Tabby trembled and rubbed her hands over her arms. "How do you know that?" Only someone close to Sergei would have those kinds of details. The thought sent ice slicing through her veins. Dread filled her, making her feet feel like lead. Why had she opened up to him? It was as if she couldn't keep silent. And now, it might cost Tabby her life.
"I overheard him talking," Linx said, but didn't elaborate.
Was he reading her mind or had he spoken the truth? Tabby had never been good at poker. She couldn’t bluff. She also couldn’t tell when someone else was bluffing. That was the most difficult thing about being around professional liars. She stared at him, attempting to divine the answers. She’d have had better luck trying to read a Sphinx.
She needed more time, but that was the one thing she was out of. Tabby had to get proof of Sergei’s criminal activities before he made another attempt on her life. Everything was riding on her success.
It pained her to admit it, but Linx was right. She couldn't do it on her own. She’d tried going to the police. She’d tried sneaking in. Nothing had worked and it had only made things worse.
Alexei and Viktor had come close--really close to stopping her for good. Tabby wasn't sure if they'd been sent to her home to kill her or just make her wish that she were dead. Either way, she had no intention of giving them another chance to get their hands on her.
She met his unflinching gaze. "Tomorrow night I plan to break into Sergei's club and search his office for proof that he's a criminal.”
* * * * *
The woman was insane. Linx had pegged her right the first time he laid eyes on her. She was determined to get herself killed.
"And exactly how do you plan to do that?" he asked.
She looked away. "I've been practicing my lock-picking skills. I have a book and the right equipment. I know I can get into the club through the back door."
“You’ve done this before?” Maybe he’d misread her completely. Was he dealing with a thief who only played the part of a righteous innocent?
Tabby glared at him defiantly. “No, but I know I can.”
Linx inhaled deeply, allowing his beast to discern the truth. She was serious. There was no doubt. Even if her expression betrayed her, she couldn't hide her scent. Her delicious scent. He inhaled again and smelled...cookies. Linx’s stomach growled.
Since when did she smell like cookies? He glanced around the coffee shop, thinking he must've caught a whiff of something behind the counter, but other than scones and a few pastries, there were none.
"Were you eating cookies earlier?" he asked.
Tabby looked at him like he'd sprouted a third nostril. "No. Why? Are you hungry?"
Not for food. Linx shook his head and snorted to get the aroma out of his lungs, but like the crazy woman beside him, it refused to leave. The aroma wrapped around him, until his head began to spin. He looked into his coffee cup. Had she somehow drugged him? The creamy pale elixir held no answers.
How had he gotten himself into this mess? He'd come to the planet determined to experience all of its delights and he'd succeeded until this afternoon. Now he was on the run from something called the Mob with a woman who had no concern for her own safety. It was insane. Ridiculous.
And the most fun he'd had in years.
"I can't ask you to do this with me," Tabby said. "It's illegal."
"You don't have to ask," he said. She couldn't keep him away if she tried.
"What I'm going to do is dangerous," she said, her voice pleading.
"All the more reason for me to come with you." He gave her no wiggle room.
She glared at him. "I don't want you to come."
Linx glared back. "Too late for second thoughts now."
Tabby growled like an angry kitten. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a pain in the butt?"
“Yes. Quite often as a matter of fact.” Linx grinned and winked at her. She flushed like a ripe apple. "But I grow on you."
"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of," she muttered and looked out the window.
* * * * *
It was one thing to risk her own life, quite another to risk... She glanced at the smoking hot stranger beside her. His life. It would be a waste for all that loveliness to end up bloodied and lifeless.
“What if you can’t find proof?” He looked far too casual given the seriousness of their conversation.
Tabby couldn’t even consider the possibility. Sergei had to be hiding something in his office at the club. “I will.” She sounded petulant to her own ears.
“I’m sure,” he said. “But what if you don’t?”
“Then I’ll have to think of something else.” She hated the idea that Linx might be right. What if Sergei was smart enough not to keep incriminating evidence lying around? What then?
He sat back in the booth and crossed his hands behind his head. “Let’s say that you do find what you’re looking for. What then?”
“I’ll grab Taylor and run,” she said. There had to be somewhere on this planet that Sergei wouldn’t look. But even as the thought filtered through her head, Tabby knew it wasn’t true. If she managed to get something on Sergei, he’d move heaven and earth to find them and kill them. Nowhere would be safe. They’d have to spend the rest of their lives moving from place to place.
Linx tilted his head back and closed his eyes. “And if your sister doesn’t want to come with you…what will you do then?”
Tabby bit her lip. She really hadn’t considered that Taylor might refuse to come with her. It was inconceivable. “I’ll kidnap her if I have to,” she said, knowing it was the truth.
“You’d risk your freedom, your life, death, everything for your sister?”
She glanced at him. “Yes, wouldn’t you?”
Linx pinned her to the booth with his sharp blue eyes. “I’d risk everything to gain what I most desire.”
The intensity glowing in those dark depths scared her silly. Tabby could barely breathe as she nodded in agreement, though at that moment she didn’t think they were talking about the same thing.
“I’m curious,” he said. “Would your sister do the same for you?”
She opened her mouth to respond, then slowly closed it without saying a word. The answer in her heart hurt too much to utter aloud.
* * * * *
Chapter Five
Tabby's hand shook, causing the glow of the flashlight to skitter over the pavement. Linx's leg shot out, his foot tapping at the schizophrenic beam of light. She stopped to look at him. "What are you doing?"
Red slashed his cheeks. He straightened and slowly lowered his leg. "Nothing," he said, but his eyes remained locked on the faint glow.
Tabby jerked the flashlight to the right and watched his sharp gaze track the beam’s movement. Just to be sure that she wasn't imagining things, she reversed direction. Linx didn't move, but his body tensed. Sheer will kept him in place. Tabby had seen videos online where dogs and cats chased the red beams of laser pointers, but she'd never seen a human do so.
She bit her lip to keep from laughing and whirled the flashlight around a few more times.
“Knock it off!” Linx said, as his foot came down on the beam of light.
He might be good-looking, but he definitely had his quirks. Tabby supposed that was a good thing, since any sane person would’ve refused to help. Like it or not, she needed Linx’s assistance. With him here, she at least had a chance of getting Taylor back.
How many men would knowingly break the law for a virtual stranger? Not many. Beggars like her couldn't afford to let a little thing like insanity get in the way of her mission. Tabby knew she'd work with the devil himself if it meant getting her sister away from Sergei. Given Linx’s dark good looks, she wasn't altogether sure that she wasn't.
Linx had gone from chasing the flashlight beam to suddenly sniffing the air. Tabby inhaled, but other than the eye-watering stench coming from the dumpster nearby, she couldn't smell a thing.
"If you're having second thoughts
about helping me, tell me now." She prayed hard that he wouldn’t take her up on her offer.
The statement startled Linx out of...whatever he was doing.
"What brought that up? Are you having second thoughts about your plan?” He didn’t have to sound so damn hopeful.
“No,” she said. “Are you?”
“I told you that I would assist you and I will."
Tabby ran her hands over her arms. "Sorry, I’m just nervous. I’ve never broken the law before," she said. “It doesn’t help that you seem distracted.”
“Don’t mistake my actions for distraction.” His stormy eyes seemed to glow in the dark. "I am trying to get a feel for our surroundings. I don't think you want anyone sneaking up on us."
She glanced around warily. "No. That wouldn't be good." Tabby didn't want to go to jail, but she was desperate. The fact that Sergei had sent his men to do...she shuddered at how close she'd come to being hurt or worse. It was only a matter of time before he turned his anger on Taylor. Her sister was just too blinded by her attraction to the knuckle dragger to realize it. She stared into the darkness. "There it is."
* * * * *
Linx followed her outstretched finger. A lone gray door appeared like a smudge next to the off-white paint. Every hair on his body stood on end. He didn't sense any humans nearby, but Linx couldn't seem to shake his growing unease. "Perhaps we should do this some other night?"
Tabby shook her head. "He's already sent his assassins after me once. Sergei knows by now that I got away. What if they don't miss next time? Or heaven forbid, what if he takes his anger out on Taylor?" She clutched the tools in her hand and shined the flashlight in his eyes. "I can't take that chance."
Linx reached out and lowered the light. "Are you sure that you can get the door open?"
She nodded, but was unable to meet his gaze.
His brave little thief was in way over her head. She was too proud to admit it. He couldn’t fault her for that, since he suffered from the same frailty. All Linx could do now was make sure that she came to no harm.
Tabby’s blunt white teeth kept gnawing on her bottom lip, drawing his attention again and again to her lush mouth. She'd made it more than clear that she didn't want anything to do with him, but that didn’t stop Linx from wondering what was hiding under that gruff, sensibly clothed exterior.
"Are you in or are you out? I need to know now before I get to work on the locks."
Linx listened to her heart rate accelerate. Sweat dotted her brow, even though the air was cool. Her sour scent took on the sharp tang of fear. "I'm in." The little fool would do this with or without his help. He had no doubt.
Tabby approached the door and carefully opened her toolkit. She rolled out the instruments and ran her fingers over each one. She picked out two and stared at the lock. "Keep an eye out. This may take a while." She slipped the flashlight into her mouth.
Twenty minutes later, Tabby was still struggling with the lock. She’d changed tools twice to no avail.
"Do you need help?" he asked.
She pulled the flashlight out of her mouth. "No! I got it."
Linx stepped back, allowing himself to blend into the shadows. He watched for a minute more to make sure Tabby's attention remained on the lock, then closed his eyes and let his body fall away into nothingness. Linx stepped through the wall and walked over to the door. Red lights flooded the space illuminating the room and the various exits. He could hear the scratches the instruments made as Tabby continued to pick the lock.
At this rate, they'd be here when the afternoon shift arrived. He sent out his senses to ensure they were alone. Other than a few rats scrounging for food in the walls, the place was empty. Satisfied, Linx unlocked the door, then hurried back over to where he'd slipped through the wall. He felt himself solidify a second before Tabby squealed in triumph.
“I did it!” Her face split into a wide grin as she turned the knob and opened the door. "Told you that I could."
Linx’s hearts kicked a beat at her obvious pleasure, but he kept his expression placid, so she wouldn’t suspect his intervention. "Congratulations."
“Thanks!” She stepped into the hazy darkness, holding the door open for him to follow. He'd already noted the lack of a system alert, but he didn't understand its absence.
"Why are there no alerts on this building?" he asked.
Tabby frowned. "Alerts?"
"Protection devices.”
"Oh, you mean alarms." Tabby shrugged. "Because most people know who owns this place. This neighborhood. They wouldn't dare steal from him unless they want to end up dead."
Linx held out an arm to stop her from going deeper into the club. "You are here to take something." He thought it pertinent to remind her of the fact, since she placed her welfare far below all others.
Tabby slithered out of his grip. "That's different." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm here to save my sister. I am not going to rob Sergei."
"Will he note the difference?" Linx watched her pale before his eyes.
Tabby swallowed hard. "You don’t understand. You don’t have family." She flicked off her flashlight.
Her words cut him. Perhaps that had been her intention. Linx knew it was the fear talking, so he let her escape...for now. They wound their way through the back area, getting turned around a couple of times before ending up on the stage. The soft red glow of the exits bathed the room. Linx recognized the gold poles, but what surprised him was Tabby's reaction to them.
She froze and looked around wide eyed as it dawned on her where they were. She approached the nearest pole and carefully ran her finger around its circumference. The second she realized what she was doing, Tabby jerked her hand back.
But Linx hadn't missed the curiosity in her eyes or the longing. "Have you ever danced?"
"What?" She gasped. "Me? No! I'd never..." Her voice trailed off. "Why would you even ask that?"
He kept his stance casual. He didn’t want to spook her anymore than she already was. "I find it odd that you've never been curious about what your sister does for a living?"
She scowled at him. "Haven't you ever heard that curiosity killed the cat?"
Linx licked his lips. "It takes far more than curiosity to kill a feline. Trust me, kitten. I know."
“Don’t call me that. And don’t look at me like that.”
Linx lowered his voice. “How am I looking at you?”
“Like you want…like you…just stop. Okay?” Tabby huffed. "I know what you’re thinking, but I'm not a prude."
"I never said that you were." He cocked his head and watched, as she got even more flustered. It was obvious that she'd given dancing some serious consideration.
Linx's body tightened as he envisioned Tabby naked, slowly twirling around the pole, her long hair flowing down her bare back, nipping at her waist. The thought of seeing this buttoned-down woman let loose brought an unexpected wave of desire coursing through him. How curious...
She stared at the floor. "I've seen my sister...dance, if that's what you want to call it."
Linx arched a brow. "And?"
Tabby scowled and glanced at him. "And what?"
* * * * *
Taylor had looked beautiful, sensual, and oddly happy as she twirled around the gold pole, displaying herself like the goddess that she was. Is that what Linx wanted to hear? And why did that bother her so much?
She knew she shouldn’t be surprised. He had been leaving with two gaudy strippers when she met him. It was more than obvious that Linx had a type and that type didn’t include the average woman.
Her shoulders slumped as she glanced down at her less than stellar figure. Tabby did her best to work with what she had, but she had to admit it wasn’t much.
She wasn’t like Taylor, who was magnificent, commanding, powerful. Her sister didn’t need a ton of makeup or padding to look beautiful.
After Tabby had gotten over the initial shock of seeing her half-naked twin in front of a room full of strang
e men, she'd had to admit that part of her was...envious.
What would it be like to enthrall a room full of men with just a sway of your hips? The thought was titillating and terrifying, since part of her was convinced she couldn't enthrall a twig. She licked her suddenly dry lips.
"There's no one around but us. You could always dance for me." Linx's warm breath brushed the sensitive skin of her ear. He was sin and temptation all rolled into one perfect male package.
His tongue darted out and touched her other lobe. When had he moved? And why hadn't she heard him or seen him? He gave her a quick nibble and delicious shivers trickled down her spine, leaving every nerve in her body thrumming.
“Dance for me.”
The breathy request left her dizzy…and tempted. Could she? Should she dare? When would she get another chance to live out her private fantasy? A little voice inside her whispered. Tabby shook her head. "We don't have time," she said. "We need to find proof that Sergei is a crook and get out of here."
The heat from his body poured over her in waves. "Doesn't have to be a long dance."
His words dripped with raw desire, making her shudder. "Why are you here?" she whispered.
"I told you that I want to help." Linx ran his finger down her arm, scorching her skin.
Tabby bit her lip. "I can't." But oh, how she wanted to. Just this one time be irresponsible. What would it feel like? What would it be like to dance for a man like Linx?
"Sure you can," he murmured. "We have time. Dance for me. And only me."
She closed her eyes as need warred with commonsense. "One song." She cracked a lid and looked at him. If he tried to bargain for more, Tabby knew she’d back out of dancing. Part of her hoped that he would, so she had an excuse. While the primal side, she rarely acknowledged, prayed that he wouldn’t.
"One song." He gave her a Cheshire grin that did funny things to her stomach and made her knees wobble.
"You can't be onstage with me, if I do this," she said. No way would she make it through a whole song with him standing next to her. Was she really going to do this? Tabby pulled out her phone and selected some music, while Linx swaggered across the stage and dropped down onto the floor. He sat in a seat next to the stage and waited. His attention riveted on her.
Jordan Summers Page 4