by Sybil Bartel
“I do.”
His hands went to his hips and he dropped his head. “Mierda,” he quietly swore in Spanish. “Marek’s gonna kill me.”
“I promise, I’ll be quick.”
He looked at me without lifting his head. “I’m not talking about the clothes, woman.”
I didn’t want to see my mother. I was furious with her. But she was my mother and she was hurt. “Is she still in the hospital?”
“Yeah, but she’ll be released sometime today.” He rubbed a hand over his chin. “Look, here’s the deal. Until we get this situation handled with the guard, I’m not comfortable letting you get close to anyone who was in Fedorov’s camp. No offense, but I don’t care if she is your mother. Her alliance was clear. But we can swing by the office, grab backup, and I’ll give you ten minutes in the store.” He glanced at his watch. “If we go right now.”
I could work with that. “Can I call her?” She didn’t have a cell phone, she didn’t believe in them, but André knew which hospital she was in.
He nodded once. “From the car. Let’s go.”
A few minutes later, all three of us were on the road and André had already taken four work calls.
I waited until he hung up the last call to speak. “I’m sorry to interrupt your work.”
He gave me an ironic smile. “Chica, this is my work.” He turned the Bluetooth on in the car then dialed a number.
“Regional Hospital, how may I direct your call?”
“Room four-oh-six,” André replied.
There was a pause and I tensed in my seat as I waited for the call to be connected.
Three rings then my mother answered. “Who is this?”
She sounded weak and faraway and tired, but I knew better. “Mama. How are you?”
“Stupid girl,” she spat out. “None of this would’ve happened if you would’ve kept your legs shut. Where is my Viktor? I don’t want to talk to you. I want him to pick me up.”
Until that very moment, I hadn’t realized the impact she’d had on my life. Every bad decision, every choice not to leave Viktor the first, or second, or even one hundredth time he’d mistreated me, abused me, paddled me, tied me up, and degraded me, it all clicked into place.
I’d let Viktor abuse me because that’s what I knew. My mother had always been controlling and spiteful, but when I’d hit puberty, she’d become competitive. She never missed an opportunity to tell me she was prettier or smarter, or my clothes looked better on her. And when Viktor saw the two of us having lunch at a South Beach restaurant and came to our table to introduce himself, she never let me forget that he’d said hello to her first. She’d told me more than a dozen times I was lucky she hadn’t been dining alone that day or Viktor would’ve been hers.
My mother had never treated me with respect. She didn’t care about me. I was just someone to take life out on, and that’s exactly what I’d let myself be to Viktor.
No more. I was done being the victim and the doormat. Twenty-three years of bullshit lifted and utter calm settled in.
“Viktor’s dead. Goodbye, Mother. Have a nice life.”
André ended the call then grasped my shoulder. “Amen, chica, amen.”
For the very first time in my life, I felt free.
The first text came in as the sun set.
Her: Hi
My pulse jumped like I was in high school.
Me: Hello Beautiful. How are you?
Her: I’m ok. You?
Cramped in my fucking truck and missing her.
Me: Still in one piece
Her: That’s not funny
Me: Sorry, love. I’m fine
She didn’t respond.
Me: Still can’t call you that?
Her: What do I get to call you?
Any damn thing she wanted.
Me: Your one and only
Her: I like Dane
I smiled.
Me: Good
Her: Your friend André told me God gives us tomorrows but I had my tomorrow today
My smile dropped.
Me: Why are you talking to Luna?
Her: Do you want to know about my tomorrow or are you too jealous to listen?
Jesus. I chuckled and ran a hand over my face.
Me: Too jealous
Then I added an afterthought.
Me: If he touches you, he’s dead
Her: I learned my lesson. There’s only one man I want touching me
I sobered.
Me: Good
Her: I also learned something else
The lights went off in the living room. I sat up straighter and fired off a response.
Me: What’s that?
Her: I’m better off without my mother
Motherfucker. If Luna took her to the hospital while I still didn’t have this wrapped up, I was going to fucking pound him. A light turned on in the bedroom of the apartment.
Me: Did you see her?
Her: No, I called her. Well, André called her for me
I exhaled.
Me: What happened?
Her: It doesn’t matter. She doesn’t care about me
A bathroom light turned on in the apartment.
Me: Agree
Her: I get that now
Me: Good
Her mother was a fucking joke. The sooner she was gone out of her life, the better. I picked up my binoculars and scanned the parking lot of the neighboring strip mall. Two cars were suspect. I trained the binoculars back to the bedroom window of the apartment and my cell vibrated with a new text.
Her: Your answers have gotten shorter.
Me: Still here, love. Working.
A minute passed.
Her: Why do you call me that?
Fuck. It was too soon.
Me: I’ll tell you when I see you
Her: When is that?
I smiled.
Me: Soon
Her: Promise?
The lights in the bathroom then the bedroom turned off.
Me: Always. I have to go. Wait for me.
Her: Always
Just the thought of her waiting for me made my dick hard.
I trained the binoculars on the front door of the apartment. Ten seconds later, the guard’s ex-girlfriend came out, then she took off in her car to her nightshift job. Luna had dug the info up on her, and I was playing out a hunch.
I waited three minutes.
One of the cars I’d spotted pulled out of the strip mall parking lot and rolled up to the apartment complex. Fedorov’s guard and a blonde got out, then they went into his ex’s apartment. Fucking prick didn’t even have enough sense not to park in front.
I dialed Luna.
He answered immediately. “You find them?”
“Yeah.” The living room light went on. “At the ex’s. Give me twenty then tell Neil to call his ATF contact and give him the address.”
“The Feds aren’t on the ex’s place?”
I scanned the lots again, but I’d been the only one here for hours. “No.”
“Fucking amateurs. I’ll let Christensen know.”
“You get anywhere on the information I asked you for?”
“Yeah. Fedorov never married her and his estate goes to his adult kids. As far as the ATF is concerned, she was never there. Your name never came up in the raid or questioning. I wiped all his security feeds and all the files he had on the trackers for his guards. Probably why ATF couldn’t find this one. Anyway, you’re clean on this one.”
“Thanks.”
“Anytime. So, you retiring from your solo career?”
“Which one?”
He laughed. “Both.”
“Yes.”
“Smart move.” He turned serious. “You ready to come work for me?”
“No. But if you need me, I’m around.” I owed him.
“Good to know, brother, good to know.”
I glanced at my watch. “One more favor.”
“Shoot.”
“Take her back
to my condo. I’m going to wrap this up tonight.” I didn’t want to dick around with this bullshit anymore. The Feds could clean this up, and Jagger could deal with the woman.
“Copy that.”
“I want one of your men in the hall until I get home though.”
Luna snorted. “I only got one free right now and his face looks like a fucking train hit it thanks to you.”
“He deserved it.”
“I’m not disagreeing with you, but I would’ve handled it differently. You need to be more judicious when dealing with my men.”
“He’s lucky he’s still alive.”
“Come on, man, work with me on this.”
I didn’t respond.
He cursed in Spanish. “Fine, you crazy fuck. But if you want her watched after I drop her off, it’s Tyler or no one.”
Christ. “Is he going to shoot at her?” I was only half kidding.
“I’ll tell him specifically not to aim or fire in her direction,” Luna deadpanned.
“You sound like a corporate prick.”
“I am a corporate prick.”
He didn’t used to be. He was the best damn sniper I’d ever seen. “Your talents are being wasted.” He could make bank hiring out.
“My talents are being used in a legal, law-abiding manner.”
I couldn’t help it, I laughed. “Right.”
“Damn, amigo. Did you just laugh? Did I actually hear the great Dane Marek laugh?”
“It happens on occasion.”
“First I’m hearing of it. I was beginning to wonder if you or your nine lives were even human. You’re like the fucking Energizer bunny. You keep getting shot but you just keep going.”
“I’m retired now. No more gunshot wounds.”
“Let’s fucking hope not.”
No kidding. “I gotta go.”
“Keep it real, brother.”
“Later.” I hung up and called Jagger.
He picked up with music playing in the background. “Twice in one week. Damn, I’m a lucky son of a bitch. You find my girl?”
“She’s shacked up with the guard.” I rattled off the address and the apartment number. “Come get her.”
He paused. “Does she want me to come get her?”
“No fucking clue.”
“Shit, Marek, did you ask?”
“That’s up to you.” The light went off in the apartment. “You got ten minutes to get here.”
“I’m on my way.” He hung up.
I double checked my magazine and my ammo and screwed on my silencer. Then I got out of the truck. Taking the stairs two at a time, my weapon drawn, I kicked the door in.
The fucking guard couldn’t move off the couch fast enough. His pants down, his dick buried in the blonde, his bare ass barely had time to look up before my gun was jammed against his head.
“What the fuck?” He reached for his weapon on the coffee table as the woman screamed.
I shoved the muzzle of my gun harder into his temple. “Do me a favor. Make a grab for it.”
His hands went up. “Who the fuck are you?”
The blonde kept screaming. “Shut her up or the cops will be here faster than ATF.”
He shoved a hand over her mouth and growled at her, “Calm down.” He barely moved his head to glance at me. “I’m getting the fuck up and putting my cock away. You need to shoot, shoot.”
I eased back six inches and let him pull his pants up. “Far enough. Sit.” I stepped back a foot.
He turned, sat his ass down and gave me a once-over as the blonde cowered next to him. “You’re the one who took his wife.”
My glare not leaving his, I tipped my chin at the blonde. “Tell her to get dressed.”
“Put your clothes on,” the asshole barked the order at the blonde.
She slowly pulled a dress over her head. A dress she hadn’t had when I’d seen her last.
The guard sized me up. “What do you want? A piece of Fedorov’s business?”
I cataloged the contents within arm’s reach of either of them as I counted off the minutes. I didn’t respond.
The guard kept talking. “I know where he kept his inventory. There’s no one to go for it except you and me. We can both walk away rich. We’ll cash in. Half and half.”
I ignored him.
At nine minutes thirty seconds, Jagger walked through the door. “Looks like a party.”
Fucking prick. “Ask her.”
The guard looked between us with confusion.
“Hey, babe. Long time no see.” Jagger nodded at her dress. “Looks good on you. Glad you like the dress I picked out.”
“What the fuck?” Anger contorted the guard’s face. “Don’t talk to her.”
Jagger ignored him. “So, one-time offer, babe. You can come with me or you can take your chances with him. No strings.” He laughed. “Well, except one. You forget about this asshole and how we met and basically everything leading up to this offer.” Jagger nodded at the guard. “Or don’t. And see where he takes you.”
The blonde glanced between all of us then slowly slid away from the guard and stood.
The guard moved to get up, and I shoved my gun back against his temple. “She made her decision.”
Jagger held his hand out to the blonde like the fucking gentleman he wasn’t. “Shall we?”
The guard switched to Russian and started yelling at her, but she was already walking out the door.
Jagger slapped me on the shoulder as he left. “Always a pleasure, man.”
The guard lunged. For me, for Jagger, I didn’t fucking know and I didn’t care. I shot him in the foot.
He dropped and grabbed the gushing wound. “What the fuck! What the fucking fuck!” He rolled to his side.
I brought my booted foot down on his neck and aimed at his head. “You want to live through the next minute, tell me where the women came from.”
“Fuck you.”
I clocked him on the side of the jaw with the butt of my gun. The strike was enough to cause maximum pain but still keep him conscious.
I shoved the muzzle back against his temple. “Last chance.” Physical violence was tolerable in theory, but shoot an untrained man then pistol whip him, and he’ll fucking sing.
The asshole couldn’t talk fast enough. “Fedorov bought them. He was branching out. He paid to get them over here. He was going to sell them!”
“To who?” I demanded.
“I dunno! No one yet. He was letting us have a turn at them before he put them on the market. Then the hurricane hit.” Holding his foot, he writhed in pain. “That’s all I know. I swear. I need a fucking doctor!”
I didn’t give a fuck what he needed. “What’s the address of the warehouse?”
“Take me to the hospital and I’ll tell you.”
I took my foot off his neck then slammed it down over his hands as he held his bleeding foot.
He wailed like a fucking pussy.
I jammed my silencer against his dick. “Address,” I demanded.
He rattled it off then spat on my foot. “You fucking asshole!”
I shifted the muzzle two inches and shot the floor between his legs. “Last question.”
“What the fuck!” He jerked like a goddamn coward.
I jammed the barrel against his temple and moved my foot back to his neck. “You want a second chance with the Feds or do you want to leave here in a body bag?” I didn’t give a fuck which.
“What the fuck do you think I’m going to choose? I already escaped the Feds once. I can do it again.”
I applied pressure to his trachea with my foot. “You escape, I hunt you down and you die. You talk to the Feds, you die. You tell them about me, my men, or the warehouse, you die. You tell them a goddamn thing except your name and the color of the pussy that just walked out on you, you fucking die.”
His bloodied hands clawed at my boot as he gasped for breath.
“Blink if we have an understanding.”
He start
ed blinking, repeatedly.
I yanked zip cuffs out of my back pocket and kicked him to his stomach. Seven seconds later, his hands and ankles were cuffed and I was walking out the door as I dialed Luna.
Hunter was sitting at my feet and I was taking the tags off my new clothes when a knock sounded at the door. With the dog on my heels, I walked through the modern apartment André had put me in and looked out the peephole.
I opened the door. “Mr. Luna.”
André smiled. “I’m mister now?” He scratched Hunter’s head.
All men were mister now, except one. “Yes, but I might be persuaded to make an exception because you took me shopping.”
He chuckled. “Gotta hand it to you, chica. Twenty minutes, one and done. Impressive.”
I was motivated. “Thank you again.”
He waved me off. “Marek sent me to take you home.”
My heart leapt and my pulse raced. It’d only been twelve hours. “So soon?”
“He doesn’t mess around.” André eyed me as if to tell me something I didn’t already know.
“No he doesn’t. Let me get my things.” I was so excited to see Dane, I threw my clothes back in the shopping bag without folding them, and grabbed my purse. “I’m ready.”
André led me and Hunter to the elevator and we took it to the garage where another man in a Luna and Associates shirt was waiting next to one of Andre’s black SUVs. The left side of his face was swollen and black and blue.
André made the introductions. “Tyler, this is Miss Tsarko. Irina, this is Tyler. He’s going to be outside your penthouse until Marek gets home.” He didn’t mention Tyler’s face.
Looking less than happy, Tyler eyed the dog then nodded at me. “Ma’am.”
My heart sunk. “Dane isn’t at his penthouse?”
André opened the back door and Hunter jumped in. “Not yet. Soon, chica.” He helped me inside then got in the front passenger seat as Tyler got behind the wheel. “You know where you’re going?”
“Affirmative,” was all Tyler said.
Luna’s phone rang as Tyler pulled out of the underground parking. “I’m running your errand…. Copy. Address?” Luna nodded. “Hold on.” He handed the phone to me. “It’s for you, chica.”
Butterflies swirled in my stomach and heat hit my cheeks as I took the phone. “Hello?”
“Hi, beautiful.”
Deep and rough and so very sexy, his voice filled my head and my heart. “Hi.” I wished I wasn’t in a car with two other men.
