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Hissing, I shot out of the parking lot, heading in the direction of her house. “Getting anywhere close to your house is risky.”
“I don’t care. I don’t give a damn about me!” Her conviction yanked at the very core of me. She snagged the handle, tugging at the unlock button. “You don’t have anyone or give a shit. I get that. I do. But I’m not you and I won’t leave him there to die.”
Gripping the steering wheel, I contemplated what we’d face. She’d never let this go. “Fine. I’ll get him.” One way or the other. The grip on the steering wheel was white knuckled as I roared down the street, my eyes never stopping an intense scan.
She continued glaring at me for a solid five minutes before settling against the seat, her entire body quivering. Wiping dirt from her arms, she grumbled under her breath.
“How do you know Pappy?”
Sighing, she answered with a blandness in her voice. “I don’t know him. He’s been coming into the bar for a few months, at least every other day. He’s retired. Nothing else to do.”
What was a retired cop doing sitting in a bar every other day?
“Why, because he’s a cop?” she asked after a few seconds.
“Just curious.” I tried not to react. Now wasn’t the time to confess any of my sins.
“Somehow I don’t see you as the ‘just curious’ type,” she mused, her head tilted toward the window.
I rubbed my eyes before looking from one side mirror to the next, my nerves on edge and the adrenaline running high. I continued to have the distinct feeling we were being followed, but unlike stupid assholes from the gang, whoever was tailing us knew what he or she was doing. This unnerved me more than anything. The jerkoffs I’d tossed out were the aggressive type, enjoying the show as much as anything. These kinds of movements were organized. “What was said on the phone?”
“Just that I’d learn what they did to bitches like me. Take a number, buddy. Are they following us?” Crystal had regained some of her defiance.
“Not that I can tell.” Her glance in my direction was far too controlled, her expression blank. I couldn’t rule out she was in shock, which is why I left my thoughts to myself. “Try and relax.”
This time, she snorted then broke into a nervous laugh. “Did you see a guy in the bar?”
“A guy? One of the Desperados?” I couldn’t help but notice the way she wrung her hands.
“No. It was no one,” she muttered.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing, really. I just… I’m just overwrought. Okay?”
Uh-huh. Crystal was lying to me.
While the remainder of the drive was without incident, I remained like a caged animal, prepared for almost anything. Almost. Whoever I thought was tracking us had disappeared, but a glitch stuck in my craw. There was more to this scenario than just the Desperados exacting revenge. In my mind, this couldn’t be any worse. Every thought I had concluded up the same way, the scenarios ending in one or both of us getting killed. I couldn’t rule out that Diego had more control over the goons than he’d let on and had ordered a contract.
When I made the turn into her driveway, I cut the lights halfway up. The glow of her front porch light wasn’t necessarily a good indication, but there were no other cars visible. “Stay here.” I jerked the gun from my holster, checking the ammo. The weapon was ready to shoot.
“I have a bag by the front door. I was going to stay with Jessie. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. What little I have that’s important to me is inside. I mean other than Zorro,” she struggled to say, her eyes opening wide. For all her control, all her bravery, she was fighting breaking down.
Another thing to make me pissed off as hell.
“Understood. Stay here and keep the doors locked.” I grabbed the keys and waited until I heard the click of the locks before heading toward the front door, able to hear Zorro barking. The pup greeted me, and I took a quick walk through the house. From what I could tell, there’d been no breach, but something was off, an odd scent lingering in her house. Someone had been inside.
Zorro followed me as I walked into her bedroom, swinging the door open with a single finger and taking a deep whiff. Cologne. Men’s cologne to be exact. Possession. My possession. That’s all I could think about. Hissing, I took backward steps into the hallway. Maybe the asshole had dropped by earlier. The cheap scent was far too intense. The effects would only last for maybe thirty minutes unless he’d wallowed in her things. I was disgusted at the thought. Damn it. She could deal with her boyfriend later. To hell with this. Getting in the middle of her life wasn’t going to change anything.
“Just you and me, boy.” Storming back to the foyer, I yanked her duffle into my hand and ushered the dog outside, swinging the gun back and forth as I made my way back to her truck.
Crystal snapped the lock, a series of moans slipping past her lips as Zorro jumped inside what would be the cramped quarters. “Baby. There you are. I’m so glad you’re safe.”
Zorro squealed as he crowded her space.
The damn truck was so small, but I managed to shove the bag behind the driver’s seat before getting in. Now, the rush was to get her out of anywhere she’d been seen. At this time of night, I’d be forced to take a chance, taking her to my motel room. Fuck this shit. My thoughts drifted to the kid at the garage. A plant? What about Dwayne? Maybe he’d been bullied into talking. Shit, there was no way of knowing. Now, I was second-guessing everyone, which meant I was in over my head, far too close to the subject. Safety first. Develop a plan. Activate said plan.
Hell, yes, tomorrow would be an entirely different ballgame.
