by Stark, Cindy
Had Eliana been the one to stab him in the back?
The door swung open, and Christian jerked his head upward, shocked to see Sam stride into the room. He closed the door firmly behind him.
“I’m being questioned for Steverson’s murder,” Christian spat out. Maybe Sam could help him somehow, give him inside information that might prove useful. “How the hell did you all manage to get that fucked up?”
Sam held up his hands in a halting motion. “No, you’re not. I had them pick you up under that pretense because we need to talk.” He approached Christian and removed the handcuffs.
“Shit,” Christian said as fired up emotions escaped from him like air from a slit tire. “We do need to talk.”
“I figured bringing you in was the perfect way to do it right under Hardy’s nose without making you look suspicious. Plus, they’ll think you hate the cops, and that we think you’re capable of such a crime. We use this tactic in undercover work sometimes.”
Christian pushed past the extra adrenaline still coating his veins. “Okay, then. You go first.”
Sam sighed. “It may be nothing. But it may be something. I’ve been thinking about this for a few days, and it’s not sitting right in my gut. I have a friend, a lawyer friend, who’s acting oddly. Normally, she’s like a hound dog, sniffing out perps who prey on women and children. She wouldn’t defend anyone who committed crimes against others. She usually represents the victims instead, a vigilante in her own right.”
Christian straightened in his seat, wondering, but not quite believing Sam might be talking about Eliana. “Go on.”
“Out of the blue, she shows up at the station, ready to make a plea deal for some punk who’d been caught with drugs. Word is, he’s a drug dealer, but we haven’t been able to pin it on him, yet. We opted to accept the plea to bring down a more dangerous person, Steverson.”
Gears in Christian’s head clicked in place as his adrenaline ramped up again.
“I believe her client may have ties to Gideon or Hardy,” Sam continued. “He was picked up in your brother’s zone.”
“Sweet Mary, Mother of Jesus. Eliana Conway. Am I right?” He already knew he was.
Sam furrowed his brows. “You know her?”
Christian rested his elbows on the table and dropped his face into his hands. “Yeah, I know her.” Better than he should. He shook his head, letting his brain run back through all his interactions with her since he’d met her. “I thought she was as guilty as the others. Ah, shit, Sam. She’s in this mess so deep that I don’t know how she’ll get out.”
“Dammit.” Sam hurled his curse into the room. “I knew it. Tell me what she’s done.”
Christian listed off what he knew, eliciting more harsh words from Sam.
“She was always one to push boundaries to help others, but she’s taken things too far this time.”
Anxious unease rolled through Christian. “We need to find her. Now.”
Sam lifted a calming hand. “I’ve had a couple of guys checking on her from time to time. As of thirty minutes ago, she was at work.”
Christian pressed a clenched hand to his chest as an overwhelming ache encompassed him. “Thank God. We’ve got to get her out of this. She agreed to represent Gideon’s guys when they got in trouble. If she’s using this as a way to gain information on them, she’s playing a deadly game. I doubt she has any idea how dangerous they are.”
Sam sat on the edge of the desk. “I might disagree with that. I think she knows exactly what she’s up against. A friend of hers was murdered recently. In fact…” He paused for a few moments. “Goddammit. It all makes sense now. The man was a transient she’d befriended. As far as we can tell with our investigation, it seems he might have been killed because he’d witnessed something. Problem is, we can’t get people to talk. Others who live on the streets don’t want to risk their lives. So people shut up and mind their own business, leaving us with little to go on.”
Sam focused his hardened gaze on Christian. “She’s going after them. She must think she can bring them down.”
Christian stared at him. “Let me call her. I’ll tell her I need a lawyer. Let’s get her in here, and then we’ll figure out what to do.”
Ah, God. He didn’t want to, but he had to come clean on everything. “There’s something else.”
Sam dipped his head, encouraging Christian to continue.
“I slept with her.” He waited for the surprise to register in his friend’s eyes. “Twice.”
Disbelief colored Sam’s expression. “You nailed her, twice.” His disappointment couldn’t be more evident.
“Sorry. I didn’t know she was your friend. The first time was a random meeting in Gideon’s bar, and she came on to me. That was before I knew of her connection to my brother. The second time, she showed up on my doorstep. You’ve seen her. You know how hot she is. I wasn’t about to say no.” He paused. “Plus, there’s something about her.” He couldn’t explain his attraction to himself, let alone Sam.
“Well, ain’t that great.”
“You can’t blame me.” Christian scrubbed the stubble on his chin. “Ah, fuck. This is bad…and it gets worse.”
Sam met his gaze with a concerned expression. “What else?”
“A few days ago.” He couldn’t get the image of Angel pummeling that poor woman. She’d reminded him so much of Eliana. “I watched Hardy beat the shit out of a prostitute because she talked about something.” Bile rose in his throat. “She was a bloody, swollen mess by the time I arrived. I thought he’d kill her. I’m still not convinced he didn’t. I interrupted, but after I left the building, I heard a gunshot. She wasn’t there when I went in later.”
“Jesus Christ. We need to stop these soulless bastards.” Sam shook his head in disgust. “The department hasn’t found the body, so maybe that’s a good sign.”
Sam released a heavy sigh. “First thing, we need to get Eliana the hell out of there. You maintain your cover. I’ll update the guys, and we’ll go from there. Goddammit. What we need is one small break. Someone who knows something major who’s willing to talk. I have the kid Lorenzo Dansie under constant surveillance. We’ve interrogated the hell out of him, but he isn’t talking. I’ll put a call out to have any prostitutes brought in who hang around that group. Shit.”
“That sounds like our best option for now.” Though it failed at coming close to satisfying him.
“It’s all we can do. It has the potential to put us that much further in our investigation. Let’s pray that it does.” Sam pinned Christian with an uncomfortable gaze.
“What?” The wheels churned behind his friend’s eyes.
“You slept with her?”
Christian threw up his hands. “It’s not like she’s your sister. Jesus.”
Sam shook his head in disappointment. “No, but she’s a special person to me. We dated a few times, and I really liked her. There just wasn’t the right spark, you know? And then Janie came along.” He pushed the desk phone toward Christian. “Before you make your call…I’m curious. Was it good?”
Christian grinned, damned grateful that things hadn’t worked out between Eliana and Sam. “Ah, man. She’s like…nirvana.” He closed his eyes for a second, remembering the taste of her on his lips.
Sam’s solid punch to his arm brought his eyes wide open.
“What?” He pretended innocence. “I’m sure you’d say the same about Janie.”
“Damn, fucking right.” He gave a solid nod. “She’s the woman for me. Now, make the call.”
Christian chuckled and lifted the receiver. He dialed Gideon’s cell and waited for his brother to answer. He picked up on the fourth ring.
“I need your help, brother,” Christian said, noting the surprise on Sam’s face that he hadn’t called Eliana directly. “The cops have hauled me in for questioning in Steverson’s murder. I need you to call Eliana and have her come down to the central precinct.”
“Fuck, Christian,” Gideon said. “I don’t have time
for this. It’s not like you’re working for me.”
The shallowness of their blood relation never ceased to amaze Christian. “Just make the fucking call, Gideon.” He rolled his eyes, and Sam lifted his brows.
Gideon cussed some more, but finally put him on hold. Christian waited until the line went quiet and then hit the mute button. “Asshole.”
“You slept with Eliana, and you didn’t bother to ask for her number, did you?” Sam eyed him with a disappointed look.
“It’s complicated.” He hadn’t asked for contact info because he’d never expected things to go beyond the first night together.
“Uh, yeah, Christian.” Gideon came back on the line, and Christian unmuted the phone. “She’s not available.”
“What the fuck do you mean she’s not available?” He was seriously going to kick his brother’s ass.
“Hardy’s got her working on something. You’ll have to find someone else.”
Gideon’s words were a swift blow to his gut, and he dropped the receiver on the cradle without saying another word. He met Sam’s gaze, knowing his own must look like death. “Hardy has her.”
Chapter Fourteen
Eliana’s nerves twisted and tangled inside her like so many crossed wires. She couldn’t see anything as the big, black SUV she rode in came to a stop and the driver killed the engine.
“We’re here. You can take off your blindfold.” The bulky man with long, dark hair who’d accompanied her had insisted he tie a black silk scarf over her eyes before they’d left the parking lot of Gideon’s bar. For her protection, he’d said.
He’d also checked her purse for weapons and patted her down, enjoying the latter inspection more than he should have.
If that wasn’t a big enough clue that she’d jumped into a pit of vipers, she didn’t know what was. It also meant she was getting closer to the heart of the organization, which was where she needed to be. And she was pleased to know the tampons she’d placed on top of the hidden compartment where she kept the Duke had worked.
Men were funny and predictable creatures.
She pulled the scarf from her face and stepped from the backseat of the SUV into the warehouse. Eerie silence echoed through the darkened enclosure. From the short length of time she’d been in the vehicle and from the dampness in the air, she knew she must be somewhere close to the waterfront.
Except that knowledge didn’t help much. With the number of similar buildings in Portland, trying to find this particular warehouse later on would be nearly impossible. Still, she looked around for identifying markers.
That she’d been summoned this way left her unnerved. She’d shown an interest in increasing her activities within the organization, but she had no idea if word had reached Hardy. She worried he might have figured out her motivation, but how could he? No one knew her true intentions, except Victor, and she could barely get him to give her the time of day. He wouldn’t talk.
“Did Mr. Hardy say why he needed me?” Maybe her escort could provide some insight.
“Nope.” The heavily muscled man motioned her forward with a jerk of his head. “This way.”
As she clanked her way across a vast emptiness of cement, she wished she’d worn quieter heels. Then again, she hadn’t expected to be called in by the big boss himself. Hardy’s man pushed through a scratched metal door and held it open for her.
As she stepped inside, she was surprised to find Angel Hardy sitting alone behind an old wooden desk. Gangster movie posters had been tacked to the walls, and a handful of Red Bull cans gathered on the corner of his desk. An expensive suit jacket lay discarded on the credenza next to him, leaving him with a white tank that showcased the innumerable tattoos covering his arms, his neck, and all across his collarbone. A silver-barreled Smith and Wesson 500 Magnum rested on the desk, a mere split-second from his hand. The word formidable came to mind, but even that didn’t cover it.
He lifted his dark eyes, piercing her with their intensity. “Miss Conway.” His graveled voice roughened her name.
She stepped forward, praying she could keep her cool as she slipped into the seat across the desk from him. “You have something you’d like to discuss?” She’d perfected various facial expressions from her years of practicing law, and she fought to keep her interested, but not too interested, features in place. She wanted him to think of her as a trusted party, not a lackey.
He lifted his head in a slight jerk of a nod. “Leave us.” He didn’t take his eyes from her as he commanded his man. She maintained eye contact as the door closed behind her.
He stroked his neck with two fingers as he studied her. Uncomfortable seconds ticked past, making it seem like years. She refused to look away. She’d wait for him to talk, showing deference to his authority, but she wouldn’t blink, intent on letting him know she could hold her own.
“Gideon seems to think we’re not using you to your full potential.” He let his gaze drop to her breasts in a sexually suggestive way before he focused on her eyes once again.
She swallowed as her heart thudded in her chest. Again, she wouldn’t allow him to goad her. Not by sexual means or otherwise. “I might have mentioned to Gideon that I’d be interested in more work.”
He snorted. “The local boys not keeping you busy enough to support your charity cases?”
She shrugged, not wanting to give away anything. He had an agenda, or he wouldn’t have invited her there. Whatever it was, she didn’t want him to change his mind.
He studied her with piercing, intelligent eyes that left her chilled. “My tattoos intimidate you.”
She considered lying, but he would know. She didn’t doubt that for a moment. “A little.”
He grinned and puffed on a vape, blowing scents of strawberry into the air. He leaned forward and pointed to the star tattooed near his collarbone. “Do you know what this one is for?”
She shook her head.
“My first kill. I was fifteen. It was my initiation into my older brother’s gang.” He watched closely for her reaction.
She swallowed, knowing he looked for weakness. “Do the others have significance as well?” She wouldn’t cower or run. Many soldiers throughout the ages had been required to show bravery in times of danger. She would honor the tradition even if she fought for a different cause. When all was said and done, it boiled down to human rights, dignity, and the right to live in a safe environment.
She would fight for that in her own little section of the world.
“Yes, they do.” He chuckled. “You want me to tell you what they mean? I’d have to strip to show them all. Or is their one in particular you like?”
She forced out a calming breath. “With all due respect, Mr. Hardy, I don’t think you brought me here to discuss your tattoos. Perhaps we should talk business instead.” She prayed he didn’t haul off and shoot her for standing up to him.
“You’re a wild card, Miz Conway,” he said, imitating her use of his formal name.
“A wild card?” That couldn’t be good.
He leaned back and puffed again. “An unknown. I’ve had my men check you out. Can’t see that you’re working for the feds or locals. Can’t get your angle at all. You seem like a respectable lady with a respectable job. So maybe you can tell me why the fuck you want in my organization.” His gaze dipped to the gun on his desk in warning.
Her mind raced for a plausible explanation. Only one thing came to mind. “Because I have nothing else.” God, wasn’t that the most depressing, pathetic truth? The fact that it was, echoed the horrible, empty ache inside her.
“Because my life is a daily list of chores,” she continued as the ugliness of her existence welled from the depths of her heart. All she’d ever wanted was to love and be loved. “I get up, go to work, cook dinner, sleep. Same damn thing every day. I’m single and childless. I had no intention of doing a damn thing for you or your organization. I happened into Gideon’s by accident. It was his bartender’s idea that I might be of some service to Gideon
. It’s just as surprising to me that I find a certain amount of excitement and satisfaction in the few jobs I’ve handled for you so far.”
“You want in because you’re bored?” He snorted in disbelief. “Maybe you need a more exciting boyfriend.”
“Christian is not my boyfriend.”
“Is that so? Maybe you’re in the market for one then.” He glanced over her again, an interested look shining in his eyes.
God, he was arrogant. She stood, knowing that she teetered on the precipice of acceptance and rejection, but she wasn’t about to sleep with the man to get in. Still, she had to risk what she’d gained in order to move forward. “I’m sorry you can’t relate to my menial life, Mr. Hardy, or the reasons behind my request to Gideon. I apologize for wasting your time.”
He hardened his gaze. “Sit.”
She wanted to run. Her fight-or-flight instincts kicked in full force, but she couldn’t leave. Not only because she had to stay if she wanted information, but also because she knew he wouldn’t let her walk out until he’d said so.
Instead, she sank until her bottom hit the chair.
That seemed to settle him a bit. “Just because I haven’t figured you out yet doesn’t mean there’s nothing to discover. That’s okay. I’m a patient man, and I like a good puzzle.”
She fought to keep her gaze locked with his, every ounce of common sense urging her to run for safety. “I’m not hiding anything, so there’s nothing for you to discover.” Sweat trickled between her breasts, and she prayed her thudding pulse wouldn’t give her away.
“You expect me to believe that? From my experience, every woman carries some mystery.” He smiled as though the curve of his lips would entice her into confessing. She had to admit his power and self-assurance gave him some appeal, but she was smarter than that.
He straightened in his seat and leaned forward. “I’m going to go with this one even though my gut tells me don’t. You say my activities interest you, and you interest me. A beautiful Harvard grad who wants to play in organized crime. I figure one of two things. Either you’ll prove to be an asset, or I’ll find something to prove otherwise and then I’ll deal with you the way I do with everyone who lies to me.”
