by Michael Todd
“Goddammit, we missed two of them,” Brown growled, walking up to the detectives. “The sneaky bastards. They crept right past while we were dealing with the others.”
“You got six, though, and that’s a record,” Schultz pointed out.
Brown sighed. “Yeah, but we do things to perfection in the Nineteenth. That should have been a cakewalk. She might as well have gift-wrapped them for us.”
A few moments later the door to the club opened again and Katie walked out, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. She nodded at Schultz and walked up to the group. “How did it go? It wasn’t too bad in there tonight.”
“They got six out of the eight,” Lowery replied.
“Where did the other two run?”
Brown pointed down the block, and Katie sighed.
Don’t do it. It’s not your freaking job.
I know. Katie sighed. I need to let the other two go. If I don’t, they’ll assume I’ll always be there to fix all of their mistakes. It’s fucking annoying, though. I served them up on a platter for them, and they should have had them in the bag. I know I’ve got to teach them what to do. That’s why I’m here.
Precisely. Besides, those two will get caught eventually. They ran, which means their demons aren’t going to stay hidden for long.
“We’ll wrap things up here,” Lowery told her. “Thanks for your help. We don’t work with the Damned often, but this was good. We’ll round up the other two, and next time we’ll get ‘em all.”
Katie nodded and followed Travers and Schulz to the car. They headed back to the station across from the Stewart and dealt with all the paperwork. Katie had to sign a couple of things, but mostly she was just there to make sure everyone got updated. When they were done, Schultz handed her an envelope. “Here’s your consulting fee. Thanks again for helping.”
“No problem.” Katie smiled as she stuffed the envelope into her back pocket. “I’m sure we’ll be working together a lot in the future.”
Katie left the precinct and crossed to the Stewart Hotel, thankful she was done much earlier than she’d thought. The night manager had come on duty, and he waved Katie over to the desk.
Katie hoped nothing was wrong. Whatever it was that had drawn her to Angie, she still had no idea who the woman was or what she was capable of.
“The young lady staying in the room upstairs—”
“Yes. Angie. Is everything all right?”
“Oh, yes. I wanted to let you know that she has been taken care of while you were away, per your request. She’s a very nice lady. She was only in her room long enough to put her things away. I personally delivered the shipment from the clothing company to her room. She’s been on the first floor in the computer room since then. We delivered her dinner and dessert there to make sure she’d eaten. She’s still there.”
“Great. Thank you so much for doing that.”
“Not a problem. Is there anything I can get for you?”
“No.” Katie smiled. “I’m going to check in on her, and then I have a date with that glorious bed.”
The manager smiled. “Very good, madam. Have a good evening.”
“You too.”
Katie took the escalator to the first floor and headed to the room where the guest computers were situated. Angie was the only one there. She was typing away and taking notes on a pad to her side. Katie smiled, hoping she’d found what she was looking for, both regarding Katie and furnishing the new house. Katie went over and sat down in the chair next to her.
Angie dragged her gaze from the screen and blinked at Katie owlishly. “You’re back early.”
Katie chuckled. “Not that early.”
Angie rubbed her eyes. “I got caught up here, I guess. I lost track of time.”
“Did you find what you came to look for?”
Angie pulled Katie into a surprise hug. “I’m so sorry I treated you the way I did. I feel terrible for doubting you! I know now that you’re one of the good guys. I researched you and your team like you told me to, and you’re all heroes, demons or no demons.”
“No need to apologize. I can understand your apprehension. It’s smart of you to be cautious around people you don’t know, especially after everything you’ve been through.” Katie quickly changed the subject before the moment got emotional. “So, what did you find in the way of furniture?”
“Well!” Angie flipped through her notes excitedly. “There are a ton of upscale furniture places in the city. That’s not a concern, but I thought maybe you would want to go a different way.”
“What way would that be?”
“You’re a very busy woman. With the mercenaries and your businesses, you’re always on the go. Even though there are multitudes of nice furniture stores out there, I was thinking that it would be easier for you to hire someone who does this for a living. I mean, there’s sourcing, shipping, and being here for deliveries and installation. Unless you know how to do all that?”
Katie laughed. “No.”
“Me either.” Angie smiled. “But there are some really excellent interior designers in this city who do, and they’ll help you with the personal touches that will put your stamp on the place. I mean, you can go the furniture way, but all you’re doing is placing furniture in a house with no real meaning behind it. You want to make your house a home, right?”
“Oh, absolutely. That’s very important to me.”
Angie raised an eyebrow. “Besides, why have a multimillion-dollar condo with an amazing view of the park and not have any fashion sense to go with it?”
“I think you might be right.” Katie smiled. “Tomorrow, will you start looking for someone to help us? Someone who is traditional, but versatile at the same time.”
“I’ve already started that list, and I left off anyone who didn’t have traditional styles in their portfolio. I had a feeling you were going to want more of a mixture of styles than anything specific.”
Katie chuckled. “Look at that—you’re already on the ball. I like it, so keep that up. Now, it’s late, I’m exhausted, and you need to get some sleep. You’ve been through a lot today. There’s the most comfortable bed ever in your room, just waiting for you to pass out in it.”
“I know.” Angie groaned happily. “I sat down on it when I dropped off my things. I have to admit, it’s the nicest bed I’ve ever sat on. I didn’t want to get up. I just wanted to curl up right then and there and pass out.”
“But you didn’t, and that showed initiative. Good work.”
Angie flushed with pride. Katie recognized that something had changed in her, and she hoped with all her heart that the change stuck.
Angie gathered her things and the two headed for the nineteenth floor. They didn’t say much in the elevator on the way up since they were both exhausted. It didn’t hit Angie until she was in the elevator, and Katie only held it back until she stepped out into the hall with her room key in her hand.
Katie stopped at her door and smiled at Angie. “Everything is gonna work itself out. We just gotta keep pushing through, right?”
“Yep.” Angie smiled. “Sleep well. I’ll knock at ten if you’re not up.”
“Thanks.” Katie smiled as she opened her door. She was more than ready for a good night’s sleep.
14
Calvin leaned his head back and spread his arms wide as he wound his hips to the music. Bikini-clad women danced all around him, which confirmed to him that his decision to return to the Ibiza that night was sound.
He was spoiled for choice. Everywhere he looked there was a woman who wanted to take a walk on the Calvin side. He hadn’t hooked up with anyone specific so far that night, but he definitely had a lot of options. This time he’d made sure to wear swimming trunks and bring a towel so that he could take a swim or cozy up with some beautiful ladies in the hot tubs—maybe even stick around for the after-hours party, which he’d been told had an even looser dress code.
As one song ended and the other began the crowd put their hand
s in the air, jumping up and down. Calvin jumped with everyone else, feeling the connection to the music and the people around him. He wondered how he had managed to get lucky enough to be where he was and doing exactly what he was doing at this moment.
He was starting to understand why Russell kept coming back to Cabo. The place and the women were hypnotizing.
Calvin grooved to the sound. He spied a group of stunning women dancing together off to the side, nodded to the one who met his gaze, and danced his way toward them. However, as he inched closer he saw the security guards hovering behind the women. Their eyes roved the area surrounding the women, and their hands moved closer to the butts of their guns whenever a man dared to approach.
It suddenly became clear to Calvin why the women were dancing away from the others. They were not allowed to dance with other men, and the guards weren’t just protection but chaperones as well.
Three of the four women laughed and giggled, dancing and drinking together. The fourth appeared distant, her mind far from the fun her companions were having. At first glance, she looked just like the others. Her hair was perfect, her makeup flawless. She was draped in diamonds and wearing immaculate couture.
Then Calvin spotted the black and blue marks on her legs when she shifted on the barstool.
It pissed him off, and he felt the anger rising in his chest. A glance at the human bodyguards—who’d noticed him staring—reminded him that it was none of his business. There were no demons involved that he knew of. He was here on vacation, and taking on drug lords was definitely not on his list of things to do.
She looked at him again with those sad, dark eyes.
Dammit, guess my vacation is over for the night. However, this wasn’t the place to make a scene. He made a show of shrugging and danced his way back to the center of the dance floor, where the women were waiting for him.
He passed the night dancing with a plethora of women, but beneath the party-guy exterior, Calvin’s mind writhed as he tried to figure out a way to get a moment alone with the woman so he could offer her his help. Every now and then he stole a glance at the corner to make sure he didn’t miss them leaving, and as the bartender handed him his bill, he saw the guards and the four women walking toward the door.
He threw a few bills onto the bar, enough to cover the tab and leave a generous tip, and headed out behind them. Calvin hung back while the guards escorted the women to the curb, where they waited at the valet point for their car to be brought around.
Before Calvin had a chance to act, a black SUV pulled up on the opposite curb, and half a dozen men dressed in black jumped out and began shooting at the guards.
The women screamed and scattered when the two guards went down in a hail of bullets. One of them lay on the ground in a rapidly spreading puddle of blood, but he still returned fire as three of the men grabbed the fourth woman from the bar.
She screamed and kicked in an attempt to get away from them, but they were too strong for her.
Calvin took off toward them. He couldn’t help but act, but as he picked up the pace, he started to remember that he wasn’t at home here. For all he knew, her abductors might actually be her family come to her rescue or something.
He rejected that thought almost instantly. From the rough way the kidnappers were handling her, Calvin seriously doubted she knew any of them. They weren’t careful with her at all, and Calvin’s gut told him that if she were pulled into that car, she wouldn’t be alive much longer.
He ran over to the two dead guards in the street and snatched up their weapons. He also swiped the extra clips from their belts. He didn’t have time to stop and see if he could help them. He had to save the woman. The men had been taking too much fire in the beginning, so they’d sent the SUV around the block to pick them up in a safer location.
Calvin shoved the spare clips in his pocket and raised the gun in front of him as he cut behind the building, keeping his eyes peeled for the three guys and the woman. He found them a minute later, and stayed in the shadows at the edge of the building while he figured out the scene in front of him.
One of the guys had his hand over the woman’s mouth, trying to muffle her screams as he dragged her toward the SUV. She screamed anyway and thrashed wildly against her captor’s grip. She threw her head back against him, and Calvin heard the guy’s nose crunch.
Calvin smirked. She was a fighter, that was for sure. Down the street, headlights flashed to hurry the kidnappers up, and he knew he had to help her right then and there, because once she was inside, there would be little he could do.
It would be his only chance
You got this, Marty whispered. You’ve taken on way bigger assholes in the past, and they’re not even demons.
Thanks for the moral support, but shhh… I’m trying to think here.
Fine, fine, whatever. Humans—pieces of damn work every time.
Calvin ignored Marty’s comments and began shooting as he ran to the rescue. The guard in the front went down with a shot to the head and the second turned with the woman, using her as a shield. She was still struggling to get free. Calvin didn’t flinch. He maintained his pace, tossed the gun into his other hand, and punched the guard as hard as he could. The man let go of the woman and dropped to the ground like a brick.
Broken Nose came straight at him and Calvin shot him point-blank, then held his hand out to the woman and pulled her into the alley. They ran as fast as they could until they were across the next street and hiding behind a dumpster.
“Esos sucios hijos de puta. Me iban a secuestrar. Necesitamos salir aquí. No hay ningún lugar seguro para estar aquí. Sabía que esta mierda iba a suceder. Solo lo sabía.”
Calvin shook his head. He was trying to understand her, but he didn’t speak Spanish. She wrung her hands in frustration, standing up and pacing back and forth. Calvin grabbed her arm and pulled her back down just as the SUV passed by, the men inside looking up and down the streets. She shook her head, not looking at Calvin.
“¿A dónde voy? Que esta pasando? Sabía que esto era algo malo desde el principio. Nunca debería haberse conectado con él. Me ha metido en un mundo de problemas y ahora estoy aquí, con un hombre extraño y necesito calmarme, pensar. Vamos, piensa.”
“Hey, slow down, I can’t understand you.” Calvin pointed to himself. “American, Calvin.”
The woman gave him a snarky look and pointed to herself. “Bilingual, Sofia.”
Calvin nodded and looked around the corner and back at her. “Do you need some help?”
She tilted her head at him. “How many bullets do you have?”
Calvin shrugged. “Probably not enough, but there are plenty of weapons one block over if we need them. Look, Sofia, I will help you if you want. It’s what I do. But if my assistance isn’t welcome please tell me, because I’m happy to go back to the Pacifica and sleep the night away. I’m supposed to be on vacation.”
Sofia bit her lip while she considered Calvin’s offer. She knew she could disappear into the city and probably be okay, but she wasn’t sure she could make it all that way without being spotted and dragged back. On the other hand, she could go with this guy and try to figure out what to do next. It was a crapshoot either way, but she had no idea if she would be safe with him. He had saved her, killed two guys and knocked the other one out, so either he was some freak who wanted her all to himself or was actually the guy he seemed to be.
Finally, she looked up at him with a serious face. “Can you really help me? I mean really? Not just some crazy American gunslinger fantasy, but actually help me be safe?”
Calvin met her eyes, allowing his to flare bright red. She let out a little gasp and took an involuntary step back. “You have a demon!”
He smiled gently to soften the effect for her benefit. “For some of us, the demons are our bitches.” He half-expected Marty to complain about being called his bitch, but his demon didn’t even scoff.
Calvin didn’t wait for her answer; he didn’t have time for that.
The SUV would be back any minute, since it was clear that they wanted her and they weren’t going to let go that easily. Whoever had ordered her kidnapping was bold enough to make it happen in the middle of the street in front of a busy club.
They returned to the end of the alley, and Calvin picked up all the dropped ammo and weapons. He filled his bathing suit shorts with the clips, and stuck the handguns in the waistband of his board shorts.
He made sure his shirt covered the weapons. Sofia jerked when the squealing of tires cut the night.
Calvin instantly went on full alert. He grabbed Sofia’s wrist and they pelted to the next street over and hid in the shadows, but the car that went by was filled with loud, drunken tourists. They both sighed with relief, and Calvin pulled out his phone and dialed the number to the cab service the hotel had suggested. Sofia waited in the shadows while Calvin watched the street for the cab.
When the cab pulled up, Calvin glanced around to make sure it was safe before nodding to her. She ran over and jumped into the back of the cab, and Calvin got in after her. He slammed the door shut and nodded to the driver.
“The Pacifica, please.”
As the cab set off down the street, Calvin indicated to Sofia that she should get out of sight. He bent over her as they passed by the SUV, and the cabbie raised an eyebrow and took the next right turn.
Sofia slowly sat up, pulling her hair to the nape of her neck. She shook her head, rubbed her bruised cheek, and peered out the window. Calvin put the gun down next to him on the seat and leaned his head against the window.
“Gra— Thank you…for stepping in like that,” Sofia told him.
Calvin shook his head. “I couldn’t just leave you to get kidnapped. Sofia, that’s a pretty name.”
“Thanks,” she grumped. “Pretty names don’t keep you out of ugly situations, unfortunately.”
