by Stark, Cindy
He stared off into the distance, but at least he’d stopped arguing with her.
“What happened after that?” she pressed, feeling like she’d made some headway.
“I stood there looking like an idiot while everyone else ran. Cops came, and they arrested me. I got off easy because I was a juvie and the restaurant owner said the guy attacked me first.”
“Christian, that guy is dead because of what he did. He wasn’t innocent.”
In the blink of an eye, he hardened the torment on his features. “That doesn’t change things.”
“I’m not asking you to change things, Christian. I know what you do and why you do it.”
“My past is part of me. I don’t know what the future holds.”
She touched his cheek. “I grew up in a brutal neighborhood. I may not have killed anyone, but I know what it’s like. I’ve changed, and you’ve changed. Our souls may be blemished by our pasts, but you’re a good man. You’re my man, and I love you.”
The moment grew heavy as she stared at him. She thought he’d push her away again. Instead, he wrapped possessive arms around her and captured her mouth.
“I love you, Eliana…”
“Oh, Christian. I love you, too.”
She savored him until the ringing of her phone disturbed them. With a sigh, she pulled the damn thing from her purse. “It’s Gideon,” she whispered before she said hello.
She listened to his instructions, knots forming and then tightening in her stomach. “Okay,” she answered and then hung up the phone.
“What?” Christian asked, impatience in his voice.
“He wants me to come down to the bar. He said Hardy has a job for me.”
“Fuck.” He pinned her tightly to him, staring into her eyes. “Don’t go, Eliana. Call him back and tell him you’ve changed your mind. We’ll find somewhere to hide you until this is finished.”
“I can’t, Christian.” She lifted a hand and placed it on his cheek. “This might give me another chance to see my brother, to help him. If nothing else, I might learn something that will bring down Hardy’s group, and I can help my brother that way.”
“Then I want a wire on you so I can hear everything that’s happening.”
Again, she disagreed. “If they find a wire on me, I’m dead.” She placed her fingers on his lips when he tried to speak again. “I’ll do what I did last time. I’ll listen to his request and act on it if I’m able. If it’s beyond what I can handle, I’ll bow out and call you, okay?”
He stared hard into her eyes. “No, it’s not okay. But what the fuck am I going to do about it?”
She wrapped her arms around him, loving the feel of his strong shoulders and back, the way he fit so perfectly against her. “I love you so much.” She stood on tiptoe and captured his lips in a heated kiss.
Chapter Twenty-Four
It was late afternoon when Eliana arrived at Gideon’s five minutes before her planned time. As she stepped from her car, she tried to shake off the uneasiness Christian’s comments had left hanging over her. This would be no different than the previous time. As far as Hardy knew, nothing had changed. For whatever reason, the thug seemed interested in her, and she would use that to her advantage.
She released a nervous breath as a panic attack hovered in the background. She stepped onto the sidewalk and pulled open the doors to Gideon’s. Familiar, stale air greeted her, and she couldn’t help but compare the two brothers and their establishments. One was so obviously of higher caliber material than the other. It proved that despite a person’s background and upbringing, one could always make better choices.
“Hey, Ellie,” Gideon said as he looked up from his spot at the bar. He had several papers scattered in front of him, and he quickly gathered them as she approached.
“Hi.” She made a point of looking around. “Where’s Hardy?”
“Patience.” He grinned, and she wondered why he seemed so smug. “You parked out front?”
She nodded, indicating she had.
“Reggie, come move Ellie’s car around back,” he hollered over his shoulder. “Don’t want too many people noticing you’re here all the time.”
She shifted her stance toward the door, not wanting any of his men in her car. “No worries. I can move it.”
“I said Reggie will move it.” He stood, staring down at her with a hard look she’d only seen him use with his lackeys. Reggie stepped into the room, looking first at Gideon and then at Eliana.
An unexpected undercurrent ran between her and Gideon, and she didn’t know what to make of it. She’d witnessed him being an ass to his men, but he’d never treated her that way before. “Better not scratch it,” she said to Reggie, not wanting to cave to Gideon’s demand, but not daring to say no, either.
“That’s the least of your worries.” Gideon held out his hand.
She struggled to put words to her gut instinct, but couldn’t. Instead, she pulled the key fob from her purse. She locked her gaze onto his as she laid it on his palm.
Gideon tossed it to Reggie who headed out the front door. “Lock the door when you come back.”
Eliana worked to settle her nerves. “Any idea what Hardy wants me to do this time?” Maybe she could bridge the distance between them with conversation.
“Can’t say much.” His eyes took on a devious sparkle. “Just that it’s important.”
“I’m glad Hardy finally trusts me.” She folded her arms across her. “He should.”
Gideon grunted in response, and she flicked a quick glance at him. Hardy seemed to trust him, too, but she wondered exactly how far. In her opinion, Gideon’s loyalty only went as far as the money, and she wouldn’t entrust a man like that with her life or her business.
Still, whatever Hardy held over Gideon seemed to work.
Shuffling noises ensued in the backroom, and Gideon turned his head, seeming very interested. “I expect that’s Hardy now.”
Eliana exhaled. “Good. I’m eager to get started.” This waiting and expecting the worst ate at her.
Gideon smirked. “Then let’s get on with it.”
She followed him, surprised Angel Hardy and her brother waited in the back area. The fact that they were together didn’t bode well. Everyone else had vacated the building. Hardy wore his typical white tank top that showcased his multitude of intimidating tattoos. The Smith and Wesson he seemed to love sat snug against his side in a shoulder holster.
Her brother briefly glanced at her before he sank to the floor next to a counter and then watched her with hooded eyes.
Hardy lifted his head in a greeting to her, completely ignoring Gideon.
“The lovely Eliana. I do like doing business with beautiful women.” He stepped forward, took a lock of her hair between his fingers and sniffed. “You smell so much better than the rest of these assholes.”
She released an uncertain breath. “Thank you.” Warning signs continued to flash left and right in her brain, and she tried to silence them so she could concentrate on the moment in front of her.
“Today’s your lucky day,” he said with a grin, staring down at her. The snake tattoo twining down his arm now had huge fangs coming out of its mouth, dripping with blood.
She blinked and took an involuntary step back.
“Ah, you noticed the new details.” His smile grew bigger, his features taking on an expression of pure delight. “I was hoping my Harvard grad would be smart enough to catch it.”
“Your Harvard grad?” she asked without thinking.
He tilted his head to the side. “I hope so.” He glanced at Gideon. “Wait out front. If things go as planned, our other guest will show.”
Other guest?
She wanted to call out, to ask Gideon to stay, no longer comfortable being alone with her crazed brother and the man that reminded her so much of the deadly rattlesnakes that inhabited their area and decorated his arm.
“We need to talk, you and me.” He pulled a homemade cigarette from a case i
n his pocket and lit it. The sweet smell of marijuana filled her nostrils. “They’re saying now this isn’t so bad for us. Even helps with cancer patients.” He blew a puff of smoke in her direction.
“That’s what I heard, too,” she said, trying to predict his next move and failing. She glanced again at her brother, but his stance, his expression hadn’t changed.
Hardy offered the cigarette to her, but she declined with a shake of her head. He took another hit and then pinned her with a rigid look. “I found out some interesting stuff about you.”
She swallowed as her breaths grew shallow and an iron fist tightened around her chest. Had Eric said something, or did Hardy refer to her fake gambling habits? Angel stared her in the face, and she was certain he’d see right through her. “What would that be?”
“First, that you’ve been known to dump a shitload of cash on internet gambling.” He leaned his head back slightly and narrowed his gaze as though that would help him study her better.
She cleared her throat, giving her a moment to formulate her thoughts. Any other person would be angry that he’d found out. “How is that any of your business?”
He chuckled. “It’s my business to know everything about those I’m getting into bed with.”
She took another step away from him, but he quickly grasped her elbow to keep her from getting too far. “I’m not going to sleep with you,” she blurted.
“It’s a figure of speech.” He took another hit off his cigarette and narrowed his snake-like gaze. “I always research people, especially ones who are as interesting as you are. What I learned about you kept me up half the night.”
Anxiety squirmed inside her. “Should I be checking out your background as well?” Deflection could often be a useful tool in the courtroom.
“Girl, my background is so stained and colorful that I don’t think you’d be able to separate the truth from the lies.”
Her brother snorted a laugh, but said nothing else.
What did she say to that? She hesitated, letting moments of awkward silence pass until her patience morphed to agitation. “Did you call me here just to talk about my recent troubles?”
He laughed. “Recent troubles? I like how you phrase that. I’m going to use that in the future. Recent troubles,” he repeated. “Like your car could be impounded any day and your sweet penthouse is about to be foreclosed. I’d really like to see that place in person before you have to move out. Maybe check out that Jacuzzi tub together.”
“What’s your point?” A judge would ask the same thing when a lawyer skirted around a question.
The smile dropped from his face, and he leaned closer. “Truth is you need me. You might like the excitement that comes from playing with the bad boys, most women do. But you need what I have to offer much more than I need you.”
She licked her dried lips. “Are you offering me a job then? Is there something you need me to do?”
He grinned and nodded. “I like how you think. And yes, yes I do have a job for you.” He pulled a black velvet pouch from his pocket.
She eyed the bag and dropped her tense shoulders in an effort to look more relaxed. “Then tell me, so I can get busy.”
He fingered the star tattoo on his neck as he studied her. “I can’t give this job to just anyone. I need someone with the finesse my boys are lacking.”
“Okay.” She paused for a moment, trying to figure out what he might need. “Explain.”
He looked her up and down as though determining if he was making the right decision. “My boss sometimes deals in matters other than drugs. Not really up my alley, if you know what I mean, but I help him out from time to time, and he helps me out, understand?”
“Sure.” She nodded. His boss? Now she was getting somewhere. Intrigue chased away her fears and sent adrenaline pumping through her veins. “What does he need me to do?”
“Deliver a package to him. A very valuable package for some important customers. I told my boss about you, about the possibility of having you deliver this and other packages for him, and he seemed interested. He’s expecting you to show tomorrow night at a party unless I tell him otherwise.”
A package that didn’t contain drugs. Interesting. She wondered if the guys knew this organization was much bigger than she’d realized. “That doesn’t seem too hard.”
“No, not really.” He shook his head, agreeing with her. “Except I have to know I can trust you.”
She shrugged. “You’ve already had me checked out. What else can I say or do?”
“True, but still.” He grabbed her arm and lifted it. “Who cut you?”
She glanced down at the scarred-over slice her brother had left on her arm. She thought about lying, but who knew what he really knew? An untruth at the wrong moment could mean her life. “My brother.”
He smiled. “Your brother. Eric?”
Her heart thudded faster. “Yes.”
“Same Eric that works for me?” He nodded toward her brother.
“Yes.”
“A Harvard grad with a mentally ill drug dealer for a brother. Would you trust her?”
“No,” Eric responded.
Quiet shaking began deep inside her. Had Eric betrayed her somehow? “I can explain.”
He lifted a broken brow, a deep scar cutting it in two. “Please do.”
“My life was pretty good before my brother disappeared over a year ago. Then he was gone. I started looking for him, and the leads led me to groups of people who run in your circle.”
“My circle?”
She lifted a hand. “No offense. To people in your line of work.” The closer she kept this to the truth, the better. “While I looked for him, I started to see how lucrative it could be. I’d never considered it to be my kind of thing until I came into Gideon’s bar and he propositioned me.”
Hardy’s expression remained stoic, almost deadly.
She expelled a harried breath. “I consider it a win-win. Working for you led me to my brother, but it also funds certain…passions of mine. You get what you need, so I don’t see there being any problems.”
“You don’t?” he questioned.
She quickly shook her head. “No. Do you?” She held her breath in anticipation of his answer.
He stared at her for too many silent moments, and her heart struggled from the strain. “I need proof of your loyalty, Eliana.” His voice was a cold, hard demand.
She shook her head slightly. “How? How do I prove it?”
“There’s a large roll of plastic sheeting in the closet near the back door. Get it.”
An image of the dead woman who’d been wrapped in plastic jumped full color onto the screen in her mind. Had she experienced what Eliana did now before she’d met her death? Fear rattled through her, making her tremble when she did as he asked.
She rolled off a large length of it and spread it on the floor as he directed.
“Gideon,” he yelled.
Tendrils of sweat trickled between her breasts while they waited.
“Yeah, boss?” Gideon strode into the room with Christian right behind him, turning Eliana’s blood to dust.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Eliana met Christian’s gaze knowing she had fear written all over hers. Hardy glanced at her and then at Christian and smiled.
“This is even better than I could have hoped for.”
“How so, boss?” Gideon asked. He glanced over his shoulder and seemed surprised that Christian had followed him into the backroom. “Hey. I told you to wait out front.”
“No,” Hardy interjected before Christian could leave. “I want him to stay. I’m ready for him now.”
Hardy slipped the deadly Smith and Wesson from the holster beneath his arm. “We’re going to play a game to test the beautiful Eliana’s loyalty.”
An immediate grin landed on Gideon’s face. Christian glanced from her to her brother, his expression neutral with the exception of his hardened jaw.
“Give me your gun, Gideon,” Hardy
commanded.
Gideon moved to a nearby cabinet and pulled out a .45 Glock. He strode to Hardy’s side and handed it to him butt first. Hardy took it and then motioned Gideon toward Christian.
The grin on Gideon’s face disappeared. “Wait…”
“Do it,” Hardy said, lifting his weapon.
Gideon lumbered back to his brother’s side, his face a mask of worry.
A dark and dangerous shadow landed in Christian’s eyes, leaving mountains of despair in Eliana’s heart. He lowered his gaze to the plastic sheeting on the floor. “You don’t have to do this, Hardy.”
“Oh, but I do. And here’s why. The first dilemma is this woman here. She appears to be onboard, horny after some dangerous action, wanting to use her educated mind to get ahead in life in ways that others can’t. Makes sense to me. Except I have this tiny drop of doubt that keeps bugging me. I need to take care of that once and for all.
“Second, is this prick, your brother. He stomps around here like he’s the king of this goddamn kingdom, but he can’t run his business or mine worth a shit. So I figure I’ll let the two problems handle themselves.”
A fierce wave of nausea swept over Eliana. “I can’t kill him,” she stated.
He thrust Gideon’s gun toward her. “Do it, or I’ll let him kill you.”
She took the weapon in her shaking hands, glancing between each of the men. Calmness reigned over Hardy, his expression almost pleasant. Gideon’s pallor had turned ghostly white, and red anger owned Christian’s features. Her brother watched with absolutely no expression at all.
“Stand in the middle of the plastic, Gideon.” Hardy waved him with his gun.
“Fuck that.” He took a step back, and Hardy pulled back the hammer on his revolver, halting Gideon in his tracks.
“This is bullshit,” Christian said.
“Would you care to take his place?” Hardy offered. “I haven’t quite decided what to do about you, yet. Does your loyalty lie with your dickhead brother or the woman you fuck?” He flicked his gaze between them. “I’m going to guess her.”
