Damien stretched out on the cot waiting for his promised meal. It had been hours and he was starving. His morning excursions didn’t leave much time for more than just a snack. Right now, they should have been gone, been miles away from Georgetown. Instead, he was in a cell until his cousin saw fit to release him. And his son and Victoria Secret had probably been moved to another location. It was the second time they’d almost been caught, he didn’t think Mike and Elaine would allow a third. He pounded his frustration into the pillow before he turned on his side. The cot was still short but at least laying on his side was a better fit.
He’d just put his head down when he heard loud voices approach. And from the sound of it someone was getting his head chewed off. He raised his head to hear better and chuckled once he recognized the voice. It was Ellie and she was pissed! One guess who was getting their ass handed to them.
Damien stood and approached the bars. He wrapped his hands around the rods and waited for his cousin and his wife to round the corner. It didn’t take long and he wasn’t disappointed. Once Ellie saw him, she turned to Dale with a glare mumbled loudly ‘asswipe’ before she rushed to the bars with a contrite look on her face.
“I’m so sorry this idiot did this to you. When he called me to bring you dinner, I brought a lawyer instead.”
Damien nodded because if he spoke he’d end up laughing. His cousin was mad enough to keep him in that cell an extra day if he did.
“Don’t worry, Daniel will get you out of here tonight.”
“He wasn’t under arrest in the first place,” Dale mumbled.
“Oh? So is this your new visitors quarters? Thanks but he doesn’t need room and board, he has that in my house. You mister will be getting comfortable on your office couch if you don’t open this door right now!” She turned back to Damien then, stroking his hands in a comforting gesture. “Got you caged up in here like a zoo animal.”
Oh hell. She was not making it easy to hold the laughter in.
“Step back,” Dale ordered signaling the officer standing on the side with a suppressed smile to open the door.
Damien was so relieved Ellie had come to his rescue he could kiss her—but wisely won’t unless he wanted to die caged up like a zoo animal. Once the door swung open, he quickly stepped out and the first thing he did was hug Ellie.
“Thank you. That damn cot was made for a child.”
Dale smirked. “This room and board wasn’t made for comfort.”
Ellie pulled away and glared at him. Taking Damien’s hand, he pulled him past Dale. “Let’s go before he finds some charges to keep you locked up.”
Damien hurried after her. “Don’t have to tell me twice.”
He only breathed a little more freely once they were out of the basement. He’d only feel completely relaxed once they were out of the building, but he needed to get his phone first. They could keep the rest of his things for all he cared. When they stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway, a man impeccably dressed with a leather briefcase and a fierce look on his face met them.
“Daniel, don’t start,” Ellie warned harshly.
Damien nodded to himself. He was the lawyer he owed his freedom to and definitely not a fan. What did Ellsa do to him?
“Damien,” Dale began behind him at the same time Ellie tried to pull him away from the duo. Dale quickly fastened a halting hand on his shoulder. “I want you to meet Daniel Baker. Ellsa’s only surviving victim.”
Ah hell! It was one thing taking her side with no faces or names to her victims, but another when he stared one of them—make that the only living one of them—in the face. But he needed to remind himself that she wasn’t the same woman and he was doing this for his son.
“I’m just going to say thanks and leave it at that. Dale, can I get my stuff?”
“How the hell can you defend that monster?” The one living victim snarled, getting right up in his face.
“Daniel, stop that!” Ellie admonished, but she might as well have said nothing because he wasn’t letting up.
“Do you have any idea what she did to me, to all of us? I’m lucky to be alive!”
“I’m sensing survivor’s remorse?” Damien took a quick step back when Daniel lunged at him.
“Not funny cuz!”
Damien ignored Dale and kept his attention on Daniel. “How long have you and Ellie known each other?”
When he didn’t answer Ellie did. “Since college.”
“With the boyfriends coming and going, have you always been the one constant in her life?”
“Yes. She’s my best friend. I would do anything for her,” he hissed through clenched teeth.
“Ever wonder why you lived and the others didn’t?”
That drew silence until Dale said, “What’s your point?”
He shrugged though the question did raise numerous others. “I’m not sure yet but it’s something I’m definitely going to find out. My stuff?”
“Here.”
Damien leaned enough to the side to spot the pretty blonde—Paloma was her name, holding a tray with his things on it. He walked around Ellie and Daniel and stopped in front of her, gifting her one of his smiles that got a raised brow and half a smile in return.
“You are such a doll.”
“Call me that again and I’ll kick you.” He had to laugh at that. “And, by the way, I also think something weird is going on. She wanted to hurt Ellie but never hit her where it would hurt most—the two men currently in her life.”
“You too?” Dale lamented.
Paloma shook her head, “I’m not defending her, I’m just saying it’s weird. I think there is more to it than any one of us thought to check. Even when she tried to steal Third, she was desperate, she actually believed he was hers. And once Gwen shot her the case was closed, none of the normal procedures were followed. We study sociopaths and psychopaths and yet not one of us bothered to try to get into her head to figure out why she lost her marbles.”
“Gwen, that’s the redhead man-eater?” Damien asked taking note to keep her away from Ellsa.
“Also Dale’s lover,” Ellie supplied.
“Ex-lover,” Dale countered.
Damien whistled, “Dale, you dog.” He chuckled when Dale flipped him off.
“Oh, your phone kept ringing but each time Audrey picked it up, the person on the other end hangs up.”
Damien felt apprehension tighten his muscles, but he fought to conceal it. DJ must have been the one calling and hanging up when he wasn’t the one to answer. “Probably because my phone is voice activated. Can’t have every Tom, Dick, Audrey and Paloma answering my phone.” He winked at her.
She rolled her eyes shaking her head, “I’ve been married too long to fall for your smooth undercover flirtations. And Audrey wants to pick your brain once you cross over from the dark side.”
He nodded, watching her walk away for a few second before he punched the code to open his phone. It was DJ and he’d called eleven times and sent countless texts. Something was wrong, something was very wrong. He opened the most recent text. It was an address and the message ended with an SOS. He needed to leave, now!
“Ellie, mind giving me a ride home?” he asked as he moved and texted. ‘On my way. Sit tight, I’m coming.’
“Sure.” They entered the elevator together and Ellie pressed the button to the parking lot, but Dale held the door open.
“Where are you going Damien?”
He forced a smile before he responded, “Home to eat, shower and sleep on a human size bed.”
“Whatever. Who was calling?”
Damien chuckled, “Still on the hunt? I use the same phone when I go undercover. It’s an old contact and I can’t call him back until I confirm who he is and what identity I used.”
His eyes narrowed with suspicion, “Why do you still keep those contacts if the jobs are done?”
“I work with gangs, cartels and mobs Dale. The jobs are never done.”
Finally accepting that, he let go and the doors slid shut. Ellie turned to him but with a firm shake of his head he silenced her. He wouldn’t put it past Dale to have a bug placed in his things. He didn’t have the time to go through it all so he would have to leave everything he’d just gotten back at home and carry cash. He didn’t want to be tracked using his credit card. Good thing his phone had a program to fry bugs twenty minutes after it had been planted. He would be out of the building before they realized something was wrong.
They made small talk all the way home just in case he was wrong. When they got home another best friend, this one named Kris was waiting by the door for them. He didn’t bother to join them instead, he went to his room, changed, took a quick minute to remove the bug from his phone, grabbed his duffle and marched right out the door without a word to either one of them. He bet they didn’t even notice him walk by with how heated their argument had gotten. He walked a mile before he flagged down a cab and set off to the address DJ had texted. He ended up at a gas station and in the middle of the night, not one he wanted his family to stay at more than what was necessary.
He walked to the black SUV and knocked on the driver’s window. “Open the back.”
The trunk door swung open and he tossed his duffel inside and shut it. He jogged to the passenger’s door, but the driver’s swung open instead. Curious but it was better that way since he knew where they were going. He jumped into the car and shut the door. He turned to VS with a smile only to curse.
“Shh,” she whispered through her swollen lips and winced. “I just got him to stop crying and go to sleep. Don’t wake him. I hurt enough already, I can’t handle his pain too.”
He nodded, his jaw clenched tight as he watched a tear escape her swollen shut eye. She was red and raw, clutching her right side and wincing with every slight move as she tried to get comfortable. How the hell did she manage to drive?
She stayed perfectly still when he leaned over her and slowly, carefully lowered the backrest of her seat. “Better?”
She nodded, “Thank you.”
He jerked his head once in a hard nod, “Don’t mention it.”
“Damien?”
“Yeah,” he responded keeping his eyes away from her. If he looked at her one more time, he was going to give into the temptation of driving to her home and killing Turner with his bare hands.
“DJ said we’ll be safe with you. Don’t make a liar out of our son,” her voice broke and she gasped as if talking had caused her pain.
His hands tightened around the steering wheel. “Only when I’m dead will this ever happen to you again.”
After a long pause, she said, “Thanks. Try not to hit any bumps.”
He tried to smile at her silly humor, but he was too mad to do so. Where was Mike or Elaine when that animal put his hands on her?
Never again. He was never going to leave the responsibility of looking after his family to anyone else ever again.
****