by Stark, Cindy
“The bad people? Like the one who murdered Howard?” she asked in a lowered voice.
He glanced around as though checking to see if anyone was nearby and then he nodded slightly.
“Do you know what it is that Howard knew?”
“No,” he said quietly. “But I know who killed him.”
Her pulse spiked. “Who?”
“I don’t know his name, but I know where he goes. Him and his friends like to come here and rough up the good people sometimes. They think it’s funny. But I heard ‘em talking one day. They think because we live on the streets that we don’t have any brains. They think we don’t listen, and they think we don’t know nothing. But we do.”
Nervous excitement built inside her. “Tell me what you know, Victor.”
He slowly blew out a breath. “I’m only telling you this ‘cause you’re Howard’s friend and ‘cause I know he wants me to. But I won’t tell anybody else. I’m not dumb like them. I know people have ears all the places, and I don’t want to die like Howard.”
“I won’t tell anyone what you said. I promise.”
He nodded. “Howard trusted you.”
“You can, too.”
“After that asshole left here the other day, he headed down Ash Street. I followed him, but not too close, you see? He met his friends, and they laughed, and I really wanted to hurt them because they’d hurt Howard, but I didn’t. Smart people of the streets stay away from trouble, stay away from cops.”
“Good, I’m glad you didn’t hurt them, Victor. I don’t want you to get hurt, either.” She knew they wouldn’t hesitate to kill him. “Where did they go after that?”
“Inside a shit ass bar. Gideon’s.”
“I know that place. I was there not very long ago.” The dank little dive where she’d met Christian. “Are you sure they went inside?”
He nodded.
“Maybe they go there often. I’ll check it out. Can you give me a description of what he looked like?” She could identify his clothing, but if he wore something different, she wouldn’t recognize him.
“I can do better than that. Do you have a piece of paper? A pencil?”
Eliana rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a small notebook and a black pen with her company’s advertising on it. “Will this work?”
“Sure. A pencil is better, but this will do.”
She waited, expecting him to write a description. Instead, the scrawls began to take the shape of a human face. She watched with great interest as he continued to draw and shade. When he finished and handed the paper to her, the image stunned her.
The man he’d drawn was the same jerk who had accosted her weeks ago when she’d brought cookies to Howard. If she would have followed her gut instinct back then and shot the bastard, Howard would still be alive.
“I know him. I’ve seen him around.” She stared at his features as her hatred for the man grew.
Victor grunted an acknowledgment. “He’s down here a lot. He’s not one of the good people, if you know what I mean.”
“I know exactly what you mean.” She waited until Victor returned her gaze. “Thank you for this information. This is exactly what I need.”
Victor nodded though he seemed uncertain about her intent. “Be careful, princess. It’s a dangerous world out there. I know it, and now Howard knows it. I don’t want you to know it, too.”
Too late for that. She’d already experienced far too many dangerous sides of life. “You don’t need to worry about me, Victor. I know how to take care of myself.”
Chapter Six
Eliana dressed carefully that night, showing just enough cleavage to attract attention while still looking professional. She’d already made it known at Gideon’s bar that she was an attorney, so she needed to keep up the image. Also, she needed a reason to frequent the establishment again tonight, and possibly future nights until she found the bastard she hunted, so she’d use the excuse of working late at the office.
She’d hoped to locate the prick by watching the place, but after sitting in her car for the past two nights, she’d realized she couldn’t learn information from afar. She’d have to go in.
She parked close to where she had that first night she’d noticed the neon sign, checked to make sure the Duke was in the hidden compartment at the bottom of her purse and then exited her car.
Two shifty looking men gawked at her as she walked down the street, and she reminded herself she played a dangerous game. The scumbag who’d killed Howard obviously had no qualms about killing. She needed to keep her wits about her and not do or say anything stupid. She was on an information fishing expedition, not a big game hunt. Once she found something incriminating, she’d call Sam and let him and his men do their job.
The cool, musty scent of the dive immediately took her back to the first night she’d visited. She inhaled as she glanced around, swearing she could still smell Christian’s cologne, but thankfully, she didn’t spy him anywhere.
As much as she wouldn’t mind seeing him again, his presence would only complicate matters. Besides, he had his own, much more upscale pub to run. Why would he ever hang out here?
She glanced over the multitude of staring men, ensuring Howard’s killer wasn’t among them before she claimed the same seat she had previously. She really needed to come up with a plan on what she’d do once she located him. Perhaps she could discover his name and address. Also who his friends were.
But that was it. Nothing stupid.
“Well, look who’s back.” The bartender with the full brown beard gave her a grin that bordered on slimy. “We must have impressed you.”
Her carefree laugh belied the emotional turmoil bubbling inside her. “That or this joint is super close to my new office.”
He placed a hand over his heart. “Ach, the lass does wound me.”
She lifted mildly entertained brows and shook her head. “Flirting doesn’t work on me.”
He tilted his head in acknowledgement while keeping his smile in place. “Same as you had last time?” He indicated the beer taps.
“You remember?”
“I always remember a beautiful woman.”
“Wow. You’re full of it,” she said with a snort.
He wiggled his brows and left to fetch her drink. When he returned, he set it in front of her and trapped her with a penetrating gaze. “I beg to differ.”
“Excuse me?” She sent him a questioning look as she lifted her glass and drank.
“You said flirting doesn’t work, but I distinctly remember you leaving with a certain someone, so I call bullshit.”
Embarrassment at being caught off guard heated her cheeks. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He laughed then. “You have a hell of a poker face. Probably make a hell of a lawyer, too.”
She wouldn’t confirm or deny either claim he made. “Do you grill all your customers like this? If so, I’m surprised any of them return.”
“Only the pretty ones.” He leaned down and rested his elbows on the bar, and she caught sight of twirling silver strands amongst his brown hair. “I might have a new client for you.”
She leaned back in her seat to create more distance between them. “Really? Who’s that?”
“Boss man.”
She looked around as though she didn’t understand his meaning. “You mean the guy who owns this place?”
“Yeah, Gideon.” He said it as though by speaking his name, she’d know him.
“Why would he need an attorney?”
He shrugged. “Who doesn’t need a lawyer these days?”
She shrugged back, pretending to be as cool as he was. “Why would you think he’d want to hire me?”
“Because I told him about you. That you were smart and sassy. I gave him your card.”
If it would help her find Howard’s killer and give her more opportunities to spend time in the bar without anyone questioning her presence, she’d do it. “Great. I’d be happy to gi
ve him a free consultation to see if there’s a way I can be of service.”
He glanced at her breasts.
“Not that kind of service,” she said with a warning that made him laugh.
“No worries. Though you might change your mind when you meet him.”
She snorted then. “Pretty sure I won’t.”
“Lesbian?”
“Now you’re questioning my sexuality?”
He chuckled again. “Never mind. I haven’t said anything to anyone, but I’m pretty sure you fucked Christian, so men are still on the table for you.”
She blinked a couple of times, flabbergasted by his honesty. “Wow. I feel like I’ve just been insulted, but I’m not quite sure.”
“The sign of a good conversationalist.” The phone rang, and he lifted the cordless handset. “Be right back.”
No hurry, she wanted to say. She lifted her mug and took a deep drink. As far as she was concerned, she’d be happier if he left her alone so she could study the patrons.
She swiveled on her seat, catching sight of the men to her left. A couple of biker dudes played pool, but neither of them was the slime ball from the park. To her right, two couples enjoyed frothy tankards of beer as they laughed with each other. A handful of guys sat at the bar with her, nursing their woes as they watched the soccer game on an overhead TV.
A minute later, the bartender returned with a mischievous grin on his face. “Looks like it’s your lucky day. Boss man is on his way in.”
She shot him a sarcastic look. “Or maybe it’s his lucky day.”
The bartender seemed to consider her words and then nodded. “Maybe so.”
Eliana took another sip of beer as a commotion sounded behind her. She hesitated and then glanced over her shoulder.
A handsome man with startling dark eyes moved toward the bar with an entourage of men in his wake. He walked with a predatory grace, tall and sleek, his hair a short shock of brown on his head. He caught sight of her almost immediately and headed in her direction.
As he drew nearer, pockmarks on his skin, most likely meth scars, became evident, and an evil edge destroyed the beauty of his dark eyes. He glanced down his nose at her, his ego more than evident, looking like everyone should know he owned the world.
She hated men like him.
She didn’t buy into a better-than-thou attitude. In fact, people with that demeanor really pissed her off, and she usually made it a point to frustrate them instead of bowing.
“You must be the lawyer lady.” He flicked his gaze over her, like a hyena tasting its food before devouring it.
“I’m sorry. You are…” She kept any hint of warmth from her gaze.
He paused as though truly offended, and she wondered if he’d have her removed from his bar. Instead, he snorted. “Feisty. I like it.” He reached out to touch her hair, but she knocked his hand aside, earning another surprised look from him, which he was quick to hide.
He glanced at the group behind him and laughed. “Redheads, you gotta watch them, or they’ll burn your asses. Isn’t that right, Miss Conway?”
“It is.” She glanced at the group behind him, her heart leaping into her throat when she spied Howard’s killer amongst them.
The punk narrowed his gaze at her as though trying to place where he might have seen her.
She held his look without blinking until the boss man followed her stare and landed on the felon. “You two know each other?” he asked his flunky.
“Nah. Too high class for my shit.” He denied knowledge, but she could see in his eyes that he recognized her.
“Damn straight,” Gideon agreed and then pointed to the lot of them. “All of you get your sorry asses out of here. You got work to do.”
She pretended she didn’t pick up on the word “work” or the way they all headed to the back room together. It was obvious he hadn’t hired them to tend bar or work in the kitchen, not so many of them, so exactly what kind of work would they do? If Victor was right, they were all tied to organized crime.
She might have stumbled onto something much bigger than she’d expected.
“Another round for us, Floyd,” Gideon said without taking his gaze off Eliana. He slipped onto the barstool next to her. “What’s a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?”
“Really?” she asked, her voice heavy with sarcasm. Like he couldn’t come up with a better line than that? Lame pickup lines seemed to run rampant in that place.
He chuckled and then sobered. The speed with which his expression changed from friendly to serious surprised her. “Seriously, what are you doing here?”
She tried a friendly laugh as a way to defuse the situation. “What, a girl can’t come in here for a drink?”
“Look around, honey. Not many in here are ordering cosmopolitans.”
She steeled her own gaze as Floyd placed their drinks before them. “Does it look like I’m drinking a cosmopolitan?”
He eyed her beer and then refocused on her face, letting her know that wasn’t a sufficient answer.
Under any other circumstances, she would have walked out immediately, but she’d quickly realized that the kid who’d pulled the trigger was only a symptom of the problems in their city. She no longer wanted a bandage. She wanted to cure the fucking disease.
“I work around the block, and I happened on this place by accident a couple of weeks ago. I wanted a drink. You serve alcohol. Problem solved. I prefer to drink my beer in peace, and after a long day, I’m not feeling particularly social. Originally, this place had offered that.” She shifted her gaze to the side, giving him a long, hard look. “Tonight? Not so much.”
She had to leave. The situation required that she at least pretend to do so. Otherwise, Gideon would sniff her out immediately.
“So, thanks for the offer of a second drink. But I think I’ve had my fill.” She swiveled in preparation of leaving her stool, but he stopped her with a firm palm to her thigh.
She flicked a quick glance to where he touched her and then shot a warning look directly into his eyes.
He lifted his hand as though he might have actually taken her caution to heart. “Stay.” When she didn’t change her expression, he added, “Please.”
She gave a slight dip of her head and swiveled to face the bar. Still, she kept her gaze on him like she would a coiled snake. “Really, I’d just like to drink in peace if you don’t mind.”
“Floyd thinks I should hire you,” he said as though he hadn’t heard her last words.
“Why on earth would you want to do that?” She added a derisive chuckle as though the whole idea was ridiculous.
“I like to keep someone on retainer. My last guy…” He hesitated as though he needed a moment to formulate his sentence. “He left town. Moved away. I want someone local.”
Moved away? She wanted to question him further, but something told her she didn’t want to know what “moved away” meant. “I have a pretty full caseload.”
A sly smile crossed his lips. “I wouldn’t have you do much. Review contracts. Bail out my boys if they get too rowdy and the cops snag ‘em. Might be some other requests that help us avoid the law. Would you have a problem with that?”
She didn’t blink. “I’m expensive. Depending on the case, some requests will be more expensive than others.” She wanted him to know unusual tasks wouldn’t bother her.
He lifted a brow slightly as though intrigued by her answer. “That’s not an issue with me.”
“I won’t be at your beck and call. If someone gets arrested in the middle of the night, his ass can rot in jail until morning.”
Gideon laughed aloud. “I’d only expect you to come running if it’s my ass, and then I’d pay you well for your efforts.”
She pretended to take a moment to consider his offer. If she agreed, the law required she keep his confidence in any matters that concerned him. Whatever she learned, she legally couldn’t share with the police.
But that didn’t mean a well-plac
ed, anonymous tip couldn’t steer someone in the right direction. She played with fire, and she knew she took a hell of a chance of getting burned.
After weighing the consequences of a game of cat and mouse, where the loser rotted in jail and she gained vengeance for the dear man who’d been her friend, she decided this was exactly what she needed to calm the raging demons in her soul.
She stuck out her hand to shake. “If you’ll abide by those terms, it’s a deal.”
“What exactly are we shaking on?” asked a voice from behind.
Eliana turned and looked into the most beautiful pair of brown eyes. The same eyes that had focused on her as she’d called out his name in the throes of passion. Christian.
Hell.
Chapter Seven
What the fuck was the woman who’d haunted his recent dreams doing shaking his delinquent half-brother’s hand? Christian glanced back and forth between Gideon and Eliana as an untold number of questions raced through his mind.
“Well, if it isn’t my shithead brother,” Gideon said instead of answering his question. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
Eliana straightened in her chair and refused to make eye contact with him. Instead, she lifted her beer mug and drank.
So that’s how it was going to be, was it? Fuck ‘em and leave ‘em? He pretended that didn’t sting like a son of a bitch.
“I wanted to talk to you about something.” Christian didn’t give a shit if he was the third wheel. He wasn’t leaving them alone so his loser brother could follow up and be the one who took her home tonight. His night with Eliana might not have meant anything to her, but Gideon wouldn’t usurp him. Not again.
“Fuck, man. Can’t you see I’m busy?” His brother obviously was pissed by the interruption.
Christian didn’t care. “It’ll only take a minute.”
“I can wait,” Eliana offered. This time, she met Christian’s gaze, and his gut did that stupid tightening thing like it had the first time she’d focused her lovely green eyes on him.
“Fine,” Gideon said with a huff and stepped down from his stool. He didn’t look back as he strode into the backroom.
