Angel Ink

by Siobhan Muir

  I felt like an old dirty SUV parked in the parking lot of a mall after going mud-hopping. I was out of place and distinctive without trying. We gathered up our cups and tossed them in the trash as we made our exit, the cops watching us the whole way.

  “So where to now?”

  Michael handed me my helmet and shrugged. “Back to your place.”

  “Tori said I shouldn’t go home.”

  “We’re just going to pick up a few things before I take you to my place.”

  I settled on the bike. “Is that a good idea? They’ll be looking for me. It could bring heat to your club if I just disappear with you.”

  “Haley, if you don’t find a safe place, you’ll disappear permanently.”

  That shut me up and I wrapped my arms around his waist as I swallowed hard. Had it really come to that? He started the bike and we wound our way through the quaint downtown streets of Cheyenne before heading for the freeway. My mind spun along with the wheels.

  I needed to be somewhere safe, sure, but it was my job to get in people’s faces and expose the truth. Which is what I wanted, right? The traitorous voice wasn’t pulling any punches. But I’d already gone through one crisis. And I don’t know if I can handle two. Not that the cops or the murderers were giving me much choice in the matter.

  So what’re you gonna do about it, Hale?

  Tori’s voice echoed in my ears as the miles sped by and I didn’t know the answer. Normally, my mind worked great under pressure, but that’s when I had a clear picture of what I was doing. Or where I was going. At the moment, I sat on the back of Michael’s bike and let him take the lead.

  We parked in my reserved space in front of my apartment building. Snow remained piled up against the foundation and in the places that didn’t get sun, but the walkways were clear and the steps had been salted. I headed up the stairs to the covered hallway and walked along it until I got to my door.

  And my instincts screamed a warning.

  The door stood ajar and my gut froze, which was a trick considering the snow melted outside in the sunshine. I never left my apartment door unlocked since the covered walkway between the apartments was open to anyone walking by, and I definitely hadn’t when I’d left that morning. Someone had been in my place.

  “What’s wrong, Haley?” Michael paused, his bulk filling the passthrough behind me.

  “The door’s open.”

  He frowned. “Did you leave your door unlocked?”

  I shot him a scowl. “Never.” I wanted to step in to see what all had happened, but I couldn’t make my feet move.

  “Let me go inside and check first.” He slid past me and I’d never be sure how he fit between me and the door jamb as big as he was.

  I swallowed back fear and nodded, but I didn’t want to stay outside alone. So I followed him and closed the door behind me, locking the deadbolt. I let my gaze skim the room and all my breath left my chest in a hurry.

  “Good glory.”

  The room didn’t look much different than when I’d left, but my laptop, the external hard drive that had been on the desk, and my Kindle was missing. What the hell do they need the Kindle for? I shook my head. I hope they like spicy romance with angels and demons.

  “Someone’s been in here.” Michael reappeared in my living room, his expression verging on angry. “They’ve gone through your bedroom and kitchen drawers. Now do you understand why I said you should pack some things and come back with me to the compound?”

  “I get it. But what were they looking for in the drawers? Contraband cutlery?” But my usual snark didn’t hide my unease. “Do you think this’s more than just a random break-in?”

  “Someone’s very interested in your communication devices, including any flash drives you might have had stored in odd place. And now, they’re looking for you, that’s what I think.”

  “Maybe you’re right.” I bit my lip. Good thing I’d saved all my files onto a cloud server and had my tablet with me. They could get copies of my work, but they couldn’t delete it. I hoped. “Help me pack.”

  Chapter Ten

  Michael

  We didn’t speak much as we packed what Haley thought she’d need to survive an extended stay away from her flat. She wore a tight expression that told me she was scared but determined, and I couldn’t blame her. We couldn’t know for sure who’d been in her place, but she said her laptop, external hard drive and ereader were missing. Someone definitely wanted to find out what she knew.

  “Why the hell would they take the Kindle?”

  Though I didn’t have an ereader myself, I knew from Viper that if anyone had access to the account, they could see what books the owner had downloaded. And most of the electronic devices had GPS and location capabilities.

  It was unusual to find myself in a woman’s intimate space—okay, maybe not that unusual as I did most of my itch-scratching trysts at my partners’ places—but I took my time to enjoy Haley’s personal environment.

  While her flat didn’t scream utilitarian, there weren’t many knickknacks I expected to see on every surface. The lines of her home were clean and uncluttered, like a photoshoot for a house magazine. Throw pillows and a fuzzy blanket rested on her small couch. A basket with papers in it sat on a small entryway table by the door. The TV hung on the wall above the “mantle” and tasteful art had been spaced around the room, but it all appeared to be museum clean.

  The only place with any personality was the little office space she’d created in the dining area across from the kitchen. She’d pushed her desk against the wall with her printer on one side and a charging station on the other. Neatly stacked papers sat beside a small keyboard and mouse, and the desk’s surface held a small globe made out of semi precious stones and a picture frame with an image of Haley with a handsome black man with the physique of a Greek god. Irrational jealousy roared to the fore and I damn near swallowed my tongue.

  I’m the Goddess-blessed Archangel Michael. What do I have to be jealous of?

  I must have scowled because Haley hurried to my side. “What is it? Did they deface something? Don’t touch anything. We might be able to figure out who was in here.”

  I shook my head. “No, I haven’t found anything. Who’s this?” I didn’t mean the question to come out quite so demanding and harsh, but I still wrestled with my puzzling emotions.

  Haley’s face softened as she picked up the picture, making my gut tighten.

  “That’s me and Jeff last Thanksgiving. He’d been avoiding me for months when he suddenly asked me if he could come over to share the meal. It was a huge breakthrough for our relationship after I made him go to the shelter.” She shot me a rueful smile. “I was so scared we’d never be friends again, but the months of therapy really helped him. As well as seeing me at the shelter, volunteering. We’re now closer than ever.”

  She tucked the frame into her duffel bag along with her keyboard and mouse before scanning the room. “I think that’s everything I need. Well, other than my laptop, hard drive, and Kindle. Still can’t fathom why they’d take that.”

  “Maybe they’re hoping to see which reference books you accessed.” That sounded plausible, right?

  She snorted. “Ain’t none of them on there. It was all hot and sexy romance books about angels and demons.”

  It was a good thing she turned away because I froze solid enough to become a still-life.

  “You read romances about angels and demons?”

  “Yeah.” She shot me a puzzled smile. “Angels and demons are sexy. Angels in particular. There’s something illicit about the idea of getting together with one. I mean, you gotta know he probably has a lot of experience.” She hissed and shivered theatrically and my cock rose in salute.

  She didn’t notice my stillness and went back to packing up the things she needed to take with her. I was still stuck on her comments about angels and experience. Not that she’s wrong. I couldn’t wait to get her back to my place to show her just how much experience I had.
>
  But first we had to get her safe. My attention returned to the current situation in a snap as a warning sizzled up my spine.

  “Are you almost ready to go?” My voice came out much harsher than I intended and Haley looked up with a frown.

  “Yeah, I think so. Why?”

  The sound of a car braking outside made me hold up a finger to my lips. I stepped out the door and moved closer to the stairs to check the parking lot. Nothing moved on the side with my bike. I turned my head to glance at the back stairs. Sneaky wankers. I reversed my direction and headed to the other end as Haley stepped out her door, locking it behind her.

  “What’s going on?” She hitched her bags higher on her shoulder as she gazed after me.

  I kept my body in the shadows enough to get a good look without showing myself. Two men got out of an unmarked sedan. The first buttoned his suit button and tied his trench coat closed as he glanced around the parking lot. The other headed straight for the stairs, his sunglasses reflecting the weak sunlight.

  “Time to go.” I spun and grasped Haley’s arm as I passed her, hustling her down to the other set of stairs.

  “What’s happening?”

  “Someone showed up looking for you. They must have left cameras in your place.”

  I sent out a little magical energy to corrupt the feeds. Tech and magic didn’t often get along, which worked great if I knew about the cameras in the first place. They’d have our images but get nothing more. It still felt too little, too late as we strode over to my bike and got on.

  “Someone’s here? Right now?” She set her bags on her lap and wrapped her arms around my waist as I kickstarted the bike.

  Adrenaline made me want to peel out of the parking lot, but that would give the guys in suits a clue to who we were. And they’ll get enough of that on the camera feeds. I took a deep breath and waited for her to settle before we rolled out of the parking lot like we were headed to the market. Hopefully the men wouldn’t notice us and we’d get a head start on them.

  ****

  Haley

  My heart pounded in my chest and I leaned against Michael’s body to get comfort as much as hold on. When he’d told me I was in danger, I hadn’t believed him. But then the detectives showed up to the news station and now my place had been tossed, he had a point about the danger factor.

  And you knew he was right anyway.

  Yeah, I’d known at the gut level that something was off the minute I saw the dead ADA. I didn’t have proof, but I didn’t trust the cops to have my back. I wasn’t sure I could trust the Concrete Angels any better, but so far Michael had rescued my ass enough times to give him the benefit of the doubt.

  I closed my eyes and snuggled closer, wondering what the hell I was going to do now. How did I fight someone I couldn’t see? If the cops were looking for me, that was far larger than I could take on. Plus, they’d taken my laptop and external hard drive. I still had my tablet, thank goodness, but they also had my Kindle.

  Michael had seemed surprised and bemused when I’d told him about my preferred genre of romance reading. Not that most guys thought about a woman’s romance preference, but it seemed to catch him off guard a lot more than usual.

  I snorted. Didn’t he think angels could be hot and sensual? Little did he know.

  I could definitely use a guardian angel right about now.

  The trip back up into the mountains took far less time than I expected but I looked up when we slowed to take a turn through the Concrete Angels compound’s gates. Thank goodness for the helmet, but I still met the cold, implacable gaze of the two security guards. The bald white guy in only a vest and jeans made me nervous, but not as much as the regal Asian woman in a red tunic under her vest. She turned to watch us drive into the barn-like structure and I hoped they wouldn’t throw me out.

  Michael parked the bike and helped me off before taking the helmet from me. “I need to go talk to the president of the club about having you here.”

  I swallowed hard. “Uh, are they gonna kick me out? You know, I could just go stay with my cousin Jeff for a bit. I don’t mean to cause trouble for you, too.”

  “Haley, don’t worry. It’s going to be fine. I just need you to stay in my cabin until I get everything sorted. All right?”

  I swallowed hard and bit my lip, scanning the few faces in the barn with us. None of them seemed particularly welcoming. There was the big white guy with long hair and the kilt who smirked and winked at me, and a white woman with long black hair and a leather corset with more knives on her than a cutlery shop. She narrowed her eyes and tipped her head as she scanned me from head to toe.

  “Haley?”

  I came back to Michael’s questioning gaze. “Yeah, yeah, that sounds fine. I have some calls I need to make to let my friends know I’m okay.”

  “Are you all right? Do you need some tea?”

  Tea, the quintessential British cure-all. “I can make some. I’m just shaken up by the cops showing up at work and my place being ransacked.”

  “It’s going to be all right. I promise.” He took my hand and led me out of the barn under the curious gazes of his fellow club members. “Let me get you inside and settled with a cuppa before I go.”

  He sounded so sincere and I had no reason to doubt him. Except for the distrustful looks from the other CA members and the feeling of having their gazes burning into my back and ass. Well, the ass part was from the guy in the kilt.

  Michael let me into his cabin and closed the door before striding to the kitchenette and kettle. I set my bags down on the chair in the living room and checked my phone. I’d missed a couple of texts from Tori and a call from my boss, and it reminded me that I needed to get another phone to stay off the radar.

  “Hey, would you all have a burner phone I could have? Or help me get one? I don’t think I want my current phone on much.”

  Without missing a beat, Michael nodded. “Yeah, that would be a smart move. I’ll ask Neo if he has any lying around.”

  “Okay, thanks.” I stared at the small black rectangle in my hand, wondering if I should make any calls on it. I’d seen enough cop shows to suspect they could track my phone with GPS pretty quickly, especially if motivated.

  “Here. Use this one.”

  Michael handed me an old flip phone. I stared at it a moment. It was in pristine condition despite its age. “Is this a museum piece?”

  He laughed and shook his head. “Bite your tongue. That’s vintage. But it works and doesn’t have a GPS chip in it.”

  I nodded, impressed. Maybe I should have considered going old school. “Thanks.”

  The kettle whistled and he went to pour the tea as I opened up my phone to search the contacts. I’d memorized the numbers I sought, but I was so shaken up I wanted to make sure I had them right. I wrote them down on a sticky note on his desk and turned off my phone just as be brought me a steaming cup of tea.

  “Here now, this will make things better. I won’t be long, just need to clear some things with the boss man. You’ll be okay?” Michael paused at the door.

  “Yeah, go. I’ll be fine. I’m just gonna call Tori and Jeff and let them know I’m okay.” And I’d email my boss because I wasn’t about to call his phone.

  “Right.” He opened his mouth to say something more but apparently thought better of it and opened the door. “I’ll be back soon.”

  I nodded and he stepped out, leaving me to my tea and my thoughts. The first thing I needed to do was change all my passwords for my cloud server and the connection to the Kindle. I needed someone to get into things they shouldn’t like another hole in the head. It took me a few minutes, but I finally got everything reset so the laptop wouldn’t connect to them anymore. I sat back and sipped my tea, wondering what I was facing.

  Use the phone. Tori might have some information.

  I punched her number into the keypad and lifted the flip phone to my ear. It seemed so strange to be holding a device I could fold in half to end the call, snapping it
closed in a fit of anger straight out of the 1990s. The idea made me giggle just as Tori answered.

  “Tori Lindhurst.” Her voice sounded wary.

  “Tori, it’s me.”

  “Yes, just a moment.” I heard her get up and walk a short time until a door closed. “Haley, oh my glory, what number are you calling from? Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, Tori. I’m fine and I’m safe, but I had to get a burner phone so no one can track me.” I bit my lip, wanting to tell her about Michael rescuing me, but I realized I hadn’t gushed to my best friend despite having done the horizontal mambo with him.

  I hadn’t exactly had time.

  “Look, I don’t want to take much of your time and I can’t tell you where I am, but you were right to suggest I not go home.”

  She hissed into the phone. “What happened?”

  “Someone ransacked my apartment. They took my laptop, my external hard drive, and my Kindle.”

  “Kindle? Why the hell would they want that?”

  I shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe they needed the latest hot romance books?” I snorted but sobered when I thought of the guys coming after me. “But I’ve packed a few things and managed to get away without getting caught. I know the cops are looking for me, but they wouldn’t ransack my place without a warrant, right?”

  “Maybe they ransacked it to get you to call them. Then they’d find you without having to work for it.”

  That was a frightening thought. The problem was this story I was working on made it difficult to trust any cops. I didn’t know who was clean and who worked with the dead guy Commissioner Ainsworth. I reached into my little wallet and pulled out the list of names Tori had given me a couple weeks earlier. It was creased like an old receipt, but it made it easier to hide. I thanked my lucky stars I hadn’t put it on my computer or my hard drive.