Letting my beer toting arm fall to my side, I exhaled through puffed cheeks. “You know, you’re a real pain in my ass.”
“Someone has to be. Now, I heard that beer crack open, young lady. Put it down, clean yourself up, and go do the right thing. Like it or not, that woman is counting on you.” Without so much as a goodbye, the line went dead.
Out of spite, I shot-gunned the rest of the can. Squelching the belch that rumbled up my throat as a result, I slammed the empty on the flimsy motel table. “Well, boys, looks like mom has to step out for a bit. Squid-face, I’m leaving you in charge. Anyone so much as rattles the doorknob, you have my permission to rip their arms out of their sockets. As of this moment, with Arroyo out there, we have to consider ourselves at war.”
“You’re a defense attorney?” The brawny officer on duty hitched a skeptical eyebrow in my direction, his mahogany gaze traveling the length of me. “You don’t look like a lawyer.”
Dressing in all black was as close as I could manage to business attire, but I had taken the time to twist my pink hair into a knot on top of my head. Still, I knew attitude would be key in selling the far-fetched façade. “And you’re basing that assumption on what? My nose piercing and the color of my hair? That kind of narrow-minded thinking is incredibly offensive, especially for a man in your position. I suggest you spend a little less time at the gym and a little more time flexing your tolerance toward others you deem different.”
Sweat drenching under my arms, I internally cringed that I’d taken my ballsy bitch tactic too far. Outwardly, however, I kept my expression impassively neutral.
The officer, whose uniform stretched taut over rippling pectorals, blinked my way for a beat. Then, with a sheepish grin, the newly dubbed Officer Strong-body took off his hat and ran his palm over the back of his neck. “You’re right. I just sold my condo and moved into a tiny house. I can’t embrace a new way of life while clinging to old stereotypes. Let’s start fresh with me saying good for you, for living your best life. If you’ll follow me, your client is in Interrogation Room Three.”
Falling into step behind him, my eyes narrowed with absolute fascination over the mental picture he painted. “This tiny house, just how tiny are we talking? Because you’re like, what? A hundred square feet just standing there? Can you lie down in this thing, or do your feet hang out the front door?”
In place of an answer, he opened a gray-painted door and ushered me inside with a wave of his hand. “You have half an hour, not that I think you’ll need it. Her story hasn’t changed, and it’s pretty straight forward. But if you need anything at all, just call out. I’ll be stationed right out here.”
The minute I stepped inside the windowless room, he shut the door behind me with the finality of a closing coffin lid. Swallowing hard, I fought against a threatening panic attack. With a tight smile locked firmly in place, I turned to face the innocent detainee.
I knew she didn’t kill anyone. Hell, I caught the instant replay of her alleged crimes on the beach with the couple I helped escape Arroyo’s clutches. Still, seeing the wisp of a woman sitting there—in her orange jumpsuit with her hands and feet shackled—gave off a Silence of the Lambs vibe that was hard to ignore.
Ignoring the trembling of my hand, I scooched my chair across the commercial tile floor with a shrill squeak and took a seat. I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I hunted for the right thing to do or say, and drummed my fingers against the table top.
“How’s it going, Mrs. Barrington? Are they treating you okay?” Even as the words left my lips, I regretted them. Dark purple shadows lined her eyes, her complexion pale and waxen. The fabric of her jumpsuit was stretched over her midsection, granting a harsh realism to the claims of her pregnancy. She was expecting, and living in a ten-by-ten cell where she had to shower in front of strangers. That wasn’t right, and it wasn’t fair. She needed comfy clothes in loose fitting fabrics, a body pillow to help support her aches and pains, and for me to stop being a pussy and get her out of there.
“I’m fine.” Her cuffs clinked together as she raised her hand to scratch her nose. All the while she avoided eye contact, her stare staying locked on the wall behind me.
Leaning to the side, I craned my neck to try and catch her eye. “Connie… Can I call you Connie?”
Her chin dipped in a brief nod of confirmation.
“What would you say if I told you that you weren’t guilty of the crime you’re in here for?”
Forehead creasing into a V, she risked a glance my way. In the depths of her stare I found the pain of a thousand heartaches. “I woke up covered in blood, dragging my husband’s lifeless body into the ocean. Whatever information you think you have is tragically mistaken.”
Wetting my lips, I swallowed hard. Arroyo hadn’t changed one element of the story she forced into this woman’s mind. I expected a touch more creativity from a being as powerful as that malicious sea hag. Then again, there was a chance the lack of details could provide the loose thread needed to unravel the tale she weaved. “Why were you at the pier that night?”
Leaning back in her chair, Connie pushed her shoulders back to stretch out her back. “It was stupid, I know that. Mark forgot his lunch on the kitchen counter. On my way to work, I dropped by the fishing boat to drop it off. He didn’t see me right away, not until I rounded the front of the bow. That gave me enough time to hear him talking about… her. Some mysterious woman who made him feel more alive than he’d ever felt before. He even said when and where they liked to meet. It made no sense. I was already letting go. Still, I… just wanted to see her.”
“Were you jealous?”
Dropping her chin to her chest, she shook her head, causing loose strands of sandy brown hair to brush her cheeks. “No, not at all.” One hand ran protectively over her belly. “The baby isn’t his. Our marriage died a long time ago. But there was a time when we were in love and I cared about him deeply. I went there that night because I wanted to see for myself that he would be happy. That whoever she was, she would be good to him.”
With one elbow on the table, I tucked a rogue lock of hair behind my ear. “And you think, what? That you saw this mysterious woman and blacked out in some sort of murderous rage?”
“I must have.” Voice cracking with emotion, Connie’s handcuffs clapped together as she wiped away the tears slipping past her lashes. “But I don’t remember any of it.”
“That’s because it didn’t happen,” I assured her, my voice dropping to a hushed whisper. “You didn’t kill anyone. The most you did was dispose of the body, and even that was because you were under the real killer’s influence.”
With a sniff, she sat up straighter in her chair. “No, I know what I did. I might not remember the details, but I know there’s no one to blame except me.”
Reaching over the table, I took her hand in mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You didn’t hurt your husband, Connie. And if this is what I have to do to prove that to you, then—damn it—I’m going to do it.”
That bold statement was followed by awkward uncertainty. Unsure of how to tap into the siren part of me, I cleared my throat and began a self-conscious hum. Unfortunately, for a beat that dragged on to a painful point, every song I had ever heard fell right out of my head. Stumbling along in the lack of melody, I made noise. A note here. A groan there. Finally, I settled into the very first rhyme I could think of.
Connie’s head snapped up, her face folding into a grimace. “Are you humming Joan Jett at me?”
Releasing her hand, I wiped my sweaty palms on my pant legs. “Yes. Yes I was. I Love Rock and Roll was the first song that popped into my head. Sorry about that.” Eyebrows lifting to my hairline, I blinked her way in hopeful expectation. “Did it… do anything for you, though? Change your views on the situation?”
“Yeah,” she admitted, the steadfast commitment in her tone making my heart lurch with a glimmer of hope until she shoved her chair back from the Formica table in a huff. “It proved you’
re a joke of a lawyer. Guard! We’re done here. I’m ready to go back to my cell.”
“Connie, wait!” Bolting to my feet, I spun on her as Officer Strong-Body opened the door to escort her out. “I went about this all wrong, but I need you to listen. Please! You didn’t do this! You’re innocent!”
The door banged shut behind them, ending the conversation whether I liked it or not.
“Son of a bitch!” Grabbing the back of the chair, I frisbeed it at the wall. It collided with a deafening bang that echoed off the concrete walls.
What good was learning the truth about myself if it only crippled me with my own inadequacy?
Chapter Eleven
“Did you have a nice meeting? I do hope it was productive,” Arroyo called across the police station parking lot, making no attempts to hide. Why would she? I was the only one who knew her for the monster she was. Leaned against a polished black Lincoln Town Car, her feet were crossed at the ankle. The white women’s tuxedo she wore--with nothing underneath—looked tailor-made to hug her every curve. Platinum hair piled in a spray of messy curls on top of her head, she plunged her hands into her pockets and offered me a saucy grin.
Nothing like getting kicked while you’re down by the Universe, while that bitch wears steel-toed boots.
Lip curling into a snarl, I reached for the sword at my left shoulder blade… only to remember it wasn’t there. Who would have thought a police station not allowing weapons inside would be such an inconvenience? “Did you come here to gloat? An innocent woman is locked up in there because of you. She’s being punished for your sins.”
Rolling her eyes, her shoulders sagged as if the very idea bored her. “Like I’ve given that woman a single thought. She’s human. They’re nothing more to us than Happy Meals with legs. You’ll learn that once you complete your education into our way of life, which is the actual reason I’m here.”
Dragging my tongue over my top teeth, I snorted a humorless huff of laughter. “I’m going to take a hard pass on that. You tried to kill me. We’re not going to be best buds. I’ve learned all I need to know about you and your kind.”
“Our kind,” she corrected, pushing off the car with her hip, “and that wasn’t a choice.”
The car doors swung open, pouring out two giant dudes in designer suits. Picture the Incredible Hulk—with some killer contouring to highlight his jaw line and hide the green—forced into an Armani suit. That about summed up her pretty boy henchmen. Neither approached me, but folded their hands in front of them as they took their positions at the front and rear of the car.
“What exactly, do you think is going to happen here?” Head cocked with mild interest, I cast a glance back to the station doors no more than ten paces behind me. Sure, she was ballsy (and by ballsy, I mean bat-shit crazy), but was she daring enough to start something right there in plain sight?
“Speculation has nothing to do with it.” Head held high, Arroyo sashayed my way. “Our pod has a special way of caring for half-breeds. I’m going to take you to them, where you will take your rightful place within our ranks, and I will claim my reward for bringing you in.”
Folding my arms over my chest, I forced a nonchalant expression to hide the prickles of unease skittering down my spine. “If you plan to wrestle me into that car right in front of Galveston’s finest, I should warn you… I’m a screamer. And, in the interest of full disclosure, I have been known to bite.”
Parking herself directly in front of me, her crimson lips pursed in a mock-pout. “Oh, sweet child, you think I would lower myself to such a barbaric scene? Don’t be ridiculous. You’re going to come along voluntarily.”
Eyes narrowing, I peered her way as if hoping to catch a glimpse of what was going on in that demented blonde head of hers. “In what world would I ever do that?”
Taking another bold step forward, she closed the distance between us. I bristled at her hot breath on my ear as she leaned in to whisper, “Because I’m going to make you a deal. I will walk into that station right now and retract my glamour on that pathetic human you’re so concerned about. I’ll even arm her with the truth, which she can wield to get herself out of there… if she has sense enough to do so. In exchange, you’ll come along willingly, secure in the knowledge that you’ve done your good deed.”
Arroyo wasn’t touching me, yet I could feel the tentacles of her influence tightening around my throat, choking off any chance of escape. “What makes you think I care enough about some random chick to put myself in that position?”
Her pupils dilated with the thrill of the chase. The point of her pink tongue flicked over her full lips, as if she found every moment of our banter utterly delicious. “You mean besides the fact that you came here to save her? Or, that the simple idea of being a hero has the scent of endorphins wafting off you like a musky perfume? Well, if it’s further incentive you need, I do have a couple remaining bargaining chips to play.”
Cued by something in her statement, the back window of the Lincoln slid down. In the backseat, with his clawed hands bound tight, Squid-face’s cheeks puffed in desperate need of a gulp of water.
A red haze of fury clouded the edges of my vision, my hands curling into fists so tight, my fingernails sliced half-moons in my palms. “You’re killing him.” I forced the words through clenched teeth.
“So I am. I have to say, I didn’t care much for you luring my pet away. But don’t worry, I returned the favor.” Her voice took on the tone of oily slick threat.
Warning sirens blared in the back of my mind. “Where’s my pig?”
Arroyo snapped her fingers, summoning the man positioned by the tailgate to pound his fist against the trunk. Muffled snorts of distress could be heard from within.
An inferno of rage erupted from my core, crackling down my arms in veins of emerald magic. “If anything happens to him, I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”
Throwing her head back, Arroyo’s peals of laughter echoed through the night. “Darling, that is truly adorable. Even so, it’s you who has the power to fix this mess. Agree to come with me, and we can make this all go away. I’ll sever my hold over the human, and release the pig and Cthulhu back to you. Do we have a deal?”
The acidic taste of raw hatred burned on my tongue, choking me on the words I forced myself to utter. “Do it.”
A victorious smirk curled across Arroyo’s crimson painted lips. “Watch her.” Her chin tipped toward her minions while her gaze stayed locked on me. “She so much as blinks in a way you don’t like, you can kill both her little friends.”
Blowing me a kiss, she swished her hips into the police station, leaving me behind to silently stew.
It was still up in the air if I could take Arroyo. She seemed to have Aquaman’s ability to control the water, and a literal kiss of death. Her gorilla-suited minions, on the other hand, were a question mark. Were they male sirens? Was that a thing? I had no idea. If it was, chances were good they could easily hand me my own ass. If they were just human guys with a fetish for Arroyo’s deep sea musk, I might be able to maneuver the blocking of this scene to get my mod podge trio out of there intact. For the sake of my boys, I was more than willing to toe the line of an impending asskicking.
“Squid-face, you doing okay, buddy?” Rocking back on my heels, I peered into the cracked window of the Lincoln.
The entire vehicle shifted under his weight as he scooted closer to see me. Even as his chin dipped in a brief nod of confirmation, I could see the fear clouding his eyes. His skin had begun to crack, a gray pallor stealing over his complexion. Each new offense was being added to the list of things I would make Arroyo pay for.
Looping my thumbs in the front pockets of my jeans, I let my gaze travel the length of the two trained monkeys Arroyo employed. “You guys know you work for the antichrist, right? No misconceptions in that department?”
Stoic silence.
Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I chose my words carefully in search of something that would get a rise out o
f them. “So, how exactly does she get you to do her bidding without a word of protest? I mean, pig-napping and manhandling a creature who’s about as violent as a manatee? There has to be something pretty spectacular in it for you if you don’t voice even one objection.”
Their chiseled jaws tensed, yet still her well trained suits kept quiet.
“Maybe I can guess.” Rolling my shoulders, I let my head fall back and peered up at the lights of a plane cutting across the sky. “Does she let you watch her bathe? Maybe feeds you babies?”
The henchman at the back of the car, who I dubbed Gorilla One, shifted his weight from one foot to the other. A subtle hint that something I said irritated him.
Yahtzee!
“That’s it, isn’t it? She totally lets you eat babies while you watch her suds up. No wonder your better judgment hitched a ride out of town—”
“Stop it!” To my surprise, it was Gorilla Two who interjected his red-faced outrage from his station by the headlights. “Ours is a beautiful relationship that you’re making sound twisted and depraved!”
Adopting a calm and soothing tone, I raised my hands palm up and risked a step closer. “You’re right. I don’t know. I shouldn’t judge. I’m sure underneath all of this, you’re good men who don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
Pulling back one corner of his suit coat, Gorilla One gave me a glimpse of the gun holstered at his hip. “That’s right, and no one will get hurt if you stay right there. Not another step.”
Caught Dead (The Journals of Octavia Hollows #3) Page 6