'll stop."
With everything in him, he didn't want her to stop him. They'd kissed before. Always in the heat of passion, after strenuous circumstances or when feelings were high. But this time was different. They were two adults in a motel room who wanted each other. Desired each other.
"Why on earth would I do that?" she asked, her sweet breath warm on his lips.
He didn't need any further invitation. He dove in, his lips touching hers with a spark of electricity that made the hair on his head stand on end. She melted under him, a soft moan escaping her mouth. When she opened, his tongue sought hers, tasting her spice and a hint of mint from her toothpaste. His hands moved to her hair, clenching a handful at the base of her neck. She gasped, and he pulled away slightly to see her eyes filled with desire, a grin on her lips.
"Going caveman on me, Mr. Harper?"
He put his forehead to hers, his breathing fast and labored, as if he'd just sprinted a mile. "You're damn right, I am. And I better stop now, or I won't want to stop at all."
"Who said you had to stop?"
"Me," he said, stepping away from her.
Quita looked hurt and confused. Damn it—he hadn't meant to hurt her. But he refused to be just another man taking advantage of her. Taking her body without giving something in return. Without loving her soul.
She turned away, and Zach caught her arm. "Not here. Not like this."
She nodded as if she understood, but Zach knew she didn't, yet he wasn't ready to have this conversation right now. He wasn't sure what he could offer her.
Quita grabbed a jacket from a chair and slung it over her shoulders. She picked up her purse and strode towards the door. Zach couldn't let this ruin their night out. He wanted her to relax and have fun, not be hurt the whole night.
"Wait," he said, touching her arm.
Quita spun around and glared at him. "Zach, let it go. You’ve made it perfectly clear that you don't want me. I don't know why you keep kissing me, but I can't waste my time being confused about you right now."
"You think I don't want you?" he asked, his voice rising with fury. He stalked towards her, and she stepped backwards, her back hitting the door. He put both his hands beside her head as he towered over her, desperate to show her just how much he wanted her. Needed her.
"I want you so damn much, I can't think straight. But I'm not going to be like all the other guys. I won't do that to you. You deserve more."
Her facial expression softened, and tears hovered at the edges of her eyes. "You think I deserve more? Than you?"
Exasperated, he pushed off the door, shoving his hands through his hair, and sighed loudly. "I don't know. I don't know if I can give you what you deserve. But I do know that you should be treated with respect. You need a man to savor you. To love you fully for who you are."
He leaned in, laying his hand on her cheek. "I want to be that man, Quita. More than anything. But I don't know if I can. If I'm whole enough."
"Fiorella."
Zach was confused for a moment. "What?"
"That's my name. Fiorella. I want you to call me that. Well, Ella is what my friends called me until I moved to Las Vegas." She shook her head as if to clear it. "But what I mean is, my name isn't Quita. Bruno gave me that name. And I no longer want to have anything to do with him."
"Fiorella. Ella. It suits you."
And it did. Her name was beautiful, like a fairytale princess. And she deserved the fairy tale, the happily ever after. He wanted to be her Prince Charming. But could he?
"Let's go have some fun, shall we, Ella?"
* * * *
Zach pulled the chair out for Ella when they reached their table. After ordering their meal, Ella leaned forward, giving him a great view of her cleavage, and gave him a mischievous grin.
"You promised me you'd tell me about why you joined the Army."
"I did?" he asked, dreading the conversation. But he owed it to her. She'd bared her soul for him on more than one occasion.
Ella sat back in her seat, her arms crossed over her chest. "Don't try to back out on me now."
Zach chuckled. "Fine. It's not that interesting a story."
"I don't buy that for a moment."
"I was seventeen, almost eighteen, and bored out of my mind. My Aunt Sherry worked two jobs, but, like I said before, she wasn't interested in providing for me. Hunger had been a constant companion, so I'd started stealing food so I could eat."
Zach had been malnourished, his body skinny and his skin gray. His teachers at school had tried to help, but Aunt Sherry had always had an excuse for any social worker that had come by for a visit.
"My senior year, I began working from home for a computer software company at night. I'd put in eight-hour shifts after I got home from school. Then I'd stay up all hours of the night hacking." He grinned at Ella. He'd been good at hacking and had loved the thrill of it.
"I'd started easy, hacking into the school's system to change grades for students for a fee. Then I got brave."
Ella was leaning forward, her elbows on the table, completely engrossed in his tale. Damn, but she was beautiful. Breathtaking.
"One night, someone dared me to hack into a government agency. I didn't realize that it would lead me into the Army Special Operations database. I was shocked and immediately freaked out. I backed out of the site as quickly as I could, but I made a mistake."
Zach took a sip of his beer and swallowed.
"Two hours later, two investigators from the Army's Criminal Investigations Division landed on my doorstep. They escorted me out to a limousine and put me in the back seat. The car started, and the window between the driver and the back seat came down. A man began talking to me."
Zach's life had changed that night because of that conversation. He'd never be able to go back and be the kid he was before, making that one mistake. It had made him who he was, but it had come at a terrible price.
"The man called himself The General."
Ella sucked in a breath, fear lighting her eyes.
"He told me I was in deep trouble. He knew all about me, my mom, my aunt—my former addresses. Geez, he even guessed what I'd had for breakfast that morning. Well, that wasn't too hard to guess, looking back. I hadn't had breakfast." Zach laughed humorlessly. "Anyway, he also knew about the other hacks I'd done. He said I was facing a lot of jail time, or I could make a deal with him. I could enlist in the Army on my eighteenth birthday, or I could serve my time, and my life would be forever ruined."
Zach shrugged. "It didn't seem like much of an option. He told me that if I worked my ass off, he'd look out for me. Make some concessions for me and move me up in the ranks. So that's what I did. Worked hard, and it paid off. I rose through the ranks faster than was possible. I knew it was his doing, but I kept my mouth shut."
He'd been proud to be a part of the Army. Proud to serve his country.
And then everything had gone to hell on that mission. And everything had changed.
"Wow. I don't know what to say," Ella said.
Zach shrugged again. "Not really much to say to that. But it's my story."
"I'm sorry for whatever happened in the Army. I know you struggle…"
Zach waved her off. "I came home, Ella. There are many who never get that opportunity. I'm whole. Alive. Some aren't that lucky."
A server brought their food out just as the lights dimmed, causing the room to take on a faint glow from the candles on each table. The stage lights came up as a man in a white leisure suit, with pompadour hair, walked out with a guitar in hand.
"Thank ya. Thank ya verra much," the man said into the microphone, and the crowd went wild. With a sideways grin, the impersonator launched into a rendition of Hound Dog that was very convincing.
"Oh my gosh. I know him," Ella said, as the man gyrated his hips on stage.
"Wait, how do you know him?" Zach asked.
"Vegas. This guy is amazing. Best impersonator I've ever seen. I should have realized he would be here." Ella's face lit up with excitement, and Zach briefly wondered just how well she knew the guy.
"Was he a customer?" Zach asked, knowing he wasn't hiding the jealousy he felt.
Ella smiled warmly and put her hand on his. "If he had been, I wouldn't be excited to see him."
Zach felt like a jerk, but he couldn't help it. It was part of her past. And he knew that if he planned to find out if they had a future together, he'd have to get past it.
"We knew each other before Bruno. Performed together at one of the clubs. I knew then that he'd be successful. I'm glad to know he has been. I've wondered about him."
Ella returned her attention to the man performing on stage, and Zach looked at the program they'd been handed when they walked in. Dean Johnson was from Nebraska originally, and had had his big break in Las Vegas.
Zach stopped a server who was passing by and whispered into her ear. He didn't want Ella to hear what he was asking in case it didn't pan out.
"I'll see what I can do," she whispered back. Ella gave him a quick glance, but Dean launched into another song, and her attention was quickly riveted back to the stage. After performing Elvis's greatest hits, Dean spoke into the mic.
"I'll be back shortly. Ya'll don't go anywhere." He winked and sauntered off the stage. Ella turned to Zach with excited eyes.
"I can't believe how good he is now." She shook her head slightly and laughed softly. "I mean, he was always good. But you can just tell that he's worked really hard to get this far."
Her smile seemed forced as she said those last words, and Zach wondered if she was mourning her own path that had taken her so far away from the dreams she'd once had.
"I'm sorry," Zach said, taking her hand in his.
"Why?" Confusion pulled at her brow, forming a tiny crease between her eyes.
"Because that was taken from you. The opportunity to see where your talent could take you."
Ella tried to wave off his words, but Zach caught the water building in her eyes.
"It's fine. Just wasn't meant to be."
"I don't buy that. You don't, either. Is that still what you want? To perform?"
"Some days, I think it is. I'd like to do it with my clothes on this time." She smiled, letting him know that she was teasing. "But there are other days when I wonder what might have been. You can't live that way, though. It will eat you alive."
Zach heard her words and thought about his own plight. Wha
t might have been if he'd been just a few seconds faster? Could he have prevented Jake's death? Their capture? He shook his head to clear his thoughts. This wasn't about him. It was about her.
"I think I'd like to perform again. But for now, I just want to be free. I want to feel free."
Zach opened his mouth to respond, but the waitress tapped him on the shoulder.
"I was able to arrange it. You need to hurry back there now, though. There's only a few more minutes left of intermission," the waitress, whose name tag read Cassie, said to him softly.
Zach felt the tug of a smile begin on his lips. Ella raised her eyebrows as he caught her gaze. He stood and held out his hand. Turning slightly to Cassie, he said, "Thanks." He pulled Ella around the table, and they rushed behind her to the side of the stage, where the backstage entrance was.
Cassie knocked on the door, and a large man with tattoos up and down his arms opened it. The smile that he gave the cute waitress was unexpected. His whole face lit up with it. Looked like someone had the hots for Cassie.
"Hey, hon, what can I do for you?" he asked.
"This is Ella, and her friend…" she paused, waiting for Zach to fill in his name.
"Zach," he supplied.
"They're friends of Dean's," the waitress finished. "His manager said to bring them back during intermission."
Ella looked at Zach with adoration in her eyes.
The big guy at the door backed up. "Well, come on in," he said.
Zach let Ella lead the way as they walked through the door, which opened up to a long hallway. Steps to the left led to the stage area, while the rest of the hall contained what appeared to be green rooms or dressing rooms. They were led to a room that had a star on it, and the security guy rapped on the door three times.
A man of about forty, with dark hair graying at the temples, opened the door. When his gaze fell on Ella, his face broke into a huge smile.
"Ella! As I live and breathe! Is that you?" The man pulled her into a giant bear hug, and Ella threw her head back with laughter. When she pulled away, there were tears streaming down her face.
"Matt! It's so good to see you," she said, wiping at the wetness on her cheeks.
Castle Investigations Box Set Page 87
