Chasing Silver (12 page)

The night was sticky, the air wet and close without the benefit of rain to take the edge off. Leaning against the pole, Remy peered up and down the deserted street, wondering why the city would put a bus stop in a place buses never went by. How did people get around in this town?

She stiffened when she saw the Mustang’s lights in the distance, rounding the corner for the parking lot on the other side of Nathan’s apartment complex. Damn it. She had hoped to be long gone by the time he got back. Now she didn’t have the luxury of waiting for a bus. She had to get moving if she wanted to make sure he didn’t find her.

So distracted by Nathan’s Mustang, Remy didn’t notice the massive, silver Lexus LX until it rolled to a stop beside her. She ignored it and began walking in the opposite direction, head down, but it followed, crawling to match her pace. Finally, at the end of the block, the passenger window slid down to expose a smiling young man with crooked teeth.

“It looks like you might need a ride,” he said, almost pleasantly.

“Looks can be deceiving.” Keeping her features placid, Remy didn’t stop walking. She shifted the backpack around on her shoulders to make it easier to reach for the gun should the need arise.

“Where are you going, little girl?” a second voice asked. Remy couldn’t see his face. “Where’s your daddy?”

She had to fight not to roll her eyes. Idiotic pick-up lines never changed.

Before she responded, the Lexus sped up enough to pull ahead of her, the back door popping open and three more men pouring out of the seat. The closest grabbed at her backpack, but the moment her foot came up to try and defend herself, he yanked and pulled her off-balance, causing the pack to slip from her shoulder and land on the ground between them.

Another grabbed her from behind, wrapping his arm around her throat. “I believe I asked you a question. Where is he?”

That was a real question?

Damn, he’s strong.

The Lexus idled, and the two remaining men in the car emerged. Remy’s heart jumped when she recognized the passenger, and for the first time, fear began to seep into her muscles.

It was the muscleman who’d accompanied Tian at Rojo the night before. The one who had been tailing him before Cesar had shown up and interrupted.

Deliberately, Remy relaxed. Tensing would do more than make the situation worse. It would show her cards, the surest way to lose. “My old man’s been dead for years. You’re welcome to go talk to him, but it’d be a pretty one-sided conversation.”

The muscle nodded toward the car. “Get her inside.”

The man holding her didn’t move. “Tian made it pretty clear he wanted Nathan, not his little slut.”

The muscle narrowed his eyes. “Put her in the truck and shut your fucking mouth. He may want to fuck over Pierce, but I think this one will keep him satisfied for a few days.”

Their disagreement was the distraction she’d been looking for. Slamming her elbow backward, Remy hooked her foot around her captor’s ankle, snapping it forward to make him pitch back. His arm loosened enough for her to wrench free, but she had only taken a few running steps before someone else tackled her to the sidewalk.

Her head cracked against the concrete. Stars danced in front of Remy’s eyes, but she shook them off. Two, however, refused to disappear, sharpening as they raced closer and closer.

Those weren’t stars. They were headlights.

“Hey, look who it is,” the muscle said from behind her, his voice gruff with excitement. “Let’s give him a proper welcome.”

The man on top of her hadn’t moved, his weight crushing her against the sidewalk. Though she couldn’t turn her head, she heard the distinctive clicks of a handful of guns being cocked, and she knew Nathan must have seen them all, but the Mustang didn’t veer or slow.

Two rapid gunshots punctuated the air, their origin unknown. After a moment, something sickeningly hot landed in a fat drop on the top of her head. The man slumped on top of her, suddenly much heavier. Horrified, she shoved the body away, noticing a perfect round hole in the top of his head.

“Get down,” a familiar voice shouted, and then everything happened very fast.

Remy had lived with violence too long to ignore orders from a trusted source.

Diving back to the ground, she rolled away from the street, using the dead body of the man who’d been pinning her as cover. Only when she was tucked behind it did she dare to see what was going on. Her blood froze at the tableau.

The Mustang was parked half on the sidewalk, the dead body of the young man who had first offered a ride crushed beneath its tires. Isaac stood behind his open door, using it as a shield as he trained his gun on the men remaining, while Nathan stood over the prone form of Tian’s muscleman. Blood filled the cracks in the concrete.

The three men on their feet moved fast, diving into the Lexus. The tires squealed as the driver floored it, sending a cloud of burning rubber and exhaust into their faces. Isaac fired after them, but the SUV didn’t slow. Remy wanted to shout at Nathan to get down, they could still be armed, but she didn’t speak, he didn’t move, and nobody fired again.

“Did you get the plates?” Nathan asked over his shoulder as the taillights disappeared into the night.

“Got ’em.”

Nathan turned back to her, his face marked with concern. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah.” Her hand rose to her head, feeling gingerly for any signs of blood. All she encountered was the rather large knot where she’d smacked against the sidewalk. “Yeah.”

“You better call this in,” Nathan said to Isaac as he holstered his gun. “I’ll take her upstairs.”

Remy frowned as she pushed herself upward, ignoring the wave of dizziness. “I’m not going back, Nate. I can’t.”

“Why not?”

She stared at him. He had asked that with a straight face.

“Kirsten shooting your buddy ringing any bells?” Her eyes flickered to Isaac. “Of course, he’s standing, so maybe that was an exaggeration, but it doesn’t change facts. Kirsten’s dangerous, and I’m not going to let you be the next one she goes after.”

Nathan rolled his eyes. “And the preferable alternative is for you to get kidnapped? Look around you, Remy. This is my life. Kirsten may be new, but she’s hardly unique. You don’t want to listen to me? Isaac, you tell her.”

Isaac started to shrug, and then winced, his shoulder slowly settling back down. “He’s right. I’m pretty much his only friend. Everybody else wants him dead.” He seemed to consider his assertion for a moment. “Well, except for you, it looks like.”

“That’s the long and short of it, Remy. I can understand if you don’t want to be caught in the middle of my shit.” Nathan gestured to the dead bodies. “But don’t think you’re doing me any favors by running.”

The thought that he was the one with the muddle of problems made her laugh out loud, though she was quick to stop when her head throbbed. He frowned, casting a glance back to Isaac, but didn’t say a word, waiting for her to respond.

“Why did you come looking for me? Why didn’t you let me go?”

“Because I don’t want to see you dead.” Nathan held up his hand as she opened her mouth to protest. “Yes, I understand, Kirsten is the big bad boogie monster, and if you don’t leave, we’ll all die. She’s the worst human being ever on the planet. In twelve years of fighting the dregs of Los Angeles, I couldn’t have met a more profoundly evil person. Right, I get it. But you running off alone to be kidnapped and murdered is not going to make the situation better.”

Her lips twitched and before she could stop it, Remy was smiling, bending to scoop the backpack from the ground. “I’ll give you the better off not dead part.” She closed the distance between them, stepping around the dead body and the blood still flowing from the man’s wounds. When she tilted her head back to look up at Nathan, her smile softened, and she was pretty sure her eyes reflected the burn in her gut at knowing he’d cared enough to come chasing after her so damn quick. “We’ve got to start being more selfish, I think.”

“You first. Here.” He took her arm and led her away from the bodies, pausing to study her forehead beneath the streetlight. “But Isaac probably thinks I’m pretty damn selfish.” He looked over his shoulder. “How are you doing over there?”

“Just enjoying the floor show.” Isaac waved a hand in dismissal. “Carry on.”

She still didn’t like the idea, but the more Nathan talked, the more Remy saw his point. Her eyes flickered to the surrounding carnage, then back to his unperturbed face. This was his life. Violence. Walking a knife’s edge with death. The reason Isaac had gotten shot was because he still lived in a world of rules; he hadn’t anticipated Kirsten’s attack because he expected her to act in a certain way.

It was all too clear that Nathan had given up anyone’s rules but his own years ago. He wouldn’t be as easy a target, especially now he was on alert.

Safety in numbers. Hadn’t she learned that lesson with the gang years ago? When you were surrounded by people you trusted, it was irrefutable. Even when the number was only two.

Meeting his waiting gaze, Remy held out the backpack, waiting for Nathan to take it. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have run. Sorry.”

Nathan opened his mouth, then closed it with a snap. Tilting his head, he studied her with a bemused expression. “Well. All right, then. Glad that’s settled.” Nathan took the backpack, looping it over his arm. He brushed his fingertips across the growing bump on her forehead then leaned over, his mouth near her ear, his words meant for Remy only. “I would have missed you.”

She indulged in a soft sigh, leaning into his hard body as she lost herself in his musky scent for the briefest of moments. “That makes two of us.” Stepping away before he replied, she ducked around to head for the Mustang. Her smile when she reached Isaac was playful. “So which one of us walking wounded gets shotgun?”

*   *   *

After leaving Isaac to deal with the bodies—and vowing he would pay him back in some spectacular fashion—the numbness that had settled over him when he saw Tian’s thugs grab Remy lifted, leaving a combination of fear and anger. He wasn’t accustomed to the bitter taste of fear, and he didn’t like it. Kirsten might be dangerous, but he knew Tian. Worse, he knew Tian wouldn’t stop at anything to get his revenge if Cesar had died from his injuries.

He took Remy back to the apartment without speaking, too caught up in the unfamiliar emotions and frightening implications of the attempted kidnapping to speak. They were only a few blocks from his home, which meant they were watching him. Tian was going on the offensive now, striking first. Possibly in retaliation, possibly because he was just tired of their cat-and-mouse game.

The touch of her hand on his arm jolted him from his thoughts, and Nathan dropped his keys from where he had been attempting to unlock his door. Remy knelt down and scooped them up, slipping between him and the knob to finish the job. It was almost a relief to step inside the comfort of his apartment. As spare as it was, it was still home.

“I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink. You have anything? Or is that too Philip Marlowe?”

“I don’t drink, but I think I might have something.” To be exact, he hadn’t had a drop in the past year, but he still had a few bottles of whiskey left over from the hazy days when he drank everything.

Nathan left her on the couch while he went into the kitchen for an ice pack, Jack Daniels, and two glasses. When he returned, she was stretched out on the cushions, her eyes closed. He pressed the ice pack in her hand, sitting on the edge of the couch near her legs.

“Did they say anything?” Nathan asked, pouring her drink.

“The usual shit.” She cracked open an eye as a grin curved her mouth. “Apparently, you’re my daddy. I’m assuming that means the same thing now as it does in my time.”

Nathan returned her smile. “Yes, it probably does. Other than that, did they mention where they planned to take you? Anything useful?”

Remy shook her head. “The only thing off was they couldn’t agree on grabbing me. The guy holding me said Tian wanted you not me, but the other one, the big guy you shot there at the end, said I’d be a good stand-in for the time being.” Her eyes fluttered shut again as she rested the ice pack against her head. “I wish I could tell you more.”

“No, that’s enough.” If Tian didn’t want Remy specifically, that was a pretty good indication Cesar had survived the knife to his back.

He handed her the cup, watching as she brought it to her lips without opening her eyes. She downed it in an easy gulp. Her cheeks flushed as the alcohol moved through her, and when she looked at him again, her eyes were bright. Nathan leaned forward, the tip of his tongue darting out to lick the trace of whiskey from her lips.

Remy moaned at the contact, her mouth opening to encourage him to deepen the caress. Blindly, her hand fell to the side of the couch, setting the glass down on the floor, then came up to the back of his neck, dragging him even closer.

“This was worth coming back for,” she murmured in between kisses.

Nathan settled on top of her, his thigh between her legs, his arm between her body and the couch’s plush back. Closing his eyes, he kissed her deeply, and as her tongue toyed with his, it struck him that he would have missed her a great deal. He would have missed the sly curve of her smiles, the way she tasted, the way she fit against his body, the way she looked in tight, black dresses.

“Well, damn if the floor show isn’t even better in here,” Isaac’s wry voice said from the doorway.

With a reluctant sigh, Nathan eased away from Remy. “I take it, given your swift return, there weren’t any problems?”

Isaac didn’t linger on the edge of the room once Nathan and Remy were separated, coming in to perch on the arm of the couch. “No, I really am that good. I also got myself patched up. I’ll probably get a commendation and a week off from work for my bravey.”

“What are you talking about?” Nathan asked.

Isaac gestured at his injured shoulder. “The official story is I got winged when the bullets started flying.” His gaze jumped to the empty glass on the floor and the full one Nathan had yet to touch, his brows lifting in surprise. “We got the girl this time. Why are we hitting the Jack?”