by AE Jones
Stan stood for a moment watching, evil satisfaction shining on his face before he turned and walked out of the alley.
The men attacked.
* * *
Alex stared at the bar from their parking spot across the street. She rolled down her window and listened to the sounds of laughter as a group piled into a car. Sheila sat next to her playing on her phone. She didn’t want to admit to Sheila that it had been stupid to come here. What had she expected to see from her car? As if in answer to her question, one of the twins came out of the front door.
“Sheila, something’s going on.”
Before Sheila could answer, Connor, or maybe Jack, took off running around the side of the building. Seconds later, muffled sounds of shouting and fighting filled the air.
A large man came lumbering around from the other side of the building. Alex tensed and reached for the door handle. Sheila grabbed her arm. “Don’t even think about it.”
“That guy’s getting away!”
“We don’t know who that guy is.”
“I bet it’s Stan. That’s who they went in there to find.”
“How do you expect to stop him?” Sheila asked.
“Can’t you zap him with your nymph powers?”
“I control nature, Alex. We’re in the city, and my powers are not very helpful here.”
“We’ll use my ‘attack pack.’” Alex grabbed the long nylon bag out of her back seat and unzipped it, pulling out a baseball bat, pausing, then also pulled out an air horn, which she handed to Sheila.
“Where in the world did you get that?”
“For my birthday. Peggy ordered it from one of those shopping channels on TV.”
Sheila rolled her eyes. “We can’t stop him with this. The guy is huge.”
“We’ll just follow him and report back to the team. This,” Alex held up the bat, “is for extra protection.”
Alex jumped out of the car and jogged around the building. Sheila followed behind her grumbling about stupidity, which Alex ignored. Turning to the right as Stan had done, they stopped when they came to a small alley with no exit.
A lone light pole illuminated area. From what she could see, it was pretty barren, with the exception of a dumpster that was emitting putrid smells, a mix of rotten fish and fermenting vegetables. Had the guy gone through one of the two doors next to the dumpster? There really was nowhere for him to hide.
Sheila grabbed her arm. “Going into a dark, smelly alley is what the dumb bimbos do in horror movies. We are not dumb bimbos.”
“I wasn’t planning on going into that alley,” Alex whispered. “Let’s get out of here.”
Sheila hurried away, and Alex followed for a few steps until her feet refused to budge, like they were stuck in concrete. She opened her mouth to scream for Sheila, when footsteps pounded toward her. Alex’s heartbeat quickened, mirroring the footfalls. They were too heavy for Sheila. Hopefully she found one of the guys. But just to be safe, Alex raised the bat higher and prepared to swing.
Devin ran full tilt around the building and skidded to a stop in front of her, his eyes widening. “Alex, what the hell are you doing here?”
“Didn’t you see Sheila?”
“No. What’s going on?”
“Sheila and I followed a big guy back here. He went into the alley, and then we lost him.”
“Get out of here. I’ll take it from here.”
Laughter echoed behind them and Alex’s feet were no longer stuck to the ground.
Alex whipped around and stared in shock at the behemoth standing in the alley. Where had he come from?
“You two are pathetic.” He turned to Devin. “Why would you even care what happens to this human?”
Devin tensed and pushed her behind him, pulling out a gun.
The man’s eye’s widened. “You’re going to shoot me?”
“If I have to,” Devin responded, “but I just want to talk, Stan.”
Stan stepped forward and concentrated on Devin until he flinched. The giant smiled. “Interesting, I assumed I wouldn’t be able to play with you, but you’re weak.”
Alex watched the interplay in confusion, gasping when Devin’s gun hand began trembling. “What’s wrong?”
Devin shook his head as if to clear it before shouting, “Run, Alex!”
“No.” Her breathing sawed harshly as she stepped around him and advanced on the giant, lifting the bat to prepare to swing.
“Eh, eh, eh, I wouldn’t do that.”
“Why the hell not?” Alex scoffed, trying to sound tough.
“Because I’m the least of your worries,” Stan replied with a chuckle.
Why the hell was he laughing? Devin stepped up behind her and she turned. He glared at her. The gun he’d been struggling with earlier was pointed directly at her, and his hand was rock steady.
Lorinda’s Wedding Tip: At some point, the bride and groom will have a disagreement. Do not take sides.
Chapter 33
She was going to die. Alex stared in shock at Devin. “Devin, what’s going on?”
He didn’t respond, instead giving her a blank stare while his fingers tightened around the gun handle.
Stan sauntered past them and around the corner, calling out. “You two have fun.”
Alex backed up a step farther into the alley. Devin was blocking the only exit. She gripped the bat hard, but it slipped in her sweaty palm. She didn’t want to hurt him, and even if she could hit him with the bat, it was no match to his gun. “Listen to me, Devin. It’s Alex. You don’t want to do this.”
He growled at her, growled! She was a dead, dumb bimbo, she thought hysterically. “Please Devin, don’t do this!”
He took a step toward her and she started to swing when a harsh, ear-piercing noise blasted through alley, the sound bouncing off the walls and reverberating around the narrow space. Alex flinched, and Devin lost his focus for a moment, not seeing Charlie when he barreled toward him like a linebacker, tackling Devin to the ground. Sheila ran into the alley behind him, the air horn in her hand.
Charlie and Devin grappled for the gun, until Charlie punched Devin in the face, stunning him.
Alex dropped the bat and rushed toward them.
Sheila grabbed her arm. “Wait until Charlie says it’s okay.”
“What wrong with him?”
“Stan is a telepath, and he got into Devin’s head.”
“But Devin’s an elf. How can he control him?”
Sheila’s face softened. “He has no powers right now, honey. He’s as vulnerable as you are.”
She pulled her arm out of Sheila’s grip and walked over to Charlie, who was lying on top of Devin. He blinked and his eyes came back into focus.
“Are you back with us?” Charlie asked.
Devin nodded, but instead of looking at him, met Alex’s gaze. A myriad of emotions pulsed off of him in waves. But the final one that settled on his face, eyes narrowing, jaw clenching, was anger. He was livid, and it was directed at her.
* * *
Devin slammed the front door and turned to her. “I don’t have time for this. Gizmo bugged the phone, and was able to tape Stan’s conversation, but he had trouble tracing it. It’s probably one of those damn throwaway phones.”
He had practically dragged her to the house, clearly in caveman mode. Sheila and the rest of the team were at the warehouse. Alex, not the least intimidated by his temper, moved closer until they were nose to nose. “What are we doing here, then? We should be with the team interrogating the guys who attacked you in the alley.”
Devin shook his head. “No. We’re done.”
“Really? And why is that? Because I didn’t follow your rules?”
The muscle in his jaws rippled as he stood glaring at her. “I was ready to kill you tonight. Do you understand me? Is it sinking in?”
She held up her hand to him. “You didn’t hurt me, Devin.”
He jerked out of her reach. “I knew this was a mistake. We were a mistake.
I can’t do this again.”
“Do what again?” she asked.
“I can’t protect you if you won’t listen. Marina was the same way.”
Alex wasn’t following him. “What does Marina have to do with you and me?”
“I was sleeping with Marina.”
His words were like a blow to Alex’s stomach. “She was your girlfriend?”
He couldn’t meet her eyes. “No. She…I broke it off with her before she died.”
“So what are you trying to say?”
“She died trying to prove herself to me. She left me a damn note telling me how much she loved me and wanted me back. I found it in her things after she died.”
Alex wrapped her arms around her middle. “I’m sorry about Marina, Devin. But I’m not trying to prove myself to anyone.”
“Really? Not even your grandmother? What were you doing in that alley, then? That was stupid, even for you.”
Her blood pressure rose at the stinging words. “I don’t need your approval, Devin. I have more self-worth than that.”
He started pacing. “I have to stop these bastards, and you’re distracting me. They’re going to pay for Marina and for Thomas.”
“What did you say?”
Alex whipped around at the sound of the voice. Julia stood in the dining room door staring in disbelief at Devin. “What about Thomas?” When he didn’t answer right away, she screamed. “He was my husband, damn it, tell me!”
Devin stepped toward Julia. “I didn’t want you to learn about it this way.”
“Learn what, exactly? What does this gang have to do with Thomas’s death? It was an accident.”
Devin took a ragged breath. “Jules, let me explain…”
The sharp slap across his cheek brought Devin’s excuses to a halt. Julia sucked in a large gulp of air. “Did they kill him?”
Alex bit back a cry.
After several agonizing seconds, Devin responded. “I don’t know for certain.”
“But you know enough to go after the gang. Did you lose your powers in an attempt to avenge your brother? Did Marina die for vengeance too?” She clenched her fists. “God, I came here tonight to tell you that your Tribunal has been set in three days. You let me defend you, and you didn’t tell me the truth? Why would they hurt Thomas?”
“They are supernatural supremacists. They didn’t like Thomas’s politics, and the fact he was writing laws to protect mixed marriages. They wanted to stop him at all costs.”
Julia’s face drained of color and she staggered back a step. “They killed him because I’m human.”
Devin reached for her, but she jerked from his hold and ran out the front door. His eyes filled with pain and Alex started to speak when he interrupted her.
“Don’t. I can’t talk about this anymore. Like I said, we’re done. I’ve got to get back to the warehouse.”
Devin slammed the door, leaving Alex standing in the middle of the room. Her hands shook and she rubbed them against her legs. How was she going to fix this?
* * *
Alex stared at the woman across from her. Sensible blouse and pants, her hair pulled into a bun, Dr. Jennings was a serious, unflappable woman. And right now, she was making Alex nervous. Well, that wasn’t exactly true, the upcoming conversation was making her nervous.
“Thanks for fitting me into your schedule, Dr. Jennings. I’m heading out of town to oversee a wedding and wanted to talk before then.”
Dr. Jennings looked at her for a moment before responding. “Of course, Alex. What’s on your mind?”
“I’ve been seeing someone.”
Dr. Jennings sat up a little bit. “Really? Where did you meet him?”
“He’s a consultant working for my grandmother. To help with Bennett Bridal’s image after the Thompson-Prentice non-wedding.”
“And how are things going with him?”
“Well, not so good at the moment. We had an argument.”
“About what?”
How to explain? “Ah, I’ve been working with him, and he thinks I’m interfering. His name is Devin, and he can be a bit controlling.” Wow, what a masterful bit of understatement.
“And are you interfering?”
Well, dang, didn’t she just get right to the point. “I want to help my grandmother. I won’t be left out of the decision-making.”
Dr. Jennings wrote in her notebook. “You avoided answering my question.”
Forget getting to the point, she went for the jugular. “Yes, I’ll admit that I shouldn’t have interfered last night with his plans. But the business is important to me.”
“I’m happy to see that you’re enthusiastic about your family’s business, Alex. Do you think Devin knows what he’s doing?”
“Yes.”
“Then why are you interfering?”
Alex opened her mouth and then closed it again. Why did she go to the bar last night? Devin was right; she could have gotten them both killed.
She shook her head. Why hadn’t she let Devin and his team do their job? The answer took root in her brain, and she almost didn’t say it out loud, since it didn’t sit well with her at all. “I didn’t trust him enough.”
Dr. Jennings rewarded her with a small smile of approval. “That is an important realization, Alex. While your phobias have taken center stage in our discussions, since they have affected your ability to function, the other issue that you need to address is trust. Being left at the altar and then having your grandmother remove you from the business destroyed your ability to trust. The fact that you realize this with Devin is very good.”
Alex nodded. Great. Now she just needed to figure out how to fix it.
* * *
Devin replayed the recording of the phone conversation another time. He wasn’t sure what he expected to hear that he hadn’t heard the first three times. Stan described his conversation with Alex to the man on the other end of the phone, and what she’d told him about the simian. No names were used during the call, and Gizmo had been unable to trace it.
“Earth to Devin.”
“What?”
Charlie walked into his line of sight. “I said we got nothing out of the men who jumped us. They were so confused they couldn’t even tell us why they had attacked. Their brains had been manipulated. Plus, they were clueless about the gang. So we’re at a dead end.”
Devin stood up. “Maybe not. I’ve got an idea.”
“I’m listening.”
“I think it’s time to let the simian escape and follow him.”
Charlie shook his head. “How are you going to keep Alex out of this?”
“She’s not a part of this operation anymore.”
Charlie smirked. “And that’s stopped her in the past?”
“No. But she mentioned to me a couple of days ago that she’s going to cover a wedding in San Francisco for her grandmother this weekend. She leaves tomorrow and won’t be back until Sunday. We’ll let him escape then.”
“So we should have enough time to track the simian.”
“That’s the plan. I’m going to have Giz place a tracking spell on him as well.”
Charlie frowned. “Have you asked him about that? You know how he feels about casting spells.”
“In this case it’s necessary. I don’t want to use a regular bug since they might find it. We can’t take the chance of losing this demon.”
Charlie stood next to him in silence. Since Charlie was seldom quiet, Devin’s warning bells sounded.
“Spit it out.”
“Why don’t you call her?”
“Which one?”
“Let’s start with Julia.”
Devin shook his head. “I tried. She’s not answering her phone. When I called her office, they said she’s out and wouldn’t give me any specifics.”
“She needs time to process this, Dev. She’s in shock. Have you tried Alex?”
“No. And I won’t. I broke it off with her.”
Charlie scowled. “Why did y
ou do that?”
“I don’t need to justify myself to you.”
“You’re an idiot. Work it out.”
“I don’t need dating advice from you,” Devin barked, striding toward the door.
Before he was able to escape, Charlie called after him. “You’re making a mistake.”
“I never said I was perfect.”
“Then stop trying to be.”
He was not trying to be perfect. He was far from that. He owed his brother and Marina retribution, but not at the cost of Alex’s safety.
* * *
Devin walked into the room and set the plate down on the table in front of the simian. “Eat up.”
The simian glared at him. He’d been getting jumpier as the days passed, especially since Alex was no longer visiting him. “Where’s the girl?”
Devin smiled inwardly. He wasn’t even trying to hide his panic. “You won’t be seeing her again. She made this sandwich for you as a going away present.”
The simian growled. “Did you hurt her?”
“No.”
“Prove it. I want to see her.”
“You don’t have the right to demand anything. She’s leaving soon, and so are you. We’re moving to a new location.”
“When are you going to let me go?”
“After you tell us about the gang.”
The simian clamped his mouth shut, and Devin walked out of the room. Once outside, he went over to the monitor Gizmo had left plugged in. The team had cleared out the space with the exception of the one laptop hooked up to the cameras in the room.
Devin leaned forward and watched. The simian sat there scowling. Pick up the sandwich!
A few agonizing minutes later he reached for the plate and pulled it toward him. He picked up the sandwich and took a bite, barely chewing it before he swallowed.
With his second bite, he jerked and spit the mouthful of food out onto the plate, picking through it until he pulled the handcuff key Devin had hidden between the slices of ham. Holding it up in front of him, the simian smiled.
The snare had been set.
Lorinda’s Wedding Tip: Let the groom have his bachelor party, but keep a watchful eye on the plans so they don’t spiral out of control.