Black Hills Desperado (Black Hills Wolves Book 3) (7 page)

“Among other things. I was going to kill you quick, China Doll, but I’ve changed my mind.”

“Changing one’s mind is a woman’s prerogative. Just come out and say it. You need me if you want your money back.”

“You’ve always been a clever bitch—knew how to read people. You could have made a killing in poker instead of stealing from me. I want my money, and I want it now.”

“I can’t get your money from here. You might as well get this over with and kill me, because wanting isn’t going to get you shit.”

“A liar as well as a traitor. The sex with that Fed had better been worth it. Where’s the money?”

“Fuck you. I told you I haven’t got it on me. Shoot me.”

He clucked his tongue. “Not to worry, baby. I will kill you when I’m ready. I’ve decided to take my time. Nice and slow. First I’ll skin a piece of you, a leg perhaps, and when I’ve stripped all the skin from your limb, I’ll use a torch to cauterize it. Can’t have you dying too soon. When you think you can’t take any more, I’m going to give you a little shot of opium—since you Asians seem to like that stuff—just to take the edge off and mellow you out.”

“Yeah, because all us Chinese like to get stoned on poppies. Of course. Just like we all know kung fu and eat with fucking chopsticks. If you didn’t have that gun to my head, Diego, I’d make you regret what you just said.”

“Shut up. I’m the one talking. You don’t get a choice in what’s going to happen. You lost that when you betrayed me. So listen close to what I have planned, because if you don’t do what I want, your friend gets the same deal.” He reached out and stroked her cheek. “You’re not going to be stoned, honey. I don’t want you numb, only a little buzzed, enough to keep you from going into shock. Because the next part, that’s special, and I don’t want you to miss a thing. I’m going to take your leg apart, starting with your toes, one at a time. Once I finish with that, I’ll start all over on another limb. You’re going to feel every slice of the blade—scream for me to stop. Beg. You’ll wish I killed you in that bomb blast. But first, I want the money you squirreled away to replace what you let the Feds have. If you don’t tell me where you’ve hidden it, I’m going to do the same thing to your friend as you watch.” He lifted his gaze from her and stared at Gee. “I wanted to be clear on that.”

“You say the sweetest things. I don’t know how any girl could resist you.”

“Don’t fuck with me, Xio. You know I don’t threaten. I make promises. This is your last chance. I want my money.”

She eyed him. Diego wasn’t bluffing. “Give me a pen. I put it in an account.”

“In a bank?”

“Of course in a bank. That’s usually where you find accounts.”

Diego started laughing. “Oh, that’s priceless. You put stolen money, drug money, in a bank—when you’re a bank robber? I gave you everything you wanted, China Doll, and you repaid me by turning state’s evidence and stealing my money to put it in a fucking bank?”

“Well, I wanted it to earn interest and up to two hundred and fifty thousand is FDIC insured. Considering what the peso is against the American dollar, that’s a lot of cash. It won’t make money stuffed in a mattress, so yes, I put it in the bank.” Well, some of it was here, the rest she’d left in Mexico. No reason to share information he didn’t need.

He pulled the pistol away and wrenched her off the floor, then dragged her to a table. He kicked a chair out and shoved her into it. “You heard her, boys. Get the lady a pen. Xio is going to get me my money—with interest.”

“Hold on, Diego. Not that easy.” Xio sucked in a breath. “We have to go there to get it.”

“What?”

“It’s not in a checking account. I told you I wanted it to earn interest. It’s in a certificate of deposit, earning a nice rate, I might add. I can’t just write a check or call and tell them to transfer. They require me to sign paperwork and I’ll do it with a smile if you let my friend go.”

“I don’t need you to smile. I need you to get me my fucking money. You’re not making me very happy, Xio.”

“Like you were a chuckling ray of sunshine when you walked in here.”

Diego tipped his head back and laughed. “You always were funny. Okay, let’s make a little field trip, but your friend is coming with us. Once I have my money, he can go.”

“Fine. Get my purse. It’s under the bar. I’ll need my identification.” She didn’t bother to tell him she’d left the ID she needed to access the money in her safe-deposit box, but it didn’t matter. She sensed Marcus was right outside. How to keep from going out that door and putting the man she loved in the line of fire? “Maybe we should call ahead, let them know we’ll be closing the account.”

“Maybe we should just start cutting your friend up here.”

“That’s not necessary. I’ll take you now.”

The bear gave her a barely perceptible nod and took a quick glance at the window, telling her he knew she was stalling, and he understood why. For once, she was glad of Gee’s odd ability to seem to know what was on her mind. Shit would hit the proverbial fan once they stepped outside. At least he was aware of it.

Now to figure out what to do to get them out of this mess. Alive. At least until Drew got hold of her. Answering to the Alpha wasn’t going to be fun, especially when he figured out it was her lie that had brought trouble to his home and pack.

One of the men pulled Gee’s bat victim to his feet. The man groaned and rubbed his head.

“Let’s go,” Diego said and shoved Xio ahead of him.

“How’d you know it was Diego?” Drew asked.

Marcus peeked through the window and dropped to kneel under the sill, next to the Alpha. “I have a buddy in the FBI who called me ten minutes before the bear. They had some wildfires out in Colorado around the supermax and had to evacuate. Apparently the bus that was supposed to take Diego to another facility was forced off the road and the convicts escaped. The state police have been dealing with a hostage situation and thought Diego was part of a group that held a crew from a local fire department at gunpoint. He wasn’t. By the time they figured out he wasn’t there, he’d had twelve hours on the run. They didn’t think he’d know where to find her, but wanted to give me a heads-up. And then Gee called.

“Told me there were some ugly-looking men in the bar that scared the shit out of Xio. She isn’t frightened of much. I figured only one person could do that.”

“I think you’re dead-on. If I were to describe a Mexican drug lord, he’d look just like that gentleman in there.” Drew slid a couple of shells into his double-barrel shotgun and cocked it one-handed. “When this is over, the three of us need to sit down and talk. I want everything out on the table about her past—your past. I want to know the names of anyone who might be after either one of you. If you so much as farted in public and offended someone, I want to know.”

“Deal. We’ll talk. How many are in there?”

“Diego and five others, besides Xio and Gee. Look to be all armed. They’ve got Gee, and don’t ask me how they managed that. Nobody ever gets Gee. It’s like trying to stop a tank with your bare hands. It doesn’t happen unless he wants it to happen.”

Marcus nodded. That meant he had more control than he was letting on and knew they were outside. But how to surprise them without anyone getting shot and killed was another matter altogether.

The door opened. “I need this.” Marcus wrenched the shotgun from Drew’s hands and yelled as Xio stepped out with Diego right behind her. “Remember how we met?” She nodded and dropped to the ground.

Good girl
.

Yeah, how could I forget?
Her face had been sore for a week. Marcus lunged, jamming the butt of the weapon into the underside of Diego’s jaw, snapping his head back, and sending his weapon flying into the dirt ten feet away. Diego dropped to his knees with a grunt and did a face-plant into the wooden sidewalk. “Asshole.”

Marcus grabbed Xio, shoved her behind him, and tossed the shotgun back to Drew, who caught it. “Sorry. My mate. Handling it.” He dove inside the bar.

Xio tried to follow. Drew tightened his grip on her arm. “You heard him. He’s got this.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“I know you can, but sometimes a man has to know he can protect what is his. Let him. Sit with me. I have a feeling this will only take a second. He’s got a rather impressive law-enforcement record—and temper.” He released her arm and Xio sank beside him. Drew was right. Marcus needed to do this. He’d told her he had her back. He’d meant it and wanted to prove it. To himself—to her.

A couple of shots rang out, and the sound of smashing glass came from the other side of the door. “Marcus!”

Drew grabbed her arm and pulled her back down. “He’s fine. Just venting. We all have to do it once and a while.”

“Venting?” He could be killed. “I’m going in there.”

“No, you’re going to sit right here and wait. You’ll only distract him. I’m the Alpha and I’m telling you to sit.”

She swallowed hard and nodded. All of this was her fault, and Drew was right. Going in there would only distract Marcus. It was the hardest thing she’d ever done.

A man came flying through the door and hit the edge of the boardwalk before rolling over and landing with a loud
oomph
on the street. Another followed. Then three others, each with a crash as they shattered the large windows that made up the front of Gee’s bar.

Drew let go of her. “Now you can go in.” He rose to his feet, pointed his shotgun at the downed men, and signaled his men over with a whistle. Pack came from everywhere. “Put your hands up, please. The sheriff will be here shortly.”

Seconds later, Marcus walked out, his eyes glowing amber, his chest rising and falling as he took heavy breaths. He looked left and then right, zeroing in on where she crouched next to the building. He had indeed handled it—not that she couldn’t have, but something about that was so hot.

Gee walked out behind him. He looked at the windows and shook his head. “Damn wolves. Always making a mess.”

“I’d pay three times its replacement cost to do it again.” Marcus pulled his wallet out, grabbed some cash, and crammed it into the bear’s hand. “Let me know if that doesn’t cover it.” And then he smiled at her.

Holy freaking hotness
. Maybe she should let him handle things more often. He was so getting laid for this. Xio couldn’t hold back. She jumped up and ran into his arms, lacing her fingers in his hair and pulling him down for a kiss. “I need you. Right. Now.”

Gee cleared his throat behind them. “After you finish the dishes and someone helps me clean up this mess.”

***

Marcus stared at the numbers on the laptop Xio had spun around for him to see. He tapped his foot under the table and he shoved a hand in his hair. “Good Lord. You stole all this?”

“No, I invested wisely.”

“Unfortunately, because it was used in a crime, all of it will be going away. I have an old friend who owes me a favor—a hacker who ensured me it can be sent out to my old field office by wire. Anonymously. They won’t know where it came from, only that it’s drug money from someone who developed a conscience and decided to come clean. Nobody will be able to track it. He’s the best.”

“That’s forty million dollars. Not all of it came from crime. Diego gave me money for stuff and I invested it instead. I sold businesses. I—”

“Used drug money to get the ball rolling. We need to start over, fresh, and we can’t do it with this monkey on our back. I’ll leave the decision to you, but I want you to know how I feel. That’s blood money. It doesn’t matter how much of it came from investments, the source all leads back to the past and a place we don’t want to go anymore. You are no longer a bank robber. You made your money once. You can do it again—the honest way. I know you can. Let it go. For me.”

Xio sighed. “Fine. I guess you’re right. I made a lot of money before. I can do it again with money I earned honestly. But I want to go on the record that this sucks.” She nodded at the laptop. “Those are all the account numbers. Everything.” It was a good thing Marcus had made friends with a few criminals over the years, or she might not have a way to get it into federal hands without ending up in prison.

After he’d rescued her, she’d decided she needed to tell him everything. She just hadn’t realized that meant she’d have to give it all up. But as usual, he was right. It was all linked to crime one way or another, and she no longer wanted anything to do with living that life. She’d keep no more secrets from him.

Starting with breaking the news about the twins.

Here? In the bar?
Her internal wolf paced. Nervous. What if he wasn’t ready for a family? He’d mated with a felon and saved her life from some very nasty men. That would make the best of men change their minds about settling down.

What? I should wait? Like that’s ever worked in my favor
.

Some of the medication she’d taken to treat her injuries after the explosion had caused her birth control to fail. Since the pill smelled a lot like pregnancy to a wolf, Xio was fairly certain Marcus didn’t have a clue. Not something she’d wanted, but over the last few weeks, the idea had grown on her. She could do this wife-and-mother thing. After all, how hard could it really be?

Things would be different. Her children were going to know about their heritage, and they’d have parents who cared when they screwed up, made sure they learned right from wrong.

And there were two. After Diego had taken her down to the floor in The Den, she’d been sent to the hospital to make sure she didn’t have any injuries, and they discovered not only was she pregnant, but she carried twins. At first, she’d freaked. How would she handle this? She didn’t know anything about kids. Then she realized her children had a chance at a life she could have only dreamed of growing up. Speaking of which—time to learn about her family, so she had something to pass on.

Xio glanced over at Gee, who polished glasses at the bar. She’d been practicing really hard the last two months. “Hey, Gee. You want to tell me a story?”