by L. T. Marie
“Just do it.” She stood, checking her watch. The more time she spent away from Jo, the more her anxiety mounted. “He’s our only chance because we’re running out of options, and I have virtually no faith in the FBI. Let’s just hope the crackpot we know can keep it together long enough to find the more dangerous crackpot.”
Chapter Eighteen
The man screamed obscenities, grabbing at his hair and pulling it out by its roots.
The empty mirror frame lay in tatters before him. He dropped to his knees, trying desperately to scoop up the shattered pieces. He pieced the mirror together meticulously, hoping the Angry Man would speak to him again. He was his only friend and he lowered his eyes in reverence, praying to hear the venomous voice.
“Pathetic.”
“You’re still talking to me?”
“But of course. You amuse me, little man. Who else would put up with you?”
“Why do you torture me?”
“Because I can.”
The man sat and tipped his head back in exhaustion.
He needed to pull himself together before the Angry Man tore him mentally to pieces.
“I thought you were done with me? I thought you and that bitch…oh…wait…” He laughed. “She didn’t show, did she?”
“No.”
“What did I tell you? You failed—again.” The man squared his shoulders defiantly.
He had heard enough. The time had come to put his next plan into action. He wouldn’t be a failure any longer.
“What are you going to do now? You’ve already proved you can’t live without me. Can you, little man?” The eyes looking at him were barren, shark’s eyes in a black sea.
“No. But she will pay, just like all the rest.”
“What do you mean all the rest?”
“Remember Ramadi?” he asked as he pushed angrily away from his desk. He remembered it well. He retrieved the picture from his pocket and smiled at the woman’s face staring back at him. He rubbed it over his crotch, letting out a small moan. Gary had never been worthy of Tory’s love, and after last night they would all pay for Tory not coming to their meeting. Gary. Jo. Lee. No one was safe. When it was all said and done, they would all die and Tory would finally be his.
“I remember.”
“That’s your answer.”
Chapter Nineteen
Lee arrived at one of the seedier apartment complexes located in downtown San Mateo, a halfway house of sorts for people with all types of disabilities. Michael Teigs was one of those people—highly unstable yet a genius in his trade. She’d never liked or trusted Teigs, but she needed to put her personal feelings aside if Jo was ever going to have a chance at a normal life.
She knocked on apartment door 212 and waited for Teigs to answer. When he pulled open the door, he grunted in disgust.
“’Bout damn time, Winters,” he said, returning to his seat in front of a mass of wires and tools.
Teigs peered at her over the rim of his wire-framed glasses, mumbling incoherently. He was thinner than she remembered, his face gaunt, his eyes withdrawn. He’d been released from the army due to physical injuries and PTSD, but his symptoms were quite a bit more severe than Lee’s. From the file Gary had dug up on Teigs, not only did he not sleep well and have concentration issues, he was also prone to irritability and anger. Anger that had morphed into violence more than once.
Teigs had been a demolition expert the likes of which no one had ever seen. But even Teigs had fallen victim to the war and had his life’s prospects ripped away, like so many of them had. What was left was a haggard-looking individual with a receding hairline and a faint tremor on his right side.
“Been a while, Teigs.”
“Cut the shit, Winters. Gary tells me you need my help.”
“That’s right.”
“Must be pretty hard up if you’re coming to see me?”
He had no idea how much she hated having to rely on him, and if he made one more derogatory comment, she’d have to forgo his help. “Can you help us or not?”
A smirk stretched his thin lips. “Oh, I can help. But what’s it worth to ya?”
One reason she hated dealing with Teigs was his interest in playing games. He’d always played them, but she’d always won. “What do you want?”
Teigs laughed, rolling his chair away from the table. “It’s not what I want, but what I need.”
“Are we talking money?”
“What else is there?” he growled.
When he glanced at her this time, his eyes rolled around in their sockets, reminding her of marbles scattering across the floor. Oh, yeah, he’d completely lost it. “How much?”
“Well, that depends.”
“On?”
“On how much that bitch’s life is worth to you.”
Teigs didn’t have time to react, and even if he wanted to, he didn’t have the ability to match Lee’s speed or strength. She grabbed him roughly by the head and slammed his face into the table while holding a forearm to the back of his neck.
“You want to rephrase that, you little pissant, before I put you out of your misery and do the world a favor?” She’d kill him for talking about Jo that way. Snapping his worthless neck would be quick and painless, but she had come for information and needed it yesterday. “Well?”
“Stop, stop,” he gasped. She released him, allowing him to slump against the desk under his own power. He tried rubbing the back of his neck, but the mechanical devices that replaced his once-skillful hands wouldn’t allow it. He held up the claw-like metal extensions defensively. “What do you wanna know?”
“I want to know about the device this asshole used. You have the information from Gary. Tell me.” She wasn’t willing to waste any more time with this disgrace of a human being.
Teigs grabbed his hair, tugging at it roughly as his body twitched under the pressure. His eyes turned wild, his gaze distant. This was one of the many reasons he’d been discharged from the service, that and the mechanical hands that were of no use in his field. “This guy is good. Very good,” he murmured. “I don’t have the answers you need, but give me some time. I’ll find them.”
Lee pulled a hundred-dollar bill from her jacket and threw it on the table. “If you hear anything, call me.”
Teigs grunted a response but Lee was already gone.
*
“Marilyn, have you talked with Josh Peterson regarding the details for the book signing? If you haven’t, could you please call Frederick’s Books and verify the time and date change so there are no misunderstandings?” Tory asked.
“Sure, Tory, but I thought you and the girls talked about canceling,” Marilyn said as Jo sat by and listened in on their conversation. “Surely you can’t think about attending a book signing after this maniac has done everything except explain to you in detail how and when he’s going to attack again?”
Tory looked up from the papers in front of her and rubbed her eyes. She’d spent all morning in the recording studio, had a meeting with her publicist in an hour, and needed to meet the group later to discuss their plans for the upcoming tour. “We did, but the FBI said it should be okay. They plan to have a strong police presence, and with our bodyguards there shouldn’t be any problems. It’s a public place and a single room, so they think they can control everything that happens.”
“Tory, are you sure? I met those agents. They seem more intent on catching this guy than making sure you and the girls are safe.”
“Look, the last thing I want is to debate you on what I should and shouldn’t be doing. Just do what I ask,” Tory yelled in a rare show of emotion.
Marilyn exited without further comment as Jo got up from the sofa and sat next to Tory’s desk. “Wanna talk about it?”
Tory moved quickly to kneel in front of Jo’s chair and rested her head against Jo’s knee. Jo pulled Tory’s hand into her lap, comforted by her presence. They had all been on edge since last night, due to Tory declining to meet with the stalker. Tory’s
simple touch acted like a kind of security blanket. Jo rubbed her thumb along the back of Tory’s hand, waiting for her to say something. Instead of voicing her fears, Tory did something Jo hadn’t seen since she was twelve years old. She cried.
Jo had always been the emotional one in the family. Tory never allowed emotions to interfere with any part of her life because they messed with her priorities. Avoidance was one of Tory’s defense mechanisms and was most likely the reason she’d had an easier time dealing with their parents’ deaths and was able to walk away from her relationship with Gary so easily. Lately, Jo had seen a new side to her, a gentler side. She finally understood that Tory’s personal and public lives didn’t differ much. They were both façades.
“Feel better?” Jo handed Tory a tissue as the sobs diminished to a few sniffs.
“Much. How about you?”
“Me? I’m not the one yelling at people and crying in her sister’s lap. Let’s not worry about me and concentrate on you,” Jo said, poking the tip of Tory’s nose with her finger. “What’s with all the hostility?”
Tory wiped a forearm across her face. “It’s everything. I’m so tired and things are happening so fast. I feel responsible for Amanda’s death. I worry about you. When is this all going to end?”
Jo stroked the hair at the base of Tory’s neck, feeling the muscles under her fingers start to relax. “I don’t know, but I trust Lee and Gary to fix all of this.”
“Me too. And since you brought it up, you want to tell me what’s going on with you and Lee?”
Jo was surprised that it had taken Tory so long to ask. Normally she would have told Tory to mind her own business, but this was the first time in a long time that Tory had looked beyond herself and not only noticed what was going on, but cared enough to ask about it. “It’s complicated.”
“I knew it! What’s happened between you two?”
“Nothing, really.” Jo blushed.
“You are so busted! Can I say something without you getting mad?”
“Okay.” Jo tensed, bracing for one of Tory’s what-the-hell-are-you-doing speeches.
“Relax. I was just wondering if you’re sure this is a good idea? I mean, she is your bodyguard.”
“It’s my business, Tory,” Jo said, her words holding a warning.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to pry and it’s obvious that she cares for you, but…well, how does she feel about all of it?”
Therein lay the million-dollar question. Jo would love to have the answer, but every time they talked, Lee slammed the door on anything personal. Her physical guard had come down, but her emotional guard was still intact. Tory placed two comforting hands on top of Jo’s, which were balled into fists.
“Jo, hear me out. I was engaged to a soldier and I know how they operate. I remember the day Gary told me to go. He wouldn’t explain why, but he said I needed to leave and move on because it was better for both of us. Those were his words, but his eyes were telling me something different. I felt hurt and betrayed because he kept secrets and wouldn’t tell me how he was really feeling. Deep down, I knew he was hurting because the signs were all there, but I couldn’t get him to open up.”
“And what does that have to do with Lee?”
“Don’t you see, sweetie? You’re a mission to her right now, and getting involved with you sheds new light on her priorities. Who knows what’s going through her head? That scar on her arm didn’t come from a knitting class gone bad. If she’s anything like Gary, there’s a lot you don’t know.”
Jo hated what she was hearing but Tory was right. Lee’s hesitancy, her refusal to talk about anything personal—if she was ever going to stop Lee from leaving, she’d have to find a way to get her to open up. “I don’t want her to run from me but she won’t tell me a thing. We haven’t even…”
“Oh…You mean you and she…”
Jo shook her head.
“But the possibility’s there? It is serious.”
“I told you it’s complicated.”
Tory gave Jo’s hand a little squeeze. “It always is.”
*
Lee arrived at the West residence shortly after nine that morning. She was still straddling her bike, trying to shake off the dirty feeling she had after meeting with Teigs. She’d never trusted that asshole, and she tried to keep her foul mood in check as she answered her phone. “Winters.”
“Whoa. Guess I don’t have to ask how it went,” Gary said.
“Nope.”
“Well, what did he say?”
“I asked him a question, pushed his head into a table, then threatened him with bodily injury if his attitude didn’t improve.”
“Right.” He chuckled. “I see nothing’s changed.”
“Actually, that’s where you’re wrong. Remember I told you one day I was going to kill that little prick?”
“How could I forget?”
“Well, when this is over, that will no longer only be a threat,” Lee said, climbing off her bike. “If he so much as sneezes on me I’ll break his scrawny neck. Anything new for me?”
“Nothing. All my sources are coming up empty. But I should have those results for you regarding the soil samples and plant residue found on the tires from the accident shortly.”
“Damn it. I should have had those weeks ago, Gary. We’re running out of time. That book signing is tomorrow and I don’t think Teigs is going to give us shit! He’s bat-shit crazy. Those soil samples may be our only link to this bastard.”
“I know, but this stuff takes time, and I agree with you about Teigs. Don’t worry. I’m on it and I have some other leads cooking. Are you at the residence yet?”
“Just arrived.”
“Okay. Call you at 1400.”
Lee entered Tory’s study to find Jo sitting in a chair with Tory’s head in her lap. From the tired looks on both their faces, their day was turning out to be even tougher than hers. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No, that’s okay,” Tory said, rising wearily. “I was leaving anyway.”
“Really, ma’am, that’s okay. I can just wait—”
“Lee. Stay,” Tory said firmly. She squeezed Jo’s hand. “Remember what I said, Sis.”
Jo nodded but kept her eyes fixed on Lee as she sat across from her, their knees slightly touching.
“Did you get some sleep?” Lee asked, looking at the dark circles under Jo’s eyes.
“Sleep?” Jo said. “Yep, that’s exactly what I did. Since you left at four a.m., I took a hot bath, had some tea, and slept like a baby while you were out meeting Gary about some crazed lunatic wanting to kill me and do God knows what with my sister. Did I mention he’s already killed one of Tory’s bodyguards and injured me to make a point?”
“Point taken.” Lee raised her hands in defense. “I fold.”
Jo’s body visibly relaxed and she smiled slightly. “You shouldn’t have played in the first place.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Maybe?”
“You know, Ms. West, we could have used your interrogation services in the military,” Lee said hoarsely as Jo’s thumbs rubbed firmly against the inseams of her jeans. Just a few inches higher and she might very well embarrass herself.
“Ha! Could you see me in the military? Taking orders, no less.”
“No.” Lee leaned forward so that their lips were a fraction apart. “But they definitely missed out.”
“Their loss.”
Lee’s hands trembled where they rested on her thighs. Her pulse quickened as she closed the small distance between them and touched her lips to Jo’s. The kiss was feather light and became more insistent as her tongue sought entrance. The moment was one of pleasure and pain, pleasure so intense she ached for it to continue but a pain so deep it forced her to back away. She would have sacrificed everything for one more kiss, but somewhere a man still threatened to do Jo harm. “I need to get back to work,” Lee said breathlessly.
“No, please, don’t leave.” Jo held Lee�
�s hands tight.
Lee didn’t hear “don’t leave.” What she heard was, don’t leave me. She pulled Jo against her and held her close, stroking her hair. If Jo needed her close, that’s where she would be.
Chapter Twenty
Josh Petersen, the store manager for Frederick’s Books, waited while the five remaining employees put the finishing touches on the decorations welcoming Total Femme and their fans. The book signing was due to take place tomorrow afternoon, and the crew had worked tirelessly all evening to make sure every detail was covered.
“Good night, Josh.”
“Night, Marty,” Josh said, preparing to lock the door.
“Excuse me.” Someone tapped Josh on the shoulder from behind.
“May I help you, sir?”
“Can I use your restroom?” the man asked, holding his groin like he was in pain. “Don’t think I can hold it.”
“Of course,” Josh said, reopening the door. “If you need the handicapped bathroom, it’s to your left.”
The man grumbled a thank you and returned a few minutes later smiling in obvious relief. “Thanks. Sorry to hold you up.”
“No problem at all.”
“Something big happening tomorrow?” the man asked, eyeing the streamers and banners.
“You could say that. Total Femme’s coming to sign their new book.”
“Total Femme? What’s that? Some kind of band?”
“Yep.” Josh laughed. “Something like that.”
“Well, whoever they are, the place looks great.”
“Thanks,” Josh said, slipping the keys into his pocket. “Anything else I can do for you?” he asked as the man stared intently at the interior of the bookstore.
“No, but thanks.” The man patted Josh awkwardly on the shoulder. “You’ve already helped enough.”