by Robyn Nyx
Dodge managed to shove Hank away, and the two exchanged blows in the center of the ring. Dodge’s body blows lifted Hank off the canvas, and the crowd noise increased exponentially as they recognized their champion beginning to take control. But Hank wasn’t about to give up so easily. He somehow managed to maneuver away to give himself a breather and moved around the ring to avoid the lumbering lunges of Dodge’s heavy fists. The mass bayed in fury. They wanted to see blood and pain, and Hank’s dancing around was denying them. He’d duck in, land a fine punch, and pull out before Dodge could respond, clearly knowing that if he tried to fight toe-to-toe with Dodge, he’d be taken out in a body bag. Dodge’s building frustration resulted in him throwing himself at Hank, who easily evaded the clumsy move and stuck out a foot, which caused Dodge to hit the ground with a thud that matched his considerable size. His head bounced off the floor, and before he could even begin to shake it off, Hank was on him, knee planted firmly in the center of his back and his wiry forearm snaked around Dodge’s neck to crush his windpipe.
Dodge’s eyes bulged as he stared directly at Therese. She could see terror and the possibility of defeat. How are you going to react? Would he relinquish his position as king of the ring this quickly? Hank had him in a pretty tough situation, but if he really wanted to, she was sure he’d be able to wriggle out of it. He had about thirty pounds on Hank. There was no way he should be this easy to take down.
She shook her head in dismay. “Loser.”
It was all he needed to see. He bucked wildly beneath Hank and jammed his elbow into Hank’s stomach four times before Hank loosed his grip and Dodge escaped. He gasped for breath and clutched at his bruised throat. He ran through Hank and pinned him to the corner with his bulk while he pounded his right fist into Hank’s gut. He pulled back and slammed his forearm across Hank’s face and busted his nose. Hank’s knees buckled. Dodge grabbed him by the throat and threw him to the floor. He was barely on his knees before Dodge kicked him in the ribs and sent him across the ring to rest against the other corner.
Dodge took a moment to showboat to his crowd before he reached for Hank’s hair to pull him up. Hank’s fist smashed into Dodge’s elbow. He released him and howled in pain. As he staggered backward, Hank followed up with a kick to Dodge’s knee with such force that, even over the simmering din, the sound of his patella tearing away from the cartilage was audible. Dodge fell to his remaining good knee with both hands clutched around the muscles of the destroyed joint. Hank’s boot connected with Dodge’s face, and his head snapped back hard. He fixed his left hand around Dodge’s throat and pressed his fingers and thumb together while his right fist pulverized Dodge’s face. He tried to push Hank away, but was clearly overwhelmed by the pain that tried to pull him into unconsciousness.
Hank pulled Dodge up to his knee in the center of the ring and faced Therese and Nat. The left side of his lip curled in an almost smile as he secured his hands around Dodge’s face, one hand held his face almost gently, his palm pressed over his mouth, while the other firmly clutched the back of his skull. They both nodded, eager to see if he’d do what they thought he might. He blew them a kiss as he pulled his arms in opposite directions with all his force, snapped Dodge’s neck, and killed him instantly. Therese and Nat smiled appreciatively, stood, and began to clap, breaking the stunned silence of the criminal crowd.
Wilson joined them. “That wakes you up better than coffee.”
Therese smiled at her new partner. “There’s nothing like watching someone die to make you feel more alive.”
Chapter Twelve
Madison pulled into the long driveway of Elodie’s house and took a deep breath to calm the confusing but undeniable butterflies in her stomach. Though she’d spent the day combing through the thick package that had arrived that morning from the now dead Gillian, the thought of tonight wasn’t far from the forefront of her mind. She saw Elodie open the oversized wooden door, and the butterflies turned to hummingbirds. She was dressed in low-rise faded jeans and a deep V-neck shirt with a wing design that stretched across her breasts perfectly. Madison concentrated hard on trying to park in a reasonable fashion, rather than staring at her new movie star friend. Friend.
“I’m glad you could make it. I’ve just taken delivery of a new addition for the library. I think you’ll like it.”
“Thanks for inviting me. I love books. If I was homeless and could only choose one thing to keep with me, it would be my antiquarian book collection. I can’t wait to see what you’ve got…what books you’ve got.” Breathe and get a grip. Madison laughed internally at herself. She couldn’t fathom why she was acting like a girl with a high school crush when all she was doing was meeting a new friend.
Elodie smiled genuinely, and Madison began to relax. She’d met royalty before and not been this off-kilter. Madison followed her into an open hallway that led into several large rooms. In the center was a double-wide steel staircase, and at the top, there were floor to ceiling windows to a view Madison couldn’t see.
“Would you like a drink? It’s killer hot tonight.”
Elodie’s eyes sparkled, and Madison could see how women couldn’t resist falling into her arms. She reminded herself once again she wasn’t looking for anything other than friendship.
“Do you have any herbal tea?”
“I probably have a few varieties. Do you want to come to the kitchen and choose something?”
“Sure.” Madison followed a few steps behind and guiltily checked out Elodie’s ass. “So tell me about your new acquisition.” Madison sat on a bar stool beside the marble breakfast bar while Elodie searched through the many cupboards. It made Madison wonder if she ever really came into her own kitchen.
“It’s The Federalist, the essays of—”
“Some of the greatest political thinkers from the time our Constitution was being ratified.”
Elodie nodded. “Impressive. It’s over two hundred and thirty years old.”
“Jesus, that’s got to be worth some money.” Madison wanted to pull back the comment immediately, not wanting to seem crass with her new friend, who probably earned more in a day filming than she could in a year of reporting.
“My dealer got it for me for one point four million, but it’s worth it, don’t you think?”
Madison nodded as Elodie offered her three varieties of tea. She pointed to the middle one with little contemplation. “Absolutely. I’d sell my soul for books.”
“Then I probably shouldn’t tell you that my gym door’s propped open with The First Folio, and when my bedroom needs a little fresh air, a fifteenth century copy of The Canterbury Tales does the trick.”
Madison gasped. “They do not!” Madison felt her cheeks flush as she realized Elodie was joking.
“No, they don’t, but you’re very easy to tease.”
Elodie smiled widely and continued to pour the iced tea. The crackle of the ice cubes as the hot liquid hit them resonated with Madison. She was the ice and Elodie the heat. Madison could feel her anxiety diminishing as she became inexplicably more comfortable with every passing moment. It was an unfamiliar but very nice place to be.
“How’s your investigation going? Is Time going to commission you for the feature?”
Madison was impressed Elodie not only remembered what she was doing, but even the name of the magazine she’d met with. It wasn’t like she’d expected Elodie to be self-absorbed as much as she didn’t think other people really listened to her ramblings. She knew they read her words, but actually listening to her in person was something she was again unfamiliar with.
“Yes, they are. They’re even more excited about it after I let them know what was delivered to me this morning.” Madison recalled the UPS guy who’d dropped off the mysterious package. He’d said the sender had been very particular about the package going on a laborious journey around the world before being delivered to Madison.
“Let’s sit outside, and you can tell me about it.”
This time, El
odie motioned Madison to go before her, so her chance of ogling her some more disappeared. Why am I disappointed? She ventured in the pointed direction, and the kitchen opened up onto a large decking area and infinity pool. Madison settled into a soft hanging egg chair overlooking the water’s edge, and Elodie sat close but opposite her on a lounge chair.
“UPS delivered a package that had been around the world in thirty days, more or less. It’d been to England, China, India, and Italy, before it reached me—by design. It’s from Gillian, my would-be whistle-blower.”
“The dead one?” Elodie sipped on her soda.
“Yeah, the dead one. Thankfully, she sent this package out before they got to her. It’s got everything I need to follow up on. I even have the name and a few photos of the leader and her right-hand woman.”
“Sorry, that was blunt. You’re not still blaming yourself for her death, are you?”
Yes. “No. I’ve thought about it logically, and I know that was the risk she was taking in her line of work.” But she was getting out, and I asked her for information she wasn’t leaving with. “There are rumors that the gang is led by a sadistic woman, and the police had dismissed them as nonsense designed to throw them off track.”
“But the rumors are right?”
Elodie stretched back in her chair. Madison could see the outline of her stomach muscles through her shirt, and her lithe biceps strained against its tight sleeves.
“Yep. Her name’s Therese Hunt. She’s five-nine with a similar build to you, only a little bigger.” Madison noticed Elodie’s muscles tensed in response and laughed.
“What? Why are you laughing?”
“Nothing.”
“Liar.” Elodie sat forward in her chair. “Spill. What made you laugh?”
My therapist says to try connecting with people. Honestly. “You did.” Madison could feel herself blushing.
“I flexed, didn’t I? That’s what made you laugh.” She pulled up the sleeve on her right arm and tensed again, and Madison giggled more. “I can’t help it. I can’t have you thinking someone’s in better shape than me.”
Madison pondered her phrasing. Why do you care? “I didn’t say she was in better shape. I said she was bigger.”
“Ah, you see, this is one of the pitfalls of having an actress for a friend. You’ll find my vanity is off the scale. I have to be better than everyone in everything.”
“Is that an actress thing or a you thing?”
Elodie smiled and looked away briefly, almost shyly. “Are you a journalist or a shrink?”
“I’ve had enough therapy to be able to pop psychoanalyze a little.” Madison was confident she could admit to that and not be judged. Everyone in Hollywood was having therapy for something.
“I’ve always been the same, so I guess it’s a me thing.” She looked contemplative for a moment before grinning. “Anyway, you were describing the villain of the piece?”
“She’s got dark, evil-looking eyes and short black hair. And she likes to skin people alive. Gillian sent the names of some of the people who’d crossed her over the past few years. My cop contact, Ash, gave me a quick rundown of how they died. She definitely enjoys her work. And her right-hand woman is model-like beautiful.”
“The kind of woman you like?”
“Oh God, no. Way too femme for me.” Madison saw something in Elodie’s eyes, but she wasn’t sure what it meant. Are you happy I don’t like femmes?
“Good. I mean great. Not that it matters what women you like.” She shook her head and blew out an exasperated breath. “So now that you know more about the gang than the authorities, what are you going to do with the information?”
“I’ve given Ash a copy of the papers Gillian sent me. She alluded to Therese, the ringleader, having a connection in the FBI, so he’s being careful about how he investigates and who he trusts. In the meantime, I’m going to follow up on some client names she gave me.” Madison paused and took a drink of her iced tea to find it was peach flavor—her favorite. She took a moment to look out over the pool and onto the Hollywood hills. It was a peaceful spot and felt like hundreds of miles from the fanfare of L.A. She felt slightly envious and wondered what it might be like to spend downtime in such a location.
“Where’d you go?”
Madison slipped back into the conversation. “Sorry?”
“I asked where you went. You disappeared on me.”
Madison smiled, slightly puzzled as to how Elodie had managed to see her inner musings. “I was thinking about how lovely it must be to live here. It’s so tranquil compared to the city, to life generally.”
“I got lucky when I bought this place. That’s what I was aiming for, a slice of serenity in an otherwise chaotic existence. I’m glad you like it. You’re welcome any time.”
Elodie looked away briefly again, and Madison saw the same vulnerability again. She figured it must be hard for Elodie to make real friends, people who wanted to get to know her as a person, rather than Elodie, the movie star. She knew she’d be unable to cope with that kind of uncertainty.
“Thanks. I’d like that.”
A brief silence followed, but it was a comfortable one. As she spent more time in Elodie’s company, her comfort level was increasing. She was also realizing how guarded and closed down she must usually be. This was exactly what her therapist kept telling her.
“I know you’re a seasoned player, but aren’t you a little concerned that Therese might figure out Gillian was in contact with you?”
“I’m not worried about that.” Madison grinned. “My new best friend is an ex-Marine.”
“Are you asking me to protect you?” Elodie’s voice was unmistakably flirtatious.
“Only if you think I need protection.” Madison played along.
“If your foray into Afghanistan is anything to go by, the answer to that is obvious.”
“Really? What do you know about my time over there?” It intrigued Madison that Elodie would know anything about her past.
“I know you were shot.” She pointed to Madison’s shoulder. “Let me see it.”
“Why?”
“I want to see if there’s preferential treatment and if they fix journalists up better than soldiers.”
“What will you show me in return? Do you have any war wounds?” Madison’s pulse quickened. She wasn’t good at flirting, and it seemed ridiculous to be doing it with the world’s sexiest woman, even if she was gay.
“I do, but I’ve seen a movie where the characters comparing scars end up in bed with each other.”
“Given that we’re just friends, we should be safe, don’t you think?” Madison’s words contradicted her feelings. She wasn’t sure she could trust herself to keep her hands off Elodie’s perfect body if she began to undress to show her scars, and she didn’t want to ruin the growing friendship by Elodie feeling uncomfortable with knocking her back.
“Okay then.”
She stood and pulled up her shirt. Madison let out an audible gasp at the sight of Elodie’s physique. Her lightly muscled stomach and tanned skin would’ve been enough to stir Madison’s interest, but when she saw the anchor, globe, and eagle tattoo adorning the left side of her torso, she felt the interest pique in her pants. On the other side of her body was a six-inch scar she assumed was from a knife wound.
“That beats mine, and that’s a beautiful tattoo. Do you cover it up for your movies?” Madison knew the answer. She’d seen several of the movies where Elodie had been semi or fully naked, and she’d never seen that tattoo.
“Yeah, I do. I had it done when I was serving, and I’d never have it removed, but it’s not for anyone else’s consumption.”
She released the hem of her shirt, and Madison tried hard to hide her disappointment. “My turn then.” She pushed the material of her tank to the side and looked away as Elodie moved in closer to inspect it. She jumped slightly when she felt Elodie’s fingers on her skin.
“Nice.”
Madison missed the warm
th of Elodie’s fingers as soon as she moved them. “You win. Yours is bigger than mine. How’d you get it?”
“That’s a story for another time. Back to your investigation. The friend I was telling you about in the CIA? She served with me. I’m seeing her tomorrow, and I could ask her to make some discreet inquiries, if that’s okay with you?”
“Of course. You told me you trusted her with your life, so I’ll assume it’s okay for me to trust her with mine too.”
Elodie laughed and shook her head with an obvious confidence. “Therese wouldn’t stand a chance if she tried to get near you with both of us around.”
Madison smiled, very much enamored with the thought of two Marines on her personal protection detail. Elodie was quite the package: beauty, strength, and intellect. The library. Madison remembered why she was there at all. “Now I’ve seen you half naked, are you going to show me your books too?”
“Ah, I don’t know. That’s a bit bold, Ms. Ford. Millions of people have seen me naked. Hardly anyone has seen my book collection.”
“Forgive my presumptuous nature,” Madison replied, trying hard to keep a straight face. “If it pleases thee, might I visit your antiquarian library?”
Elodie made an exaggerated nod. “Why, of course, madam. I’d be honored to show you my timeworn texts.”
Madison laughed. This kind of friendly flirting is fun.
Chapter Thirteen
“That’s beautiful, people. I want to work on every fucking movie with actors like you. Why can’t I do that? Is that too much to ask?” Al Fox was yelling, but it made Elodie smile. “Elodie, you are delicious. I want to cry my fucking heart out every time I hear you speak. Oh, the pain, the wanting, the conflict. I love it. You’re nailing this to the wall and saying, ‘Give me a fucking Oscar.’ Rory, you are a beautiful man. What is this bitch thinking not allowing you access to her fucking cunt? She should be throwing down the red carpet and guiding you in with runway lights. Let’s call it a day, people. All this brilliance has made me hungry. See you all tomorrow.”