Stalling was never one of Crystal’s strong suits.
“Keep going,” he urged, “I want to hear why our brethren are no longer a problem.”
She swallowed back her guilt and took in a deep, cleansing breath. “Sophie had a Plan B in case her lab experiments got ugly.”
Derek didn’t seem surprised. “Which was?”
“Dummy drugs. Nexifen with a deadly twist.”
He thought about it for a moment and barked out a laugh. “That bitch!”
“About the time I began treatment,” she continued, “there was a guy they’d just recruited. We spent a lot of time together in the lab while they monitored our vitals. Anyway, he wasn’t as… cooperative as Sophie liked us to be. One day she administered his dose with latex gloves, something I hadn’t seen her do before. I never saw him again after that.
“I found out later she had a whole batch of our pills laced with lethal amounts of Tetrodotoxin.” Crystal looked over, found him watching her closely. “Nothing cleans house like a good dose of genocide.”
Shock locked him up for a moment. When he moved past it, he stood and began to pace. “We’d take that shit willingly thinking it’s our crack,” he said, completely sober now. “What the fuck is Tetrodotoxin, anyway?”
“It’s a neurotoxin found in puffer fish that causes extreme paralysis and death.”
Derek stilled, slowly turned toward her. “Crystal… What exactly did you do last night?”
She chewed her bottom lip, whispered, “I cleaned house.”
His mouth fell open. “You’re serious?”
Saying the words out loud made it all so real. Genocide was much worse than sinking her blade into the hearts of four men in the name of self-defense. Some of those ghosts were her friends, and she had indiscriminately decided their gruesome fate.
Crystal’s eyes began to pool. “I didn’t plan to,” she said through her emotion. “But when the opportunity presented itself, it made more sense than letting them become walking time bombs.”
“So you replaced the Nexifen you took with the dummy drug.”
She nodded as she stood and walked to the window.
“How did you know what it was?”
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t rub the chill from her arms. “Do you remember Greg from pharmacy?”
“Not really.”
“I traded my virginity in exchange for information.” As usual, all that accompanied the memory was a hollow feeling in her chest. “You know how it was. We weren’t exactly eased into our new life. Suddenly, all things that used to matter had become a moot point.”
She felt his presence close in from behind. “Crystal, I know. You don’t have to explain.”
“He showed me how to identify the individual pills as well as the markings on the bottle. Last night, I came across them in the stash of illegal drugs taken from IGP after the explosion.”
Derek turned her around and took her face in his hands. “Do you think they’ve already taken it?”
Oh, God. If they hadn’t it wouldn’t be long now. The uncertainty began to eat at her resolve and the tears came back. “With breakfast,” she said, unable to control the quiver in her chin. “And they won’t go out peacefully.”
Derek drew her in and hugged her close. “Come on,” he consoled, “you shouldn’t feel guilty. Right now I’m so stinkin’ proud of you I feel like crying myself.”
Crystal let him hold her until the jitters subsided, then she broke away and headed for the box of tissues on the nightstand. “They’ll go down sporadically. Some quicker than others, depending on height and body weight.”
As she blew her nose, Derek stood by the window scratching his neck in contemplation. “While that’s good, we need to know if Rafferty is among them.”
Sensing what was to come next, Crystal faced him with a wad of tissue and a raised brow. “You want me to go back and check?”
He hesitated just long enough. “I wouldn’t ask you to do that.”
Mac’s focus wasn’t where it needed to be. Since the others arrived and the coffee was brewing, he should be all about the survival powwow now going on around him. The incessant ribbing about his missing mustache didn’t help, only reminded him of Crystal straddling him in the bathtub with that adorable look on her face when she shaved it off.
DJ only showed mild awe when Danny first walked through the door with him in her arms. Little fingers had pawed at his face for a span of two seconds before the curly-haired tyke wanted to touch the ceiling.
As they discussed the wisdom of utilizing the empty apartment next door, Melanie’s bedroom door opened. Derek came out, but there was no sign of Crystal. Ignoring Danny’s offering of breakfast, Mac set his fists on the counter and glared at her brother instead.
“Is she still alive?” he asked, barely containing his scowl.
The woman in question appeared in the hallway just as Derek swept an arm in her direction. Crystal plopped a pair of flip-flops on the carpet, slid into them. Mac noticed she’d applied a hint of eye shadow and blush with a bit of mascara to fan out those lovely lashes. Soft and subtle… sweet.
“Breakfast?” Melanie offered, pouring milk over cereal.
Crystal reached over the bar and grabbed a dry cornflake from Mac’s bowl on her way to the foyer. “Mmm, delicious. See ya.”
Austin filled his coffee mug. “Where’s she going?”
The question failed to penetrate the haze of desire that had rendered Mac speechless… until the front door closed behind Crystal.
“Back to Lesico,” Derek answered.
Breaking through his stupor, Mac rounded on Derek with a full-blown snarl. “You sent her back there already?”
Derek leaned over the bowl of cereal Mel shoved under his nose, and spoke through his first bite. “She insisted. You want to try and stop her, be my guest.”
Outside, everything glistened wet, adding an enhanced aroma to the sultry air. Fresh puddles littered the crumbling asphalt, but the winds had died down, signaling the start of a much dryer day. When he caught up with her, Mac steered Crystal toward the maroon passenger van in front of them and managed to get her inside it without a fight. As he rounded the back of the vehicle, he removed the magnetic daycare sign from the door and threw it inside upon entry.
As he inserted the key, she finally spoke. “I appreciate the ride, but I don’t have a problem getting around.”
The engine turned over, came to life with its usual quiet dependability. If he looked at her, he’d explode, so Mac just pulled out of the parking lot in tight-lipped silence.
“You are taking me to Lesico, right?” she said beside him.
He switched on the windshield wipers, dialed them low.
She answered his silence with a deep sigh and put her nose to the rain-dappled window. “As long as you know, high-speed exits are a cinch for me.”
Now, dammit, why did she have to go and say that? Mac released a meaty curse and slowed for the curve. “Explain to me why you can’t wait. Derek will be healed enough to help you in a few days.”
Crystal reached over, turned on the radio. “Rafferty could be there. The sooner I make sure he’s down, the better.”
Water rushed beneath the tires as the van cut through rain-soaked streets. Crystal’s sudden interest in finding a good station was a blatant act of avoidance, so he pushed her hand away and turned it off. “I guess that means Derek no longer wants him alive.”
Her hands went back into her lap. “As long as the other ghosts aren’t a problem, we don’t need him as bait.”
“It’s too early for them to be withdrawing. You’ll be caught and you’ll die a very painful death.”
Delicate brows drew down. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Apparently this was all a big joke to her, which scared the hell out of him. “This is serious, Crystal!”
“Why are you yelling at me? I’m trying to help you all get your lives back.”
He stomped
the brakes and pulled off the road. As soon as the van was in park, he turned toward her with anger blaring. “At the expense of yours!”
Hand flattened against the dashboard, she glared back. “Will you ever not be mad at me?”
“You aren’t expendable, Crystal. That’s never where this was going.”
A lovely shade of pink crept up her slender neck and accompanied an eye-roll. “You know…” she said, “last night was awesome, Mac, but you made it pretty clear it was just sex.”
And just where was she going with this?
“So, unless you’ve staked some kind of claim on me, keep the lectures to yourself. I’m a big girl.”
“Are you saying the requirement for hammering some sense into you is a romantic relationship?”
Incredulous laughter filled the van as it idled beneath them. “Come on,” she said, reining in her mirth. “Yesterday, we were practically enemies, which almost always preludes hot monkey sex in all the romance novels I’ve read. But it’s a little early for any kind of emotional connection. Even a fake one.”
“Fake?”
“Don’t get me wrong. Last night was the closest I’ve ever felt to being cared for. The way you held me was very sweet.”
She sounded as if she’d never been held before.
“And maybe some day you’ll want to actually make love to me.” The last four words were spoken in a whisper. “Until then, just drive the goddamned car.”
Was she serious? And why was she so mad at him? Because he cared? Unable to resist the flash in her eyes, he bunched her T-shirt in his fist and pulled her toward him. When his mouth claimed hers, his other hand snaked around her neck to keep her from withdrawing. It was a slow, lingering kiss that ramped up the heat in the two-foot space between the seats.
She melted into it, allowed him to savor her taste until his building need forced him to break away. When his eyes opened, it was to find hers still closed. “That should earn me the right to say I think you’re making a big mistake.”
Her lashes fluttered open and Mac stared into the ice-blue orbs as they cleared.
“You just had to ruin it, didn’t you?” she murmured.
They smiled together.
“If it makes you feel better,” she said, “I doubt I’ll run into much opposition when I get there.”
When he released the bunched cotton in his fist, he smoothed it out as a prolonged excuse to touch. “What makes you so sure?”
“I sort of poisoned the well before I left last night. Anyone at Lesico who is hooked on Nexifen should take their last dose this morning.”
The windshield wipers squeaked over dry glass. He straightened in his seat. “How many?” he asked.
She also sat back, keeping her visage carefully blank. “I’m not sure. Around twenty.”
So, her death toll was rising. No wonder she was so screwed up last night. Mac stared at her for a long time, searching for a hint of the emotion she’d displayed then. “When you go in, I want you to stay in contact with me at all times.”
She held up one of the many pre-paid cell phones they’d acquired. “Got it.”
“I’ll be close in case you need me.”
“But not too close. You aren’t exactly inconspicuous, as we all learned last night.”
If she ran into trouble, he’d drive straight through the front windows if need be. “Is that all you’re doing?” he asked, turning back onto the road. “Looking for Rafferty?”
Amusement lit her face when she noticed him shifting in his seat. That kiss had made his jeans damned uncomfortable.
“If it’s clear enough,” she answered, “I plan to search the database for a delivery history on our drugs. I may be able to find information on our basement chemist, something I failed to do last night.”
Mac didn’t know much about computers, but sensed it was a more difficult task than she was letting on. “How do you expect to do that?”
“I have Sophie’s ID and password. That is, if it hasn’t changed since Rena killed her. I’ve targeted one of Lesico’s server administrators just in case, but I’ll need to make sure he’s not logged on before I can use him.”
As they merged onto the highway, Mac peered at her out of the corner of his eye. “So, Derek was right. You are a geek.”
Her smile sparkled with confidence. “Oh, baby, you have no idea.”
By the time they reached their first destination, Mac was fully briefed on the conversation she’d had with Derek, and about the effects of Tetrodotoxin poisoning. Such a torturous way to die… Though Mac felt her internal conflict over forcing twenty-plus men down that road, he also sensed her acceptance. Rafferty’s band of dark enforcers simply needed to go.
It was going to be a big morning.
“Park right here,” Crystal ordered, indicating an empty space near the manicured entrance of a two-story medical building. The intensity of her look meant she was preparing herself for something big. “I’ll be right back.”
Before she could exit, he said, “No disappearing act, right?”
“Just keep the engine running,” she threw over her shoulder as she hopped down and slammed the door.
That didn’t sound good. They were in a surgical outpatient parking lot. What was she going to do, raid the gift shop?
Nerves prompted him to turn on the radio. In the span of two classic rock songs and a commercial break, she was back with a plastic bag marked “Personal Belongings”.
Mac stared in utter disbelief. “Nothing like doing a little shopping in outpatient surgery.” He put the van in reverse.
“I did this one chick a favor.” Plastic crinkled as she reached in and pulled out a pair of black flats. “Just look at these hideous things.”
“I can’t believe you stole a patient’s shoes.”
A mile down the road, she pointed to his left. “Now I need you to stop at that gas station ahead. I’ll only be a sec.”
It was a busy place by the highway with twenty-four pumps and plenty of foot traffic streaming through the doors. Crystal disappeared in the way Mac was becoming used to. Sure as shit, the passenger door opened three minutes later and a stranger slipped into the seat beside him. Mac almost kicked her out before he realized who was beneath the prim blue dress and long strawberry-blond wig. With bangs, glasses, earrings and lipstick, she looked like a girl from the office.
Mac gave her a onceover with mouth agape.
Crystal lowered the black plastic frames an inch. “Just drive, cowboy, or I’ll knock you out.”
Yep. That was Crystal all right. “Where’d you get the wig?” he asked, patiently awaiting the elderly couple behind them before backing out.
“Cancer center.”
“The glasses?”
“Vision center. No one will miss them, at least for a while.”
“Do you ever worry about Karma?” he asked conversationally.
“Every goddamned day,” she answered, then tossed a pack of Marlboro Reds into his lap. “You’ll need those if you want to hang close without attracting attention.”
Next stop was one block south of the Lesico building. It stood out as the tallest among other similar buildings of white concrete and mirrored glass. The park beside them was full of activity as people walked to work or sat on the benches with their coffee. A public transportation bus pulled away, leaving a dozen scattering commuters.
Mac and Crystal sat in tense silence, staring at the face of the building they’d infiltrated the night before. It looked so unassuming. Ordinary.
Beside him, beneath the ginger wig and glasses, Crystal’s soft mouth was set in a determined line. She pulled the door handle. “If I’m not back in twenty minutes, leave.”
He grabbed her arm before she could exit. “We leave together,” he countered sternly. “And you’ll call me as soon as you enter the building so I can listen in.”
A brow went up. “So commanding,” she purred. Her focus shifted to his restraining hand. “Tell me, Mac, have you ever do
ne a redhead?”
Coming from any other woman, he would have proceeded with caution. But Crystal wasn’t any other woman and his dick jumped to immediate attention. “Several,” he answered honestly.
She took her lower lip between her teeth. “How ‘bout in a preschool van?”
Ah, something to shoot for. His mouth curved slightly. “Can’t say I’ve done that… but it’s certainly not above me.”
When he relaxed his grip, she took his hand and lightly nipped the tip of his middle finger. “Then, I’ll definitely be back.” She leaned over, whispered, “After all, it’s just sex, right?”
There was a challenge in those glimmering pools of ice blue. Just sex… Something he told himself would never happen again. But who the hell was he kidding? He burned for her and he feared she saw every flame behind his crumbling wall of restraint.
When her tongue flicked over that luscious bottom lip, the need to taste it himself overpowered all reason, so he leaned in and took what he wanted. Mmm, her sweet flavor was definitely something he could get used to. The pleasure built to a steamy level as they angled into the kiss together. What was supposed to be a quick last word turned into something much more. He took her face in his hands, dove deep, fully gave in to the hunger he no longer wanted to deny.
Crystal was the one who broke away, leaving him shaken and wanting more. Breath ragged, she inhaled deeply, let it out slowly. “That didn’t help my focus,” she said staring intently at the parked car in front of them. Then, hooking a thin white purse over a shoulder, she exited the vehicle.
The slamming door hit Mac like a bucket of cold water. Damn if that kiss hadn’t left him with a stark visual of what was to come. A few deep breaths and a complete round of Old MacDonald made his crotch presentable enough to exit the van himself. With ball cap low over his face, he slipped some quarters into the parking meter.
Two minutes later, he leaned against a light pole in an alcove by the Lesico building with a cigarette in his mouth. Other smokers milled around him and he bummed a light. Just an inconspicuous guy with a legitimate reason for hanging around.
The fact she failed to obtain a lighter proved Crystal had never smoked a day in her life. He’d quit the habit after his stint in the military, and damned if it didn’t reek now. His cell phone buzzed. “Talk to me.”
Crystal Mac: A prologue novella to Captive Series Book 3 HELL'S HILLTOP Page 8