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I chuckled at his words. As if anything I had to say would keep enough of the freaks behind bars. Still, what choice did I have, or Crystal for that matter?
“I know what you’re thinking. You care about Crystal and sadly, she’s become a target. We’re also aware that she has concerns of her own from her past so perhaps this is her opportunity to start another new life. Again. I’m certain she’s told you about her background?”
“I’m aware.” Who the hell had been talking? Certainly not Crystal.
“Then you’ll be in an excellent position to help get her out of town as well.”
I was surprised the ex-cop had been able to ascertain this kind of information about the shit she’d been through. He had to be well connected in order to even offer me the deal. Granted, the FBI had been on Diego’s tail for years, but the package was too neat and tidy. “Tell me about Carter Garris.”
“Carter?” Pappy laughed. “Let’s just say he’sEl Capitan’s right-hand boy. He’s the man responsible for the bombings this week. He also runs the street thugs, who collect payments from the various businesses. He’s one bad boy.”
I thought about Crystal’s comments, as well as the advantage he’d been given in working on her house. Still, certain aspects didn’t make any sense. “What about this bar and the bombing? Was Crystal the actual target?”
“Unfortunately, she fell into the middle of a shit storm. Did she piss off the Desperado soldiers? Well, hell yes, but the fact she figured out certain monies were being funneled through the Sandpiper put her on the radar. I can’t give you a lot of details, but I can tell you that the man who owns the building owes a significant amount of money to Ricardo Francisco. Using Mr. Walters’ very clean operation to fund criminal activities was the only way he could pay off his debt. He’s had some issues with an employee, however, making him expendable toEl Capitan’s operation.”
Given Crystal had mentioned finding a shortage of funds, I wasn’t put off by his statement. However, the puzzle pieces weren’t fitting together very well.
“What do you say about the deal? We’ll bring you into safety and if everything goes well, you could be living on a beach somewhere in about a month. Sound good?”
I usually followed my gut, and it was telling me there was something off about this man. The what I wasn’t certain of. “I’ll think about it.”
“All right. Fair enough.” Flipping a business card from his pocket, Pappy held it between two fingers. “Here’s a number for you to call, but I’d make your decision prior to that shipment coming into the harbor. After that, all deals are off the table.”
I accepted the card, shoving it into my back pocket and nodding my reply.
“Well, I’m sure you have some things to do. Take care, son. I know how difficult it can be making this kind of decision. Just be very careful.”
Careful. Yeah, I knew there was more than one bullet with my name on it. I waited until he’d disappeared into the darkness before easing back into the truck. He was right, I had a few things to do, including exacting information from Carter Garris. And I had a feeling I’d know exactly where to find him.
Bastard.
* * *
Crystal
I hated the night and seeing another storm brewing in the distance, my breathing was shallow. I stood at the massive bay of doors looking out at the ocean, only I couldn’t see a damn thing except for blackness. But my imagination was brewing, creating monsters lurking in the shadows. Every lock was in place, every security measure that Blade had installed on the forefront of my mind, including the security system itself. There was no reason to be afraid, but I was terrified. A flash of lightning made me cringe, a soft whimper escaping my mouth. This was ridiculous. He’d only been gone an hour, maybe a little more and I was like a frightened little girl.
I noticed Zorro’s reflection in the soft glow of the single light I had on in the living room. The pup hadn’t taken his eyes off me since Blade had walked out the door. When the sound of thunder permeated the near fortress-like state, I hissed and turned around on purpose. Maybe a glass of wine would soothe my nerves. As I passed by the kitchen island, heading for the already open bottle of merlot, I glanced quickly at the gun provided by Blade.
Of course I knew how to use one. That had been a requirement of Jericho’s. I chuckled and rolled my eyes. He had no idea how close he’d come to becoming target practice on more than one occasion. At least having the loaded weapon gave me some level of comfort. The cell phone was placed only inches away from the gun, turned on and ready if I needed to call Blade to come to my rescue.
“Just you and me, baby pup. Again.” I held up the glass of wine in a small toast, allowing every delicious image of hot and wild fucking to enter my mind. Zorro didn’t bother moving, only his tail acknowledging I’d even spoken. I remembered telling Blade that I loved him. Erik. I loved the man, not the monster. Only he called himself a monster. I’d been able to look through his burning eyes into his very soul, fighting with the wretched misery he’d wallowed in for so many years. Maybe Blade would be able to see his brother again one day.
That is, if kismet would allow.
While I didn’t believe in coincidences, I did believe in karma and Blade and I had been destined to meet. And I knew the reason why.
To save our blackened hearts.
Or maybe to keep us from going insane. Either way, I wanted the man in my life. How? I had no freaking clue.
Crack!
“Shit!” The flash of lightning was way too close for my comfort. I took a sip then a gulp.One. Two. Three. Four…
Pop!
As the house was shifted into pitch blackness, I gripped the edge of the counter. The last sound was a transformer blowing. Wonderful. No security. No cell phone connection. When Zorro growled, I started shaking. This was silly. No one knew where we were. Not a soul had any idea who Blade was. We were perfectly safe. Yes, we were. No mantra was going to help my ugly mood.
