Point Blank (Love Undercover Book 6)

by LK Shaw

  Shit, Rodriguez was right. I’d told her everything was going to be fine. I’d promised. Except two of the women that had been in that basement with her were dead.

  I glanced at my watch. “I’ll stop by the shelter since it’s closest. If she’s not there, I’ll try her job.”

  “Everything’s going to be okay,” Pablo said.

  Except it wasn’t. Not with two dead women. Not with the chance that those responsible might go after her next. Fuck.

  “Let’s hope so.” I rose from the table and hustled out to my car.

  No sooner did my ass hit the driver’s seat than my cellphone rang. Thinking it was Pablo calling me about something else regarding the case, I answered without checking the caller ID.

  “Garrison.”

  “Oh, thank god, Oliver. It’s Shoshana Meadows. Can you come to the shelter right away, please? Charity is having a panic attack, and I can’t calm her down,” she babbled without taking a breath. “I don’t know what’s wrong.”

  I’d already started the ignition. “I’m on my way.”

  I threw the phone on the passenger seat and tore out of the parking lot, tires squealing and back end fishtailing. Son of a bitch. Had Los Lobos found her already?

  Chapter 20

  I couldn’t breathe. A giant boulder crushed my chest, and I couldn’t breathe. My vision grew dark and ocean waves crashing against the shore blasted through my ear drums. The murmur of voices were off in the distance, but I couldn’t make out any words. It didn’t matter, because I was going to die.

  Death wasn’t supposed to hurt. I’d been near death before, and it wasn’t nearly as painful as this. There was no sense of calm. No gentle white light. No peace.

  This was nothing but pure torture and agony. I just wanted it all to end.

  The voices above me grew louder, incessantly so. Like the constant buzzing of a bee. It began quietly at first, as if from only a single insect, but soon increased in volume, as though a swarm joined in. They wouldn’t stop. My ears felt like they were bleeding from the sound. Please stop. Please.

  “Charity,” one of them yelled in my ear, its voice deep and commanding. “Breathe, Charity. Keep breathing.”

  The rest of the bees stopped buzzing, like they feared the single leader’s forceful order.

  A tender touch ghosted across my cheek, the heat of it seeping into my freezing cold skin. I leaned into the warmth, soaking it up. I didn’t want to open my eyes. I wanted to fall into the comfort of the gentle caress.

  “That’s it. Keep breathing. Nice and slow. Good girl.” The praise was followed by calloused fingers brushing the hair back off my face. “I need you to open your eyes, Charity. You can do it.”

  That voice. I recognized that voice. Almost against my will, my eyes fluttered. Why did my chest hurt so much? Slowly, I raised my lids, squinting against the bright light. A shadow fell over my face, blocking the glare. I opened them a little further, my vision blurry, but slowly coming into focus. I blinked a few times to clear it.

  Oliver’s face gazed down at me, his expression full of concern. What was he doing here? Wait, what happened? Shoshana appeared over his shoulder, tears in her eyes and running down her face.

  “You had me so worried,” she choked out.

  I pulled in a shaky breath. My whole body ached. It hadn’t hurt this much since my grandmother died. It was as if a lightbulb went off. I jackknifed up from my bed.

  “Los Lobos,” I gasped.

  Oliver clutched my shoulders with a shhh sound. “You’re safe. They’re not going to hurt you.”

  “No,” I shook my head frantically. “No, he saw me. Outside. They know I’m here.”

  His grip tightened. “What?”

  “On my way home from work tonight, I ran into him. It was just down the block. I hurried to the shelter. I looked back, and he was still standing there, staring at me with this horrible, scary expression on his face. Like he knew who I was.”

  “Shit,” Oliver cursed, rising to his feet.

  I missed his warmth. Shoshana took his place, sitting beside me and grasping my hands in hers while the man paced within the small space like a caged animal. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. The flutter of panic was still present, but not nearly as strong as it had been at first.

  He turned to stare down at me, his expression fierce. “I need to call my boss and let him know what happened. Then I’m getting you out of here and taking you some place safe for the night. Get your things together.”

  Without waiting to see if I followed his instructions, he stormed out.

  “Are you okay? You had me so scared.” Shoshana’s question shook me out of the fog.

  Her tears had dried, but her eyes were red-rimmed. She looked tired. I nodded. “I think so. I’m sorry I scared you. How did Oliver get here?”

  “I called him,” she said. “You walked in here like a zombie, whiter than a ghost. I tried talking to you, but you were oblivious. Your breaths started coming faster and faster, but short like you couldn’t pull air in. You couldn’t talk, and before I could blink you started to collapse. I barely caught you before you hit the floor. Jenny helped me get you to bed, and I ran to call Oliver.”

  My memories were hazy. I remembered leaving Franklin’s after Sam agreed to teach me to fight. I’d been so happy the whole ride home. Then there were the two cars and colliding with the guy wearing Los Lobos colors. Had there been a flare of recognition in his eyes? I couldn’t remember. In fact, that was where my memory stopped. I didn’t remember getting to the shelter, and I certainly didn’t remember Shan and Jenny helping me.

  Oliver’s voice boomed, and my eyes darted to the opening of my sleeping area. That had me jumping into action. He wanted me to get my things. I stood and started pulling clothes from my drawers.

  “Let me get you something to put your stuff in,” Shan said, rising from the bed as well.

  I was left alone to gather my personal belongings while she went on her search. A glance down confirmed my hands trembled. I swiped my palms on my thighs and inhaled a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. I couldn’t afford another panic attack. My whole body still ached from this one.

  Occasionally, Oliver’s voice reached me. Mostly he spoke in hushed tones, but then it would rise in pitch. I stacked my clothes on my bed, including my yellow socks, along with my small toiletry bag.

  “Here you go.”

  I jumped at the words.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Shoshana said, handing me a brown paper bag she must have snagged from the kitchen.

  I took it from her with a “thanks” and laid my stuff inside. I’d just put my toiletries on top of my clothes when Oliver returned.

  “You ready?”

  “I think so.” I picked up my things and turned.

  Shan threw her arms around me and hugged me tight. “Call me when you can, and let me know you’re okay.”

  I nodded, my throat clogging, and tears welling. I blinked them back. This wasn’t goodbye. We’d see each other again. Oliver placed his hand on my lower back and led me out. I paused at the front door, my feet not wanting to move.

  “I’m here. You’re safe,” he whispered in my ear.

  Swallowing back the fear, I started walking again, Oliver’s presence at my side giving me strength. We made it out the door. My eyes darted around taking everything in. Dusk had fallen and dark shadows marked possible hiding places for someone not wanting to be seen. Several people walked the streets, but none paid us any attention.

  It took way too long to reach Oliver’s car, but finally we made it. He opened the door and I quickly slid onto the seat. He came around to the driver’s side, his head turning this way and that as he carefully scanned the area. Then he was sitting beside me, and we were driving away from the shelter.

  This was the third time I’d been inside a vehicle with him. The tension surrounding us was far different than either of the other times. The air was thick with danger. Still, I coul
dn’t sit in silence.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “I’m taking you to my place for the night.”

  Definitely not the answer I’d been expecting, considering he’d done everything in his power to get me out of his house previously. I wasn’t going to argue though. Instead, I sank back into the seat, fatigue hitting me. My eyes grew heavy and the hum of the air from the vent was like a white noise machine lulling me into dream land. I could feel my body losing the fight to stay awake. Oliver will keep you safe. That was all I needed. I let go.

  Chapter 21

  Soft snores came from the opposite side of the car. I glanced over at the tiny woman curled up in the passenger seat. She seemed so small and helpless, but even from that first day, there’d been glimpses of strength just beneath the surface as though biding its time to crash through whatever was holding it back. A wave of protectiveness came over me. There wasn’t an explanation for it, and I was tired of questioning it. Tired of fighting it.

  Cap hadn’t been exactly happy when he discovered I’d known all along where ‘the victim’ was. He nearly lost his shit when I told him I was bringing Charity to my place for the night, but I didn’t care. There weren’t any other options on such short notice. I had no intention of her being dead body number three. We’d figure something out tomorrow. In the meantime, the only way I could protect her was by bringing her to my townhouse.

  I kept my eye on the rearview mirror, but hadn’t been able to spot a tail. Taking a few extra turns and backtracking a bit, we finally reached my street. I parked the car, turned off the lights, and sat waiting several minutes. No vehicles happened by. Everything was quiet. Feeling confident no one had followed us, I reached out to gently shake Charity awake.

  “We’re here.”

  She jerked upright, but her eyes landed on me and she sagged in relief. We exited the car, and I guided her up the sidewalk with a hand at the small of her back. Once inside, I turned on a few lights. She looked so lost, standing in the middle of my living room holding onto her small bag of personal items.

  “Have you eaten?” I asked.

  Charity shook her head. “Not for a few hours.”

  “Why don’t you take your things upstairs to the spare room. In the meantime, I’ll see what I can scrounge up for us to eat.”

  She nodded. “No vegetables, please.”

  “Sure thing.”

  While she headed upstairs, I went to the kitchen to try and find food. I’d managed to heat up a couple pre-cooked hamburger patties and laid out buns, cheese slices, and some ketchup on the the counter by the time she came back down.

  “It’s not much, but it’s the best I could do quickly,” I told her. “Feel free to help yourself.”

  “This is perfect, thank you.”

  Charity made herself a cheeseburger, and I followed suit. We both sat at the table and began to eat. I studied her, trying not to be too obvious. There were dark circles under her eyes and she sluggishly picked up her burger, taking tiny bites before setting it back down. For once, she was quiet.

  “I’m not sure what the plan is after tonight,” I said filling the silence. “Before Shoshana called me, I’d already been about to head to the shelter to find you. If you hadn’t been there, I would have gone to Sam’s next.”

  She swallowed and looked over at me. “Why?”

  “Two of the women that we rescued from the basement where we found you have been killed this week. No suspects have been located.”

  Charity paled and laid her burger on the plate before pulling her hands into her lap, plucking at the napkin she’d laid there. “And you think they were killed by people from the Los Lobos gang?”

  “We don’t know for fact, but we suspect they had something to do with it, yes,” I told her, not wanting to lie. I didn’t think she could get any paler, but she did.

  “So maybe running into that guy tonight wasn’t a coincidence.”

  I thought about it. “Actually, it probably was.”

  Charity looked me. “Why do you think that?”

  Was it a good idea to share my theory with her? Probably not, but she needed to know. “My guess is they’ve been looking for you.”

  She nodded almost vacantly.

  “They’ve probably been canvassing the area where they grabbed you. You were walking home from work that night, right?” She nodded again. “Which means that once they couldn’t find you in the immediate area, they started branching out. They knew which way you’d been heading. They most likely just kept moving further in that direction, hoping to get lucky and stumble on you. Los Lobos members don’t tend to stray too far out of Little Village, but if it meant finding you, then they’d risk leaving their territory to do it.”

  Charity was quiet, most likely taking in what I’d just told her. I wished there were something I could do to take the fear out of her eyes. She looked so fragile sitting there. It had never been in my nature to comfort someone. I was ashamed to admit I didn’t really know how. My father hadn’t coddled me growing up, and I didn’t have a lot of memories of my mother. Any gentleness she might have provided was lost to me.

  Some compulsion made me reach out and lay my hand on top of Charity’s, gently squeezing it, trying to let her know I was here and I’d do everything I could to keep her safe. Her fingers were freezing cold. She didn’t even acknowledge my touch.

  “I think I’d like to go lie down,” Charity said softly, getting up from the table, my hand slipping off hers.

  “I understand. I’ll clean up down here and see you in the morning. If you need anything, I’ll be right down the hall.”

  She walked sluggishly out of the kitchen without another word. Fuck. I hated seeing her look so defeated. I picked up our plates and put them in the dishwasher. Then I finished cleaning up the kitchen before shutting off the light and heading upstairs. Charity’s door was closed and her light was off when I passed by her room.

  I pulled my door partially shut, but left it open enough that I’d hear her if she needed anything. After brushing my teeth, I crawled into bed, sitting upright against the pillows trying to figure out what happened next. With Cap knowing that I’d been in contact with Charity and that she was staying here for the night, he’d already warned me about the consequences. We needed to disclose to the prosecuting attorney the current situation so he could deal with any potential fallout. As far as I was concerned the situation had changed once two dead bodies showed up. Remembering that I needed to let Shoshana know Charity was okay, I called the shelter. After I hung up with her, I scrolled through my contacts and tapped one of the names.

  “Hello.”

  “Sam, it’s Oliver.”

  “Is everything okay?” he asked.

  “Not really.” I laid everything out for him. He cursed several times. “So now I’m trying to find some place safe for her to stay.”

  “I have a small room at the back of the gym. I’ve been using it for storage for a few years, so it’s nothing but dust-covered equipment that will probably never see the light of day. If we can move things around and clean it up a bit, I’m sure there’s room enough for a bed. It might be a bit cramped, but Charity is welcome to use it,” he offered. “There’s a mini-fridge and microwave in the kitchenette for her to use as well.”

  It actually wasn’t a bad idea. Only a few people knew she worked for Sam. She wouldn’t have to come and go, and she’d be around people most of the day. I did worry about her being there alone at night, but I could check in on her before I went to bed, and stop by if need be.

  “Thank you, Sam. I really appreciate it. Charity’s asleep right now, but let me talk to her in the morning and see what she thinks. I’ll let you know.”

  “You tell that girl not to let this get her down. Remind her of that anger she has, and that now’s the time to use it. My offer to teach her to fight is still open as well. I think that will help her push past the fear I’m sure she’s feeling.”

  “I will. Thanks
again. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Night, son.”

  “Good night, Sam.”

  I disconnected the call and set my phone on the nightstand. Sam’s words were a reminder. Where had that angry and combative woman gone? I wanted her back. I needed to find a way to fire up that spark. Once again, I grabbed my phone. This time, I called Spencer. She’d know what to do.

  Chapter 22

  My stomach churned with nausea. Between the debilitating panic attack I’d had, finding out that those poor women were dead, and that Los Lobos was looking for me, I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.

  I tried channeling the anger that usually resided just below the surface, but it had quieted in the wake of the news of those women’s death. Fear overrode the rage at the moment.

  This wasn’t the first time fear had overridden any other emotion. I’d been in a constant state of fear living with my grandmother. She’d been a mean and hateful woman who had made my life hell. I’d felt more fear with her than I had with my mother—a woman who’d tried, on several occasions, to kill me.

  Tomorrow, I’d work on finding the fury inside me, but tonight I didn’t have the mental or emotional capacity. My head ached, and my whole body felt clammy. I dug through the bag with my belongings and pulled out Oliver’s t-shirt. I’d held off as long as I could not washing it so his smell remained, but it had finally lost his scent and I missed it. After shedding my clothes, including my bra, and tossing them in the corner, I slipped the white cotton over my head. Then I pulled back the covers and climbed between the cool white sheets.

  I laid on my back, staring up at the ceiling, and tried to control my breathing. My skin buzzed, and I dug my nails into my palms hard enough to form white crescents, resisting the urge to scratch my skin off.