I glance out the plane window and grip the arms of the seat I'm in. Having an irrational fear of planes and jets is not something I'm proud of. It's also not something you'd expect a ruthless killer to have, but here we are—thinking of plummeting into the abyss of nothingness and burning up in a heap of metal and flames.
I have serious control issues.
Once we land I'm finally able to breathe again. With feet on solid ground, I make a few calls, dangerous calls. They had to be made nonetheless. I couldn't be going into this situation completely blind and alone. After those I called Agelos to update him on my progress, telling him that I'm tracking down leads. It wasn't a complete lie, the leads were leading me to Dani though, not who Katya was working with.
There's a back Lexus waiting for me, not my usual choice but it works for now. I drive off to the address I'd been given, not bothering to stop by the hotel first. I need to see if this woman, Shaina Holland, is really Dani. The pictures I'd been forwarded looked like her, somewhat, that is if Dani had lost half her body weight and dyed her hair blonde.
I parallel park into a spot across from the apartment complex, grimacing as I take in the surroundings. It's not the worst area but it's a far cry away from the best. For someone who grew up like Dani had, this is slum-living. From five-star luxury to this. I shake my head in irritation.
Stubborn woman. Always such a stubborn woman.
I think she thought leaving would make Agelos see some sort of light. She didn't know just how dark her father was. She'd just gotten a taste of it, a very very small taste at that, of his darkness and the demon living inside of him. He was the devil incarnate when he wanted to be and I was his wrath.
I sit for what feels like an eternity staring at the entrance of her building, waiting for this Shaina broad. The one that apparently is Dani. Just as I'm about to pull away I see a blonde head round the corner, not just one though, there are two blonde heads. A male and a female.
Their hands are entwined, letting me know he isn't a threat to her, no, this must be the boyfriend Shaina lives with, Tucker. I lean forward, trying to get a better look because she's wearing a long, thick coat and has a hat on. Seattle this time of year was much the same as New York— stupid fucking cold.
The couple gets closer and they make it inside without me getting a proper look. I want to get out and follow them inside but I know I can't do that. I can't just walk up to her apartment, especially if she really is Dani, she'll likely try and flee, well, that or call the authorities. With a sigh, I sit back in my seat, preparing myself to wait even longer.
Two hours later Shaina exits the building and begins a brisk walk in the opposite direction of which she came. I exit the car and quickly catch up to her, remaining a healthy distance behind her. She's Dani's height but the build is throwing me off, she's much slimmer. When I get almost a touch too close I smell it; her perfume.
I stop abruptly as something in my chest stammers slightly. That scent is a mixture of honey, strawberry, and lilac; it's intoxicating. It brings back so many memories that I have to shove to the back of my mind because I'm beginning to lose her in the crowd. My pace picks back up; trailing her until I reach a shoddy bar and grille. After she enters she glances backward, looking directly at me.
Dani.
For a heartbeat we stare at each other but that's it. She turns back around and goes inside without a look back, like she hadn't even been surprised to see me. I shake my head and take a step away from the establishment, confusion marring my mind. After a few minutes I see her through the window, clear as day, night at this point, serving beers to two gentlemen. She's writing down an order next and I realize she works here, too.
My sources told me she only had one job but it would appear she has two.
✩✩✩
I blink my eyes open and rub them immediately of their grogginess. Upon looking around I notice the bar is just now closed and Dani is nowhere in sight. I curse under my breath as I start my car and head in the direction of her apartment. I'd checked into my hotel room during her shift then headed back here, hoping to catch her after her shift and talk to her, possibly kidnap her if she didn't want to listen to me. But I'd apparently fallen asleep.
I go follow the route she'd taken to get to work, not seeing her on any of the streets. Maybe she took a cab? I really hope she took a cab it's fucking midnight. But if Dani could only afford where she was living now, with the financial assistance of someone else to boot, I doubt she'd want to waste the money.
Where the fuck is she?
A slight panic begins to wash through me thinking about someone abducting her. No, she's fine. Dani is fine. I park a block away from her place and get out of my car, tucking my Nighthawk in the back of my pants. I scan the streets for her and see nothing. There's not many people out and, at my height, I can see around all of them.
I'm about to head back to my car when I hear a commotion going on in a nearby alleyway. Heading toward the noise, I realize that this is a cut through from Dani's workplace. Fuck. My feet move faster and just as I hit the mouth of it, Dani plows into me. I steady her by wrapping my arm around her and look up to see three men running our way. I don't hesitate before bringing my arm over her shoulder and taking each of them out; permanently.
She shoves me hard, probably thinking I'm affiliated with the assholes in the alleyway. When the recognition hits her face I can't help but smile. That only lasts for about point five seconds because Dani reaches out and slaps me, putting her whole body weight behind it, which is barely any weight at all. I grit my jaw, wanting to laugh at the way she's cradling her hand. She probably hurt herself more than she hurt me.
"That's what I get for saving your life?"
"That's what you get for bringing them here." She thumbs over her shoulder to the three well-dressed men lying lifeless on the ground. "I think I'm going to be sick." Her face paled, so she was probably going to be.
"First of all, if you do vomit, please desist from doing it on my shoes, they're Italian leather." I don't really care. I'm just trying to lighten the atmosphere. "Secondly, I didn't bring them here— you did." I give her a pointed look as I take out my pack of cigarettes. "You might've left home but you're still a Dedaj. Just because you want to go around calling yourself a different name doesn't mean it's your actually name. It doesn't wipe away your connection to your father." I light the cigarette and step around her to get a better look at the men who'd come after her. Ones that'd almost gotten to her before I had.
"I'm aware," her voice is laced with irritation, "but I want nothing to do with him."
I glance at her with a peeved look. "Clearly, that doesn't matter to them now, does it?" I lean down to grab the first guy's wallet when a shot rings right next to my head. "For fuck's sake." They'd almost blown my head off. I aim my gun at the other end of the alleyway, where there are more men to replace the ones at my feet, and shoot a few times before reloading. Once I reach Dani I say, "come on, let's get you out of here."
"I'm not going anywhere with you, Torey." I tuck her behind my back anyway with an internal eye roll. I shoot several times as I back us away from the oncoming threat. "Torey, I said—"
"It's not the fucking time to be a stubborn-ass, Dani. Not unless you want a bullet in that beautiful skull of yours." Don't know why I added that adjective. "If that's the case then fine, do continue on with your bravado."
"You're a dick." I let out a low chuckle at that.
"Never claimed to be otherwise." Once we're finally away from the men and on the street I tell her where the car is. "Get in. Put your fucking seatbelt on. Stay down." She rushes over to the passenger seat and we both get in as fast as humanly possible then we're off.
"Fuck!" She screams after I blow through a red light, just missing a bus. After a few more swerves and turns, once I'm positive no one is following us, I pull into the parking garage attached to my hotel.
"Grab a fucking ticket, it says." I grab one and enter the garage, swearing underneath my breath as I do.
"You just shot people in an alley and you're worried about being charged a proper ticket rate?" Her tone full of incredulousness.
"There're cameras everywhere in here, Dani. I blow through that gate and the cops get called. Then everyone, including the people who want to take you, know where we are." I would've thought that obvious but I guess not.
She doesn't say anything as I drive nearly all the way to the top. Once we park she says, "what do you mean the people who want to take me?" This is a conversation better to be had inside and not in shady parking garages.
"Let's go." I nod my head out of the car and exit without her, knowing she'll follow. If she doesn't she's got a hell of a long run to get to the street, which is why I'd parked so high up. I head over to the elevator, smirking to myself as I punch the call button. I hear her unhurried footsteps on the pavement and then a thud that has me whipping around.
"Dani!"
I hurry over to her lifeless body that's sprawled out on the parking garage floor. Once I check her vitals I pick her up, luckily right when the elevator doors open. I jog over with her body in my arms until we're both inside the cramped space. I tap my foot impatiently as I wait for it to arrive at the appropriate floor. Thank god it's late and I can pass this off as she's had too much to drink.
She does smell like booze. Perks of working in a shitty bar, I'm sure.
There's a loud ding as the doors open and I hurry through the lobby to the other elevator that will lead to my room. Thankfully, there aren't too many prowling eyes, just the ones next to me in the elevator. A man and a woman are all over each other but stop once they see me enter with Dani.
"Rough night?" The man laughs.
I give him a nod. "You have no idea."
A brisk walk down the hallway leads me to our final destination for this evening. Once I'm inside the room I make quick work of taking her jacket and hat off, her shoes as well, and when it's just her lying on the bed I notice how frail she looks.
Dani had once had a softness about her, plush curves and luscious thighs. She was little more than skin and bones now. I study her unfamiliar frame for a moment longer before covering her with the duvet. All that's left to look at now is her gaunt face and dyed hair.
What happened to you these past two years, Dani?
I sit down in a desk chair and mull that question over and over.
A/N:
Happy Thursday!
I'm still not sure the update schedule for this book. I'll most likely update three times a week.
Thoughts so far?