Rock Her (Rocked, #1)

by Liz Thomas

  “Why the hell are you trying to kill me?” Kip kept his distance, but turned his body to always stay facing this nut job.

  “What? Kill you?” The man said, a look of humor had come over his face.

  Kip was taken aback by the reaction. Could it be that this guy is so far gone he doesn’t know what he’s doing?

  Then Kip watched as the man stepped slightly closer to his rifle, and Kip too better stock of the man’s weapon. A Mossberg Tactical AR-15, a thirteen hundred dollar weapon pretty much anywhere you bought it. And it was in perfect condition. None of this was adding up. Something else too. As the man took another step toward his rifle, Kip noticed his shoes. The water from the alley was beading on the well-oiled patent leather. Bum my ass!

  “Who said I was trying to kill YOU?” the man said, just as he quickly bent to pick up the rifle. Before his hand made it to the stock, the door swung wide and an iron bar swung down on him from inside the building, knocking him to the ground. It gave Kip the split second he needed to cover the distance and tackle the man again, drawing him out of reach of the rifle. But as they rolled, the man ended up on top and with a lucky move, he managed to get his hands on each side of Kip’s head. He banged his skull into the gravelly pavement, sending Kip into buzzing state, nearly unable to see anything except the man’s fist recoiled and inches from his face, about to plant directly into his nose.

  Again, the metal pipe came down from out of Kip’s peripheral vision. It impacted on the back of the hobo assassin’s neck, sending him rolling over Kip and away. Then Annie was there, kneeling over Kip, her hands cupping his head. When his vision cleared, he turned his gaze from her tear filled face to the fleeing bum. His duster the last thing he saw as the man turned the corner and disappeared from the alley.

  Kip took a deep breath and tried to sit up. Annie helped him to a sitting position and started to examine the back of his skull.

  “Annie, what the hell are you doing here?” Kip said. Didn’t I tell you to stay put.

  Annie paused what she was doing and put her face in front of his. “You’re welcome.”

  “Kip smiled at her. “Okay, thank you for saving me. But really, why are you here? Where are the cops?”

  “They are across the street, swarming my apartment building. Probably looking for me and you,” she said.

  “Okay again,” Kip said. “But why aren’t they here? This is where all of the action is.”

  “I suppose because they haven’t figured that out yet.”

  “Well,” Kip said, “How did you know I was here?”

  “I knew where you were going as soon as you left me in my hallway. Kip, why are you being so cantankerous? Be glad I arrived when I did. I stopped that man from killing you.”

  “Yes.” Kip said. “Yes, I am glad Annie. Thank you. I guess it’s just that when I come to in an alley soaking wet and bruised, I usually see a lot of angry cops standing around me.”

  Annie’s seriously concerned face softened slightly, and she helped Kip to his feet. Kip noticed the rifle still on the ground behind her.

  “Annie, something is seriously wrong here,” Kip said, rubbing the back of his head, still trying to clear the fog from his vision.

  “Yeah, I’ll say!” Annie said too loudly. Kip looked back down to where he last saw the assassin round the corner, praying he didn’t see him come back around to greet them again.

  “No, I mean, I am not sure we know fully what is going on.”

  “Kip, we don’t even have a clue what is going on!” Annie said. She was confused by Kip’s analysis.

  “Annie that was the same guy that tried to shoot me the other night in the street.”

  “He didn’t try, Kip, He did somewhat shoot you,” Annie said, pointing to his shoulder.

  “Yeah, but I mean, I don’t think he was trying to shoot me. I think he was trying to shoot you. Today too. It was you he is after. And he is no ordinary bum, Annie. This guy is a professional.”

  Annie shook her head. “What are you saying, Kip?”

  “I am saying that I think someone has put a hit out on you. And I think he is the hit man.”

  “A hit?” Annie’s tears began to flow again. “What?”

  Crying again? Shit. Women are so emotional.

  “I first thought it was about me, since I ran into the guy in the street before I even saw you at the Hilton the other night. But that was your apartment he shot to pieces. It was your apartment he trashed and pulled down the curtains, giving him a clear view into the place from his snipers nest across the street.”

  “Kip, this is just dumb, why would anyone want to kill me? I don’t have anything.”

  Kip shrugged. “You have an angry ex.”

  “Stewart?” Annie said incredulously. Then she tried a laugh, but it didn’t much sound like one. “Kip, Stewart is a lot of things, but a killer?”

  “Annie, I have seen many good men do some really evil things,” Kip tried to say with some level of comfort in his voice. “A lot better men than Stewart.”

  Annie looked down as Kip bent to pick up the rifle. She shook her head again, as if trying to sort out all that has happened in so little time. “Kip, why the hell would Stewart try to have me killed? We are already divorced. What could he possible gain from it?”

  Kip kept his eyes on the rifle, examining it. He popped the clip out. It was full. The shooter must have changed clips when he was spying out of the doorway, just before Kip jumped on him. “Does he have an insurance policy out on you?”

  “What? No. I mean… I don’t know.”

  Kip looked at her finally and raised his eyebrows. “Do you know where he is right now?”

  “I, uh, at work I would presume. Lacey and Associates.”

  Just then Kip heard a shuffle of feet from somewhere out of sight and he knew immediately that the police were about to make their appearance. He dropped the rifle, just to avoid the obvious confusion. As soon as it hit the ground the men in blue rounded the corner, weapons drawn.

  After ten minutes of being ordered to get on their face and lace their fingers behind their heads, being frisked, interrogated and held against the wall, they were finally able to get their story out. Eventually, the two officers that had visited Kip’s room yesterday morning arrived, the one named Capuli and the other one, and verified Kip’s identity and back story. It was Annie Beecher’s apartment that was in pieces across the street, so their story seemed to check out. Although some of the officer’s present had a hard time believing that Kip had actually tracked and jumped the hit man all alone. He was either Superman or had a serious death wish.

  Kip gave the officers his theory about the identity of the bum, and they actually seemed to find it reasonable, since the guys hands didn’t match the rest of his look, and neither did his shoes. But, Kip was sure the real convincing evidence was the Mossberg Tactical AR-15 left behind by the shooter. This was clearly a professional’s weapon. Not something some lone demented lunatic bum would have the money to invest in.

  Then one of the lieutenants pulled Annie away from Kip for a ‘private word’. Kip watched them from a distance as Annie cried, then nodded, then looked around in concern, then nodded again. When she returned, the officer offered them a ride back to the hotel. Kip readily accepted.

  “But, Kip, what about my stuff?” Annie asked him.

  “You mean the stuff in your apartment? The stuff that is strewn around the floor and shot all to hell? That stuff?” Kip asked, realizing that he could have said that with a little more tact.

  Annie nodded.

  “Annie, I’ll buy you more stuff. Whatever was in your apartment, I’ll replace it. Hell, I’ll replace the whole apartment building. If you have something in there that you cannot part with, let’s ask the cops to get it for you. There is no reason for you to go back there. Today or really ever.”

  Annie nodded, her tears welling again and streaming down her face.

  “Annie, I am really sorry. I know how crazy this has
all been.”

  Annie looked up at the sky. “It’s just that my whole life has changed so much in the past few days, even hours.”

  “I know,” Kip said, and he reached out and pulled her into him, hugging her tight.

  As Kip breathed deep the sweet scent of her hair, he asked her: “Annie, what did the lieutenant want with you?”

  “They want to do a sting on Stewart. They want me to confront him about the hit while I wear a microphone.”

  Kip held her away so he could look her in the eyes. “No shit? And you said?”

  “I said yes.”

  “So, you think I am right, then?” Kip asked.

  Annie nodded. “It’s the only real explanation. The only one I can think of.”

  “When do they want to do it?” Kip asked.

  “Tomorrow,” came the answer.

  “Great, so we have time to go shopping tonight then,” Kip said, trying to sound chipper.

  Annie smiled. The first smile he’d seen on her since this morning.

  Kip looked around for officer Capuli and he waved at him, motioning him to come over.

  “Do you have anything in your apartment that you want brought over to the hotel?” Kip asked.

  Annie bit her lip, thinking. “For now, just my notebook, and laptop. They can both be found in my bedroom on my vanity. Oh my God I hope my laptop did not get shot up!”

  Kip shrugged as Capuli walked up. “If it is, I’ll get you a new one. No worries.”

  “No, Kip, you don’t understand,” Annie said. “All of my work is on there. Every bit of writing I have done. It’s all there. I kept meaning to get an external hard drive, but I never did.”

  Kip asked Capuli if he would retrieve the laptop and notebook from the apartment and bring it to the hotel. “If you could just leave it at the desk,” he added. Capuli agreed and expressed his sorrow about the way the day had turned for them.

  Then Kip and Annie went to the waiting deputy and climbed into his car.

  “Uh, we decided we weren’t quite ready to go back to the hotel yet. Do you think you can drop us off at the City Center?”

  “That works for me,” the deputy agreed.

  During the drive to the City Center, which is a mall downtown, Annie was mostly silent. Kip could tell she was worried about her laptop.

  “I am sure it will be fine,” Kip said. “Most of the gunfire was at me in the living room. I don’t think the bedroom even got hit at all.”

  Annie finally gave his a faint smile in appreciation of his concern. “Thanks Kip,” she said. “But I wasn’t so much thinking about that as I was about Stewart.”

  Kip nodded.

  “I mean, I know it is the logical answer, I just still can’t see it in him. Never in my wildest dreams…”

  “Did you ever in your wildest dreams think he would ever hit you?” Kip asked. “Even in public like he did the other night? I keep telling you, Annie, this guy is not the same guy you married. He is deeply disturbed.”

  “I know Kip. I know. But still, murder?” My God, I just can’t get my head around it.”

  “I am sorry you have to go through this, Annie. Really.” Kip told her.

  “Kip,” Annie said, suddenly looking seriously concerned again. “Should we be out in the open walking around at the mall?”

  “No!” came the gruff voice from the front seat. “Absolutely not!” The deputy had spoken.

  Kip shrugged. “Maybe you could walk around with us?”

  “You mean like a body guard?” the deputy asked?

  “Sure.” Kip said.

  “I am a cop,” the deputy said. “Not a hired hand.”

  “Deputy, what is your name?” Kip asked him, leaning forward in the back seat, crossing his arms over the seatback and talking into the rear view mirror.

  “Sparks,” the deputy answered.

  “Do you know how much money I give to the police benevolent association, Deputy Sparks?” Kip asked. He tried to make it sound as good natured as he could, though he really meant the implication.

  “I don’t even know who the fuck you are!” the cop replied with a heavy Brooklyn accent. “And I am telling you, I ain’t no fucking hired bodyguard. My orders were to take you where you wanted to go. You want to go to the City Center, ain’t no skin off my neck. That’s where we’ll go.”

  Kip leaned back into the seat again; embarrassed that he had tried to pressure the cop into doing something for him just because he had money. He thought that he had forgotten himself for a moment.

  “Hey, Deputy Sparks,” Kip said, trying to sound contrite. “I am sorry. Really. I didn’t mean that the way that it sounded. Or, I guess I did. Like I said, I am sorry.”

  “Forget it,” Sparks said.

  They arrived at the City Center moments later. The deputy pulled up to the doors that lead into the food court. The place looked no busier or less busy than it ever did. Typical day for everyone else, it seemed.

  Kip and Annie slid across the seat and let themselves out.

  “Hey, buddy,” the deputy said.

  Kip leaned back into the car. “Yeah?”

  “You want me to wait?”

  “Nah,” Kip replied, waving his arm at him. “We’ll grab a taxi back to the hotel when we’re done.”

  “I don’t mind, really,” Sparks said. “If something should happen to ya, I’d feel pretty shitty.”

  “Thanks Deputy.” Kip said. “Fact is I am not sure how long we’ll be. I told her I would replace everything in her apartment. Might take a while, you know?”

  Sparks nodded. “Hey, buddy.”

  Kip leaned back into the squad car. “Yeah?”

  “Nice work today. I mean, acting the bad ass and all,” Sparks said under his thick mustache. “That was real hero shit. You have my respect for that.” He threw his arm over the seat and held out his hand. Kip took it.

  “Thanks,” he said. “But frankly, I’d really like to leave that shit behind, you know?”

  “Yeah, believe me, I know.” Sparks said.

  Kip was on edge as they walked through the food court. He hadn’t really thought about the danger of being out in the open until Annie asked him about it. He had just assured himself after the assassin hobo disappeared from the alley that the immediate danger was over. Much like it was in Afghanistan. After a firefight, the enemy would disperse, if they hadn’t all been pieces of meat strewn about the battleground after the shooting stopped. Army guys would secure the perimeter and his platoon would police the area for their dead or wounded. He very rarely gave thought to his safety then.

  But this was the real world here. A dedicated hit man could easily have followed them from the scene of the initial attack. The more he thought about it, the tenser he got. But before long it was clear that Annie was relaxing and that made Kip relax. She felt safe with Kip, even after the day’s events. Kip went from scanning the shopping crowd to only being able to watch Annie smile and laugh as she began to forget about the possible danger she was in. Kip never forgot about the danger, though he did begin to relax along with Annie.

  In a couple of hours, Kip had been into several boutiques, and was carrying six or seven bags full of clothes, shoes and jewelry. He reassured Annie that when they return from Afghanistan he would buy her new furniture and appliances, and set her up in a new apartment. Annie look embarrassed at the idea.

  “What?’ Kip asked.

  “I guess it’s just, well, I don’t want to feel like I am taking advantage.”

  “You’re not taking advantage, I offered,” Kip said.

  “Yeah, but Kip, we met just three days ago,” Annie reminded him.

  “Well, yeah, but we spoke on the phone for the first time four weeks ago. So, really, we met then.” Kip was joking with her. He knew what she meant.

  “Kip, I am just saying that we aren’t really in a relationship,” Annie said. “I mean, to spend so much money on me.”

  Kip stopped walking and turned to her. “Annie, I have
spent hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars on people I have never even met through my charities. Remember? I told you that I gave away nearly everything I make except what I make from the concerts and albums.”

  “Yes, I remember,” Annie said, blushing.

  “And besides, Annie, who’s to say we can’t or won’t be in a relationship?” Kip just threw it out there. And there it is, he thought.

  Annie’s face changed. She looked deep into thought. “I have always been so practical about dating and relationships, Kip. I mean, well, I don’t know what I mean.” She laughed.

  “Well, we have dated,” Kip said. “And besides, all practicality aside, I have judged you to be a really good fuck and pretty solid in a tough situation. There’s really only one question left.”

  “Annie laughed. “Oh? What’s that?”

  “Can you cook?” Kip smiled, then started walking again, taking her hand. “My Mom was such a great cook. Frankly, I haven’t met anyone that can match her. It’s pretty important, you know?”

  “Is that what you’re looking for? Your mother?” Annie asked.

  “Oh, hell no! I would never fuck my mother!” Kip said.

  “Well, good. Because I am the shittiest cook you have ever known. God knows how I keep this figure with the crap I eat from takeout and fast food.”

  Kip stopped again and scanned her up and down. “Well, Hell, Annie, whatever you’re eating, let’s get some more of it in you.”

  Annie laughed. “I think I saw a PF Chang’s at the far end of the mall. I am famished,” she said.

  “If that’s what it takes to maintain your curves, I am ready for some oriental.” Kip said. Then later, some ching chang bada bing bang.

  Kip made a scan of the area as they headed toward the restaurant and saw something that caused a double take. Over to the right of them, standing halfway behind the fountain, Kip spied deputy Sparks trying to look inconspicuous. The uniform did not help. Kip smiled at the thought of this guy acting tough in the car, but clearly he was a true softy, and he actually cared. It helped Kip to relax more knowing he was there. And he just smiled again at Annie. He did not intend to tell her they were being watched by the deputy. Frankly, he didn’t want to bring up anything more about the attempt on her life today. It seemed she was truly having fun and he didn’t want to spoil it.