* * * * *
Chapter Four
Tabby and Linx drove around for another hour. It took that long for Tabby's hands to stop shaking. Linx kept a wary eye out, but Alexei’s and Viktor's vehicle hadn't returned.
"Pull over there." Linx pointed to a brightly lit coffee shop.
Tabby parked the car, but couldn't bring herself to turn it off. Linx reached over and twisted the screwdriver sticking out of her steering column.
"You are safe for now." He pulled the tool out of the ignition and placed it in the center console, then opened his door.
No she wasn’t. Sergei had made that abundantly clear.
Linx stood outside her window. She noticed he was scanning the streets. Finally, he reached out and knocked on the glass. "Unlock your door."
It took Tabby a minute to do so. Linx opened the door and held out his hand. With trembling fingers, she reached out. He pulled her up and held her until her wobbly legs steadied.
"Let's go inside and get something to drink."
Tabby stared at the passing cars, then allowed her gaze to trail up and down the sidewalk. "Are you sure it's safe?"
Linx's blue eyes glistened under the streetlights. "You are safe with me."
She so wanted to believe him, but after tonight she didn’t think she’d ever feel safe again. He walked her over to the door and held it open until she stepped inside.
The walls of the coffee house looked as if the Sixties had exploded and dripped down them. Funky light fixtures hung from the ceilings above the six booths inside. A smattering of stools and low tables covered the rest of the floor. A narrow path led from the door to the bar where orders were placed. The air smelled of rich coffee beans and exotic spices.
Linx rested his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the counter. Tabby knew she should pull away. He was a stranger. But for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to. The warmth of his touch chased the chill in her bones away, relaxing her tense muscles in the process. She found herself leaning into his touch.
"Two cafe lattes, please." She started to reach for her purse, then remembered that it wasn't there. Tabby sighed.
Linx dug into his back pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. "Allow me." He dropped a few bills on the counter. "Why don't you grab us a booth?"
Tabby nodded. She found a booth that gave them a good view of the front door and the street beyond. If Alexei or Viktor showed up, they'd see them coming. Part of her wanted to go to the police. It was the logical thing to do. But Tabby knew if she did that, Sergei might hurt Taylor.
Linx came over to the booth carrying two cups of steaming hot coffee. He placed one in front of her and the other on the table. Instead of sitting across from her, he sat down next to her, forcing Tabby to move over. He might say he wasn't worried, but that didn't stop him from wanting to watch the door.
He waited until Tabby took a sip of her coffee, then spoke, "Tell me what's going on." His voice was low, unthreatening, but there was a thread of tension running through it.
Tabby sighed. "Honestly, I don't want to get you involved."
"You might not have noticed, but I'm already involved," he said, his frustration obvious this time.
"There's still a chance Alexei and Viktor didn't see you." It was remote, she knew. But she’d take any chance she could get.
Linx laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. "I told you that I made sure that they saw me."
“Why would you do something like that?” Tabby took another sip. "This is my fight. Not yours. If you're smart, you'll leave this city and never come back."
Linx's lips canted. "Fortunately for you, I've never been accused of being bright."
She shook her head. "Why would you want to get yourself killed over a stranger?"
His eyebrow quirked. "I have no intention of dying."
"Nobody does, until the moment comes." Her voice faded under the weight of sorrow. Her parents had been so vibrant, full of life. One day they were there, the next the police were knocking on the twins' door with news of the accident. From that moment on, life turned into an endless blur of foster homes and distant relatives, who wanted nothing to do with them.
The second Tabby and Taylor graduated, they moved out and had been living on their own ever since. It had been rough going those first few years, but eventually Tabby graduated from college and landed a job at the library. Taylor had drifted from job to job, boyfriend to boyfriend, trying to fill the emptiness left behind from their parents' death.
* * * * *
Linx watched the pain flash across her face. Her throat worked up and down a few times as she choked on it. He hated to see her like this. She’d gone from being a fighter to being fearful and he didn't like it one bit.
She was right about one thing. They were strangers.
He wasn't foolish enough to believe that he knew the woman. Linx wasn't even sure that he wanted to know her better, but he was a Phantom Warrior. And a warrior never turned their back on a woman in need.
"Why don't you start from the beginning. How did your sister meet Sergei?" he asked.
Tabby's knuckles turned white as she gripped the coffee cup. "We had a rough childhood growing up. My parents died when we were in our early teens. Our home life after they passed was unstable to say the least. I did my best to adapt. Taylor rebelled."
“You never wanted to do the same?”
“No,” she said.
Linx let the lie pass. He lifted his cup to his lips and took a drink. It tasted bitter, but like all cats, he liked the cream. "How did she rebel?" Linx was pretty sure he knew how, but he wanted to hear it from Tabby.
She sunk lower into the booth. "Taylor always liked the boys with bad reputations. It started out innocent enough, but soon she was sneaking out of our bedroom at night to meet up with them. By the time I enrolled in college, she'd been through a string of hot losers." Tabby put her cup down. "It was like she couldn't get close enough to the danger. You know?"
He did, but Linx didn't say so. Much of his childhood had been spent courting danger and bedding women. Each was dangerous in their own way. It seemed that he and Taylor had much in common. The only difference being he was as deadly as the danger he courted. "So how'd she meet Sergei?"
Tabby ran her fingers around the edge of her coffee cup. "She applied to be a cocktail waitress at one of his clubs. He told her that she was 'star' material and would be wasted waiting tables. He convinced Taylor that all her problems could be solved by dancing." She snorted. "What a crock!"
"So your sister started dancing for him?"
Tabby nodded. "Yes, but it wasn't long before they were dating. She introduced me to him at a charity event. Until that moment, I didn't know who'd she had been seeing."
"What about you?" Linx asked.
Tabby frowned. "What about me?"
"You've mentioned your sister's colorful social life, but you haven't mentioned anything about yourself."
* * * * *
She fidgeted. "There's not much to tell. I went to school and worked full time to keep a roof over our heads. There was no time for socializing. Not really." Tabby cringed as the words left her mouth. She sounded pathetic. Like she didn't have a life.
An ache started in her chest and blossomed as the truth spread.
"I dated. Some." God, that sounded even worse. "Listen, this isn't about me. We're here to help Taylor."
Linx sat back. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"You didn't upset me," she snapped.
His lips twitched. "I can see that."
Tabby crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you have family?"
Linx hesitated, then said, "Not in the manner in which you speak."
"Then you have no idea what it's like. When you have family, you’ll do anything to keep them safe—even if it’s from themselves."
"I am trying to understand." You're not making it easy was left unsaid.
"Sergei is a dangerous man. People who are around him fo
r long end up getting hurt or worse. It's only a matter of time before Taylor draws the short straw," she said.
Linx’s brow furrowed in confusion. "Short straw?"
"Before he hurts her, too."
“Ah.” Linx looked at her, his blue eyes unreadable. "Is that why he sent men to your house?"
Tabby nodded. "Sergei knows that if I get access to my sister, I can talk her into leaving him. He doesn't want that to happen. His ego couldn't handle it."
"From what I witnessed, your sister wasn't being held against her will," he said, watching her closely.
She met his gaze. "I love my sister, but sometimes, she's an idiot and doesn't know what's good for her. This is one of those times."
“Sometimes we have to let the ones we love learn from their mistakes,” he said.
“True,” she said. “As long as it doesn’t cost them their lives.”
Linx looked at her. Really looked. For the first time in her life, Tabby felt like she was being seen. It was both exhilarating and disconcerting. She tried not to squirm in her seat, but Tabby failed. She’d never had a good-looking man focus his attention on her. She had no idea what Linx saw when he looked at her, but he seemed to reach some kind of conclusion because he said,” I take it that you have a plan.”
Could she trust him with her secrets? God, she wanted to trust him. Something about the man drew her like a lodestone. Tabby found herself wanting to tell him everything, when she’d never really been a sharer.
Sure, he'd helped her escape Alexei and Viktor, but how well did she really know Linx? The answer worried her. It was one thing to drive through town in order to escape two assassins, it was quite another to let him in on her slightly illegal—okay, very illegal—plan to stop Sergei.
"I appreciate all the help you have given me, but you've done enough," she said. Tabby couldn't risk telling Linx the truth. Too much was riding on her success. What if he went to the police? What if he was the police? What if he wasn’t and he went to Sergei with her plans? She shuddered and picked up her now cold coffee. She couldn’t take the chance.
His dark brows lowered dangerously over his eyes. "Are you dismissing me again?"
It was Tabby's turn to frown. "I wouldn't call it dismissing."
He turned to face her. "Then what would you call it?"
"Saving your life." She blew out a heavy breath. "I won't be responsible for your safety." It was hard enough being responsible for her and Taylor.
His jaw clenched. "I never asked you to be."
"No, you didn't.” She shook her head. “But I'd still feel responsible if I brought you in on my plan," she said.
"So you do have a plan? I knew it," he said triumphantly.
Tabby scowled at him. She hadn't meant to admit that much.
"I think tonight proves that you're in over your head. Even the best warriors sometimes rely on others," he said.
"All tonight proves is that I'm getting close and Sergei is worried," she said.
Linx's humorous expression vanished in an instant. "Sergei is not worried about you. You annoy him. He wants to rid himself of the annoyance."
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.
Phantom Warriors Volume 1 (Novel length) Page 20