“My brother played with fire,” Dino says as I light up one of the Molotov cocktails. “He burned down our garage and ended up with scars on his forearm and leg. Lucky he didn’t end up crispy.”
“Did you have a point?”
“No.”
Grinning, I lean out of the window and throw the flaming bottle at the bottom of the cruiser.
“Nice shot,” he says, speeding away as the cop car goes up in a blaze.
“I played softball in high school.”
“Glad to know you changed teams before we met.”
I frown, not understanding. Once I get the softball equals lesbian thing, I punch him in the arm.
“Don’t be a pig.”
“Yeah, no promises there.”
The Bend Over Bar is as classy as the name implies. We spot an empty police cruiser parked halfway down the block. I assume the car’s owner is at the bar. I suspect he’s parked so far away to keep Ruby’s disappearance off the books.
Once I set the cruiser on fire, Dino pulls into the bar’s lot and parks around the back.
“No way will we get out of this without firing a shot,” Dino says, checking his weapons.
“No, but let’s try to avoid civilian injuries.”
Dino gives me a nod before we leave the SUV. Slow and sneaky won’t work in this situation. We need to get inside and control the situation.
Keeping his gun visible, Dino pulls open the bar’s door, and I hurry through. The heat and stink of the strip club hit me first. Next, I hear the sounds of people arguing. Turning a corner, I recognize the cops from the files given to us. The off-duty officers argue with the bartender.
“She ain’t here,” says the grizzled man.
The taller cop crosses his arms. “I heard different.”
“You heard wrong.”
“We’re going to look around.”
“I pay my bills. I don’t need to be hassled.”
The officers turn away from the old man who I suspect is fiddling with a weapon behind the bar. He’s thinking about challenging them. I think they feel it too because they reach for their weapons.
“DEA!” I holler, aiming my gun. “Everyone freeze.”
The cops keep their hands in the open. Clearly unsure, they’ll try to go for my gun soon.
Dino approaches them and points his Glock in the first cop’s face.
“Where’s our witness?” Dino asks the old man.
The bartender likely thinks Ruby has a better shot of surviving with us than the cops. He gestures towards the bathroom.
“Asshole,” the cop says to the old man.
The bartender glares hard at the cops. “She’s got a kid, assholes.”
While Dino holds his weapon on the two cops, I move quickly through the bar to the bathroom.
“Ruby, it’s Jane from the other day. We’re here to help you get home.”
A head appears at the top of the stall. “You’re the reason I can’t get home.”
“No, those fucking cops are the reason. Now do you want to see your kid again or not?”
Ruby’s dark glare eases before she jumps down from the toilet and opens the door.
“Let’s go,” I say directing her from the restroom and out of the back of the bar.
Hearing a gunshot nearby, I decide to remain with Ruby. Dino is a pro and more than capable of handling two small-town cops. I fucking know he is, but I’m scared they got the drop on him. Or maybe someone else showed up.
Ruby gets into the backseat and crouches down like she knows the drill. I use my extra keys to drive the SUV to the front where I honk and wait for someone to appear. If the cops show up, I’m making crotch-shot, so they suffer a little before the final face shots. I think Dino would approve.
Rather than cops, Dino hurries outside with his gun at the ready. He opens the passenger door and slides in.
“Who fired?” I ask, hitting the accelerator.
“One of the pigs. I only wounded him,” Dino says, glancing into the back where Ruby hides. “The fucker cried.”
“Where did you shoot him?”
“Balls.”
“Well, that would do it.”
Ruby sits up and frowns. “Did you actually shoot one of those fuckers in the balls?”
“Yeah, princess.”
Her frown eases, and she finally laughs. “Man, I would love to have seen that.”
“Here’s the thing,” I say, racing down the dark streets towards White Horse, “I don’t know where to drop you off.”
“I’ll give you my address in Hickory Creek.”
“Won’t the cops just show up there?”
“No, not unless they want to go to war with the Serrated Brotherhood.”
Dino asks, “Are you tight with them?”
“If I was, do you think I’d have called Hayes?”
“You took a big chance calling him.”
“Not really. I figured you two wanted an excuse to start shit. I also guessed you’d want less in return than the Brotherhood.”
“So, what exactly happened?”
“Black showed up at Lollipops and wanted to know what I said to you. I was completely honest, but he didn’t believe me. He was sweating, and I got scared and attacked him and his deputy with beer bottles. They couldn’t start shooting in the open and tried to grab me, but I got out the back and ran. They’ve been looking for me for the last few hours. I thought about calling one of my sisters to get me. Then I heard Black put a bounty on my head, and half of the town was looking for me. That’s when I called Hayes.”
The car falls silent while I follow the GPS directions to her place in Hickory Creek.
“You have a kid?” Dino asks.
“Yeah, a daughter. She’s seven.”
“What’s her name?”
“Chevelle. It’s Jamaican after my dad. We call her Elle,” Ruby says, sounding tired.
She gets quiet as the reality of her near-miss today sets in. “Do you two have kids?” she asks, regaining her composure.
“We’re not together,” I say instantly.
Dino glances at Ruby and grins. “She’s a strong woman, so being my sex slave bothers her.”
Ruby leans back in the seat. “You’d make pretty kids, I bet. I have a way of telling.”
Nudging me, Dino sighs. “I want a bunch of kids. Boys and girls. Lots and lots of them. I hope one has curly hair like my ma.”
“Elle has curly hair,” Ruby says, sounding tired again.
Twenty minutes later, we arrive at the Lush Gardens Trailer Park without incident.
“Are you sure you’ll be safe?” I ask, turning around to look at Ruby.
Her dark eyes are wary, but she nods. “I’ve lived here all my life, and we’re a tight-knit community. There’s no way those guys can show up without us knowing immediately. In fact, Missy Topper has already told everyone about the strange SUV out front.”
Ruby shows us the message sent out to the Lush Gardens Residences Facebook group.
“I’ll be fine except for how I have no car or job,” she grumbles before shaking out her shoulders. “I’m alive, and that’s all that really matters. Thanks for coming.”
“Here’s our direct number if you need help again,” I say, handing her a business card. “We aren’t leaving the area until Black is dealt with. We’ll also see about getting your car back.”
“Thanks,” Ruby says, giving her first real smile since hearing one of the cops was shot in the balls.
Watching her walk into the park, I feel uneasy. “Black is going to fuck with her.”
Dino reaches over and caresses the back of my neck. “She’ll be safe for the time being. If Hayes says the bikers are a threat to Black, then the sheriff must know they are too. Why open that can of whoop-ass on himself?”
“He likely knew where Ruby lived and how he was opening that can anyway. He’s paranoid.”
“He ought to be. The guy is a guppy swimming in seas of sharks. If the bikers or Haye
s knew how weak Black was, they’d have made a move by now.”
Grumpy now, I lean into Dino’s massaging fingers. “Let’s get rid of him so Cooper can get back his territory and Ruby is in the clear.”
“If we kill a cop, the feds and state assholes might notice. It’s the only reason I didn’t kill the deputy tonight.”
“True, but maybe the stress of his job gets to be too much for Black, and he takes his own life. No feds or state assholes will care about that,” I say, imagining putting the gun to Black’s head and pulling the trigger.
“Black brought in the deputies. The new sheriff can get rid of them. Cooper just needs to make sure the new sheriff is on his payroll so we don’t have to come back here.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I like this place. It’s scenic.”
“So is Jersey, but who wants to live there.”
“You lived in Jersey.”
“For my ma.”
“Such a good boy.”
Dino’s fingers caress my cheek. “I wasn’t kidding about kids. I want a bunch.”
Sighing, I lean away from him. “You and I just hooked up. I’m not discussing kids with a guy whose dick I met a day ago. Besides, you like the idea of all those kids, but wait until you have one crying all night or throwing a massive fit in a restaurant while you’re trying to eat your spaghetti. You might decide one is enough.”
“Maybe, but probably not. My cousin Barb has four girls. Those little divas are spoiled rotten too. One day, they’ll drive more than a few men to suicide. The thing is, I still love the little shits. They climb all over me and crush my balls with their tap shoes, but I still love them.”
“A lot of ball talk tonight.”
“Yeah, just one of those nights, I guess.”
Pulling the car onto the highway, I feel a growing tension. “Do you think Black will come for us tonight at the hotel?”
“No. He’s scared. You yelling DEA probably confused him even more. Are we rogue agents? Muscle for another crew? A honeymooning couple who likes starting fires and shooting cops in the balls? Who can say?”
“He’ll need to act soon.”
“Or he might run,” Dino says, stretching his long arms in the too small SUV. “A guy like him won’t know what play to make now. He pushed out Cooper’s people using the law. He got rid of anyone talking shit about him by using the law. He hides his illegal activities with the law. We’re just shooting people and burning things down. That’s not the law. He can’t arrest us without us fighting back. We’re not scared of him. We aren’t single moms he can silence. Or old men.”
“No, I don’t think he’ll run. He’s stupid and arrogant. He fucked with Hayes by sending those guys into White Horse. What person in their right mind would make such a call? Hayes is happy with his little slice of dictatorship. Why fuck with him, knowing the giant asshole will want to fuck with Black? Then he messes with Ruby, who clearly has some ties to that biker club. These aren’t the moves of a man with intelligence and patience on his side. He’ll keep hitting at us until we stop him.”
“So we stop him.”
“Going in for the kill is too easy. This guy killed regular people, and I want to make him suffer first. I also think we ought to make a mess in Common Bend to send a message to the Serrated Brotherhood and Hayes. They need to know the kind of people Cooper can call in if there are issues.”
“I get your angle. Black made Johansson look weak, so we make him look strong.”
“It’s the least we can do since he’s paying for our romantic getaway.”
Dino grins at me and keeps grinning until we reach the hotel. I scope out the parking lot for trouble, but he only has eyes for me.
“What?”
“Admit it, Apples. You don’t want to leave this slice of hellbilly paradise, because you worry things between us will end once the job does.”
I twist around in the seat and study him. “So what if I do?”
“I’ve had my eye on you since we met in Houston. Nothing is going to end.”
“Maybe not for you.”
“Oh, so you’re saying I’m only irresistible in this fucking place.”
“No, I’m saying I’m not really Minka here. I’m on vacation from myself, and this Minka enjoys your crap like the normal Minka might not. So maybe we get back to Houston, and I decide you aren’t my type again.”
“What’s your type?”
“The quiet type who reads books and volunteers with animals.”
Dino laughs, and I don’t blame him. It sounds pretty stupid, but I imagine a sensitive husband capable of softening my hard edges. Dino is many things, but sensitive isn’t one of them.
“Well, do you know what type of woman I was looking for?” he asks, still laughing. “A high maintenance broad who spends a lot of time primping. A woman who is as good in the kitchen as she is in bed. Oh, and she’d need to know when to shut the fuck up so I could think. She’d go away when I wanted space and return when I wanted to fuck.”
Dino’s description somehow makes me feel lacking in comparison. “Do they make obedient housewives anymore?”
“Sure, and I was going to get me one of them. Her entire life would revolve around making me happy and serving my loud-mouth kids.”
“Good luck with that,” I say, turning around in my seat.
“Then I met you.”
“If your loud-mouth kids piss me off, I’m spanking their loud-mouth asses.”
“I bet you can’t even make decent spaghetti,” Dino says, and the comment cuts me deep.
“Sure, I can. It’s just meat, a can of tomato sauce, and a box of pasta. Fucking done.”
Dino grimaces. “And I know you won’t shut the fuck up when I tell you to.”
“And if you tell me to go away so you can have space, I won’t come back.”
“Exactly. I guess our ideas of the perfect mates ain’t happening. You’ll need to give up your dream of the book reading, animal loving weenie.”
“He would write me poetry.”
“Yeah, but would the weenie fuck you properly?”
Smirking, I open the car door. “No, but I’m pretty amazing with a vibrator.”
“I don’t believe you,” he says, getting out of the SUV and running after me. “I think you ought to prove it.”
“Oh, really?”
“Sure.”
“Won’t you be jealous?”
“Probably.”
“We might get shot at tonight,” I whisper as we enter the building.
“As long as I’m not shot in the crotch, I won’t care about anything besides you and the vibrator.”
We arrive upstairs to our floor, and I check my phone to see if the room had any breaches.
“It’s clear,” I say as he wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Do you read at all?”
Dino shakes his head. “Do you?”
“Sure. Magazines and I read those trending stories on Facebook.”
Grinning, he slides his hand into my back pocket while I use the keycard. I bump him away from me and act like I plan to shut the door on him. Dino gives me a puppy dog pout until I sigh dramatically.
“Fine, but only because you begged like a little bitch.”
Dino winks at me before entering. I lock the door, turn off the internal cameras, and send a message to Rafael about our messy evening. While I focus on the job, Dino digs around in my suitcase looking for my vibrator. I just hope he doesn’t get jealous and try to separate me from my old friend.
15
~ Minka ~
Life Gets Complicated
The next morning, Dino digs into his pancakes like a starving man. I’m hungry too, but my stomach hurts. All night long, I used Dino’s hot body to distract me from his other qualities. He’s sweeter than I expected. He’s also full of shit, which is exactly what I expected.
“Not hungry?” he asks, before taking his fork and stealing one of my sausage links.
“Did you really stop sleeping around a
fter meeting me?”
“Yep.”
I study him, but he isn’t easy to read. The guy worked around paranoid mobsters. Lying is second nature to him, and Dino likely knows how to keep his cool when caught in a lie.
“Why?”
“You were worth waiting for.”
“Why?”
Dino finishes chewing and wipes his mouth. “You’re sexy and smart. You thought I was sexy too. I saw that in your eyes. When I pissed you off, though, you punched me. How does a man not chase that kind of woman?”
“Your dream woman is obedient. I’m not that woman.”
“No, but you wanted a man who reads, and I’m not that man. We were wrong.”
Hugging my body, I study him. “What is your long term play here? You talk about kids and how I’m special. You act as if falling for someone is like choosing a hairstyle. I don’t believe in forcing things.”
“I’m not forcing anything. You want this too.”
“Hey, you’re hot. I’m not denying I’ve wanted to rub against you since we met. That’s not the same as what you’re pretending.”
“I’m not pretending shit. Maybe you need more coffee because you’re coming off grumpy.”
Leaning forward, I frown hard at him. “You talked about going with me to visit my mom. That’s real deal stuff. Sex is one thing, but you’re talking about things that aren’t happening.”
“What’s the problem? Are you getting premenstrual on me?”
“Stop being an asshole.”
“Stop being a bitch.”
“Never,” I mutter. “I don’t like being played.”
Dino plays with the butter knife on the table. “You know I’m not playing. I could have gotten in your pants without saying anything about waiting or talking about your mom. I don’t need to say any of that stuff. We could have fun in bed, and then I could walk away. You never needed the romance, so why would I waste time promising you anything?”
“I don’t know. You’re a tricky guy.”
“Or you’re paranoid.”
“Wouldn’t you be?”
“No.”
I roll my eyes and sip my coffee. “I’ll drop it.”
“That’s best.”
Dino steals another sausage link, so I push the plate towards him. He finishes my breakfast and stretches.
“What’s the plan for today?”
High Voltage (Ramsey Security Book 3) Page 8
