Weston (10 page)

I
n the kitchen, while the girls kept busy doing whatever girls did when alone, Tony stared down Kage. He wanted to punch someone. There were lines Kage shouldn’t cross because he was an Archer, and because of his deep responsibilities he was willing to step foot in the wrong direction to help Tony. Tony gritted his teeth. He knew damn well if Kage went in that direction, he’d regret it.

Tony slapped the table in frustration. “You gave me your word. We decided to wait.”

“She’s your woman,” Kage said, unfazed. “Tell me she doesn’t mean shit to you, and we won’t go.”

Tony gritted his teeth. Rocki’s safety came first, but the cost of Kage putting himself in the direct path of his uncle sat wrong. He glanced at Garrett. Although they were all friends, Garrett made the final decision. He knew the rules. Their women came first over all laws and PI business.

“She calls me Weston,” he murmured. “Half the time she’s right there with me, feeling the same thing I am. The next, she’s all in my face, pushing me away, and refusing to call me by my name.”

“She’s scared, bro.” Kage’s voice dropped. “That’s why we need to go to the Crystal Palace. Trust me. Uncle Darrell will eat you alive if you take a defensive approach.”

“Not that I don’t respect you for staying away from him, but Rocki worked for him. It’s personal with her too. Darrell’s not going to let her return to the force and trust her to keep her lips shut. I’ve known her four days. The girl can’t stay quiet. She’s got a temper and lets loose before she thinks.” Tony scraped his chair back and stood.

Kage sat forward. “He respects my position in the family.”

Tony sucked in his breath. Kage had never claimed a connection with Darrell or divulged how he’d made their relationship—or nonrelationship—work this long. He’d spent a lifetime ignoring Darrell to Tony’s frustration. He whistled, recognizing his game plan.

“You stayed in plain sight, where he could keep tabs on you,” he said. “That’s how you’ve stayed clear all this time.”

Kage dipped his chin. “So, are we going to the Palace?”

Tony looked at Garrett, received a voluntary nod he was in on the deal. Tony rolled his shoulders in defeat. He was outnumbered. “I’m in, but the girls stay home.”

Kage’s face softened. “Right.”

“I’m serious. You can’t let Janie talk you into going with us. If Rocki finds out you’ve given your girlfriend permission to go with us, I’ll never be able to keep Rocki away. She’ll pull the badge, and use that power over me.” Tony scowled.

“Hell, you two are pussy-whipped.” Garrett laughed. “You’ll never see any woman lead me around by my dick.”

Feminine giggles reached the kitchen. Tony stepped back from the table and leaned against the counter, his gaze on the entrance when Rocki led the other girls into the room. His chest tightened and the air escaped his lungs.

Knockout gorgeous in a skimpy skirt, all legs, and a purple shirt hugging her breasts, Rocki surpassed any fantasy he’d created in his head. He moved in front of her and whispered, “Damn, sweetheart.”

She leaned into him, hiding a smile he could still see in her eyes. “Thanks for asking Janie and Sabrina to help me. It feels good to have clothes on that fit.”

He raised her chin, kissed her, and took another ogle at her legs. “Damn.”

She threw her arms around his waist, buried her head into his neck, and hugged him. He stiffened, taken by surprise. He’d received hugs from his mom, Janie, and even Sabrina when her emotions overcame her—which was almost weekly—but not from Rocki. He held her against him. She always went from cold to hot, and then they got crazy. Damned if he didn’t like standing here doing nothing but hugging her back.

“No fucking way,” Kage said, his voice deepening.

Tony’s head came up and before he could take in the situation, Rocki pulled him down for a kiss. He pressed his hand against her lower back, pulling her closer. Yeah, he liked these hugs.

She kissed him softly again before pulling away. “Wes—Tony?”

He growled. “Like that, sweetheart.”

“I’m glad.” She smiled, and he was blasted by how hot she looked standing this close, staring up into his eyes. “Do you mind if I take a couple of hours and hang out with Janie and Sabrina?”

He extracted himself from her, wondering if she’d overheard their plan. “Yeah, that’s fine. The guys and I are running to the Crystal Palace to check things out, and I like the idea you’re here, safe. I’ll come and pick you up when I’m done.”

“Let me go too.” She leaned forward and whispered, “Darrell will be there, and I don’t want you going it alone. Besides, I’ve been thinking about how we’re going about handling Darrell, and we’re wrong. We’re hoping he comes after me, and he won’t. He likes to do things at night, alone, without any witnesses. You live in a subdivision where someone is always around.”

“Then explain the bullet holes in my siding to me,” he said.

She planted her hands on his stomach. “It’s his men, not Darrell. We need to go into his territory and push him. I’ve been to the Crystal Palace with him many times. I know he stays in the rooms downstairs with the cameras. People come to him. He never goes out on the floor, ever. We’ll go and play a few slots, work the room, and flaunt how we’re not scared of him. Kage and Janie can come. So can Sabrina and Garrett. Come on, even civilians know there’s safety in numbers. There are six of us. We’ll be safe.”

“You should be scared of him.” He looked toward Garrett. “Back me up, man.”

Garrett pulled out a chair, set his booted foot on the seat, and braced his elbow on his knee. “Not on your life. I keep telling you, women only turn you into a pussy. You got yourself into this mess. I’m not helping you figure a way out.”

In the end, Kage motioned for him to let Rocki stay with the girls. Tony held Rocki’s arms and planted her in a chair at the kitchen table. She’d have company while she waited for him to come home.

“We’ll talk later. Why don’t you try to clear your head tonight, and tomorrow, I’ll listen to one of your other plans. While I find out more information Janie and Sabrina will entertain you. Paint each other’s nails…You’re good at that.” He grinned at his cleverness. “Sell them some real estate.”

“Not laughing, Weston.” Rocki folded her arms. “I’m a detective. This is my case.”

He squatted beside her chair. “I know you are, and a damn good one. Do this one thing for me. Tomorrow, you’re back on the case and we go at it together. The Palace…I don’t want my woman there. At all.”

Her gaze warmed. “I want to go,” she whispered.

“I know, but I’m asking you to stay here and let me check things out first.” He tilted his chin, looked down at her legs, and mumbled. “You’re mine. I don’t want anyone else seeing you all pretty with your legs showing, especially Darrell. Can you give me that much?”

Janie walked away from Kage and stood by Rocki. “It’s okay. We’ll stay with her.”

“I think this is ridiculous. I go after suspects all the time. I
lived
with Darrell,” Rocki said.

He stood, not enjoying the reminder of where she’d resided and what had happened during her four months with the drug lord. He laid his hand on her shoulder. Her neck arched and she gazed at him. “Fine. I’ll stay.”

Leaning down, he kissed her. “I’ll make it up to you later.”

“Uh, yeah, you will.” She sighed and muttered, “Stupid man.”

A half hour later, Tony left with the other guys, making sure they locked up and set the security alarm. Each of them took their own vehicle and headed to the body shop. There, they showered and changed into clothes they’d left at the garage for agency work. Kage pulled enough cash out of the agency’s emergency drawer to give them a few hours of playing time at the tables, and handed it over to everyone else. Tony eyed Kage for a beat, and received a shrug in return. Kage never gambled. Activities that bordered on illegal went against how he chose to live his life.

Tony headed to the showers. Within three minutes, he was out, shaking his head, preferring the uncombed look. He donned a buttoned long-sleeved shirt, black jeans, and black biker boots. He carried the sport coat out of the bathroom and, not for the first time, thought about redoing his bathroom at home.

The restroom Garrett put in when he built the addition for the agency behind the body shop was sweet. Tile everywhere, towel warmers, more shower heads than a person possibly needed, and automatic flushers, water, and soap dispensers. Best of all, the floor was heated and the wall-length mirror never fogged.

Kage stuck his head inside the room. “Ready to roll?”

“Yeah.” He swung his coat over his shoulder and followed Kage out of the building.

The plan was clear. He headed toward his own car, having no reason to talk about what would happen when they walked into the Palace. They were a team. They worked and played together all their lives. They knew what they were going for and they’d get the job done.

He pulled out of the parking lot, following Kage. Garrett trailed him, and Lance brought up the rear of their caravan. Yeah, people would notice their arrival. They had the best vehicles in Bay City.

In the perfect scenario, he’d end the business with Darrell tonight. Put a scare in him, make him fuck up, and slam his ass in prison. He wanted him behind bars for messing with his woman, and for the shit he’d put Kage through his whole life. A few weeks or forever in prison, it didn’t matter. All he needed was time without Darrell breathing down Rocki’s neck and threatening what was important to Tony.

Five minutes later, he pulled into the covered entrance to the Crystal Palace, rolled down his window, and after slipping the valet twenty dollars—because nobody, not his friends or family, sat their ass in the driver’s seat of his Camaro—he parked his own car.

Before he left the vehicle, he undid the snap on his holster strapped to his ribs and slid into his jacket. No one would guess he was carrying, unless a trained eye was in the room. If security questioned him, he had a concealed weapons permit in his wallet.

He spotted Kage and Garrett exiting their vehicles at the same time Lance rolled in on his Harley-Davidson. As a team, they all converged in front of the doors to the casino.

“Since this is business and I’m not using my money, I’m gonna have some fun,” Lance said, stepping forward and setting the electric doors to slide open.

“It’s coming out of your paycheck, asshole.” Kage gazed straight ahead, but the slight twinge at his jaw took the sting out of his words.

“Keep your head up and ears open.” Garrett strolled in, looking around. “Stay in sight. Don’t spend more than two minutes at any table. We want to fit in and buy us some time.”

Tony sauntered off on his own, checking the placement of the cameras. More protected than a military base, the Crystal Palace put him on edge. He eased the tension in his shoulders, hooked his left hand in his front pocket, and forced himself to relax and look natural. Inside, he wanted to storm the back offices and make his way down to the hidden rooms below. He wanted blood. Nobody fucked with Rocki.

A
cross the street from the Crystal Palace, sitting in Janie’s souped-up red Duster with the freaky shifter, which Janie called a bitch slap, Rocki shook her head in disbelief. Whatever kind of gearshift Kage had installed in the vehicle for Janie, it was the shiggles. She wanted one installed on her Honda if she got out of this alive.

“Pull over here, we need to talk.” Rocki gazed up at the polished casino building, with its flashing white lights and board announcing tonight’s entertainment—Eddie and the Bangers.

“What’s the deal?” Sabrina leaned forward and stuck her head between the driver and passenger seat. “If we don’t hurry, the boys will leave and we won’t be able to share a drink. I need to see Garrett. He’s inside and that means tonight might be the night he notices I’m alive.”

Janie parked along the curb and left the car to idle. Rocki swiveled in her seat to face Sabrina in the back. They should never have left the house, and if she had known Sabrina and Janie were headed to the Crystal Palace instead of Corner Pocket for a drink, she would’ve argued for them to stay home.

Now she regretted her rash decision. The other girls had no idea what kind of danger they’d get into coming to the casino despite the fact that this was exactly where Rocki wanted to be. The best plan she had was to meet Darrell in a public place, where it would be safe. She’d wanted to discuss her decision with Tony before he’d rushed out of Kage’s house, but he was determined not to listen.

“Change of plans.” She pointed her finger at both of them. “You’ll drop me off, alone. Go home and sit by your phone. I’m going inside to talk to Tony.”

Janie gaped at her. “Are you serious? What’s the big deal where we go out to have a drink?”

“Girl, this is my night. I asked you to come along.” Sabrina finger-combed her bangs. “Garrett is my man. Where he goes, I go. You said you’d go out with us.”

“I know, and soon I’ll help you get Garrett’s attention. But, tonight is not that night, not with me with you. I have men out to kill me. I don’t want you to get in trouble,” she said. “The boys’ll be angry when they see you with me. Besides, the odds are high that Darrell Archer is inside the Crystal Palace. He’d like nothing more than to take me out of the picture. It’s not safe for us to go inside.”

“You don’t get it.” Sabrina pressed her hand to her stomach and heaved a sigh. “You might know Tony, but you don’t know Tony, Lance, Kage, and Garrett when they’re together. No one messes with them. Not even Darrell.”

Janie pulled on her seat belt and half turned in the driver’s seat. “The thing is, Rocki, you’re with one of the guys, and that makes you one of us. We understand you. We like you. We’re going together or not at all. That’s how we do things. Your choice. We can call tonight off and wait until your case is closed to go out for drinks. It was a bad idea to come here, but we’ve all been here before. Darrell never makes a move inside his own establishments.”

Dammit. She looked away and blinked hard. She worked with all men, and not one of them was here helping her. Two women she barely knew were willing to have her back. What was she supposed to do?

Tonight was a perfect opportunity to meet with Darrell and be able to walk away without getting killed. There was no way he could remove her from the casino with the Beaumont Body Shop guys around. Though when Tony found out she’d gone behind his back, there would be hell to pay.

“I’m the only one packing protection, and I’m trained to defend myself. I’m good, but I can’t be accountable for you two while we’re inside, and this is the perfect opportunity for me to meet with Darrell while he knows I’m not alone.” She unclipped her seat belt. Someone had to be the responsible one of the group and lay down the facts.

“No problem. I’ve got myself covered.” Janie reached into her purse between the seats. “I have Mace. Sure, it’s not as cool as having a gun, but Kage has something against me carrying a loaded weapon. He can be a dumbass about certain things, and apparently pistols or stealing a weapon with bullets is a trigger point with him.”

Together, she and Jane looked at Sabrina. They’d have to figure out what to do with the fashionista of the group.

“Hey!” Sabrina grabbed her big black leather tote. “You two aren’t the only ones who protect yourselves when you go out on the town.”

Out came a leather bullwhip. At least six feet long, black, and wicked cool looking. Rocki stared in fascinated horror.

“What the hell is that?” Janie’s mouth opened and she grabbed the end of the whip. “That’s real leather, girl.”

“Well, duh. I wouldn’t buy faux leather.” Sabrina coiled her weapon into a neat round circle. “I bought it for Garrett last week, and he refused to accept it.” She looked at Janie. “Your brother, in typical testosterone style, thought I was propositioning him. Of course, I was…but the things that man said he was going to do to me had my panties—”

“No.” Janie covered her ears. “This is my
brother
you’re talking about. I don’t want to know what goes on between you two.”

“Okay, enough.” Rocki inhaled deeply. “We’ll walk inside, and I want you two to stay together. Go directly to the guys, and tell them I’m downstairs but don’t let them rush to me. I need five minutes alone with Darrel. You two will remain safe, and I’ll go ahead with my plan.”

The two girls nodded. Rocki pushed past her doubts and lifted her chin. “All right.”

Now that Rocki trusted they were all on the same game plan together, and had some way to protect themselves once they reached the inside of the casino. They’d find the boys, and she’d work her way to the bottom floor of the Crystal Palace. Both girls were brave and smart enough to draw attention to them if they found themselves in trouble. The Crystal Palace was a public place, and the bigger the group, the safer. With luck, she could catch the drug lord off guard, get the information she needed, and get out of there without any trouble.

She’d worry about the retaliation from Darrell later. It couldn’t get any worse. He’d already tried to shoot her.

She turned back around and faced the front of the car. “Okay, we’ll go inside. Make sure you stay close to me.”

Three women dressed in the highest fashion, their hair sprayed out to freaking there, and willing to risk life or fingernail, would scare any man. She steeled her shoulders. Hopefully, Darrell and his thugs wouldn’t recognize them the moment they strolled through the doors. She’d led him to believe she was malleable, obedient, and oblivious while she worked with him.

“Okay. We’re ready.” Rocki buckled her seat belt. “Go ahead and pull into the parking lot.”

Janie drove, while Rocki filled them in on the rest of the plan. The other girls’ positivity and excitement fueled Rocki. As long as she kept her head and stayed aware of what was going on around her, they’d be okay.

After stopping in front of the valet, she exited the car, hooked her arms through Janie and Sabrina’s elbows as the valet drove away in the Duster, confident the men inside the casino wouldn’t know what hit them when they went inside.

“Let’s do this, girls,” she said. “You’ll go straight to the boys and make them aware of the situation. I need five minutes after I reach the elevators.”

With Janie’s advice that the boys would never get caught playing slots, they headed through the machines to the back lounge. Rocki scoped the area, spotted the security man who watched over the back hallway, and pulled the girls over to the side of the room.

“Do me a favor.” She turned her back to the hallway. “I need you both to cause a scene and draw out the man in the black suit with the long sideburns.” She pulled Sabrina back in front of her. “Don’t look. As soon as I’m out of sight, go to Tony. Got it?”

They both nodded, and Janie said, “Be careful. I hate Darrell and even though I don’t think he’ll do anything tonight, he’ll come after you another time.”

“I’ll be fine.” She pushed them away. “Hurry.”

Rocki wandered off in the opposite direction, found a spot near the hallway, but kept her attention off the man. A wild shriek followed by a feminine argument had her looking over her shoulder.

Janie stood in her heels, toe to toe with Sabrina, and called her a bitch. Sabrina shoved Janie, throwing in her own insults. Rocki clamped her teeth together to keep from smiling. If she didn’t know better, it appeared as if a major girl fight was going down.

The security man walked toward the arguing girls. Rocki pivoted and slipped into the hallway. Not wasting any time, she jogged toward the elevator. Three seconds later, she was inside and heading down. She removed the pistol from her purse.

There would be guards the moment the doors opened. She flipped off the safety on the pistol and raised her gun hand. The elevator dinged and came to a lurching stop. Rocki’s stomach somersaulted as the doors opened. Her stomach dropped.

Frick.

Darrell, backed by his four thugs, stood in the hallway with pistols raised. She slipped her gun back into her purse, lifted a shoulder in an attempt to act as if she’d mistakenly taken the wrong elevator, and did what was starting to become a habit and said, “Hey.”

Darrell’s dark eyes grew even darker and his mouth hardened. “Follow me, please.”