She yanked off her balaclava, running her fingers through her blonde hair to smooth it out, and Sonny handed her one of the communication earbuds Valentine designed for times like this.
“Make sure you keep this in,” Sonny warned her. “If we can’t hear you, we’re coming in for you, screw the job.”
“No worries. I’ll get her out. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep her distracted, though, so make sure you move fast. Got it, Boss?”
“You’re an angel,” he said, giving her a kiss, and she flashed him a smile.
“I get it from you—the devil himself.”
I chuckled as she dashed across the street to the apartments, hitting every button on the call panel until some lazy fucker gave in and buzzed her in without question.
“She is exactly like you,” I said, shaking my head, and Sonny frowned.
“I sure hope not. By her age, I was killing men in their sleep and had an infant daughter. I’m really not sure which is more disturbing.”
There was a knocking sound in my earbud, and I sat up straight, focusing on the com.
“Hello?” Mason’s voice said.
“Hi,” Greta replied, her voice shaky and hoarse. “My name’s Kelly. I live in the apartment down the hall. I lost Mr. Cuddlebop, my kitty…” She choked down a sob, and I held back a laugh. “He was here a few minutes ago, and now he’s gone. I’ve looked on the whole floor, but I think he got in the stairs.” She sniffled, and I had a feeling she was crying. “My mom works nights, so she’s not here, and I’m so worried. I know you’re probably busy, but if you’re not… Is there… Is there…” More sniffling and choking. “Is there any way you could help me look for him? Please?”
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, Kelly,” Mason said, sounding like she was on the edge of crying herself. “What does he look like?”
“He’s mostly white, with some brown on his head and his feet.”
“See the depth of the details?” Sonny murmured proudly. “I taught her that.”
I held back a smirk, patting him on the shoulder.
“He’s got short hair and a red collar,” Greta/Kelly continued on in a desperate voice. “Mr. Cuddlebop’s his name. He’s really friendly almost always, and he even comes when I call him, at least if I have a snack for him. He’s my bestest friend.”
“Oh, sweetie, of course I’ll help you look. You said you searched this floor?”
“Yeah, I knocked on practically everybody’s door, but nobody would help me look.”
“That’s terrible,” Mason murmured, and I saw Sonny shake his head, lips quirking in amusement. “Alright, let’s go to the third floor and see if he got up there. I’m sure if we work together we’ll find him.”
“Stay here in case Greta needs you,” I said, climbing out of the car. “I’m heading in.”
“Affirmative,” Sonny replied, falling into the ridiculous mission speech used by those of us trained by men whose only interest was shopping for hand grenades.
I made my way up the steps and into the building, not bothering to avoid the surveillance camera on the door since I was still wearing the mask. This place was so cheap, it probably wasn’t recording anyway.
I repeated Greta’s trick of calling every apartment in the place, smiling when the main door popped open. I stepped into the lobby and glanced around, frowning at the small office across from the mailboxes.
“The leasing office has a sign that says no pets allowed,” I informed Greta over the com. “We may not have much time before the grift falls apart.”
“You need to be quick,” Sonny said, as if that hadn’t been my damn point.
“That’s Boss’ way of saying to keep your fingers out of her panty drawer,” Greta muttered through my earbud, and I rolled my eyes.
I headed up the stairs to the second floor, peeking around the corner to make sure it was clear before entering the hallway, heading down to Mason’s place.
I stopped in front of her apartment and carefully turned the handle. It opened with ease and a piece of paper folded multiple times dropped out from the lock, where it had been holding the latch open.
“Thank you, Greta,” I whispered, pleased that I wouldn’t have to waste time picking locks. Not that this one was exactly a challenge. I should really encourage Mason to get some better security.
I slipped into the apartment, glancing around.
The living room looked into the kitchen, with only a counter to separate them, and was very neat and tidy except for the coffee cups stacked in the sink—and the pile of papers on the counter next to the fridge.
I headed over, flipping through them eagerly, then sighed in disappointment at the collection of bills and receipts. I placed them carefully back exactly like they were and started back toward the living room, until the magnetic poetry on the fridge caught my eye.
My lips quirked in amusement as I read the words she’d strung together:
Hot Men Rock Girls Socks
Love Is Forever But Vodka Is Better
My Boobs Are Awesome Sauce
And then…
Kingman Is One Good Kiss
My heart sped up a little. Was it possible that ‘Kingman’ was me? We had kissed last night, after all…
I shook my head, pushing the thought away. I could fantasize about her lips—and her ass—later. Right now I had a job to do.
“I'm burned,” Greta said. “Some old lady just told Mason about the no pet rule and informed her there’s no kid named Kelly in the building. Time to withdraw, Uncle T-Rex.”
“Affirmative,” I said. “Moving out—”
A small, blinking box caught my eye on the counter, and my brow furrowed up. Was that an answering machine? For a landline? I hadn’t seen one of those in years. I bit my lip, glancing to the door. Surely I had enough time…
I reached out and hit the play button, gasping when a very recognizable voice came from the speakers.
Hello Mason. I’m calling about the plans. Do you think you’re ready to hang out, or are you still too busy getting things done at your new job? Let me know, and we can schedule. Talk to you later.
Dammit, Wesley!
I hit ‘delete’ on the machine then slammed my hand down on the counter, feeling more than a little upset. Tears of frustration welled up in my eyes. I’d really thought things were going okay, and now this?
“I swear,” I growled, unable to keep my feelings inside, “I am going to kill that brat!”
“LIKE HELL YOU ARE!” a voice screamed. The bat hit my face, and the last thing I saw was Mason’s bright red curls before everything went black.
- mason -
I let out a sigh of relief as the burglar collapsed to the floor, like a man damn well should after you hit him like he’s a fucking T-ball stand. Jones would be proud of me. My heart pounded as I stared at him—and it was definitely a ‘him’ considering his ginormous size. Seriously, the man was a monster. I should get out of there as fast as I could and call the cops. That was the safest thing to do, for sure, but my curiosity got the best of me, and I couldn’t stop myself from looking.
I carefully stepped over the unconscious body laying in an awkward heap on the carpet and reached down, yanking off the bastard’s ski mask. Yelping, I jumped back as Rex’s face appeared, blood pouring from nose, the vicious bruises already starting to appear.
I was glad it didn’t look broken. He had such a nice nose. Almost as nice as his ass.
WHOA. That was not the sort of thing a woman should be thinking about the man who just stated aloud he was going to kill her.
Damn my sex drive.
I sucked in a breath, then another, then another, until I was gasping in and out, panic overtaking me. Rex had said himself that he was here to kill me. But if I called the cops… The information Wesley delivered to my door about unhooking and carrying the bio-heart was tucked under my mattress in the other room.
What if Rex had found it and showed them when they came? I could be the one
going to prison over this, considering he could afford the best lawyers in the city, and I would be crossing my fingers that my public defender had more than protested parking tickets under his belt.
I gulped, then straightened up. I needed a plan. First, I had to make sure that he couldn’t murder me the instant he woke.
I unzipped the black jacket he was wearing, praying to God he didn’t wake up. As I’d expected, his obscenely large gun was at his hip. I reached down and pulled it from the holster, something that was more difficult to do than expected. It was shoved tight in there. Deep, too. The images going through my mind at those thoughts were not the kind my momma would have approved of.
I shook my head to clear it of the vision of handsome enemies thrusting into tight places, stepping back away from Rex with the gun clutched in my hands.
Should I tie him up? I bit my lip, glancing around for something to use. I didn’t have any rope or duct tape. All I had was…
My cheeks reddened, my entire face going hot. No, I could not use those. It would be way too humiliating. But it would be better than dying, and God knew that this giant man could easily take me down.
I rushed into my bedroom and yanked my closet door open, fumbling through a box of odds and ends until I found the hot pink fuzzy handcuffs I’d gotten at that bachelorette party in Dallas. God bless those kinky Texans. I hurried back into the living room and bent over Rex, quickly locking his hands in front of him since he was way too heavy for me to roll over so I could fasten them behind his back. It would have to do.
The man groaned, and I leapt back, stumbling across the room to put some space between us.
I watched as he began to shift around on the floor then suddenly shot up into a sitting position, eyes going wide as he snapped his head around, obviously trying to get a handle on his surroundings.
“Don’t move!” I ordered as I raised the gun toward him. Damn this thing was heavy. I could use it for my pilates class. The gun was so big it took both my hands to hold it pointed straight and keep a finger on the trigger—which I could hardly reach.
Rex looked at me, his face going pale as a sick look came over it. His breath started coming fast, and his shoulders hunched, almost like he was on the edge of a panic attack.
“Move an inch, and I’ll shoot,” I snapped, feeling pretty badass that he was so scared of me.
“Please don’t point that,” he said hoarsely, then made a whimpering sort of sound. “The thing can shoot through a car door and considering you have zero firearms training, you could kill us both.”
“I’m not an idiot!” I said, eyes narrowing. “I know you’re here to kill me. I’m not putting the gun down.”
My eyes widened as Rex heaved and raised his cuffed hands to his mouth, eyes squeezing shut.
“I don’t know why you think I’m here to kill you, but do you think I could go to the sink and wash my face before you try to shoot me with the safety on? The blood...” He shivered. “I’m not feeling so good, and I don’t want to puke on your carpet. Then we’ll talk.”
I blinked, brow furrowing. I’d been doubtful about the mother story, but from the look on his face, he definitely was not dealing well with the blood. I bit my lip again, staring at him for a long moment, then gave a sharp nod.
“Fine, but slowly—no quick movements!”
Rex obeyed, climbing very slowly to his feet, his breath coming in short pants and his eyes squeezed shut. He walked very steadily to the kitchen and turned on the sink.
“Sorry about the fluff on the cuffs,” he muttered as the water ran over them, and my cheeks warmed again. Damn handcuffs.
After washing his face and stuffing a couple of paper towels in his nostrils, the man stood, leaning heavily on the sink with his eyes closed, and took deep breaths, exhaling slowly, again and again. Finally he stood back up and let out one more long breath, shaking his head rapidly.
“Sorry,” he said, sounding like his normal self again. “It’s the hemophobia. It’s better than it used to be. In high school I’d have to pop Klonopin when I took a bad hit on the football field to keep myself from crying and shaking like a baby.”
“It’s fine,” I said stiffly. “What’s not fine is you being here to kill me,” I added quickly, waving the gun in his direction.
Rex grimaced. “First off, stop waving the pistol around like it’s a fucking glow stick at a rave. Secondly, will you please explain to me why you’re so certain I’m here to kill you?”
“You broke into my home with a gun!” I practically screamed, and Rex winced.
“I’m really sorry about the break in thing. And I always carry a handgun. Or two. It doesn’t mean I’m here to kill you.”
“I heard you when I walked in,” I pointed out, eyes narrowing. “You said you were going to kill me!”
Rex’s brow furrowed in confusion, then his eyes widened and he shook his head in disbelief. “I was being metaphorical! And I wasn’t even talking about you! I was talking about Greta not giving me enough time in the apartment!”
I frowned. “Who’s Greta?”
Rex shrugged. “Kelly the cat lover?”
My mouth dropped open. “She was with you?” I shook my head. “I thought I was being punked.”
Rex’s lips twitched in amusement. “I swear to you, Mason, I am not here to kill you.”
“Then what are you here for?” I demanded. “Was Agent Sanchez right? Do you have my apartment bugged?”
He groaned, shaking his head. “No, I don’t have your apartment bugged. I like you, but what kind of pervert do you think I am? I save that stuff for my fantasies.”
My cheeks reddened at that, and Rex gave me a wink.
“The truth is, Sonny is worried that you might be involved somehow in those security invasions I told you about, and I had the bright idea to break into your apartment and try to prove you weren’t.”
My heart sped up, stomach twisting nervously. “Why would I be involved in those?” I asked in what I hoped was a steady voice, and he shrugged.
“I don’t know. What do you say that you lower the handgun that you couldn’t fire if you tried since it actually does have a manual safety, and we talk about it?”
I frowned, looking at the gun. I couldn’t even tell where the safety was, much less how to take it off. I sighed. “Fine,” I said, and Rex moved over to the sofa. I sat in the recliner across from him.
“What do you think of Angela’s Lab, Mason?” Rex asked. My brow furrowed.
“Um, that it’s pretty rude to name an allergy lab after your mom, no matter how much you hate her? Honestly, I have no opinion on Angela’s Lab, because I don’t really give a shit about it.”
Rex’s brow furrowed. “Considering what a terrible liar you are, you saying that with a completely straight face and not even a moment of stuttering makes me think you really know nothing about the lab on everyone’s mind. So if you’re not here to bust into Angela… Why are you here, Mason?” Rex asked, and I did my best to stay cool, mind racing to think of what to say to the one question I couldn’t answer.
“I’m not here for anything,” I said, trying to sound frustrated. “Everybody seems to think I’ve got some nefarious plan, but I’m just here for a little information gathering, with a paycheck on the side. Sales calls sucked. They paid us like we lived in India, and the guy I shared a cubicle with smelled like the diaper room at a retirement home.” I shook my head. “I wish you’d stop suspecting me—not to mention breaking into my apartment—over nothing!”
Rex nodded slowly. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry, and I’ll leave you alone.”
“Well, not totally alone,” I replied without thinking, then slapped a hand over my mouth, eyes going wide.
Rex burst into laughter, a grin spreading over his face. “Aw, Mason, are you saying that you like me?”
“Absolutely not!” I snapped, sure I looked like a tomato. “Not at all. Not even a little.” I paused. “Though I suppose you’re bearable.”
/> He gasped, slapping his cuffed hands against his chest. “Be still my heart!” he said. “I am bearable!”
I burst into laughter, shaking my head. “You’re ridiculous is what you are. And guilty of breaking and entering.”
“Possibly stalking, too,” he added. “How about you let me make that up to you? Can I take you to dinner again?”
No, no, no. Absolutely not. This bastard was a thief, a liar, and very possibly a killer in the literal sense, whether Joey Schumer deserved it or not. I was here to give him the payback he deserved, not to go on dates with him.
“Sure, why not?” I said, and I groaned inside, wondering how, exactly, my mouth had become so disconnected from my brain.
Rex’s smile grew even brighter. “Fantastic. I’ll pick you up at seven. You can see the new Pinto I purchased just for the purpose of stalking you.”
My eyebrows shot up, and I held back a laugh.
“Naughty boy.”
“You’re the one with these.” He lifted his hands, showing off the fuzzy handcuffs, and I winced, then yelped, as they were suddenly off his wrists, swinging around on one of his fingers.
“How did you do that?” I demanded, and Rex chuckled.
“The kind of handcuffs you buy at party stores have safety releases. You need to buy them at a security supply company if you want them to hold.” He winked. “I can give you a pair if you want.”
I shook my head rapidly, heart beating way too fast. “Nope, that’s okay. I’m cool. All good.”
Rex shrugged and stood. “Your loss.” He paused. “I know you really like it—it is nice and big... hard, too... but before I go… Can I put away my gun?”
chapter SEVEN
THE KING'S LOTUS
- REX -
“Rex! Where the hell have you been?” Greta demanded from her bedroom as I walked into their penthouse apartment, where the Brotherhood was gathered for yet another emergency meeting. Talk about having a lot of those lately.
Heart Thief (Black Market Billionaire Book 1) Page 16
