by Diane Bator
As her eyes watered and nose throbbed, she'd staggered out of the dojo then left the school behind. To be honest, it wasn't so much the mild injury, the embarrassment of being hit, or even the possibility of a slight concussion that rattled her. It was the mess in her house and the holes in her backyard. The fact someone kept breaching her home—her sanctuary—for no obvious reason had left her hands shaking all day.
But Gilda now had a plan.
The last of her mock bravery had shattered after taking one enormous boxing glove to the face. Gary and Mick could set up surveillance cameras and watch the house all they wanted. She planned to pack her bags and hop the next bus to Erie. She'd move in with her mom even if it killed her. No more small-town infamy. She could get a job in one of the big box stores and become anonymous. No one in Erie would ever know her by name. Well, except her mom.
"Just keep breathing." Gilda walked past the littered living room and into the kitchen for a drink of cold water. Whiskey would have been better. She could have used a shot to calm her jangled nerves and steady her trembling hands. Too bad the cupboards were bare. No booze. No sugar. Not even any whole dishes or glasses. Nothing to comfort her soul but broccoli, oranges, and water. Damn her impulsive decision to eat healthy.
"Just breathe." Gilda took several breaths, taking a small sip of water from the pitcher in the fridge in between each one. "Then pack."
Both Mick and Kane could take a flying leap off Ponderer's Point for all she cared. She was done. She quit. Tomorrow morning she'd wake up in Erie and seek a less dangerous job. Maybe working in a daycare or a dynamite factory.
She headed toward the patio door, vowing to send Mick a text once her hands stopped shaking to let him know she was leaving town. Walking barefoot in the grass always seemed to restore a small fragment of her sanity. As she reached for the latch, something moved on the other side of the glass. She gazed out the window, only to see a face staring right back at her.
When she screamed, Mick grinned.
"Did I scare you?" His voice muffled by the glass, he brushed his dark hair back with one hand as though checking out his reflection. "You took my car keys when you left. They're probably on your coffee table where you always throw your keys."
"That's too bad." She'd wait and go out when he went away.
"Aw, come on, babe." He pounded on the door. "Just toss them outside on the porch and I'll leave. I promise."
Knowing Mick was at the rear of the house, and that he'd hidden so much from her lately, Gilda ran over and threw the keys out the front door into the grass. "They're all yours."
She locked the door, glad to be rid of him for a while. Why had she ever fallen for those dark eyes and bulging muscles to begin with? So many people had warned her to stay away from him. Now she knew why.
The lock clicked behind her and the front door opened. Mick stood in the opening, a sly grin plastered on his face as he set her keys in her hand. "Either you're really mad and weren't paying attention, or you actually do love me."
Gilda glanced at the coffee table where his keys remained with the Ferrari key fob visible. "Oh crap. Are you kidding me?"
Mick shut the door and pulled her against his chest. "You want to try that again?"
"No." She deflated against him. "What is it you want, Mick?"
"You back." His heart thumped against her ear. "I don't know what made you flip out, but I'm not totally evil, nor am I self-centered."
Gilda met his gaze with her eyebrows raised.
"Okay, somewhat self-centered." Mick caressed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "Who isn't?"
"Someone keeps breaking into my house when I'm not here. Everyone wants to protect me, but no one will tell me what the hell is going on." She blinked back tears as she wrapped her arms around his narrow waist. "What am I supposed to believe?"
"That deep down I'm a good guy who won't let you down." He kissed her forehead. "And you and I can sit down with a glass of wine later and I'll tell you everything you want to know."
Her thoughts turned to Thayer and all the things he'd once sworn he'd do for her. Cheating and lying hadn't been among them. "Now, Mick. Or I'm packing and getting on the next bus to Erie."
"Can you promise me you won't throw things at me when I come clean with you?"
Breathless, she whispered, "I'll try."
"You can't leave, babe." Mick cradled her chin in one hand and looked her in the eyes. He kissed her, gently at first, until she was sure her entire body would explode before he finally swept her off her feet and carried her through the debris toward her bedroom. "Let me take your mind off all the bad things. We'll clean up later."
She stopped him. "Aren't you afraid someone will break in?"
"I'd say that is the least of my concerns at the moment."
"No." Gilda hopped out of his arms and pushed him away. "I need to know the truth, Mick. What happened with you and Mena? Did you and Kane fight over her?"
Mick groaned and bowed his head. "Do you really want to talk about this now?"
Her chin quivered. "Do you want me to trust you?"
He sat on the edge of her bed. "Mena hung out at the gym where I trained with Kane. She and I dated a couple times before I found out what she was all about."
"Which was?"
"Fame. Money. Fortune." He chuckled. "She hung out with fighters she thought would make it big. I was a quick fling to get her closer to her goal. She always thought Kane was the real thing, but she didn't have a problem checking out the competition."
Gilda nodded. "She slept with anyone who trained."
"Or their trainers."
"Charlie." She blew out a breath. "Was she part of the reason for Charlie and Kane's falling out?"
"And for Kane's drug habits. She pushed him hard. She wanted him to be a star. The higher in the ranks he rose, the tighter she clung. When he crumbled and gave up Charlie and his MMA career, Mena abandoned ship, so to speak."
Gilda sat next to him. "She told me how Charlie threw her in the ocean."
Mick snorted. "Yeah, and she was nearly arrested just for being onboard. Only Kane wasn't there to clean up that mess."
"Who was?"
"Me." He bowed his head. "I took her from the Coast Guard office straight to rehab. I kind of hoped I'd never see her again, but things don't always turn out the way you want. When I invited Kane here to teach, Mena found out and tagged along."
Gilda clenched her jaw. "Are you sure you didn't want her here?"
"Honey, she is one pain in the butt I could do without." He leaned over and kissed her. "Where were we?"
"I'm going to have a shower." She pulled away from him to wash off her disgust. "Then I'll pack."
* * *
Something about either the sparring, throwing things at Kane, or her chat with Mick that afternoon seemed to release the pinch in Gilda's back. She agreed to finish out the day working at the school before doing anything rash.
After karate class later that afternoon, Gilda waited until Mena and the others left the changing rooms before she turned to Marion. "Let's go for a walk. I really want to know what's going on in Mena's new shop."
"I thought you already checked the place out."
Gilda folded her gi and tucked it into her duffel bag. "I did. The first time, she was painting all the walls purple. The second time, Gomes came in to buy something. Both times there was nothing inside the store except a bunch of boxes."
"Full or empty?" Marion asked.
She shrugged. "I didn't actually check, but I did see some smaller boxes of crystals."
"Huh. Well, why not?" Marion sat to put on her socks. "I am off today. Let's grab lunch and check out the witch's store. And not necessarily in that order."
"I'm in." Gilda smiled.
Marion would be a lot less intimidated by Mena than Gilda usually was. Between the two of them, they might even get some interesting answers.
Marion picked up her backpack. "You ready?"
"Ready for what
, love?" Kane strolled into the change room area and threw a duffel bag the size of a small person on the floor.
Gilda glanced at Marion. "Lunch."
"Oh yeah?" He took off his black belt then dropped it into his bag. "Where are you lovely ladies going today?"
"The Cove." Gilda thought fast.
"The deli," Marion said.
Kane looked from Gilda to Marion and back then shrugged. "All right then. Have fun wherever you're going." He took off his uniform top then folded it carefully, only to toss it on a chair. Bare-chested, he rummaged around for something in his bag, muscles flexing as he moved.
"We're not in that big a hurry." Marion licked her lips. "What are you up to now?"
"Sparring with Mick while we figure out how to turn Gilda the Mouse into Gilda the Brave." He winked. "He's also trying to arrange an exhibition fight for me in Buffalo next month since I didn't get to face Gomes at the grand opening. Since I'm still in top shape, I might as well get in a match or two for the fun of it." He flashed a smile and flexed his already bulging biceps. "You ladies should come cheer me on."
Gilda didn't want to watch anyone get their face broken. Even Kane.
Marion sighed. "Sure. Let us know where and when. We'll come hang out in your corner. I'll bet there'll be a lot of good-looking guys there."
"I wouldn't know that, love." He smirked. "I just go there for the pretty sheilas who walk around in bikinis between rounds. Oh, and the fights."
Gilda averted her gaze when he pulled a short-sleeved rash guard shirt from his bag. Bright green didn't really seem like a color Kane would wear, but it suited him. Outlandish.
"Hm." Marion stared wide-eyed as he pulled the shirt over his washboard abs. "I suppose you're going to wear a pair of baggy shorts with those, huh?"
Kane untied his white gi pants and slid them down his legs to reveal a snug pair of black spandex shorts. "Nope, just these bad boys. Sorry to disappoint you, love. I'll bring the baggy ones next time."
Marion sagged against the wall, fanning her face. "That's okay. I'll survive."
"Come on." Gilda averted her gaze and nudged Marion with her duffel bag. "Let's go eat. Where do you want to go?"
Marion's gaze followed Kane, who grabbed his boxing gloves and walked into the dojo. "Is that hot dog guy still parked near the beach?"
"Let's go." Gilda laughed. "We'll grab a bite then check out Mena's store."
As they walked toward the front door, Gilda snuck one last look over her shoulder. Both Mick and Kane wore snug shirts and shorts along with boxing gloves the size of her face. Mick's gloves were black, but Kane wore a pair the same bright green as his shirt. With Kane being a former professional fighter, she guessed he had several pairs in assorted colors.
"We could just order in," Marion suggested.
Gilda pushed her toward the door. "No, let's get out of here. We're on a mission."
"Right." She grinned. "Hot dogs."
With a groan, Gilda followed her to the street vendor's silver cart near the beach. They each bought a hot dog and soda then strolled along the beach before turning inland toward Armadillo Street.
"So, what does she sell in this voodoo place again?" Marion asked.
"From what Kane said, she sells New Age stuff. Rocks, scented oils, candles, that sort of thing." Gilda sipped her soda. "I wonder what Gomes bought from her."
Marion huffed. "You know, her shop's probably just a front for a brothel."
"A brothel?" Gilda's mouth dropped open. "You really think Mena's a prostitute?"
"If the stilettos fit, honey."
That notion made more sense than Marion probably realized. As they came around the corner, a blue Porsche pulled up in front of Mena's shop. A tall, bald man stepped out of the car and looked around.
Gilda grabbed Marion's arm. "Does that guy seem familiar to you?"
"The bald dude?" she asked. "Yeah. He looks like one of the big, scary guys at Razi's party. Wasn't he Charlie's bodyguard?"
"He does. I wonder what rock he slithered out from under. I haven't seen him since then."
The man looked up and down the street before opening the door of the Healing Spirit Gift Shop then disappearing inside.
"Huh." Gilda stopped. "What are the odds Charlie's bodyguard and Gomes are into crystals and stuff and that they both know about a shop that hasn't even opened yet?"
"Slim to none at all." Marion frowned. "What should we do now? It's hard to snoop when she's got a customer."
"Actually, that could work to our advantage. When Gomes came in the other day, Mena took him straight into the back room. If that's the case, we may have time to look around while she does whatever voodoo stuff she does."
"She really does voodoo?" Marion raised her eyebrows.
Gilda shrugged. "No idea. That's just what Kane calls it."
She and Marion walked quickly up the street toward Mena's shop. The dark purple blinds were still down. She turned the doorknob, surprised the door remained unlocked, then stepped aside to let Marion enter first. Not that she was being polite, more like cautious.
Bright spotlights shone down on assorted crystals and colorful bottles of liquid. The piles of boxes had since been replaced by shiny glass shelving containing books, statues, and assorted jewelry. A heavy purple curtain covered the doorway to the back room.
Just as Gilda expected, Mena and the bald guy were nowhere in sight.
Marion picked up a small box with a necklace inside. "Holy crap. Fifty bucks for a rock on a chain? Is she crazy?"
"It must be a pretty special rock," Gilda said. "What kind is it?"
"I'd tell you if I could pronounce the name." She set the box back in place and glanced around the store. "So what are we looking for?"
"Whatever that witch is hiding."
Marion chuckled. "Sounds good. Do you want me to keep her busy while you snoop?"
A loud moan came from the back room. Gilda froze then glanced toward the purple curtain-covered doorway across the room. "It sounds like someone's already keeping her busy."
Marion crept across the store and peered behind the curtain. "Maybe I was right after all."
"Great." Gilda cringed. "Just don't walk in on her doing anything nasty."
"Uh, yeah," Marion said. "About that…"
"What's wrong?"
"That woman really seems to like purple." She tugged the curtain aside to reveal a small office with a bare metal desk, a folding chair, and a dark purple door at the far end. "Whatever she's up to, it's not office work related. There's no file cabinet, no drawers, not even any freaking purple pens."
Gilda returned to the front of the store and walked behind the counter. A dark computer and printer sat on top with unopened packages of paper and pens below. Either the store hadn't officially opened yet or her hunch was right and Mena's New Age store was simply a front for something more devious.
"Um, Gilda, I think I found something." Marion shuffled backward into the store with her hands up at her sides. Mena and the bald man came out of the backroom toward her. "You might want to put your hands up. The witch has a gun."
Mena snorted. "A gun and my cell phone to be precise. One call to the police and I could ruin your entire lives."
"Why would you want to do that?" Gilda moved away from the counter. "We just came by to check out your new store."
"I see." The bald man narrowed his eyes. "Well, I doubt you'll find a lot of merchandise behind the cash register. So, what are you really doing here?"
Gilda folded her arms across her chest. "Then what will we find?"
The bald man glanced at Mena. "You see, I told you people would start to ask questions."
"Oh, shut up," Mena snapped. "The only person asking questions is Gilda, and she's going to keep her big mouth shut if she knows what's good for her."
Marion stepped forward, her mouth open to speak, then paused and faced the bald man. "Wait a sec. Don't I know you from somewhere?"
"No." His jaw tightened. "You don't."<
br />
"Yes, we do." Gilda approached him. "You were at the Phoenix party the night Charlie Hunt was murdered. You're his bodyguard. Where were you when Charlie died?"
He glowered.
"Don't answer her, Nigel," Mena said. "She's fishing. Mick calls her Sherlock since she loves to poke around in other people's business and got lucky solving a crime once."
"Nigel?" Marion snorted. "You don't seem pompous or British."
Mena rolled her eyes. "He's not. He's my younger brother, Nigel Trava. He worked for Charlie while he waits to get into a jail."
Gilda frowned. "He's waiting to get into a jail? Most people get thrown in there right away without having to wait."
"He's a corrections officer," Mena said. "Not a crook."
"If you're a good guy, then why were you working for Charlie?" Gilda asked. "He was into a lot of things that could cause you issues too."
Nigel shrugged. "He did a lot of good for kids in Detroit. Working for him was a well-paying gig until someone killed him."
Marion raised her eyebrows. "Wait a sec. You were his bodyguard, but you weren't with him when he was killed?"
His face reddened. "I was busy."
"Where were you?" Gilda asked.
Nigel's jaw tensed as he stuck his hands in the front pockets of his slacks and shot a look at his sister.
Marion huffed. "We already know Mena was with Charlie. So tell the nice lady where you were, or I'm taking you out at the knees. I take karate, you know."
"Good luck with that." Mena smirked. "Nigel's been a wrestler for fifteen years and an MMA fighter for five. You're still a lowly white belt. A lousy one, at that."
The back of Gilda's neck prickled. Nigel was an MMA fighter. "Really?"
"Oh yeah?" Marion studied Nigel from head to toe. "Why don't you come down to train at Phoenix Martial Arts then? I'd love to see you in action, especially if you can take down Kane. I'd pay to see that."
"Kane Garrick?" Nigel blanched and backed away from them all. "Are you crazy? I don't have to take this. I'll talk to you later, Mena. Don't tell these clowns anything."
When he backed out of the store, Mena waved the gun at Marion and Gilda. "You two ladies have three seconds to get out of here without looking back or I'll tell Thayer you two broke into my store and threatened me. Then you'll both lose your jobs."