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His tone scared her a little, but she forced herself to cock her head, said, “Excuse me?”
“Dressed pretty nice to be hanging out by the Dumpster.”
The humidity in the air seemed to be clinging to her. Something about the guy reminded her of biting into metal.
“I’m waiting for my boyfriend,” she said.
“Your boyfriend.” The man shuffled forward, glanced in the rental car. “He work here?”
“Yes.” She stepped back, nothing too obvious, but not wanting him closer. Who was this guy? Not a cop. He could honestly be looking for a place to park. But he’d left the Cadillac ru
Unless he was hitting on her. A ridiculous possibility in a dark alley, but you never knew with guys.
“What’s his name?”
“Whose?”
“Your boyfriend.”
She thought about saying Alex, or Joh
“I thought you were waiting for your boyfriend.”
“I mean, maybe you could park somewhere else?”
“I got a better idea,” he said, and stepped forward.
“I TOLD YOU NOT TO MOVE,” Mitch said, and leveled the gun right at Joh
There wasn’t time to worry about it. “Put your hands on the desk. Do it now.”
Joh
Very consciously, Mitch slid a thumb up and cocked the hammer back. Joh
Slowly, Joh
“Tape him.”
Ian didn’t move, just stood over Alex, staring down.
“Hey! Tape him.”
“What? Right.” Ian slid the gun into his waistband, pulled a flattened half roll of duct tape from his back pocket.
“You move, you make any trouble for my friend, and I’ll shoot you right now. You get me?”
“You’re making a mistake, kid. You know who I am?”
“Yeah. You’re the guy getting fucked.” He was every bad guy in every movie ever made, and it felt great. He stepped sideways to keep a clear shot as Ian moved around the desk.
“Put your hands together.” Ian pulled an edge of tape up, then began wrapping it around Joh
“Make it tight.” Mitch waited till Ian had four or five loops around Joh
“Kid, you’re about to be in shit you have no idea how deep. Walk out of here now and we’ll just forget this happened.”
“When you’re done with his hands, get his mouth.”
Ian nodded, wrapped the tape another half dozen times, then ripped it. “Sit back and shut up.”
Think, think, think. You ca
“Put your hands out.”
“Oh, Christ.”
“Put your hands out.” He tugged at them, wishing he could ask Alex if he was OK, whisper some comfort, knowing he couldn’t do any such thing. Alex resisted at first, then gave in. His face was a mess, a gash pouring blood into his eye. Mitch winced, then forced himself to tape Alex up, hands and feet, then tore a six-inch strip and covered his mouth, hating himself for it, not seeing any choice.
When he rose, he saw that Ian had Joh
So this was what wi
Joh
“First, we’re not here for today’s take. Second, don’t disrespect the Cubs.” Mitch leaned over him. The guy glared at him from the ground.
Remember last week, asshole? When you told me how much your shirt cost? He smiled, then pulled his leg back and kicked Joh
It felt great.
“I GOT A BETTER IDEA,” the man in the leather jacket said as he stepped forward. “How about you tell me what you’re really doing here?”
Je
Which changed everything. Their plan had been based on the idea that Mitch and Ian would be able to get in and out quickly enough that the dealer wouldn’t have arrived. That’s why she’d sat inside to let them know the exact moment Joh
Less acceptable now, though. “What do you mean?”
“Are you with Joh
She could dash for the mouth of the alley. But heels were hardly ru
How, though? She had the gun in her purse, but he was so close…
“Come on. What’s going on?” His breath was faintly sour.
And then it came to her. A way to make any man move, random creep or hardened drug dealer.
“If you don’t leave right now,” she said, “I’ll scream rape.”
He stiffened. “Why would you do that?”
She took a deep inhale, opened her mouth. Stared him straight in the eye, watched him calculate how long and loud she could scream, how many people might be around to hear it. It was dark but not late, and Lincoln had plenty of traffic, plus the apartments nearby…
“OK.” He put his hands up. “OK.” He took a step backward. “Easy.”
“Keep going.” She moved away from the Dumpster, the purse in her hands.
“There’s no need to get crazy.”
“Just move your car and leave me alone.”
He grimaced, and glanced over his shoulder. Checked his watch. “Let me make a phone call.”
“Now.”
The man sighed. “You win.” He took another step back.
He had just pulled out his keys when the back door to the restaurant swung open.
IAN WAS FIGHTING THE URGE to bounce on his toes, to howl at the moon. They’d done it, they’d really done it. Joh
“Yeah.” Mitch stepped back from Joh
Ian led the way back out of the office, the gun still in his hand. He liked it. Maybe when this was all over, he’d get one of his own. It felt good.