Tempting Target

by Savannah Stuart

  “Scream and you die,” a young, accented, male voice whispered in her ear as he pressed his body up against hers.

  She froze and fought the bile rising in her throat. The man holding her was fully erect. This couldn’t be happening to her. Not with David so close. Her heartbeat seemed to slow down, as did everything around her. Only seconds before, the sound of laughing tourists beyond the eight-foot wall almost drowned out the blasting music from across the street. Now she heard nothing. Nothing except the roar of blood in her ears and a strange man’s shallow breathing.

  The man spoke again. “Nod if you understand.”

  Unable to speak, her head jerked up once and something warm trickled down her neck. Blood. He must have cut her. Strange that she couldn’t feel any pain.

  “We’re going to take a little walk to the end of the alley, and you will not fight me. One wrong move and I shove this knife into your stomach and watch you bleed out.”

  Her legs twitched underneath her, but somehow she managed to move forward. The alley next to her store was blocked from the east and south by a thick coquina limestone wall. Only a small opening to the west led to a cobblestone street. Unlike San Marco Avenue, there was little foot traffic where he was taking her.

  She needed to think. Going along with him guaranteed her certain death. Or worse. Her heart pumped loudly in her ears, her limbs felt detached from her body, but somehow she found her voice. “What do you want with me?”

  “I want to know where that ring is.” He shoved her toward the exit when she tried to turn around.

  What was he talking about? She wanted to see his face, but she also needed to keep him talking. If he was talking, he wouldn’t be busy slicing her up. “What ring?”

  He yanked her tight against his body. His words were clipped and flat. “Don’t be stupid. The woman in your store the other day. She give you a ring. I want to know where it is.”

  English wasn’t his first language. She filed that bit of information away in case she needed to remember it later.

  “How do I know you won’t kill me when I give it to you?” He obviously knew about the ring, which left Jade with a dozen questions. Chances were he’d know if she lied.

  “You don’t. But if you tell truth, I won’t cut you into pieces. Your death will be quick. I give my word.”

  Gee thanks, asshole. She gritted her teeth. “It’s in my safe.”

  “Where?” He applied more pressure to her neck as if she weren’t already terrified.

  “My store.” She motioned with her hand, afraid to make any sudden or wild movements. The last thing she needed was for him to get jumpy and accidentally stab her.

  He met her with silence. After what felt like an eternity, although was probably only a few seconds, he finally spoke again. “Fine. You come with me until it closes. Then we come back and you get what I want.”

  She swallowed hard as beads of sweat streamed down her face. He moved the knife away from her neck and shoved her again. Just as he did, she heard a click. It was so faint she might not have heard it, but it was a very distinctive click. One she’d heard many times thanks to being married to a US Marshal. She didn’t think. She just reacted. She threw her body against the concrete, ignoring the gravel and stone piercing her palms and elbows.

  An explosion sounded above her. Before she had a chance to scream or freak out, David was there. All around her. Holding her. Comforting her.

  “Jade? Are you all right? Answer me. Did he hurt you?” David dusted her off as if she were a porcelain doll and turned her around in a full circle, inspecting every inch of her.

  Her entire body shook. She didn’t know if she was all right. She still didn’t know what had just happened. She made the mistake of glancing toward the fallen body. A young man probably no older than nineteen with perfect ebony skin lay in a pool of expanding crimson. Bile rose in her throat and she forced herself to turn away. Something pungent, probably the dumpster, accosted her senses and she swayed into David’s chest. He murmured soothing sounds into her hair.

  Pam burst through the heavy metal door, causing Jade to jerk in David’s arms and push away.

  “Oh my God! What happened? We heard shots inside…” Pam stopped mid sentence and her hand flew to her throat.

  The ricocheting of the door against the wall caused Jade to cringe. She didn’t know what to tell Pam or what to do.

  David started shouting orders. “Call the police and ask for Collin Sullivan. Shut down the store. When the police get here you’re not going to be able to help customers if you’re answering questions.” When Pam simply stood there David added, “Now!”

  Wide-eyed and trembling, Pam hurried back into the store.

  “Let’s get you inside.” David put a protective arm around Jade and steered her into the break room.

  She sat at the square cherry wood table and picked at some dried drops of green paint as David pulled out a Diet Coke from the mini fridge. She watched it pop and fizz when he poured it over ice. He held out the glass to her, but it took a moment to grasp he meant for her to take it. Thankfully, her arms cooperated with her brain.

  After a few refreshing sips, the mist in her brain semi lifted, and she found her voice. “Why did you have a gun?”

  He shrugged as he placed a napkin over her neck.

  “I always have a gun.”

  That was news to her. She wanted to push a little more about that, but before she could, he started in with the questions. “Are you hurt? Physically, I mean besides your neck and hands?”

  “I don’t think so.” She held the small cloth in place and looked down at her body. Her clothing was rumpled, and her palms were raw, but she was alive. Somehow she was alive. Thanks to David. Later she would ask him what exactly had happened out there, but now she needed to tell him something more important.

  He asked another question before she could speak. “How did you know to duck?”

  If he kept grilling her, she’d never get her thoughts in order. “I heard the click of your gun. I wasn’t even sure if it was you. I hoped and prayed it was since I assumed he only had a knife, but I thought maybe it was him and he was about to shoot me in the back of the head. Aidan took me to the shooting range a lot when he was alive, and I recognized the sound immediately. Instinct and adrenaline kicked in. I didn’t even really think, I just reacted.”

  “I’m glad you did. I had the shot, but with you out of the way, I didn’t flinch.”

  “He asked about the ring,” she blurted out before he could ask another question.

  With the back of his palm he felt her forehead. “What ring, honey?”

  She moistened her lips. “The other day a woman came into the store and wanted to trade a ring for some accessories. Normally I don’t make trades, but she seemed so desperate.” As quick as humanly possible, she explained about the strange men waiting outside her store that day and her promise to keep the ring safe for the woman.

  “Then this DEA agent—or I guess he was—came in the next day and was asking all sorts of questions about her. He shoved her picture in my face and told me she was missing. I couldn’t give him anything useful because I don’t know anything about her. I didn’t even know her name until he told me. And that’s assuming he was telling the truth.”

  “Did he ask you about this ring too?”

  She nodded. “The only reason it got brought up is because Pam mentioned it. But I wasn’t exactly honest with him. I told him I sold the ring.”

  His brows knitted together.

  “I didn’t trust him. Something about him just seemed…off. I can’t explain it.”

  He sucked in a deep breath. “Not telling him probably saved your life. Whoever that man is, he isn’t a DEA agent, and if he is, then I can guarantee he’s dirty. No one else knew about the ring, so it’s more than probable he sent that man after you. It’s the only thing that makes any semblance of sense.”

  She pulled the napkin away from her neck and crumpled it into a tight
ball. “First I almost get run over yesterday, then this craziness happens. I should have listened to you and stayed home this morning.”

  A police siren sounded in the distance and a sigh welled in her chest. More police again. The reality of what could have happened if David hadn’t been there sent a tremor skittering over her skin.

  “That should be Colin,” she said, mainly to break the silence.

  David nodded. “Don’t tell anyone else about the ring except Colin.”

  “What? Why?”

  “The dead man in your alley isn’t some run-of-the-mill mugger. That much we know.”

  “Uh, how do ‘we’ know that?”

  He faltered and she could tell he was trying to hide something.

  “I don’t like that look.”

  He cleared his throat. “Ah, the spider tattoo on his neck is a Dominican gang symbol. A well-known gang heavily into drugs, prostitution and a lot of other things you don’t even want to imagine.”

  “Why can’t I tell the police then?”

  He shook his head. “Evidence goes missing more often than people think. If you turn the ring over now, you run the risk of never seeing it again. We’ll let Colin know and see what he says. Do you remember the DEA agent’s name?”

  She nodded. “He gave me his card. I tossed it in the cash register. It’s probably still there.” Her head swam with a million questions, but David’s expression told her not to bother. He was on a mission of some sort. Not that she was complaining. Her insides shook, and without him, she’d be wreck. Actually, she’d probably be dead, but that was something she wouldn’t allow herself to dwell on. Not yet. Not until she was alone.

  “Stay here, I’m going to go get that card. Once I have Colin alone I’ll tell him about the ring.”

  She opened her mouth to protest, but he silenced her with a look. “My main concern is getting you out of here alive, and until I know you’re safe, I’m not willing to trust anyone. Including the local police.”

  David shut the door to the break room behind him. When he entered the store, he wasn’t surprised to see it had emptied out. Pam and Rosa sat huddled behind the cash register on two stools.

  “The place was empty when we heard the shots so I locked the front door like you said,” Pam said.

  “Good. Jade told me she put a business card in the cash register. Would you mind getting it for me?”

  She hopped up and fumbled around with the silver key. “Of course. How is Jade?”

  “She’ll be all right once I get her out of here.” He took the card from Pam’s hand, then slipped it into his back pocket. “The police should be here any minute. Why don’t you go check on Jade and make a fresh pot of coffee?”

  Pam and the new employee quickly shuffled out of his way, leaving him in silence. As soon as they were out of earshot, he called his business partner, Nick.

  Nick picked up on the second ring. “Hey, man, what’s going on?”

  He pulled the card back out to read off the necessary information. “Listen, I need you to run a name for me. Keith Celan. He’s supposedly with the DEA in Miami. Find out anything you can about him and get back to me immediately.”

  “All right, I’ve got a few contacts with them, although not in the Miami area. I’ll see what I can come up with. Not that it matters, but what’s going on? Is everything all right?”

  “No, but I don’t have time to explain. Call me with whatever you find out. I know it may take a while but I don’t care how late you call.”

  As soon as they disconnected, a sharp rap on the French doors alerted him. He glanced up to find Colin Sullivan and another man he didn’t recognize standing behind the glass. He opened the door and immediately locked it behind them.

  “How’s Jade?” Colin asked.

  “She’s holding up. Pam’s in the back with her.”

  Colin nodded. “I figured you wouldn’t leave her alone. Since Pam told the dispatcher where the body was I sent a team around back to section off the scene. The uniforms will keep the area secure until we’re through here. First I have a few questions.”

  David leaned against the glass case that supported the cash register. “Go ahead.”

  He didn’t miss the covert look Colin gave his partner who immediately disappeared toward the back room. David lifted his eyebrows knowingly. “Keeping us separated huh?”

  “Look man, I’ve got to follow procedure. You know how it is. Where’s your gun?”

  David withdrew it from his ankle holster, unloaded it and handed it to Colin. Next he pulled out his concealed weapons permit. “You going to take me in?”

  “You need to make an official statement downtown but… First, why don’t you just go ahead and give me a rundown of what happened. All I know so far is that there’s a dead man in the alley.”

  “Jade wanted to come by the store this morning just to check on things. I was out front on my phone, and when I came back inside Pam told me Jade was ready to leave after she took out the trash. So I headed to the back to help her out.”

  He tried to quell the shudder that snaked through him. The vision of that man with a knife to Jade’s neck was too fresh. He needed to get her out of there, not answer a bunch of questions. “When I opened the door a man had a knife to Jade’s throat. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but he was pushing her toward the end of the alley. It was obvious he wasn’t going to do whatever it was he planned to do here. I didn’t think about it. I knew if I alerted him, the chances of Jade being killed jumped about ninety percent. I took the shot. He died. That pretty much sums it up.” He shrugged.

  That brief description might sum up the actual events, but it didn’t begin to cover what he was experiencing inside. When he’d seen Jade with a knife against her soft, delicate flesh he’d seen red. Even though he knew she was safe in the break room with Pam, the most primal side of him wanted to kill that guy all over again. And again and again. He knew Colin couldn’t see his inner turmoil, but it raged beneath the surface just the same. He’d never lost his cool, not even when he was a SEAL. Especially not when he was a SEAL. He had a reputation for keeping a level head. That’s one of the reasons he was so good at what he did now. Nothing could have prepared him for the hollow feeling in his gut at the thought of losing Jade. God couldn’t be that cruel. Not now. Not when they finally had a shot together.

  “Have you ever seen the man before?” Colin asked.

  He shook his head. “No, but I recognized one of his tattoos.”

  “Prison tat?” Colin asked.

  “Worse. Gang symbol of Los Diablos Negros.” The Black Devils. David didn’t add anything, he wanted the name to sink in.

  Colin’s brows drew together curiously, but he jotted down everything. “Nothing should surprise me anymore,” he muttered under his breath. “I haven’t dealt with them since I moved from Miami.”

  An attack of this nature in the middle of the day, and in the middle of St. Augustine’s tourist district no less, was out of the ordinary to say the least. But a member of an infamous gang making a move on someone like Jade was something else entirely. “There’s more, but this has to be off the record.”

  Colin put his pen down and looked up. “I can’t withhold anything if it’s important to this case.”

  Inwardly David groaned. Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut. “Not permanently, just for right now. Jade’s safety depends on it.” Without losing any of the important details he rapidly filled Colin in on everything from the supposed DEA agent’s questions and what Jade’s attacker had said before he died.

  When he finished Colin was silent. He just tapped his pen against his jaw. Finally he spoke. “Where exactly is this ring?”

  David opened his mouth to answer then realized he had no clue. “Shit. I didn’t even think to ask.”

  “I’m going to send a patrolman over to Jade’s house.”

  David started to interrupt, thinking he was sending someone to search for the ring, but Colin held out a hand to silenc
e him. “Hear me out. I’m not going to put this in my report. Yet. If the man who attacked Jade is…was in this gang you mentioned, then I have enough reason to send someone over to her place without any further details. Next, I’m going to check up on this DEA agent. If I find out anything significant, then I’m going to have to seize the ring as evidence.”

  David nodded. “Fine, that’s fair.”

  “I assume Jade will be staying with you?” Colin asked.

  “I’m not letting her out of my sight.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  David pushed open the guestroom door and winced as it creaked and groaned. He sighed in relief when Jade didn’t stir. Wisps of honey-brown hair fell across her high, exotic cheeks. A few streams of light filtered through, but since it was still daylight, he’d pulled the wooden slat blinds as tight as they would go, blocking out most of the sun. He’d also tucked an extra throw blanket around her to help her sleep better. Not that it really mattered. Once they’d arrived back at his place he’d practically had to carry her up the stairs. She wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon. For that, he was grateful.

  Luckily she hadn’t gone into shock but the stress had taken its toll on her. Often tears or sleep were the only outlets for the kind of trauma she’d been dealt.

  A vibration from his pocket jarred him back to reality. He didn’t recognize the number on the screen, but answered as he stepped back into the hall. “Hello?”

  “David.” It was Colin.

  In the background, David could hear multiple phones ringing and what sounded like hundreds of people talking at once. A woman yelled obscenities. “Where are you, man? It sounds like a zoo over there.”

  Colin grunted. “Where else? I’m at the station, and I’ve got news.”

  “Good.” David descended the stairs and headed for the kitchen. On the off chance Jade woke up he wasn’t sure he wanted her to hear this.

  “We discovered a lot more than we originally bargained for. I ran the dead guy’s fingerprints and got a hit faster than I’d expected. A lot faster. Within minutes of running his prints, I received calls from the DEA and Homeland Security. Both of them were bitching and moaning wanting to know why I had him in custody. When I told them he was dead the fuckers tried to clam up.”