Riordan (25 page)

might want to know about.” This was what she’d been hoping for but said nothing. “I mean, like

major connections that will make you kiss me.”

“Not fucking likely.” When she reached into her pocket for her cell phone, the man nearly

screamed. Storm thought it was funny that she had such a reputation that men feared her. She

called for someone to come and take his statement. And while she waited she reached for

Riordan.

So, you disappointed you didn’t have to kill him after all? I’m not. Dinner is very special.

Mac is excited about showing his house off. And I know that you’ve seen it, but he really is

excited.
She told him she was as well.
Hey, I’m glad I have you. Do you know anything about

Maycomb Works? Have you had to deal with any of them lately?

It doesn’t ring a bell, but then I usually don’t call them by their names. “Slime ball” and

“fucking idiot” are terms I’m more familiar with.
He laughed.
Why do you ask?

I had a call from the daughter of one of the owners. She wants to us to come in and revamp

the business. I guess they deal in clothing that is made right here in the US. She said that they

are losing money because they can make it so much cheaper overseas.
Storm asked him if that

was true.
For the most part, yes. But there are more and more people wanting to buy things that

were made here. I guess her things are high-end jeans and shirts. Like those kind of things you

accused me of wearing not long ago.

You still don’t have any that are broken in quite right. I guess you need to get out more.
He

told her that he was doing just fine
.
Someone knocked on the door, and she let them in.
I have to

go. My transcript guy is here taking the statement. Oh, and I have that thing with your mom

tomorrow. She’s determined to learn to shoot a gun. Your dad is getting really good at it.

An hour later, she was leaving the building and headed to her car. Storm had a list of shit to

get done today that was three miles long. But she had to do this one more thing or she was going

to fall on her fucking face. Literally. She was waiting for Andi Collins to come and get her by

the dance studio when she heard someone scream.

“Well fuck me.” Pulling her gun and going through the doors to the dance studio, she was

careful not to scare anyone else that might be there. When she heard the scream again, Storm

took a deep breath and moved to open the door. It slammed back on the hinges before she could

even touch it. The man standing there held Andi by the hair while he dragged her along the floor.

Storm held the gun in front of her, ready to fire should he fuck with her.

They stared at each other for several seconds before he smiled. It wasn’t like she’d never

seen this sort of smile before. But this one made her shiver. There was evil there, and a great deal

of it.

“Get on out of my way.” Storm told him no. “Me and Adrienne have some business to take

care of, and you’re interrupting us.”

“Well, that’s too fucking bad. She and I have some work to do to. You see, I need to learn to

walk on heels, and I can’t do that if you take her out of here against her will.” Storm glanced at

Andi before speaking again. “Andi, did you want to go with this man?”

“Not so much.”

Storm reached for anyone that was close, and she got Ordan. She asked him to come to her.

I’m on my way. Are we in pursuit of a mad man and you need me as backup? I’m ready
. She

told him what she knew.
Ah, a man beating a woman. Not very nice of him. I’m there now. Shall

I come back there
?

No. Call the cops for me. And please get everyone out that you can
. He said that he would

do that. She told the man what was going on.

“You can’t no way called the cops. You didn’t even know what was going on here. Maybe

we was having us a round of screaming sex and you done ruined it.” Storm had something to say

to that, but he continued talking before she could. “I’m gonna leave here now and you ain’t

gonna stop me. You got no cause to shoot me. I’m an unarmed man.”

“He has a gun. He’s got it in his hand behind the doorway.” That was all she needed to hear,

and she fired a shot into his shoulder. As he was falling back, Andi went with him and screamed.

Storm entered the room and put her foot on the man’s throat.

“Let her go and I won’t crush your windpipe. And so you know, you’ve really pissed me off

and I’d like nothing more than to kill you right now. But as I’ve told one other shit today, I have

plans tonight and the paperwork will make me late.” Andi screamed again, and Storm knew that

he was pulling her hair again. “You really are a fuck wad, aren’t you?”

Putting more pressure onto his neck, she watched him struggle to breathe. When he finally

let Andi go, she heard Ordan tell her to come with him. Storm held the gun on the man, but

didn’t let up on his neck.

“I should really end your miserable life, you piece of shit. What the hell did she ever do to

you?” Storm laughed when she saw his eyes budge out. “I’ll let you talk, but you piss me off

more, and I’ll simply put a bullet in your empty head.”

“My daughter.” That was a surprise. Andi looked nothing like the piece of shit laying there.

“She’s not sending me money when I need it. How the hell am I supposed to live on my pension

if she don’t pay the bills?”

“Yeah, it really sucks when you have to use your own money to do things like that. What

was she thinking?” She pretended to consider it. “Perhaps she figures if you can afford a gun,

obviously plenty of food and beer—by the way, you reek of cheap beer—that you’re an adult,

too, and should be paying your own way.”

“Fuck that shit. I have myself needs too. What the hell did I raise her up for if it wasn’t to

take care of me and mine in my golden years?” Storm thought the man wasn’t even close to his

golden years, and more than likely wouldn’t make it to them as fat as he was. “I’m not going to

spend me no time in jail. She’ll bail me out or she’ll be hurting worse than she is now.”

“The police are here and want to come back. All right?” She told Ordan to send them back,

that she had him subdued.

It took another hour for the police to get statements and for the ambulance to come and take

Andi to the hospital. Her dad, George Collins, was arrested for possession of a handgun without

a permit and a list of other shit that Storm just sort of blew off. The handgun possession, and he

an ex-con, would hold him for a while. She left with Ordan, and he drove her to her house.

“You want to tell me why you were at a dance studio before you needed me?” She only

glared at him. “You’re not by chance trying to learn to dance, are you? I’d pay real money to see

that.”

“How about if I come to the nursing home where you’ll be recuperating and show you what

I’m learning? Your wife will not be able to take care of you after I finish with you.” He laughed,

and she smiled. “I’m trying to get the hang of heels. You know, I think I’d rather go to one of

those day camps for kids all day than learn this, but Riordan has his heart set on seeing me in a

pair.”

“So he doesn’t know.” She told him no. “I won’t tell him, but you should ask my Bri. She

could help.”

“The woman, Andi. I met her a few weeks ago at the bakery. She had a black eye then and

some bruises. She was looking for part-time work as the place where she was working, the

studio, was going to cut her hours. Didn’t know then what was going on other than she was beat

to shit, so I asked her if it was possible for her to help me out. She jumped at the chance.” He

asked her how many days a week did she work at the bakery. “Just three. But she works hard.

And, well, with your wife’s business doing so well, Aunt Sally asked me to hire someone else.”

“You’re a very kind person.” Storm snorted. Kind person wasn’t something that most would

call her. “You are. Very sweet and loving, too.”

“Now you just went too far.” He laughed, and so did she. Storm was trying to be more

helpful, but she didn’t really care for people all that much. But she had liked Andi. “Her dad said

that she paid his bills and he was getting a pension. I wonder what makes a person do that to

their kids.”

“I don’t know, love. I just don’t know.” As they pulled into the drive of her house, she

didn’t get out right away. She wanted to talk to Ordan but wasn’t sure how to start. “Just tell me.

I’m getting used to your bluntness.”

“I don’t want to do this anymore.” He nodded. “I mean, I love working for the president and

doing those odd jobs for him, but I don’t want to work as a PI anymore. It’s…it’s fucking

depressing. I need something else. The bakery doesn’t need me. I hate hanging around the house,

and Christ, if I have to go to one more house and serve papers on some jackass that is fucking the

neighbor’s cat, I’m going to scream.”

“What is it you want to do? And I don’t even want to think about someone having relations

with a cat.” She grinned at him. “I see, shock value again? I’m going to have to learn those. But

really, Stormy, what is it you want to do?”

“I want to work with Mac.” He nodded. “Not Riordan. He’d get less shit done than now,

trying to get into my pants all the time. But Mac, he’s got it right. Going to businesses and

finding out what makes them fail, or not. I think I’d like that.”

“I think you’d be very good at it, too.” He looked at their home and then back at her.

“You’re very smart. You don’t have to work. You should find you something that makes you

happy. And if working with Mac doesn’t work out—but I see no reason why it shouldn’t—then

take the time to find you something that does.”

Storm kissed him on the cheek and got out of his car. She felt better now, not just because

she was going to work at something else, but that Ordan had told her she was smart. She was, but

it was nice to hear someone say it to her. Going into the house, Storm nearly ran up to the

bedroom to change. It was going to be a fun night.

~~~

Andi sat on the bed in the emergency room for forty minutes before she decided she was

leaving. Her body hurt and the stupid nurse told her she couldn’t have anything for it until the

doctor saw her. That had been so long ago and no one had come in since, and she was sure they

had forgotten about her. Tossing off the sheet, she was ready to stand up when someone came in

the curtained off area with her.

“You leaving? And I came all this way just to see you.” Andi pulled the sheet up to her chin

but didn’t lay back down. This had to be a dream. “I’m Doctor Harrison. Ennis if you prefer. The

hospital is a little short staffed, and they asked me to come in and help out. Stormy asked me to

have a look in on you and I told her I would.”

“Storm Harrison, you’re her husband?” He said he was her brother-in-law. “Some girls have

all the luck.”

He laughed, and she felt stupid. Things were forever slipping past her lips that should have

been locked behind them. When he asked her to lay back, she did so, but she didn’t let go of the

sheet.

Andi had been beaten up before. Not just by her dad either. She had a brother and an aunt

who took a few swings at her, too. It was why she’d moved out of their home. But fat lot of good

it had done her. Now she was not just keeping house for herself, but for all of them. And she was

exhausted.

“Stormy said that he pulled on your hair and that this man had hit you a few times. I’m

going to examine your head. Then I’d like for you to let me see what it is you’re hiding under the

sheet.” Andi felt her face heat up. “I’m not going to hurt you, Andi. I promise. I just want to

make sure that you get the best of care. Stormy will kick my ass if I don’t see to it.”

“She’s very nice. Rough around the edges, but very nice.” He laughed, and she felt stupid

again. “I’m sorry. I sometimes forget that no one cares what my opinion is.”

He lifted her chin up so that she was looking at him. “Why on earth would you think that?

And Stormy is rough around the edges; she can cuss badly enough that a sailor would blush. I’m

pretty sure that while she was in the service, she might have given lessons to them. And as for

your opinion, I’m glad to hear it.”

“Thank you.” As he examined her, he asked her questions. Some she felt embarrassed to

answer, others she did without thinking again. When he was finished, he asked the nurse to set

up a room for her. She told him she couldn’t afford it.

“Stormy said that she’d take care of it.” Andi shook her head. “I’d not argue with her if I

were you. She does carry a gun. But seriously, I need to make sure that your concussion isn’t that

bad. I like to err on the side of caution. Anyway, Stormy said she’d be in to see you later. If not,

then in the morning.”

“My father. He might—” He patted her hand. “He’ll come here if I’m not where he thinks I