Let Me Out (For Me, #1)

by Nichole Severn

  Turning around slowly, the man’s eyes roamed over Marcus as he nodded toward the tattoo on his arm. “Were you really with the Marines?”

  His last reach fell into place. The man’s service for his country would only help. He needed the trust between comrades, and from the look on Taigen’s face, he’d hit the sweet spot. “Four years.”

  Taigen took a seat, silent for a series of breaths. “What did you have in mind?”

  He had him. “You’re Wren’s bodyguard. I want in his detail.”

  “You want to catch him selling guns? Selling drugs? What?”

  “All of the above.” Marcus shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t need to explain.

  Taigen smiled, a chuckle rippling through his shoulders.

  “So what do you think?”

  Banvard stood again, running his hands over his buzzed head anxiously. “When this is over, I want full immunity for my sister.”

  “What about you?”

  His cellmate stared past Marcus into the room beyond. “I want your word that you won’t touch her. Other than that, nothing else matters.”

  * * *

  Loud music and packed bodies nearly overwhelmed Marcus. Dancers moved to the music, rubbing against each other in a disorderly fashion as the bright lights drowned them in color.

  Glitter decorated the floor under their feet as dancers lost their clothes in the crowd and waited for the sun to come up. Literally a hole in the wall, the club seemed small, out of the way and hard-core. A perfect venue to hold a private meeting.

  Disgusting. He hadn’t set foot in a club since he’d been a teenager and wondered briefly why he’d even considered coming at all. Trying to move toward the bar, he found it impossible to move.

  “Let’s meet them upstairs.”

  He tensed at the sound of the familiar voice and turned around, recognizing Harlow immediately. “What the hell are you doing here?” Harlow’s part of the deal had been fulfilled.

  “I’m here to help,” Harlow said, his brown eyes the color of black coal in the dim lighting. As always, he sported a suit, tailored to his form perfectly. “We had a deal and I want to make sure you hold up your end.”

  “Your part is done.” He turned toward the stairs in search of Christian Wren’s private sitting area.

  Thanks to his new alliance with Taigen Banvard it’d been easy to get into, but neither Wren nor his staff had bothered to show. Leaning over the second-floor railing, Marcus stared down into the sea of bodies as he gripped the hot metal, watching Harlow make his way through the crowd. The base of the music vibrated through his hands, the music changing into hard-core rock. He would be deaf by the time this meeting finished, but if he had to get his revenge in places like this, he’d gladly deal with the devil.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he realized the throng below had started to clear a path for the threesome coming into the club, the multicolored lights dancing over each of their faces playfully.

  In the lead, Wren’s pure white suit made every eye in the room focus on him. Hair pulled back into a ponytail, Christian walked with assurance and pride, showing everyone exactly how much he had to lose. The thought brought a smile to Marcus’s lips. The more confidence, the more he could take.

  Behind him, Taigen followed, scanning the room diligently, and directly on the other side of Wren stood Adelaide, the one who really caught Marcus’s attention.

  The world seemed to slow as she walked, her hips swaying as her white hair floated around her shoulders. Marcus couldn’t even focus on what she wore, lost in another place and time. Petite, probably the most attractive woman he’d ever seen, she radiated power. For a moment, he couldn’t take his eyes off her, completely captivated.

  A single movement from his left caught Marcus’s attention, pulling him from his fantasy. The quick dart of a partygoer awakened his instincts as a group of them beelined toward Wren and his bodyguards.

  He wanted to call out, give them some kind of warning. His hands gripped the railing, but just as he opened his mouth the assailant reached out for Adelaide. She turned around, facing off with him.

  From above, Marcus watched as she stepped toward the partier. It seemed every muscle in her body vibrated with anger, fists visibly shaking, clear even from where he stood.

  By simply placing a hand on her shoulder, Christian called her off, the anger seeping out of her body and dissolving at the touch.

  Turning her head back to Wren slightly, Adelaide got the hint. Obviously the club wasn’t the place for a fight. She turned, leaving the inebriated dancer to continue his night in peace as she followed her employer.

  Disappointment flared to life in the center of his chest. He’d been eager to see what she could do in action, but before he could be entirely disappointed the dancer slapped the bodyguard’s butt.

  Before Christian or anyone else could stop her, Adelaide’s hands gripped the partier’s shoulders as her knee moved quickly into his groin. Shooting her left fist into the man’s face, she had him on the floor, her intentions clearly expressed on her once-angelic features.

  She would kill him.

  The music stopped, giving Adelaide, Christian, and Taigen the full attention of the crowd.

  Wren and Taigen pulled her away from the man on the floor, but she wasn’t willing to stop, trying to claw her way back to him.

  As Marcus watched from above, her brother’s laughter filtered through the crowd and up to his ears.

  “You’re lucky she hasn’t killed you, man,” Taigen said, wrapping his arms around his sister from behind.

  He’d been so eager to get into bed with these people, Scott’s dead eyes begging him for justice, he’d promised to let a crazy woman go free.

  He tried to convince himself the details didn’t matter.

  He’d come for Wren.

  * * *

  The bodies parted as Christian and Taigen pulled Adelaide up the stairs toward one of the company’s private areas. Everything about Christian portrayed privacy, including the reason he’d dragged her to the club.

  The lights lit up spots in the crowd, showing lust and sweat across the dancers’ faces, and Adelaide found herself envying them, jealous of their independent lives, able to dance their worries away.

  She slowly regained her composure, the medication flowing through her veins. The shot Christian had given her a moment ago helped but wouldn’t last for long. She tried to hold herself together but started to suffocate from the bodies pressing against her, the lights blinding her. She had to hold on for a little longer. Closing her eyes, she felt as if her corset constricted with each breath. So many people threatened to drown her, so many to choose from. The music grew in intensity, too loud, and all she could think—

  “Adie,” a voice said, interrupting her thoughts.

  His voice pulled at the pieces of sanity scattered around her mind. She opened her eyes to find Taigen gripping her arm but was unable to feel his touch.

  “Are you all right?”

  She glanced to Christian, who waited for her to answer as well. The expression on his face told her he’d whisk her away immediately if she would only tell him, but there had to be a reason why he’d subjected her to the public. Christian never made a decision without personal or professional gain.

  Nod your head, her monster whispered, playing with a partygoer’s hair. Lie to them.

  She nodded in reply. Adelaide kept her eyes on Christian’s back as they ascended the stairs, watching the muscles move beneath his suit, and realized they’d been expected. Settling her gaze on their guest, she waited until her employer took a seat before taking her position on his right.

  “What can I do for you, Marcus?”

  She studied the man sitting opposite Christian carefully. Adelaide’s instincts screamed in warning, telling her she’d missed an important fact, but the unbelievable deep blue color of the man’s eyes mesmerized her, drowning out her intuition with a single glance from him.

  A strong jaw,
like Christian’s, had rounded with age. A five o’clock shadow framed his features, his tussled brown hair accentuating the pale skin underneath. Dressed in jeans, tan work boots, and an olive-colored jacket, Marcus seemed uncomfortable in the hot, crowded confines of the club.

  I like him, her delusion whispered, circling around the back of his chair.

  Her stare couldn’t move away from those eyes. Something about them drew her in, past his appearance. They reminded Adelaide of her father’s eyes, so long ago, and gave her a sense of comfort, something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

  Adelaide guessed his age closer to thirty-five than thirty and his body language pulled something familiar from her mind. He looked like a cop. She tried to imagine what else a man in his mid-thirties would want from someone like Christian or someone like her if he wasn’t here to stir up a conviction.

  “I’m here for an interview.” Marcus leaned forward, resting his elbows against his knees.

  The world stopped.

  His voice penetrated every fiber of her being. She waited for her monster to comment on this stranger’s request, but it did nothing. The delusion remained silent and nowhere to be found. Not possible. Adelaide let his voice enfold her as she recalled the sound over and over, curious to see if it would spark her delusion’s interest, as everyone else did. Breathless, her monster closed its eyes as it nearly fell into the stranger’s lap and disappeared.

  Intoxicating.

  The feeling of being alone, the only one in her head, felt heavenly. She relished the idea of never having to listen to those compulsive and violent thoughts again, of being the only one inside her mind, allowing her to think clearly on her own. This man’s voice held the key to her escape. With the slightest inflection, he’d silenced a part of her she’d been afraid of since she’d been sixteen, and Adelaide wanted more.

  She saw Christian nod out of the corner of her eye. “Yes, Taigen informed me.” He looked back over his shoulder, directing his ice blue gaze to her brother. “Harlow is here somewhere. Find him.”

  “On it.” Taigen walked toward the stairs, out of Adelaide’s sight within a few moments.

  Harlow. The man who’d stolen their shipment of guns, the man who wanted to make a deal with Christian. She couldn’t understand the reasoning for keeping her behind at their previous meeting, but it wasn’t her place to question him. Christian had brought her here for something else. Silently, she wished Marcus would talk more, hoping for another taste of serenity.

  “Aren’t you going to ask me anything?” Marcus took a sip of water, his words finding their way into her soul like a brush of silk.

  Her body relaxed at the sound. She’d never felt anything like it naturally, only her medication giving her this type of peace. This man churned Adelaide’s insides while calming her mind.

  “Patience, Agent Grant.” Christian motioned to the waitress waiting to serve them. “Tina, get me a gin and tonic.”

  Christian’s words sent a jolt through her. Agent. Grant. Cop.

  Tina nodded with a smile and looked to Marcus for his order.

  Shaking his head minutely, he answered, “I don’t drink.”

  From his side, Adelaide watched Christian’s eyes narrow. “How can I trust you when you won’t even have a drink with me?”

  She flinched, eager to wrap her hands around Christian’s throat. She felt protective of Marcus, the one whose voice she felt herself becoming addicted to. Nothing special jumped out at her in the looks department or in his behavior, but his voice chased away her demon and she wasn’t about to let Wren or anybody else ruin her chances of curing her mind.

  Marcus’s eyes found hers for the first time. He held his gaze level as he answered, nodding in thought. “I’ll have the same. Double the gin.”

  “Adie,” Christian said.

  Adelaide nodded to him, signifying she was fine. Able to breathe and think clearly, she reveled in the calmest moment she’d felt in years. The medication had never had this sort of effect on her before, never brought this amount of clarity.

  “Good.” He turned his attention back to Marcus. “Amazing, isn’t she?”

  She moved back into place, staring at the floor. She wanted another look at Marcus but pushed the temptation into the corner of her mind, afraid what would happen if she gave in. She had to be careful with this. If Christian suspected another man’s voice had the same type of effect on her as his beloved needle, Marcus wouldn’t leave this club alive. Yet she couldn’t help but hope. Adelaide didn’t have enough sedative to survive on her own and wouldn’t for another few weeks, but perhaps a recording of Marcus’s voice would suffice until then.

  Footsteps on the stairs tore her attention away from the silence in her head and she looked up. Taigen smiled as he repositioned himself on the other side of their employer.

  “How can I trust you, Marcus?” Christian set his drink down and leaned forward. “You’re a cop.”

  “Even cops can get dirty if they have the right reasons.”

  Adelaide closed her eyes, committing the sound of his voice to memory in hopes of recalling it later.

  “And what’s your reason, Agent Grant?”

  She imagined the smile crossing Christian’s face as he thought of different ways Marcus would have to work for what he wanted or die for it.

  “My own.”

  “That’s not good enough.” Christian leaned back in his chair, reaching for Adelaide. His hand wrapped around the inside of her thigh from the back and pulled her closer.

  She obeyed, inhaling deeply to calm herself as she opened her eyes. She hated his touch, hated the feel of him through her slacks, hated everything about him, but she couldn’t express her feelings. She had to bite back the violent tendencies tainting every thought. Now wasn’t the time.

  Marcus’s expression crossed into confusion as he looked her up and down. “What’s this? An offering?”

  For a moment, Adelaide thought she saw a smile behind his eyes but didn’t dwell on the idea. All men reacted to her in one of two ways: begging for their lives or wanting to bed her. This man, no matter the effect he had on her, would be no different than the others in either situation.

  Christian laughed. “No, Marcus.” He looked up at Adelaide as he stroked her leg lovingly. Looking back to their guest, he stood. “Let’s continue this somewhere more private.”

  He rose and both Adelaide and Taigen fell into step behind him, giving each other a wary glance. She imagined what Christian had in store for the cop and nearly broke her silence to warn him.

  Chapter Eight

  “This isn’t going to be easy,” came a whisper from behind. Taigen.

  He didn’t turn around. The hushed words had been meant only for him and Marcus wouldn’t betray a valuable asset by answering. Taigen knew what Wren had in mind, but his clues didn’t give Marcus the information he wanted.

  He followed the threesome down the club’s stairs and out one of the side doors into the alley. A gnawing feeling developed in the pit of his stomach, telling him to flee. Marcus pushed it aside. He came to get inside Wren’s head, to bring him down hard, and the memory of the blank expression on Scott’s face kept his feet in place.

  “Welcome to my world.” Christian motioned, arms wide. A smile crossed his face. His arms brought the bodyguards into a tight circle around him. For a moment time stopped, then shot forward when Adelaide stepped closer. “Are you ready?”

  “Ready for what?”

  A shoe slammed into his face. Marcus hit the ground, dizzy, his jaw throbbing in pain. As he glanced up, Adelaide, Taigen, and Christian remained motionless, still in the same positions they’d formed. He pushed himself from the garbage-ridden cement and waited with fists ready. If they were going to kill him, he wouldn’t go down without a fight.

  She moved again.

  Marcus blocked the first kick but her fist slammed into the other side of his face. He had little time to wonder how she’d moved so quickly or concentrate on the stingi
ng pain. Another hit was coming.

  His breathing shot into ragged territory, his chest ready to explode. Marcus had to remind himself he’d been through worse. He could handle this situation, but the doubt of surviving through the night crept into his head.

  Failure loomed behind every thought.

  Wren would kill him here and now and walk away a free man. The sudden realization pissed him off. He hadn’t blackmailed a criminal into getting a meeting with Wren in order to stop there. He had to see this through to the end. He had to live through the night.

  He watched Adelaide, the world slowing for an instant as he considered his next move. One of them would go down and Marcus had to be damn sure it wouldn’t be him.

  Her boot crushed against his stomach, knocking him backward, but he reacted in the same moment. He grabbed her ankle and pushed back as hard as he could.

  Adelaide rebalanced, swinging the other foot into his side.

  Her legs hit everywhere at once yet never seemed to move. She was good. Too good. His head pounded, his vision a slight blur. He’d been counting on adrenaline to lead him as it had so many times before, but he’d never fought a woman and wasn’t sure what to do. He had to remain upright. He had to prove he could win.

  “Don’t be afraid, Marcus,” Christian remarked from the edge of the alley. “She can take it. I assure you.”

  Marcus looked at Adelaide, trying to focus on the mere shape of her through the cloudy film over his eyes. Every few seconds he saw her clearly, but the clarity faded quickly.

  “Amazing, isn’t she?” Christian’s voice seemed so far away. “Tell me, Marcus, why do you want on my team?”

  He didn’t have a chance to answer before another punch slammed into his face. He grabbed Adelaide’s arm, twisting it around her back and up.

  Adelaide didn’t even flinch. Her head knocked back into his nose, but still he didn’t move. She did it again, harder, and flipped around, pressing a knife he didn’t even know she had against his throat.

  The rules of combat had been broken.