Deadly Questions (Hardy Brothers Security Book 8) (15 page)

“And what are you going to do about it?”

“You have no idea who you’ve just pissed off,” Ally warned. “No freaking idea!”

“Any news?” James asked, flashing a wan smile in Jake’s direction as the exhausted man settled in one of the chairs across from his desk.

“Not yet,” Jake said. “Wayne says he’s got something in the works. I still don’t know what it is, or when it will be. I don’t want to press him too hard.”

“You don’t have to keep going down there,” James said. “You’ve already gone above and beyond.”

“If I quit now, the whole thing will have been a waste,” Jake said.

“You should go home and take a shower,” Grady said, shoving the file he was flipping through into the cabinet against the wall. “No offense, man, but you look like you smell.”

“I have no doubt,” Jake said. “I went home. Ally isn’t there. I was kind of hoping you knew where she was. I just … I want to make sure she’s okay.”

“She’s out with the girls,” Finn replied.

Jake arched an eyebrow. “All of them?”

“She technically went out with Emma,” James replied. “It was an accident that Sophie and Mandy happened to be at the same bar.”

“I’ll just bet.”

“They need to hash it out,” James said. “Neither one of them is going to be happy until they’ve made up.”

“I’ve figured that out on my own,” Jake said, rubbing his forehead. “Do you think they’ll make up tonight?”

“Why, is Ally still mad at you?” Grady asked.

“She says no, but she’s … not herself.”

“Well, James is grounded,” Finn said. “He’s desperate for them to make up.”

“Grounded?”

“From love,” Grady teased.

James rolled his eyes. “They’re making up tonight if I have to lock them in a room together. I can’t take all of this drama.”

“It’s killing him,” Grady said, holding his hand to his heart. “Killing him, I tell you.”

“Shut up,” James shot back.

His cellphone rang, and James sighed as he read the screen. “Why would the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department be calling me?”

“Maybe Ally and Mandy got into a fight and got arrested,” Finn suggested.

James frowned, not ruling out the possibility. “Hello.”

The other three men watched him as he talked, mild amusement flitting across their faces when his mouth opened incredulously.

“Where are they now? Just … no … we’re on our way. You don’t need to arrest them.” James disconnected. “Well, all our women got in a fight with some guy and the cops are insisting that we come and get them.”

“With a guy? Why?” Finn asked.

“I have no idea,” James said. “I guess I should just be glad that Mandy and Ally weren’t fighting with each other. Let’s go.”

“THEY
went after us.”

Jake cut through the crowd, making his way to Ally as she gestured emphatically to the police officer standing in front of her. “What happened?”

Ally’s shoulders sagged in relief when she saw him. Jake tugged her to him, giving her a quick hug.

“What happened, angel?”

The cop made a face. “Does this belong to you?”

Jake made a face. “She’s my girlfriend, yes.”

“Well, your girlfriend and her friends started a brawl in the Mud Hut,” the officer said. “They beat the crap out of some guy.”

James moved in behind Jake. “Why?”

“Apparently they didn’t like him.”

“There has to be more to the story than that,” James said.

“Are you sure? These women seem out of control to me,” the cop shot back.

“Yes, well, that’s how we like them,” James said, scanning the crowd. “Where is my wife?”

“Oh, you’re married to one of them? My sympathies.”

James scowled. “Where is my wife?”

“She’s in the bathroom,” Ally said. “She’s checking her face.”

“What happened to her face?”

“She got hit.”

James stilled. “Did you hit her?”

“Of course not,” Ally protested. “I was mad, not stupid. That guy hit her.”

James followed Ally’s finger, frowning when he saw the man leaning against the cop car. He was tall and built. His dark hair was standing on end, as if someone had pulled it, and he had a bandage pressed to the side of his face. “He hit my wife?”

The cop held up his hand. “We’re still trying to ascertain what happened. We don’t know that any of the women were actually hurt.”

“He smacked her across the face,” Ally said.

“Witnesses said she smacked him first,” the cop replied.

“I don’t care if she stabbed him in the chest,” James seethed. “No one hits my wife.”

“Why don’t you let us handle this situation, sir,” the cop said. “You’re clearly overwrought. I can see it runs in the family.”

Ally stuck out her tongue, and Jake ran his hand down the back of her head to calm her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Ally said. “I warned that guy what was going to happen if he didn’t leave us alone.”

“Start from the beginning,” Jake prodded.

“We were at the bar,” Ally said.

“Were you getting along?”

“No. Then that guy came up and kept trying to get me to sit on his lap,” Ally said.

Jake swiveled, fixing the man in question with a dark look. “You hold him, I’ll beat the shit out of him.”

“Hey, my wife was the one who was hit,” James said.

Ally rolled her eyes. “Anyway, we decided to leave, and we came down here to talk,” she said.

“Were you getting along by then?”

“No. That’s when a woman approached Sophie. She had some information about the missing women. We were trying to talk to her when that asshole showed back up. Misty tried to leave – that was her name – and he grabbed her and called her a whore.

“That’s when Mandy got mad and rescued her,” Ally continued. “She smacked him across the face and told him not to touch her. He hit her back, and I mean hard. That’s when I got involved.”

James pursed his lips. “Are you two speaking now?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” the cop asked. “Who cares?”

“I care,” James said, focusing on his sister.

“We’re fine,” Ally said. “We talked while the cops had us in the back of the car.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Ally said, scowling. “I’m still mad at you.”

“I can live with that,” James said, pulling her in for a quick hug. “You can’t stay mad at me forever.”

“I can try,” Ally shot back.

“That’s certainly your prerogative. Now, where is my wife?”

“I’m right here,” Mandy said, pushing her way through the door and fixing the cop with a hateful look. “Why are you still here? Are you going to arrest us?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” the cop replied. “You’re clearly a danger to the public.”

James reached for Mandy, drawing her to him. He held her close for a second, and then tipped her head up so he could look at her face. His heart rolled painfully when he saw the red expanse on her cheek. It would be a bruise by morning.

“He did this to you?”

“I hit him first,” Mandy admitted.

“I don’t care,” James said, kissing her forehead. “I’m going to beat his ass.”

“Sir, I think the women have already accomplished that task,” the cop said. “They even knocked out a tooth.”

“How did you manage that?” Jake asked.

“Mandy kicked him in the face after I knocked him down,” Ally said.

James fought the urge to smile. “Let’s go home, trouble. I want to put some ice on your face. I’ll even give you a massage. Well, that is if I’m not still grounded.”

“Your sentence has been commuted,” Mandy said. “Mostly because I want that massage.”

“You’ve got it, baby,” James said, wrapping his arm around her waist. He led her toward his Explorer, stopping in front of Kevin long enough to give him a good scare. “If you come near my wife or sister again, you’re going to think what they did to you was a day at the beach.”

“Trust me, I don’t want to be near any of those bitches ever again,” Kevin replied.

“That’s good,” James said. “If I were you, I’d remember this feeling.” James lowered his voice. “I’ll kill you if you ever touch my wife again.”

“He just threatened me,” Kevin squeaked, pointing for emphasis. “He says he’s going to kill me.”

The police officer standing next to Kevin didn’t look particularly worried. “I didn’t hear a thing.”

“I DON’T
suppose you want to take a shower with me?”

Jake was exhausted. The work had been taxing – as usual – but worrying about Ally had emotionally crippled him for most of the day. He had no idea how one woman had managed to turn his world upside down in such a short amount of time, but Ally was magic. He needed to shower, but he needed to be close to her even more.

“You want me to shower with you?” Ally arched an eyebrow.

“I need to shower,” Jake said. “I smell, and I’m filthy. I want to be able to touch you. I figured we could combine the two.”

Ally smiled. “I think I can be persuaded.”

“Good,” Jake said. He leaned down to give her a kiss, internally smiling when she returned it without reservation. “So, you and Mandy are okay, right?”

“We’re fine,” Ally said, stripping out of her clothes and dropping them on the floor.

Jake leaned in and started the shower, making sure it was hot enough to steam up the small room – but not so hot that it would scald Ally’s delicate skin.

“Are … are we okay?”

Ally rested her hand on Jake’s bare chest for a moment. “We’re okay. Just … even if you think I’m going to worry, please don’t lie to me.”

“I’m sorry,” Jake said. “It was a mistake. I knew it was a mistake from the beginning.”

“No more apologies,” Ally said, slipping into the shower.

Jake followed, laughing when he saw Ally waiting with a bottle of shower gel and a loofah in her hands as the water sluiced over her firm body. “Do you want to get dirty or clean first?”

“Clean,” Ally said. “You do smell.”

“Clean me, angel.”

Ally obliged, soaping Jake up and scrubbing him enthusiastically. “Turn around. I need to get your back.”

Jake did as instructed, growling when he felt Ally sidle up behind him and press her breasts to his back. She stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear. “Are you going to wash me, too?”

Jake swiveled, capturing Ally’s waist in his hands and lifting her easily. She rested her legs over his hips, kissing him as he moved her to the back wall of the shower. Jake touched his tongue to hers, his hands digging into her rounded rear as he balanced her.

“I’ve missed you,” Ally said.

“I’ve missed you, angel,” Jake said.

“If you want to be one of those guys who wakes a woman up for sex, you can. Well, you can with me.”

Jake chuckled. “I’ll consider it, and you’re the only one I would ever wake up. Don’t ever think any different. For now, I just want to … feel you.”

Ally rested her fingers in Jake’s hair, gasping as he slid inside of her. He stretched her, moving his hips as his mouth found hers again. She fit him perfectly. He’d never felt peace with a woman before, and even though Ally was work, she was also salvation.

Ally cried out, digging her fingers into Jake’s shoulders as she orgasmed. Jake followed moments later, burying himself as deep as he could as he exploded. He held her to him, her body shaking with euphoria.

After shutting off the shower, Jake carried Ally into the bedroom and settled her beneath the covers. He crawled in behind her, pressing his naked body flush against hers.

Sometime in the night, Jake became one of those men who awakens a sleeping woman for comfort. The woman in question welcomed him with her whole heart.

“What’s up?”

Sophie answered her phone with a little less grace than Peter was used to. “Is something wrong, my dear?”

“I’m sorry,” Sophie said. “I made the mistake of asking Detroit for all their missing-person complaints for the past year. I feel like I’m drowning.”

“Well, I hate to compound the situation, but your friend Lily is missing,” Peter said.

Sophie stilled. “Define missing.”

“She’s gone,” Peter said.

“Are you sure she’s just not lost in the house somewhere?”

Peter sighed. “Is that a real suggestion?”

“No,” Sophie said. “I just … where do you think she is?”

“She disappeared sometime last night,” Peter replied.

“Voluntarily?”

“Are you suggesting someone managed to break into my house and take her without my knowledge?”

“You’re crabby.”

“Lily has made me crabby,” Peter said. “That doesn’t mean I want something to happen to her.”

“And you’re sure none of your men accidentally killed her … or threw her in a trunk or something, right?”

“I’m sure.”

“Well, shit,” Sophie said. “Where would she go?”

“My guess is that she went back to the streets,” Peter said.

“What makes you say that?”

“She was rambling on and on about finding Christian and getting her life back,” Peter said. “I mostly ignored her, because each time I tried to engage her in conversation I wanted to deafen myself. My guess is that she went looking for this Christian Faulkner.”

“We haven’t been able to find him,” Sophie pointed out. “How could she?”

“You forget, she knows where to look.”

SOPHIE
scanned the street, frustration overwhelming her. She knew coming back down here was a mistake. She also knew she had to find Lily. If the woman disappeared – if she was found dead down here – Sophie would always wonder if she could’ve done something to save her. Lily was rude, crude, and difficult – but she was still a person.

While Sophie was at home pounding the pavement in Macomb County, Detroit was a different environment. Sure, Macomb had some rough areas, and you had to be careful when you visited those areas. It seemed like whole neighborhoods of Detroit had been taken over by death and destruction, though. It was a lost city, and Sophie wondered if anyone could save it.

She crossed the street, focusing her attention on two working girls as they chatted amiably on the corner a block down. Sophie plastered a wide smile on her face as she approached them. “Excuse me.”

“We don’t do women, honey.”

Sophie faltered. “I was actually looking for some information.”

“We don’t do that either.”

“I’m just looking for a friend,” Sophie said. “Her name is Lily.”

One of the women snorted. “And I’m Pansy. Nice to meet you.”

The name stuck in Sophie’s memory. “Pansy? Did you happen to talk to a man down here a couple of days ago? He would have been asking questions about missing women.”

“We might have,” Pansy said.

Sophie wracked her brain, trying to remember the other woman’s name. For some reason
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
kept popping to the forefront. “You’re Violet, right.”

The other woman shifted uncomfortably. “How do you know that?”

“The man who was down here … he’s a friend of mine.”

“Oh, you’re the girlfriend,” Pansy said.

“He mentioned me?”

“He said he was well taken care of by his girlfriend so he had no need of our services,” Pansy said. “Now you’re down here. Did he run off with this Lily woman?”

“No,” Sophie said. “He’s not down here today.”

“That’s too bad,” Violet said. “He’s one fine specimen of a man.”

“He is,” Sophie agreed. “I consider myself very lucky.”

“So, why are you looking for Lily?”

Sophie straightened her shoulders. “Do you know her?”

“I might know a Lily,” Pansy said. “There are a lot of Lilys down here.”

“I guess I hadn’t considered that,” Sophie said, biting her bottom lip. “How come so many of you pick flowers as names?”

“You need to pick something that makes men think you’re all dainty and stuff,” Violet replied. “What better way than flowers?”

“Do you … do you know a girl named Satin?”

Violet shook her head. “Everyone who works this neighborhood works for Frankie. He likes the flower names.”

“How many Lilys do you know?”

“Three.”

“Are any of them blonde with green eyes?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Violet said.

“I need you to think really hard,” Sophie pressed.

“Oh, just tell her,” Pansy said. “What does it matter now?”

JAKE
stepped outside of the warehouse, sucking in great gulps of air as he tried to dislodge the stagnant oxygen from his lungs. He was beyond sick of this place. He didn’t want to give up, but he couldn’t take much more of it.

He missed being home by dinner every night. He missed curling up with Ally on the couch and watching a movie. He missed watching her throw her iPad across the couch when she got stuck on a level of Candy Crush.

He missed her, plain and simple.

Jake rolled his neck, the audible crack filling his ears. The more time he spent down here, the more despondent he felt. He hated human suffering, that was why he donated his time and supplies to the homeless veterans in Macomb County. This area, and the people trying to live in it, were beyond his help.

He glanced around the neighborhood, his gaze falling on two prostitutes about a block down. They were talking to someone. A woman. Jake took a step forward, narrowing his eyes. The woman standing with them looked familiar.

“Sonofabitch!”

Jake yanked his cellphone out of his pocket and dialed Grady’s number. After two rings, the middle Hardy brother picked up.

“You need to get down here right now,” Jake said. “Sophie is questioning people, and I can’t see it ending well. I’ll try to watch her, but I have no idea how long I can stay out here without being missed.”

“TELL
me what?” Sophie asked.

“It sounds like you’re looking for Lily,” Pansy said.

“I’m fairly certain I said that myself.”

“Yes, but you’re looking for
the
Lily.”

“Who is
the
Lily?”

“She’s the Lily who Christian is always looking for,” Violet said. “She’s bad news.”

“How do you know her?”

“We used to work together back in the day,” Violet said. “We used to go out in threes instead of twos. She was Christian’s favorite.”

“I thought you worked for Frankie?”

“And Frankie works for Christian,” Pansy said.

“Oh. I didn’t realize it worked that way.”

“It doesn’t very often,” Pansy said. “This is a … unique organization.”

“How do you know that Christian is still looking for Lily?”

“Because we were told that if we ever saw her we were to drop everything – even if it was a dick – and call him,” Violet said. “Whatever that girl did to him, it was bad. Christian isn’t messing around.”

“Which is why you should be really careful who you mention Lily to,” Pansy cautioned.

“Thanks for the tip,” Sophie said, glancing around. “If Lily came down here, where do you think she would go?”

Violet shrugged. “If I knew, I wouldn’t go looking for her. That girl was always trouble.”

“And mean,” Pansy added.

“She’s still mean,” Sophie confirmed. “I need to find her.”

“I wouldn’t do it alone,” Violet said. “You’re not the kind of girl who can survive these streets.”

“You’d be surprised what kind of girl I am.”

“Just be careful,” Pansy said. “Frankie has sworn to kill your boyfriend and his brothers. If he finds out who you are, he’ll take out his revenge on you.”

Sophie stilled. “Thanks.”

“Well, well, well, who do we have here?”

One look at Pansy and Violet’s suddenly wan faces told Sophie she was in a world of trouble. She swiveled slowly, fixing the balding man in the polyester pants and Hawaiian shirt with a bright smile. “I’m sorry. I was lost.”

“You’re certainly lost, honey.”

“I was looking for C&P Warehouse,” Sophie lied. “I was told it was in this area.”

“And what business do you have there?” Frankie asked, narrowing his eyes.

“My brother is working there,” Sophie lied. “I was hoping to talk to him.”

“And who is your brother?”

“His name is Jake.”

“Why don’t I believe you?” Frankie asked.

“I think you’re probably just suspicious by nature,” Sophie replied.

“I think you should come with me,” Frankie said.

“Thank you for the kind offer, but I’m already running late.”

“I wasn’t asking,” Frankie replied. “I was telling you.” He reached out and grabbed her arm, digging his fingernails in as she tried to wrench it away. “I can’t tell you how sick I am of you suburbanites coming down here and sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

“That’s not what I was doing.”

“That’s exactly what you were doing.”

“You’re going to want to take your hands off of me right now,” Sophie warned.

“And why would I do that?”

“Because I’ll kill you if you don’t,” Grady said, stepping out from the nearby alley and striding toward Frankie. “Get your hands off her.”

“Well, I’m so glad to see you again,” Frankie said. “You and I have some unfinished business.”

“Good,” Grady said, slamming his fist into Frankie’s face and forcing the man to take a step back. “I have no problem beating your ass again.”

“Benny! Marco!” Frankie was screeching as he held his nose. “This hasn’t even set right from the last time!”

“We have to go, Grady,” Sophie said, tugging on his arm. “You can’t take all three of them.”

Grady glanced over at the approaching thugs and then back at Sophie. As much as he wanted to test her theory, he wasn’t willing to leave her exposed if he failed. He grabbed her hand and yanked her back down the alley.

“Get in the truck,” he ordered.

“What about my car?”

“We’ll send Finn for it later,” he said. “Get in.”

Sophie did as she was told, holding onto the handle above the door as Grady raced away. He glanced in the rearview mirror, fighting off the urge to wave at Frankie’s men while they escaped. He drove silently for ten blocks, keeping watch to make sure no one was following them. When he was convinced they were safe, he pulled into the parking lot of a grocery store and pulled Sophie across the console so he could hug her.

“What were you doing down here?”

“Lily went missing,” Sophie explained. “I was just looking for her.”

“Is there a reason you didn’t call and ask me to come with you?”

“Because I knew you would say no,” Sophie admitted.

“And why do you think I would have said no?”

“Because it’s too dangerous.”

“So, knowing that, you came down here anyway?”

“I … .”

Grady waited.

“How did you even know I was here?”

“Jake called,” Grady replied. “He saw you. You still haven’t answered my question.”

“I’m an adult, Grady,” Sophie said, trying to draw away from him. He held her still. “I have to do what I have to do.”

“Sophie, if something happens to you, I’ll never get over it,” Grady said. “I … I can’t lose you. I know you have a job to do. I understand that, and I think I’ve been pretty damn accommodating where your job is concerned.”

“You have.”

“All I ask is that you don’t purposely put yourself in danger,” Grady said. “If you can’t look out for yourself, then please look out for me.”

“Grady … .”

“Promise me you won’t do this again.”

“I … .”

“Promise me,” Grady said.

“I promise.”

Grady kissed her, gripping the back of her head tightly. “Never again, Sophie. I can’t … you’re going to give me a heart attack. If something ever happens to you, I’m going to die myself. Just … please, sugar, think of me before you do these things. Think of us.”

“I will. I promise.”