by Mary Abshire
“You need to kill that fucker before the hearing.”
“I’m working on it.”
“Work harder.”
Annoyance sparked within Andrew. But that was exactly what Troy wanted. Andrew could play that game too.
“I thought you said you got rid of her Florida charges,” Andrew said.
“I did.”
“Not according to her lawyer.”
“What did he say?”
“He mentioned if the judge sees her other charges he might set her bond higher.”
“That doesn’t mean shit. Did the lawyer see her charges before she went to jail?”
“Yes, we met him last week and he had her records.”
“Then he is probably working from the old documents. He hasn’t checked to see if anything has changed.”
“Are you absolutely sure you got rid of her of the Florida case?” Andrew asked.
“Yes I’m fucking sure of it. Are you calling me a liar?”
“No, no. I—”
“I got rid of the fucking charges. End of story. Your fucking lawyer is a piece of shit. Why are you believing him over me?”
Troy had a valid point. The lawyer couldn’t be trusted. Maybe he hadn’t checked to see if the Florida charges had been dropped. Why would he anyway?
“Sorry, I just want to make sure she gets out today,” Andrew said.
“So do I. Get rid of the fucking lawyer. I’ll meet you before the court hearing.”
The line became silent. Andrew lowered the cell and took a deep breath. He admired Troy because of his devotion to Emily, but the man liked to push Andrew’s buttons. He had a feeling Troy would continue to do so in an effort to force him to walk away from Emily. No matter how hard Troy would irritate him, Andrew wouldn’t leave her. Troy was going to be deeply disappointed if he thought he could ever get rid of Andrew.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Emily waited in line for lunch. Terri stood behind her, chatting with the black prostitute with sleek legs. The smell of garlic and baked bread prompted a growl from her stomach. She’d taken a few bites of sausage and toast during breakfast time and had drunk all her juice, but the continuous gurgling noises from her intestines made her question anything she put in her mouth. She didn’t want to puke in the cell, but bread was her weakness. She loved any kind. One of the gals walked away with breadsticks on her tray. Emily wondered if she could trade her main dish or drink with someone for their breadsticks.
“You have a really nice backside,” Terri said near her ear.
Emily twisted. “How much am I showing?”
“I can see your underwear.”
Emily reached behind her. The dress had ripped from the bottom of the loop down to expose her string bikini. “Shit. Why hasn’t anyone said anything?”
“Because you’re hot. Everyone likes looking at you. I am not ashamed to admit that I love imagining what you look like without the dress on,” Terri said.
Emily swatted her on the arm with the back of her hand. “Don’t get any ideas.”
“Oh, I get plenty, but I’m not dumb enough to try anything. I respect you too much. But you should consider getting a tattoo. I think a nice big angel or dragon would be perfect.”
Emily chuckled as she moved up in the line. She recalled how she and Andrew had talked about getting a tattoo. If she ever got a tat, it wouldn’t be a large one on her back.
“How many do you have?” Emily asked.
“Nine so far.”
“Did the first one hurt?”
“Fuck yeah. I went home and got drunk afterword.”
“I want something unique and I haven’t found it yet.”
“Have you been to a shop? They usually have books you can go through.”
“Yeah, I’ve looked through some. Nothing calls to me. If I’m going to have permanent ink on me, I want it to be special and have meaning.”
“That’s cool. But if you got a dragon on your back, it would look fucking awesome.”
“Next,” the lunch lady said.
Emily spun and realized it was her turn. She hurried to grab a tray and then set it on the counter. The lady dropped a glob of spaghetti in the center. The next lady set two breadsticks on the side. Emily scooted down and the third gal placed a brownie in the corner of her tray.
“Milk or water?” the last lunch lady asked.
“Water.”
She handed a tiny bottle of water to Emily.
Having reached the end of the line, she lifted her tray and headed for the utensils near the wall. She stopped and grabbed a spork since there were no other options. Anxious to eat the breadsticks, she proceeded to an empty table in the back. She sat at the end and faced the room so she wouldn’t have all eyes gazing at her exposed body.
Terri and her prostitute friend sat across form her. “Are you going to eat your spaghetti?” Terri asked.
“I’ll trade you for your breadsticks,” Emily said.
Terri shook her head. “Nah, I like bread too much.”
“I’ll give you a breadstick for your brownie,” the prostitute said.
Emily looked at her desert. She craved bread more than sweets. And really, she doubted she could eat four breadsticks.
“Okay,” she moved her tray closer to the gal. As she took the brownie, Emily claimed one of her breadsticks. “Thanks.”
She bit into the bread. The salty buttery garlic flavor pleased her taste buds. There was a small touch of heaven in prison after all. It didn’t take her long to finish the entire stick.
“I probably won’t eat half my spaghetti,” Emily said to Terri. “You can have half now.”
“Really?” she asked with wide excited eyes.
“Yep. And if I don’t finish, you can have the remains.” She cut her pasta in half before she scooted her tray to Terri.
“You’re the best,” she said as she scooped up a portion of spaghetti.
The three words reminded her of Troy. She said the same thing to him every time he helped her out. She owed him a lot for tackling her problems. Hearing those words directed toward her somehow seemed wrong. The sentiment was nice, but Emily knew she was far from being the best at anything.
Emily thought about her future as she ate her breadsticks. Working with Andrew had risks, but then so did working with Troy when he had asked. She wanted to do something good that would make her feel she was accomplishing something. With Andrew she achieved that. But the man was complicated. She didn’t mind putting her life on the line for someone she respected and looked up to, someone who would do the same for her in a heartbeat. Someone like Troy.
Andrew had a different personality and morals compared to Troy. The differences didn’t make Andrew a bad person. They made him different. Could she respect Andrew the same way she did Troy? Currently, the answer was no. But they’d only known each other a couple of weeks. Mistakes were going to happen. How they were resolved was what mattered. Troy had proven time and time again he could handle any situation thrown at him. The down side to helping Troy was the illegal nature of his tasks. She could debate for days which man would be the best to work with and come to the same conclusion. Both men complicated her life.
Maybe she was better off going on her own way.
Chapter Thirty
The line in Starbucks at twelve forty in the afternoon should’ve been shorter. Most of the customers wore black uniforms and had weapons strapped to their belts. It didn’t take long to figure out where they were heading or coming from since the station was a block away. Andrew crossed his arms as he continued to wait. At least he’d arrived early this time.
The grinding noise from the blender grew louder. Jazz music played, but Andrew could barely hear it. The rich sent of coffee filled the shop. Andrew had passed countless Starbucks stores on his way to the station. If he’d know this one was going to take so long, he would’ve stopped earlier for coffee.
The glass door opened and rays from the sun shined inside, blinding all t
emporarily. A tall man wearing a dark suit and carrying a brief case walked inside. After the tinted door closed, Andrew recognized the black aura surrounding the customer.
“Spencer?” the demon said as he walked up to him.
“Mr. Lazzari, fancy meeting you here.” Andrew had hoped to meet him in front of the station with a cup of poisoned coffee for him. It seemed now he wouldn’t be able to poison the drink. Could he ever catch a break?
“I thought I’d stop in for my afternoon caffeine fix.” He shifted his gaze to the end of the line.
“Let me get one for you. What would you like?” Andrew’s plan had been foiled, but he still had time to find a way to add the poison. First, he needed to persuade the demon into getting a damn drink.
“Oh no, I couldn’t impose.”
“Please, I’m offering. My treat.”
The demon looked at the menu. “If you’re treating, I’ll have a grande mocha latte with skim milk.”
“Got it,” Andrew said as he moved forward in line.
“Good idea coming here early. I try to beat the rush, but I forgot today was Monday. They’re always busy on Mondays because of the arraignment hearings.”
“I don’t suppose they’d give special treatment to lawyers. Do they?”
The demon chuckled. “No. We don’t get any favors.”
“Did you say you have another client to see later?”
“Yes, right after I meet with Carrie. If I’m a little late it’s no big deal. My clients aren’t going anywhere.”
Andrew gave him a phony smile for his stupid remark. Of course his clients couldn’t go anywhere. They were incarcerated.
He stepped forward and lowered his arms to his sides. He rubbed his fingers over his right front pocket. The small bulge belonged to the tube. He’d hoped to put the poison in the cup after he’d left the store, but before meeting the demon. While he couldn’t accomplish his task, he still had opportunities. All he needed for the demon to do was sit his cup down. With some kind of distraction, Andrew could pour the poison into the drink.
“I hope Carrie is okay. She’s never been in jail this long before,” Andrew said.
“Are you close with her?”
The demon’s dark curious eyes triggered imaginary warning bells to Andrew.
“We’re good friends, partners,” Andrew said.
“She seems nice.”
“That’s why people like her.” Andrew stood two customers away from the counter.
“I think I can get her on the right track if we can clear up this matter today,” the demon said.
Andrew met his gaze. “I don’t agree with what you said during our meeting earlier.”
“I could tell. It’s important to let her decide.”
What was important was killing the man before the hearing at three. The rest of his words were nonsense floating in space.
“It is her choice to make, but I will share what I think with her,” Andrew said.
“Of course. You wouldn’t be her friend if you didn’t.”
“Next?” the cashier called out.
Andrew spun and noticed his turn had arrived. He stepped up to the counter and placed his order. As the cashier rang up his total, he withdrew cash from his pocket. The demon had left Andrew and moved to the far end of the counter. Andrew collected his change before he headed to meet him.
“I appreciate the coffee,” the demon said.
“Sure.”
“What did you get?”
“Just a tall house blend. Nothing special.”
“I’ve never tried the regular coffees. I’m addicted to the lattes.”
They waited a few minutes before the order arrived. Andrew claimed his drink while the demon took his. Together, they walked out of the coffee shop.
“What a gorgeous day,” the demon said before he took a sip.
Andrew squinted his eyes as they adjusted. “Good weather for jogging.” He took a sip of his drink as they continued along the sidewalk. He really didn’t want the coffee. The only reason he’d purchased it was so the demon wouldn’t suspect anything wrong.
“Do you work out much?” the demon asked.
“All the time.”
“I bet a lot of women flirt with you. Am I right?” He drank more of his latte.
“Women flirt regardless. It’s in their nature.”
The demon chuckled. “True. They love to spread their legs.”
Andrew would’ve loved to kill the man right then and there. The demon had zero respect for women. Andrew hated to think about all the disgusting things he’d probably done to the opposite sex over the years.
Side-by-side they crossed the street and then proceeded to the entrance of the building. The demon didn’t have to go through security, but Andrew did. The demon waited for him while he emptied the contents of his left pocket. Andrew panicked briefly, but he couldn’t turn back and run. He prayed the tube was small enough and didn’t contain any metal to set off the alarm. After his container with his belongings went through the machine, Andrew stepped through the detector with his cup of java. He stopped several feet past. Relief passed through him as he looked at the machine. The alarm hadn’t gone off.
While Andrew held his coffee and collected his stuff from security, an idea how to poison the demon came to him. He searched the area near the floor, looking for a trash can. When he didn’t see one, he scanned near the shops. He found one. The demon stood near the elevators checking his cell. Andrew slipped the last phone in his pocket as he strode to trash can. After he got rid of his drink, he hurried to catch up with the demon.
“They’re a pain, but in today’s world, we need more security,” the demon said as he slipped his phone into his pocket.
“Mm hm.” The world needed to be safe from the likes of people like him, Andrew thought. Anyone could walk into a building and hurt people. The demon didn’t harm people with a weapon, but he did enough damage with his evil ways.
Andrew’s pulse sprinted as they rode the elevator down two flights to the subbasement. He had a plan to get the poison into the demon’s drink and hoped it would work. After they checked in at the front desk, an officer arrived to escort them back to a room. Excitement built within Andrew. Soon, he’d get his chance to destroy the demon. Better yet, he was going to see Emily.
Chapter Thirty-One
Emily sat alone behind a table in one of the small rooms. The concrete walls had been painted a gray semi-gloss color. Florescent lights buzzed above. In the corner, she spotted a couple of dead beetles. At least she thought they were dead since they hadn’t moved. There wasn’t any window since she was still in the subbasement. Her present company consisted of two empty metal chairs facing her. The guard had left the handcuffs on her wrists before he’d left. Hands clasped together on the table, she waited for someone to arrive.
Minutes passed and the silence in the room strengthened her desire for sleep. She hadn’t rested since she’d fought the new girls. Her red knuckles were a little swollen. The guards had taken a few of the other women back one at a time. After they returned, Terri had asked two of them what was going on. They’d said the cops had questioned them about the fight, who had started it and who had hit who. The gals in the cell told the cops they either didn’t see anything, or they saw the black girls had hit each other. Emily suspected they’d taken her to the room to question her about the fight too.
She rested her head on her arm and closed her eyes. The three breadsticks she’d eaten during lunch had filled her belly and made her sleepier. She was ready to take a nap. The fabric softener from the t-shirt smelled light and soothing. Before they’d returned to the cell from lunch, Terri had asked a guard for a shirt for Emily to wear over her dress since it had ripped. One of the guards had given her a clean top. The logo on the front advertised a band. She didn’t care what the shirt said. The extra layer of clothing smelled clean and covered her exposed backside. At least now she wouldn’t reveal her underwear to a courtroom or any judg
e. In return for Terri’s kindness, Emily had given her some self-defense tips since she’d likely spend some time in prison for stabbing her girlfriend’s boyfriend. At some point Emily would have to say goodbye to her.
A man’s voice outside the door prompted her to open her eyes. She lifted her head and stared at the door. When it opened, she’d expected to see one of the officers. Instead, Michael entered the room dressed in a blue pin-striped suit and carrying a cup of coffee in one hand and his brief case in the other. Andrew walked past him into the room. He had a slightly puffy, discolored eye, indicating someone had hit him. He looked up at the ceiling and then around the room. When his gaze landed on Emily, she jetted up from her seat.
The lawyer talked to the guard at the door as Andrew approached her. His strained eyes and closed lips revealed his concern, but he still offered her a smile. He opened his arms to embrace her and she quickly lifted her cuffed wrists to her chest. Seeing them didn’t stop him from embracing her and drawing her close his body.
“Take a drink of his coffee and leave the lid off,” he whispered into her ear.
She pulled away from him and drew her brows together. After two days apart, she had thought she would hear different words from him. Why would he want her to drink the lawyer’s coffee? He winked at her with his good eye. It took maybe two seconds for the answer to her question to pop into her head. Troy had sent him the poison.
Once Michael finished speaking to the cop, he headed toward them. The police officer shut the door, leaving the three of them alone in a room with no windows and no security cameras. Andrew finally had a chance to destroy the demon.
“Ms. Reynolds, Spencer contacted me about your situation,” Michael said as he set his briefcase on the table. “We need to chat to make sure your story matches his and vice versa.”
Andrew walked around him to the empty chair. He scooted it to Emily’s side, scraping it over the linoleum. He sat next to Emily and gave her a nod.
Michael set his cup on the table before he sat in the empty chair facing them. The locks on his briefcase clicked before he flipped open the lid.
