Chapter Five
Xio lifted dishes into the rubber tote and hauled them toward the kitchen. She actually liked busing tables and washing dishes. She could listen to her language lessons and didn’t have to interact with anyone, explain who she was, or talk about her past. That couldn’t be more perfect.
She shoved through the saloon doors that separated the bar from the kitchen. Caught up in repeating a line in Chinese about ordering a beer, she ran head-on into Gee, her new employer and a bigger enigma than she.
He reached up and plucked one of the headphones from her ears. “You’d like to order two beers?”
Xio blushed and shut the MP3 player off. Gee speaks Chinese? And it had been the most he’d said to her all week. Her mouth dropped open.
“Yeah, I know. What’s a big old bear like me doing in the midst of a wolf pack speaking Chinese?”
“Something like that.” She furrowed her brow. Yeah, the bruin had just become a bigger mystery. Who’d have thought? “So…?”
“I’m kind of a pack authority, historian, if you will. I knew your grandfather and grandmother. Mai Ling actually taught me to speak Chinese. She looked a lot like you.” He smiled.
“You knew my family?”
He nodded. “All of them.”
“That makes you exactly how old?”
The bear frowned. “This conversation isn’t about me.”
“Fine. Tell me about my family, about my grandmother.”
Gee glanced out into the empty bar. He grabbed the tote and set it down by the dishwasher, snagged her arm, and guided her toward a table. “We can take a break.” He pulled a chair out. “Sit.”
Xio dropped onto the hard surface and waited while Gee grabbed another and straddled it backward, making it look no bigger than a piece of child’s furniture. Once settled in, he laced his fingers together and cracked them.
Xio cleared her throat.
“Patience is a virtue.”
“I’m not very virtuous.”
“Hmm.” Gee began his tale—in Chinese.
Xio opened her mouth and he raised his hand to silence her, continuing on like there had been no interruption. How could she tell him she didn’t understand a word, well maybe one or two, but ninety percent of it slipped by her? It was embarrassing enough he’d caught her with the language lessons. She opened her mouth again.
His hand came up again. “Listen.” It would be the last word he said in English for the next fifteen minutes.
Mai Ling—blah, blah, blah. Eli Snow. What the hell? “You don’t know anything about my family in English?”
Gee furrowed his brow. “This is about you learning your heritage. If you want to know the story, you need to listen to it the way it was told to me.”
“That’s not fair. I don’t know Chinese.”
“Well, grasshopper, when you learn to speak your native tongue, ask me again.”
Xio snarled at him and jumped up from her chair. “Grasshopper? I have a name. It’s Xio.”
“I know all about you, Xio—and your grandparents and parents. Nobody else here does. You want to know your heritage, you’re going to have to work for it. Nothing good is ever handed to you. Isn’t that what got you into trouble in the first place? Instant gratification?”
With a snort, Xio stalked toward the exit.
“You have dishes to wash before you cut on out of here. It’s bike week in Sturgis. It’s been getting busier and busier every year. We’re going to be slammed tonight, grasshopper.”
“Ha, ha. Fine, sensei.” Xio changed course and headed for the kitchen. She did have a job to finish. Quitting after two months was not the impression she wanted to make, not with her new Alpha—or mate. If what Gee said was true, she needed him, or she’d never know about her family. She sprayed the dishes and started the washer, immersing herself in whatever she could to avoid Gee for the rest of the afternoon. It would be better to control her temper than let it control her.
She liked the old bear better when he didn’t talk.
Two hours later, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Xio wiped her forehead with her sleeve and turned to look at what had caused her reaction. “Shit.”
Six men entered The Den. The second of them was Diego. She jumped back behind the saloon door, her heart pounding. She slapped her hand over her breast in an attempt to slow the beat. She should have known he’d come to look where he’d first met her. Maybe living in Los Lobos hadn’t been such a great idea. And how the hell had he gotten out? They’d sent him to the supermax in Florence, Colorado. Nobody escaped from there—or so she’d been told. She glanced over at the bar where she’d left her purse, with her cell phone she always shut off before her shift. Gee didn’t want her distracted and had told her to leave it at home or shut it down when she started work. So, if anyone had tried to call to warn her, well…. Should have left it on.
“Need some clean glasses out here,” Gee called.
“One moment,” she replied in Chinese, the only way she could. Diego had never heard her speak it and would recognize her voice if she said it in Spanish or English. Shit, shit, shit. If he used her name, they’d know, since it kind of came out during the trial she wasn’t named Lena. She hoped her use of Chinese made Gee question what was going on.
Gee walked into the kitchen. “You okay?”
Xio shook her head. “I need to get out of here.”
He glanced out into the bar at the customers who’d just entered. “Someone you know?”
“You could say that.”
“Someone you’re hiding from.”
“Oh, you could safely say that.”
“Do I need to call your Alpha?”
“Not sure I want him involved.”
“If anyone in his pack is in danger, he’s already involved.”
“I know, but this is really bad.” Xio turned to Gee. “Please call Marcus. I don’t know how they found me.”
“Not Drew?”
“No, I need to tell Marcus something first.”
Gee walked back out to the bar and picked up the phone, making a quick call before he turned to address the men at the bar. “What can I get for you boys this afternoon?”
Xio peeked around the corner to see Diego plop down in a chair and throw his feet up on the table. She slammed back against the wall and out of sight. How many had he brought here with him?
“I know you’re here. Come out before this gets real messy and I have to hurt some of your new friends, starting with this big fellow.” A revolver cocked. She’d know that sound anywhere. That would be a forty-five. Diego carried it everywhere with him. “I assure you, I’m serious. I asked the fine citizens of this town if they’ve seen you, doll. People say an Asian girl works here. That would be you, the only one in Los Lobos.”
Xio’s heart thumped harder. She peeked out to see several men with weapons pointed at the were-bear, who leaned casually against the bar, his arms crossed over his chest, not looking the least bit intimidated.
What did he know that she didn’t?
“Come out, Lena. Or should I call you Xio? Last warning. I’m going to make a big mess if you don’t. I have fifteen more men outside with automatic weapons and enough lead to shred every building in Los Lobos to pieces. I’m giving you ten seconds. One. Two. Three.”
“Wait.”
“Step into the open. Four. Five.”
That, she could do. Surrender. He’d probably torture her and cut her into pieces while she was alive. It was a special treatment Diego reserved for those who’d betrayed him. She’d seen it once, and knew the price she’d pay when she testified against him, but if it would save Gee and the others from Diego’s vengeance, she’d gladly sacrifice herself. If she didn’t, her ex would kill everyone. She raised her hands and stepped into the doorway.
Xio turned to look in Gee’s eyes. “Tell Marcus I’m sorry, and that…I love him.” Gee shook his head and smiled, as though it were all a joke.
Diego swiped a
match across the rough surface of the table and lit his cigar, taking a puff. “Long time no see.”
“Let him go.”
“Where’s my money?”
“I don’t have it. The Feds took it.”
“I think we both know that.” He dropped his boots off the table and rose to his feet. “Tell me where you hid your money.”
Her pulse jumped. He knew?
“You thought I didn’t know what you were doing? I know everything my people are doing, every moment of the day. Come here now.”
Xio walked across the bar to Diego, who grabbed her by the arm and brought her to her toes. “I’m very disappointed in you, China Doll.”
Outside, a flurry of movement and a grunt as the pack took out the men standing outside, and did it so silently Diego didn’t even look. Gee must have gotten through to them somehow. Xio glanced over at the bear, who nodded this time. Green light. “I told you to never call me that again.”
“Or you’ll what? Stick me with that knife you can’t carry anymore because you’re a reformed felon?”
“No, that would be too easy.” Xio spun and threw Diego over her shoulder, slamming him to the floor. From that point forward, everything moved at a blur. Gee decked the man on his right, dropping him to the floor and then hopping up on the bar, swinging his legs over. He reached down and came back up with a wooden bat. “First mistake. You shouldn’t have brought trouble to my bar,” he said to man on his left as the thug squeezed off a round and missed. “Second mistake. If you’re going to shoot a man, you better not miss.” Gee didn’t. There was a loud crack as the bat connected with the man’s head. He collapsed into a heap.
So busy watching the drama at the bar unfold, Xio took her eyes off Diego. It turned out to be a big mistake. Her former lover took the opportunity to sweep her feet out from under her and throw his body over hers, pinning her to the floor. Her skull bounced off the hardwood and right into the end of a revolver pressed against the side of her face. Diego stared at her.
“You, over there by the bar, the big bruiser. You don’t want to make this your battle. Drop that bat and put your hands in the air. Do as I say and I won’t kill you. Don’t, and you’re going to end up like your friend here.”
Gee hesitated and Diego pushed the barrel harder into her jaw. “I haven’t got all day.”
“Do it, Gee. He doesn’t have a problem with you. It’s me. Diego won’t kill you if you do as he says. He keeps his word.” Xio’s eyes watered, but she didn’t gasp or whimper. Diego respected strength and would make it quick if she didn’t wimp out. Which brought her full circle to why she still breathed and had a face to breathe from. He wanted the money first. “Kill me. Do it already. That’s what you’ve come here for, isn’t it?”
“Among other things. I was going to kill you quick, China Doll, but I’ve changed my mind.”
“Changing one’s mind is a woman’s prerogative. Just come out and say it. You need me if you want your money back.”
“You’ve always been a clever bitch—knew how to read people. You could have made a killing in poker instead of stealing from me. I want my money, and I want it now.”
“I can’t get your money from here. You might as well get this over with and kill me, because wanting isn’t going to get you shit.”
“A liar as well as a traitor. The sex with that Fed had better been worth it. Where’s the money?”
“Fuck you. I told you I haven’t got it on me. Shoot me.”
He clucked his tongue. “Not to worry, baby. I will kill you when I’m ready. I’ve decided to take my time. Nice and slow. First I’ll skin a piece of you, a leg perhaps, and when I’ve stripped all the skin from your limb, I’ll use a torch to cauterize it. Can’t have you dying too soon. When you think you can’t take any more, I’m going to give you a little shot of opium—since you Asians seem to like that stuff—just to take the edge off and mellow you out.”
“Yeah, because all us Chinese like to get stoned on poppies. Of course. Just like we all know kung fu and eat with fucking chopsticks. If you didn’t have that gun to my head, Diego, I’d make you regret what you just said.”
“Shut up. I’m the one talking. You don’t get a choice in what’s going to happen. You lost that when you betrayed me. So listen close to what I have planned, because if you don’t do what I want, your friend gets the same deal.” He reached out and stroked her cheek. “You’re not going to be stoned, honey. I don’t want you numb, only a little buzzed, enough to keep you from going into shock. Because the next part, that’s special, and I don’t want you to miss a thing. I’m going to take your leg apart, starting with your toes, one at a time. Once I finish with that, I’ll start all over on another limb. You’re going to feel every slice of the blade—scream for me to stop. Beg. You’ll wish I killed you in that bomb blast. But first, I want the money you squirreled away to replace what you let the Feds have. If you don’t tell me where you’ve hidden it, I’m going to do the same thing to your friend as you watch.” He lifted his gaze from her and stared at Gee. “I wanted to be clear on that.”
“You say the sweetest things. I don’t know how any girl could resist you.”
“Don’t fuck with me, Xio. You know I don’t threaten. I make promises. This is your last chance. I want my money.”
She eyed him. Diego wasn’t bluffing. “Give me a pen. I put it in an account.”
“In a bank?”
“Of course in a bank. That’s usually where you find accounts.”
Diego started laughing. “Oh, that’s priceless. You put stolen money, drug money, in a bank—when you’re a bank robber? I gave you everything you wanted, China Doll, and you repaid me by turning state’s evidence and stealing my money to put it in a fucking bank?”
“Well, I wanted it to earn interest and up to two hundred and fifty thousand is FDIC insured. Considering what the peso is against the American dollar, that’s a lot of cash. It won’t make money stuffed in a mattress, so yes, I put it in the bank.” Well, some of it was here, the rest she’d left in Mexico. No reason to share information he didn’t need.
He pulled the pistol away and wrenched her off the floor, then dragged her to a table. He kicked a chair out and shoved her into it. “You heard her, boys. Get the lady a pen. Xio is going to get me my money—with interest.”
“Hold on, Diego. Not that easy.” Xio sucked in a breath. “We have to go there to get it.”
“What?”
“It’s not in a checking account. I told you I wanted it to earn interest. It’s in a certificate of deposit, earning a nice rate, I might add. I can’t just write a check or call and tell them to transfer. They require me to sign paperwork and I’ll do it with a smile if you let my friend go.”
“I don’t need you to smile. I need you to get me my fucking money. You’re not making me very happy, Xio.”
“Like you were a chuckling ray of sunshine when you walked in here.”
Diego tipped his head back and laughed. “You always were funny. Okay, let’s make a little field trip, but your friend is coming with us. Once I have my money, he can go.”
“Fine. Get my purse. It’s under the bar. I’ll need my identification.” She didn’t bother to tell him she’d left the ID she needed to access the money in her safe-deposit box, but it didn’t matter. She sensed Marcus was right outside. How to keep from going out that door and putting the man she loved in the line of fire? “Maybe we should call ahead, let them know we’ll be closing the account.”
“Maybe we should just start cutting your friend up here.”
“That’s not necessary. I’ll take you now.”
The bear gave her a barely perceptible nod and took a quick glance at the window, telling her he knew she was stalling, and he understood why. For once, she was glad of Gee’s odd ability to seem to know what was on her mind. Shit would hit the proverbial fan once they stepped outside. At least he was aware of it.
Now to figure out what to do to get them out of th
is mess. Alive. At least until Drew got hold of her. Answering to the Alpha wasn’t going to be fun, especially when he figured out it was her lie that had brought trouble to his home and pack.
One of the men pulled Gee’s bat victim to his feet. The man groaned and rubbed his head.
“Let’s go,” Diego said and shoved Xio ahead of him.
Chapter Six
“How’d you know it was Diego?” Drew asked.
Marcus peeked through the window and dropped to kneel under the sill, next to the Alpha. “I have a buddy in the FBI who called me ten minutes before the bear. They had some wildfires out in Colorado around the supermax and had to evacuate. Apparently the bus that was supposed to take Diego to another facility was forced off the road and the convicts escaped. The state police have been dealing with a hostage situation and thought Diego was part of a group that held a crew from a local fire department at gunpoint. He wasn’t. By the time they figured out he wasn’t there, he’d had twelve hours on the run. They didn’t think he’d know where to find her, but wanted to give me a heads-up. And then Gee called.
“Told me there were some ugly-looking men in the bar that scared the shit out of Xio. She isn’t frightened of much. I figured only one person could do that.”
“I think you’re dead-on. If I were to describe a Mexican drug lord, he’d look just like that gentleman in there.” Drew slid a couple of shells into his double-barrel shotgun and cocked it one-handed. “When this is over, the three of us need to sit down and talk. I want everything out on the table about her past—your past. I want to know the names of anyone who might be after either one of you. If you so much as farted in public and offended someone, I want to know.”
“Deal. We’ll talk. How many are in there?”
“Diego and five others, besides Xio and Gee. Look to be all armed. They’ve got Gee, and don’t ask me how they managed that. Nobody ever gets Gee. It’s like trying to stop a tank with your bare hands. It doesn’t happen unless he wants it to happen.”
Marcus nodded. That meant he had more control than he was letting on and knew they were outside. But how to surprise them without anyone getting shot and killed was another matter altogether.
Black Hills Desperado (Black Hills Wolves Book 3) Page 5
