I rushed over to Blue. “Damn it. Why did we leave?”
“It wasn’t a sure shot.” Maxwell also hurried over to Blue and got on her right.
I made it to Blue’s left and sat down. “That’s the idiot right there, talking to his cousins.”
Jean-Pierre and two other cousins got out of the limo. They appeared to be arguing about something. A black woman stepped out next. She wore an afro and a dress. I let out a long breath. “Where’s Emily? Where the hell is she!?”
“Calm down.” Maxwell leaned closer. “Maybe she’s inside of the limo. If I was them, I would keep her in there.”
One of Jean-Pierre’s cousins called over three men in suits, and then pointed at the limo. The three guys walked over, listened to more orders, headed to the limo, and got inside.
“You’re right.” My hands trembled. ‘They just put three men in the back. She’s there.”
David got off the phone. “Two vans are on their way.”
I jumped up. “How far?”
“They said ten minutes, but the cops have been blocking the roads, and there’s now a helicopter hovering over the area.”
“I should go.” I got ready to leave.
Maxwell waved his hands. “This French guy has cops and helicopters. They won’t let us get close to her.”
Rage and fear flooded my mind. Usually, I listened to no one. Today, I was off my game. Terrified. All I could do was trust in Maxwell.
“Emily has been kidnapped before,” Maxwell said. “This will work out. Only worry, when I start losing my mind.”
Blue and I turned back to the screen showing the limo with the three men and hopefully Emily too.
Maxwell continued, “Either way, it always works out. Even when the guy is a psycho. Em figures out a way to stay safe.”
My chest rose and fell, filling with tension. I could barely breath.
Blue pointed to the screen. “Should I go to the cameras inside the house?”
“No.” I shook my head. “We already know what they’re going to do. Jean-Pierre and his cousins will find the dead guys and cut-up woman. Then, he’ll realize that I have Eden.”
On the cameras, more Corsican arrived in vans along with police. Several men rushed out with guns. So many I couldn’t count them. Jean-Pierre had control of the gameboard, and entirely more resources at his grasp.
Paris is definitely your city, Jean-Pierre. That’s why I’m going to flatten it.
All of his armed men headed for the house.
Still the three men remained in the back of the limo.
Goddamn it. She has to be in there.
My hands shook for the first time in years.
And then the limo rocked.
“You see that?” Maxwell asked. “Or am I just high?”
“I saw it.”
Maxwell fisted his hands. “Can you do a close up on the limo, Blue?”
“No. I only put a small camera on the top of the door. The best ones are inside.”
Nothing else happened.
In that moment, Jean-Pierre’s lover stepped inside. She had her hair in a ponytail. More presentable, I could see why she might’ve caught the psycho’s attention. She still held the invisible unicorn in her arms.
Maxwell looked up. Approval hit his face. “Did you have a good shower?”
She began to speak, but I had no time for any of that.
“Come here.” I gestured at her and pulled out my phone. “Blue, get a view of Jean-Pierre inside the house. I want to see his face, while I’m talking to him.”
Blue nodded.
Eden slowly walked over to me.
I gestured for her to hurry.
She did and petted the invisible unicorn faster.
My phone rang.
Jean-Pierre’s voice came on the line. “Kazimir?”
“Did you see? My men say that you arrived.” I didn’t want to let him know that I had cameras on him, but he had to realize, that I could find him anywhere in Paris. On the camera, Jean-Pierre pointed to the sky, as if to tell Louis that I had a satellite on him.
Not yet, you piece of shit pansy, but soon.
David backed away and whispered into the phone, probably trying to see how close our men were to the scene.
We’ve got you.
“Do you have Eden?” Jean-Pierre asked.
“Ah!” I gestured for Eden to come closer. “You have humbled yourself.”
“Kazimir—”
“I thought I answered that already,” I growled. “Put Emily on the phone. That was the deal.”
“We both know I have your Emily.” Jean-Pierre left the house, but in the wrong direction.
Blue switched cameras but couldn’t find him.
Where did he go? He must have gone out the back and then walked on the side.
Blue switched to the front view of the house.
The limo rocked.
Wait. What’s going on in there?
“Fuck,” Maxwell whispered, “Em has to be in there.”
The limo rocked again. A shot came next. Glass shattered the side window. And then another shot.
We all leaned forward.
Maxwell covered his face for a second, and then rubbed it. “Em is definitely in there.”
My heart stopped.
Another shot came.
More glass shattered.
The door opened.
Emily got out.
I exhaled and hadn’t realized that I’d held my breath.
“Jesus,” Maxwell muttered.
I couldn’t move for a few seconds. My whole life stood in front of me on the screen. She was miles and miles away. I reached my hand out and touched the screen, not caring what anyone thought of me.
She wore a man’s long sleeve buttoned down shirt and held two guns in her hands .
Maxwell trembled next to us. “Run, Em.”
I covered the phone. “David, send everybody that way. I don’t care where they are.”
David was already on the phone. He stood next to me, barreling out orders.
In the front of the limo, the driver jumped out.
Emily pointed the gun at him and said something.
Mysh!
The driver got back in.
Fast, she looked around and ran off in the other direction.
Jean-Pierre’s voice came on the line. “I need confirmation that you have Eden.”
Shit. I have to keep him busy.
I gave the phone to Eden. She hadn’t turned to the laptop screen, probably still drugged up on whatever the Devil had given her.
“Hello?” she whispered.
Jean-Pierre mumbled several things into the phone.
I rose and hurried to David. “Call Misha. Get his satellites. Have them send a feed to Blue’s computer.”
David nodded.
Goddamn it, Emily. Now what do I do?
“Jean-Pierre?” Eden’s face brightened. “I’m fine.”
Blue tapped the screen.
Jean-Pierre had entered our view. He hadn’t even noticed the shattered glass, so excited to be on the phone with his lover. But then he came close to looking off in the direction that Emily had run. I had to give her a fighting chance.
I grabbed the phone back from Eden. “Put Emily on the phone. Now!”
Maxwell mouthed the word no.
“Goddamn it.” On the screen, Jean-Pierre rushed over to the limo. “Give me a minute.”
Emily should have some more time to escape as he remained near the limo.
What if this doesn’t work?
My hands shook. “You hurt her, and I’ll erase the French from European history.”
Horrified, Jean-Pierre got to the limo, opened the door, and froze.
It’s hard to keep a mouse? Isn’t it?
I looked at David and held my hand out in the air.
Do we have the satellites on them?
David whispered, “Soon. Misha just put in the location.”
I glan
ced back at Jean-Pierre on the screen. He looked close to shitting himself. A second later, he ducked back into the limo. “I’m sorry.”
I growled back at him. “What are you sorry about?”
Run and hide, Emily. I’ll be there soon. Our men are coming for you. Just hide.
Jean-Pierre hurried out of the limo and scanned the area like a mad man.
I grinned, but feigned anger. “Put her on the phone.”
“Give me a minute.”
“A minute. I’ll fucking slice—”
“She ran off!” Jean-Pierre confessed.
I was pissed Blue couldn’t get the camera to focus closer on him.
What are you thinking? I have Eden. And if I get my mouse back, then, today will end on a very positive note.
I smiled. “She ran off?”
Jean-Pierre rushed around the limo and scanned the block. “Yes. She escaped. I swear on everything.”
A dark, chuckle left me. “Then the next few hours should be interesting.”
Game over, Jean-Pierre.
“There’s new footage coming across my screen.” Blue typed and blew it up.
“That’s Misha.” I sat down in anticipation. “Maybe I won’t kill his ballerina after all.”
“I like when family can work it out.” Maxwell put out his joint.
An aerial view of the neighborhood came up.
Here we go.
But, what I saw had me close to shitting my own pants.
Off in the distance, Emily ran for her life down the street. And behind my mouse, over twenty French guys charged for her. A few cars drove by, swerving and screeching their tires.
“Goddamn it!” I almost flipped the table over. “Where are our men?! Where are they?!”
I grabbed my gun, not knowing who to shoot.
Never had I felt so powerless. My love raced away, fighting for survival and all I could do was look. Even my helicopter was at the airport. Time. I needed time to get to her. Time to figure it all out.
“Fuck!” Maxwell couldn’t even look. He got up from the couch and paced. “Tell me when it’s over.”
Every few steps, Emily slowed the pace, turned around, and shot at a man. While she got a few, most of them ducked and headed forward.
Mysh!
I glared at Jean-Pierre’s lover, Eden. “If something happens to my mouse, I’m going to skin you alive. Use your flesh for a suit, and send it to Jean-Pierre in a nice box with a ribbon.”
Maxwell got between us. “Maybe, we should relax first. He’s not going to kill Em. He knows you have his woman. It’s going to be okay.”
Blue called out, “They’ve got her!”
I grabbed the space above my heart as the pain bloomed even more.
The French were gentle, when they picked my mouse up. Five of them had to keep her calm. She gave them no struggle or fight. She just simply let them carry her back to the limo.
When they brought her to Jean-Pierre, they set her down.
She whispered something.
He screamed and pulled his phone out.
My phone rang.
I looked at Maxwell. “Make sure we track that fucking limo. Put Misha on it.”
I answered the phone.
Jean-Pierre sounded out of breath. “Kazimir. . .I’ve got her.”
I took my gun and headed out of the house. “Are you sure?”
He panted. “Where’s the exchange?”
My voice went deadly. “Put her on the phone, Jean-Pierre.”
Emily’s voice came on next. “Kazimir?”
“Mouse, stop running away.” My eyes burned with tears, but I wouldn’t let them fall. “That was dangerous.”
“Yes. I know, but…”
“They could’ve killed you. What would I do without you? You’re my—”
“No. I’m fine. No one—”
Jean-Pierre interrupted her and jumped back on the line. “Finish the conversation in person. It’s always better that way. Don’t you agree?”
“I do.” I got in the jeep, ready to handle him in person. “Have you considered how you will give her back to me?”
“Let’s meet at the airport,” Jean-Pierre offered. “Once we exchange, you can get on your plane and go home.”
You’ve got more men around that airport than I do. No. We need to keep it fair.
“That does sound lovely,” I said. “but I don’t trust you. I would like to ask a favor and get the chance to decide the location. While this is your city, I’ve spent a lot of time here today. I have some places in mind.”
And I have my satellites on your fucking limo.
Maxwell hopped into the jeep with gun in hand.
“Where?” Jean-Pierre asked.
We’ve got your location now. How about I surprise you and show up.
Instead, I said, “I’ll call you with the location soon.”
“There’s no need to prolong this.”
“The stakes are high, Jean-Pierre, one can’t half-ass this.” I hung up and yelled at everyone, “Hurry! Let’s get him.”
David called out from the house. “What about the girl?”
“Keep her here . She’s been through enough. She shouldn’t have to watch Jean-Pierre die.” Close. We were so fucking close. I had eyes on his limo. Jean-Pierre couldn’t disappear from me anymore.
Blue stumbled along to the jeep, holding onto her laptop.
David called out to us, “Our men are close. They just broke through one barrier.”
“Not good enough. Have people get in the helicopter and rush that way. We can’t lose them.”
But in the end, we did.
We rushed that way for nothing.
My men lost them.
Misha too.
Jean-Pierre knew Paris, and surely, this had not been his first time running from someone. My men had been close to getting them, but then the limo entered a tunnel and had never left.
They switched cars in the fucking tunnel. He knew I had him.
Fifthteen minutes, we made to the damn tunnel.
Far off in the middle of the long path, an empty limo sat on the side with its hazardous lights on. There was no indication that anyone sat inside.
“Now what?” Maxwell looked at me.
“We do the exchange.” My heart broke, but I wouldn’t let that get me down. Emily was alive and kicking their asses. Jean-Pierre wasn’t the Devil. He kept her reasonably together, although she wore no pants.
And whose shirt was that?
“We need a drop off place.” I rubbed my face with both hands. “If you were going to do an exchange, where would it be?”
Maxwell leaned against Jean-Pierre’s empty limo. “He’s a sneaky basterd. The airport is a no-go. Like you said, he has too many guys there, and he’s already prepared.”
“Out in the open allows for snipers.”
“So public parks are out.”
I nodded. “We’re back to some sort of shopping center. Busy. Packed.”
“David talked about an underground one. If Em could escape from a limo with three men, then she could—
“No. She doesn’t need to go anywhere. They could’ve killed her.”
“Em does what she wants.”
“That’s the fucking problem.” I hit the limo. A dent appeared on the polished surface. “Let’s go back to David’s grandmother’s. We’ll get this shopping center’s address from him. Put our people there, and then give Jean-Pierre a location.”
“We’ll have to do it fast.”
“Everything comes down to this moment.”
Maxwell quirked his brows. “And can I kill this Butcher?”
“No. He’s mine.” I punched another dent into the surface. “But you can skin the funny one. Put a couple of your signature smiley faces on his face.”
“I’ve got you.” Maxwell winked.
We headed back to the jeep.
Where did he take her?
Emily’s men stood outside of all the French locati
ons. Each cousin’s condo had several of her, and my few men waiting for their arrival.
Where did you go?
David’s men had put the lions in the warehouse. Soon Jean-Pierre would hear the news. It was hard to shoot a lion, especially several of them in an enclosed location. Each warehouse had a lion and several of his lionesses. Those huge creatures would do everything to keep anyone from coming inside.
And none of them would shoot the gun inside the warehouse anyway. Not with all the weapons around, ready to blow them all up.
Still, I was in a tough place.
You avoided the satellites. What car did you drive out of the tunnel with?
Misha would have to playback the satellite’s feed, and track every damn vehicle that left the tunnel. Just when I thought I was several moves ahead of Jean-Pierre, he proved me wrong.
That’s fine. You’ll die soon, and my mouse will be back with me.
Chapter 6
Emily
Kaz.
Hearing his voice sent me on edge. It was the worst thing that could’ve happened to me. During the whole kidnapping, I’d been calm enough. I’d come close to coping with my situation. Anytime there was an opportunity to get free, I took it. My mind had been clear.
And then I heard Kaz’s voice and desperation spilled in. Hunger too. My body trembled with a need to escape into his arms.
Kaz.
I couldn’t catch my breath although, I hadn’t been running for several minutes. Earlier, it had been the race of my life. I thought I would die in those streets. In some unknown neighborhood in Paris.
Thank God the men knew not to hurt me. They could’ve shot me with no problem. They could’ve knocked me out. When they caught up with me, I thought I would die. But they calmly picked me up and carried me back to my captor, unharmed.
I sank in embarrassment.
Jean-Pierre dragged me back to that limo and gave me the phone.
“Mouse, stop running away.” Kazimir’s voice sounded stressed. “That was dangerous.”
“Yes. I know, but…”
“They could’ve killed you. What would I do without you? You’re my—”
“No. I’m fine. No one—”
My fingers shook at the memory.
Nothing else came to my mind, once Jean-Pierre took the phone away. All I could do was swim in Kaz’s words.
Dirty Minds: The Lion and The Mouse (Book 4) Page 8