by D. D. Ayres
Scott edged closer, not wanting to draw the attention of either dog. In a situation this tense, even a handler could get bit by his partner if he or she made a mistake.
Scott held out his hand and said softly, “Come to me, sweetheart. Slowly, like you’re sneaking away. That’s a girl. Come on.”
She moved one foot and then the other in great exaggeration of each step. When she got close, Scott grabbed a handful of her shirt and hauled her up into his arms and put her down on the other side of the fence before climbing back over.
Lorene was there to scoop her up. “Oh, Boo Bear, are you all right?”
Her lower lip trembled as she shook her head. “I wet my pants.”
“That’s okay, sweetheart. Pants can be washed.” Scott ruffled her hair and turned to watch Cole handle Hugo.
Cole waited for Scott to nod and then opened the gate. “Hugo. Hier!”
Hugo didn’t hesitate. He shot past the border collie like a black comet, out of the gate before the other dog had a chance to do more than yelp his surprise.
“Gute Hugo! Gute Hund. So est brav.” Cole tossed him a bell ball, which he happily chased after.
The crowd, having witnessed his furiousness, applauded but backed out of his path.
“I never saw anyone handle a dog like that.” The owner was staring at Cole in wonder. “I don’t know what happened with Bebe. He loves children.”
“You just better thank your lucky stars he didn’t bite my granddaughter.” Lorene held the child protectively. “Keep your damn animals away from the public until you learn to control them. My little granddaughter could have been mauled.”
“Oh no. But he would never, ever harm…” The woman’s voice trailed off as two friends or relatives herded her away. “I just can’t believe it. How could he have behaved that way?”
Lorene snorted her opinion. “They should never let novices attend these big events. Too many people and too much noise. Dogs get all nervous. If the handler does, too, it torques up the animals even more. That gal doesn’t know the first thing about how to train a dog. But you sure do.” Lorene smiled at Cole.
Cole smiled back. “Thank you.”
Lorene looked up at Scott. “Treat her right. She’s a keeper.”
Scott looked at Cole. “I already knew that.”
Cole looked up to see Leila come running up to them.
“Well, hi, Leila. Where did you come from?”
“Mama sent me back with our bodyguard.” Cole looked up to see the Mountain standing a few feet away. “Mama said to ask you if you like jazz.”
“Yes, I guess. Some of it.”
“Not that esoteric sh—stuff. Mama likes smooth jazz, rhythm and blues, that kind of thing. She said if you do, there’s a birthday party for Shujaa at our house tonight. So, tenish. Bring Hugo.” Leila’s gaze shifted to Scott. “She says you can bring him, too.”
With that she turned and hurried away in the direction she’d come, the Mountain following.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“Wuss up?” Eye-C studied Cole and Scott out of distrustful deep green eyes tucked under a heavy brow framed by long thick dreads. Everything about him was broad. His face, his nose, his shoulders, even his waistline. It was a linebacker’s physique except for his height. Shajuanna towered over him in six-inch platform sandals.
She folded her arms and leaned them on his shoulder, hip cocked, as she greeted them. “You’re late.”
Cole glanced at her watch. “Leila said tenish.”
“I’m teasing. You’re way too serious. Collier, this is Noel, Leila’s Agility teacher, and her friend Sam. And this.” She kissed his dreads. “This is my husband, also known as Eye-C. He’s just home from a tour.”
“What’s up?” Scott, expression cool, put out his fist.
After a second’s hesitation, Eye-C gave him a fist bump. “It’s cool.” He looked at his wife. “I’m home. Need to lay it down. Now.”
Shajuanna gave her husband a look that didn’t need interpretation. “You hit the shower then I’ll hit the sheets.”
He gave her a look that took advantage of the fact that her towering height put her bosom nearly at his eye level then reached out and snagged open her neckline and leaned to look in.
Shajuanna smiled. “You good to go?”
“There’s no question.” He released her top and walked away.
Chuckling to herself, Shajuanna hugged Cole. Next she bent down to greet Hugo. “And this ebony sugarplum I know is Hugo.” She waited until the Bouvier nudged her hand before she petted him.
After a moment she looked at the chocolate Lab. “Now who’s this?”
“Izzy.” Scott gave Izzy permission to approach Shajuanna.
Shajuanna smiled and patted her. “Just what I need under my roof, another beautiful bitch.” Her laughter carried through the entry.
“Come here, boyfriend.” She gave Scott a full-bodied hug that Cole noticed included a pat on his butt. She winked at Cole. “See you guys later. My man’s waiting. Grab a drink and then tell Isaac I said show you the kennels.”
It turned out Isaac was the man-mountain of a bodyguard. He was still dressed in a suit, as if it were armor. He led them into the main part of the house, a large family room, casually but expensively decorated with leather furnishings and granite flooring. Shajuanna had come a long way from sharing a bedroom with her brother.
“Get your drinks and something to eat first.” For a man so large his voice was curiously soft. “No food or drinks allowed in the kennel. I’ll be back in fifteen.”
Scott and Cole looked around, clocking the people, the mood, and the numbers.
The party was much more low-key than either of them had expected. The music was jazzy, Brazilian in tone. Less than thirty people were in attendance. However, every other person had a dog on a leash, everything from toys held protectively under the arm to a Neapolitan mastiff spread out like a hundred-and-fifty-pound throw in the far corner.
Scott leaned in toward Cole. “Let’s hope he had a good meal recently.”
Cole nodded and patted Hugo, who had just discovered the worthy rival for his position as alpha male in the room. “Hugo. Pfui.”
Hugo glanced up at her for confirmation. “Lass da sein.” In other words, forget about it.
He woofed under his breath and sat down, deliberately glancing away.
“Why do you talk to Hugo in German?” Leila had appeared before them, dressed in curly poodle ears on a bandeau. She had two more in her hands and offered them.
Cole took a pair.
Scott looked at them as if they might bite. “No.”
“I speak to Hugo in German because it’s the international language for dog training.” A white lie but not totally untrue. It was the dominant language for law-enforcement dog training.
Leila looked very serious, as usual. “Can you teach it to me?”
“When you’ve learned all the commands for Agility in English we’ll see.” Uncomfortable with a promise she knew she’d never be around to keep, she changed the subject. “Where’s the birthday boy?”
“He’s with Mama. It’s a surprise party. He’s got a cake and everything.” Leila pointed to a table in the breakfast area. “Want to see?”
Scott gazed longingly at the food spread out nearby. “You girls go see. Izzy and I are thirsty. You want a drink?”
Cole nodded. “Something light.”
“Your ears?” Leila pointed.
Cole slipped on her polka dot Dalmatian doggy ears. “How do I look?”
“Bitchy.” Leila’s giggle made her sound like the nine-year-old she was.
After a turn about the Puppy Table, Leila went to look for her mother. Cole came back to show Scott her plate. “Look what I found.”
“Sweet.” Scott grabbed the biggest of the two cupcakes from her plate.
“No, no!” Cole grabbed his wrist. “That’s for Izzy. It’s a Pupcake.”
Scott stared suspiciously at the confec
tion in his hand then sniffed it. “It smells like peanut butter and cinnamon.”
“With real cream cheese frosting. I took that off. But Hugo loved the cake part. You should see what they have for the dogs. Sweet potato pretzels. Dog bone cookies. Puppy Chow mix. There’s even a three-tier cake. It’s a doggy’s wet dream.”
To confirm that, Hugo barked. Unfortunately his deep woof rattled the composure of every lapdog within hearing and drew the frowns of the other guests.
“Oops. I suppose we should head outside. I heard there’s pit beef barbecue on the patio. For us humans.”
“That sounds more like it.” Scott grinned and lowered his Pupcake for Izzy to nibble on.
After consuming a plate of melt-in-your-mouth BBQ, they followed Isaac to the kennel. It was designed with a façade that matched the house. Inside the temperature-controlled space, large open crates provided individual space for a dozen Argentinean mastiffs.
The presence of Hugo and Izzy on their home turf set off a barking and growling contest. That didn’t prevent Scott from walking Izzy down the line of crates.
Isaac’s eyes narrowed. “Why’s she sniffing like that?”
“Oh, Izzy has this thing about new scents. Until she’s sorted out which scent belongs to which dog she won’t be happy.” Cole hoped that explanation put Isaac off the fact that Izzy was meticulously sniffing for contraband.
At the end of the kennel, Izzy turned and came back, walking quickly with nose to the ground but never pausing long.
Scott nodded when they were done. “Nice accommodations. What’s in that area?” He nodded toward a short unlit hallway.
“The infirmary, for when the vet comes.”
“Can I see?”
Isaac shrugged.
Scott came back quickly, his expression neutral. “Impressive.”
Cole smiled. Nothing here to implicate the Colliers in puppy drug smuggling.
As they walked back toward the house, Scott’s cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He looked at the text and paused, his mouth tightening.
Cole, alert to his every shade of mood, looked back. “What?”
Scott looked up. “I got to take this. Can you get home if I’m not back in an hour?”
Cole met his gaze but he’d locked her out. “Okay.” She laid a hand on his arm, and squeezed. “I need to hear from you in an hour, either way.”
He nodded and left, taking Izzy with him.
* * *
Shajuanna and Eye-C reappeared five minutes later, with the birthday boy in tow. Shujaa wore Snoop Dogg fake braids and sunglasses. After the birthday song, the Birthday Dog was allowed to take a huge bite out of his specially prepared cake.
Afterward, Eye-C sat down at the piano in the living room and began playing.
Cole smiled as Shajuanna came over to stand by her. “He’s good.”
“Of course he’s good. He minored in music but jazz won’t pay the bills, not like hip-hop. You learn to play what the audience is buying. Who does his style remind you of?”
Cole thought about it. “Maxwell, and some D’Angelo, definitely. And Marvin Gaye.”
Shajuanna leaned back with an arch expression. “Listen to you, sounding all hip and shit.” She glanced around. “What happened to Boyfriend?”
“He remembered he had to be somewhere.”
Shajuanna swung a sharp glance her way. “He left you?”
“He said he’d be back in an hour.”
“Uh-huh.”
Cole turned away from her hostess’s long appraising look. “It was a much cozier party than I expected.”
“Eye-C and I agreed that once the girls became aware of things, he couldn’t bring Eye-C’s gangsta attitude under this roof. He leaves it at the door. I don’t question what happens when he’s not here. It’s about respect.”
Cole nodded, biting into the last of the barbecue on her plate. “The food is outrageous.”
Shajuanna stole a sliver off Cole’s plate and popped it in her mouth. “Growing up in Baltimore, I always wanted to own a restaurant. That way I thought I could be certain everyone in the neighborhood had enough to eat. Those that could would pay. Those that couldn’t would get a voucher for one free meal a day. My brother told me it was a crazy idea. He was going to be a professional baller and move us out of poverty.” She smiled. “This is his barbecue.”
“Really? I’m impressed.”
Shajuanna grinned. “Funny story. He took home economics in high school just to be in a classroom full of girls. Turns out, he was better at making yeast rolls than baskets. He went on to culinary school and now owns the restaurant I always wanted.”
“Did he follow up with your ideas?”
“He did better. Opened a soup kitchen near a shelter last year where all the meals are free, one per day. He asks for donations from the restaurant’s patrons to keep it going.”
“Your family sounds like self-starters.”
“We had to be.” Shajuanna paused as if deciding how much of herself she wanted to share. “Mom died when we were little and Dad worked two jobs to keep us in school. I was lucky enough to get an academic scholarship to college. I like nice things.” She spread her arm to include her room. “But I earn them. So does Eye-C.”
When Eye-C finished his set to lots of appreciative applause, Shajuanna nudged Cole. “You got a minute?”
Shajuanna led her away from the party into a media room and closed the doors. “Have a seat.”
Cole sat on the edge of a plush leather media chair and put Hugo in the down position. Shajuanna had been eyeing her speculatively while Eye-C performed but now Cole was getting a distinctly uncomfortable feeling there was more to this one-to-one than girl talk.
Shajuanna sat next to her, dark eyes shining. “How long have you and Sam been together?”
“A couple of months.”
“You know him before that?”
Get Noel’s story straight, Cole reminded herself. “No. We met at my cousin’s wedding in Baltimore back in the spring. Why?”
“I can read people. I know, you probably don’t believe in that kind of thing. But for me, people have auras.”
Feeling uneasy, Cole nodded. “That must be fun.”
“Not really. Auras can tell you more than you want to know. Ever since I was a little girl I’ve never known if or how much to tell people. Most of the time, I keep it to myself.” She paused to gaze steadily at Cole. “You’ve got this really intense thing going on with Sam. And you’re really jacked up about it. It’s all through your aura. So I thought you should know.”
“Know what?”
“Sam’s not who he seems. His aura tells me Boyfriend’s a cop.”
Cole couldn’t quite master her surprise, so she went with it. “Wow. I don’t know what to say.”
“It’s no secret Collier was recently released from prison so he’s still paranoid as hell about every new person he meets. I’m not paranoid. But I’m definitely catching a vibe about your Sam.”
Cole tried to look casual as she reached for her soda. “He told me he manages a motorcycle shop in New Jersey.”
“You seen it?”
Cole shook her head. Stick to the truth as much as possible. “He was in the military before that. He doesn’t talk about it.”
“That could be why he’s got that watchful-eye thing going on. He’s hard in a way that says street experience, deep and long.”
She pulled a card out of her pocket and handed it to Cole. “You need to do a background check on your man.” She tapped the card. “Kelli will get all deep in anybody’s shit. Maybe he’s PoPo. Maybe something else. Shajuanna’s never wrong about a man who’s packing.”
Cole let her surprise show again. “You know Sam carries a gun?”
“You see me hug him when he came in? I do that to all the new men crossing my threshold. Yardmen and plumbers think I’m fresh. What I am is thorough. Every ass I pat is about the patdown. I guard my home. You hear me?”
Cole w
as a little surprised. “Don’t you trust your security?”
“Security gets lazy. That’s why I’m always changing it up for them. They work for me but they don’t know when or how long, or even which days I’m doing what. If I’m constantly changing it up, they have to stay on their toes. And they can’t tell anyone ahead of time when or where I’ll be. I know I sound hard but I have to be, for the sake of my girls.”
“Why? Has someone tried to abduct them?”
“Tried and succeeded, once. Collier’s been married before. Crazy woman. So crazy Eye-C got custody of Leila. Five years ago, I left Leila with an au pair to take Miya in for a well-baby check. Ex-wife snatched Leila in the park, thinking she could up her alimony with extortion. Got her skinny butt put in jail, instead. Thank you, Jesus.” Shajuanna raised a hand palm flat to the sky. “Everybody wants a piece of our world.”
“I see.” Cole did some quick calculation about her options. “If you don’t want me and Sam around—”
“I didn’t say that. I like you. Sam makes you happy.” She smiled and patted Cole’s cheek. “As long as you’re happy, I’m happy. Trust, but verify, Noel. Anything changes, it all changes.”
“Thanks for the heads-up.”
Shajuanna stood up. “I need a drink. You like blood orange margaritas?”
“I’m game to find out.”
As she followed her hostess back into the party, Cole felt as if the world had shifted under her feet.
Scott had been identified but it didn’t seem like a major problem. Had she been believed? Or was Shajuanna suspicious? Either way, that couldn’t be good. She needed to reach Scott before he turned up here again.
She reached for her phone but decided against sending him a message. It might be the wrong time. She’d just have to make certain she caught him at the door.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The sign over the door read B’MORE BILLIARDS & ARCADE. ADULTS ONLY.
This was the address Dave had texted him without any assurance that X would be here.
When Scott called Dave for more intel, Dave said X’s parole officer had voluntarily called him with the address. “He said X had been in touch to ask him to meet him there tonight. Something about a birthday celebration but he said he doesn’t party with his parolees.”
