Mimi's Mix - A Book From Each Series! Hot Suspense & Active Spirits! (5 page)

Ambulance attendants rushed in before he could finish the sentence, and put the stretcher down beside her.

“Get that thing away from me.” Her growl got their attention, and they stopped. She wouldn’t tolerate being stuffed into a cot on wheels like a big baby. “Just patch me up. We have to move. Boss, Kai gave me the address where he’s sure Rhondo is heading. Probably where he has his drugs and money stashed. And I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s stored some fake ID’s there. Most likely the same ones we figured he used the last time he disappeared. Kai suspects he’ll try and grab the lot.”

“Okay. Let the medics patch up that arm… and don’t look at it, or we’ll need the smelling salts.”

Aurora couldn’t believe her ears. “Your big-mouth wife spilled the beans, didn’t she?”

“Nah, I forced it out of her.” Was that a wink? It had to be, considering she knew Cory didn’t have a nervous eye or a twitch.

“Wait till I see her,” Aurora mock-threatened.

“Put that thought on hold for now. Get cleaned up, and we’ll head out.” He scrutinized the room, and soon orders were given to anyone standing around looking stupid. “Don’t just stand there, tape off the crime scene and get whatever prints you can.” Two officers who’d just arrived were stopped in their tracks. “You two, canvass the neighborhood for any potential witnesses. Maybe someone got a good look at one of the vehicles or the partiers. An officer has been injured and the culprit is going down. Now move!”

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His Devious Angel

Angels with Attitudes Series

Book Two

Chapter One

“Slow down, Mate! You could kill someone at this speed.”

“What the hell?” Liam tramped on the brake and whipped his head around to stare in the back seat. There sat a stranger who looked rather pale, scrambling for his seat belt. “How did you get into my car?”

“Maybe you should watch the road instead of looking at me? I’m not about to hurt you, just a bloke along for the ride.”

Liam wrenched the wheel and spun over to the curb, the screech of the tires attracting attention. Since he drove a convertible, and the hot sunny day had been perfect for putting the top down, he carefully controlled his voice. “Look, I don’t know how the hell you got into my car or who you are,
Mate
,” he said, “but you’ve got one minute to get lost, or I’ll be forced to remove you. Trust me; it wouldn’t be pleasant. I’d hurt you just because you’ve pissed me off, scaring the bejesus out of me.”

“Jesus is on my side, I’m afraid. I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Liam. You could remove me, but I’d only return. You need me with you today.”

Perplexed by the sincerity in his unwanted passenger’s voice and by the fact that a stranger knew his name, Liam stopped raging. Searching for control, he took a couple of deep breaths, gritted his teeth and asked, “Why?”

“To stop you from killing someone.”

“Okay, Bub! You’re outta here.” Furious at letting his guard down and getting played, Liam bolted from the front seat. He wrenched open the back door, and motioned with his thumb.

“I’ll only come back.” The slim male with the dark hair and cynical attitude didn’t move. Instead he crossed his arms and glared up at Liam. Familiar looking, he had Liam searching his brain for who he reminded him of. The pirate’s jerkin, flowing white blousy shirt and tight leather pants were clues, but they didn’t add up at first. It was the haircut that solidified his speculation. The guy looked enough like a young Johnny Depp to be his twin. Only his strong English accent didn’t fit the picture.

“Stop playing silly buggers and get out of my car.” Liam leaned in and his fingers met—air, because there was no one in his back seat. Stunned, he sagged against the side of the vehicle.

As if his intentions hadn’t changed, his fingers continued reaching towards his hair, getting stuck in his wild mess. With a yank, he pushed them to the back of his head, interlocked his hands and studied the ground. Covertly, he peeked around him to see if anyone had noticed him talking to—what? A ghost?

He hadn’t been drinking the previous night. Deciding the time had come to cool it with the late nights, he’d turned off the idiot box at ten after the football game and for once had gotten an early night. Actually managed to sleep for four consecutive hours before he woke and thrashed the rest of the night before luckily fall into another dreamless nap for maybe an hour. Five hours in one night—unheard of for him. Therefore, he couldn’t blame this lapse on being hung over or even on extreme tiredness. Blinking, he studied the back seat again. Still empty.

His cell phone rang, and he wiggled to free it from the pocket of his jeans. When he looked at call display, his eyes widened and he snorted. The word “Heaven” showed clearly on the screen.

What the…?

He pushed the talk button and held it to his ear. “Yeah?”

“Can I come back now?” The British accent from his recent guest was as clear as the headache starting to grind at the back of his head.

“I don’t know who you are, or what your game is, but if you come anywhere near me, so help me God, I’ll—”

“Ay, there, hang on. God is trying to help you. Just my bad luck that he sent me to carry out his wishes. Give over, would ya? I won’t be in the way, I promise. I’ll just ride along and maybe warn you to slow down from time to time. You drive like a maniac. You know that, don’t you?”

Liam hit End and threw the phone into his front seat. First a quick glance in every direction, then he made his way around the car, got back behind the wheel and started the engine. With a squeal, he took off around the next corner, driving like a stuntman in a chase scene.

That’s it! No more of those pills the doctor gave him. He’d rather have sleepless nights than daytime hallucinations. In a way, he’d be sorry to give them up. The last few times he’d resorted to using them, like last night for instance, they’d worked like a hot dam. No after-effects in the morning, and the horrific nightmares he normally suffered didn’t appear at all. Not until a few minutes ago, that is.

What had the weirdo said? He worked for God? That’s all he needed to complicate his life even further—a sidekick from the celestial universe. He checked the rear-view to be sure the invader hadn’t re-appeared and then felt foolish.
Silly bugger’s got you spooked!

Around the next corner was a residential area where the speed limits dropped considerably. Keeping in mind the earlier warning, he lifted his foot from the gas pedal. Obviously, this wasn’t enough for the vision now sitting next to him in the front passenger seat.

“Look ‘ere chap. Kids live around here. Do us a favor then, and slow it down.”

Liam gripped the wheel and only his eyes swiveled to look sideways. Yep, there he was again. Johnny Depp in his pirate costume. He decided not to acknowledge the hallucinatory poser, hoping he’d go away.

Teach him right for resorting to taking medication. Other than a night of drugged release, he’d known the underlying problem wouldn’t be solved. And now look what he had to deal with—visions and voices. Damn doctors don’t know diddly. Go in for tests, and all the quacks want him to do is see a shrink and spill his guts about his war experiences. Not gonna happen! Those days are over and reliving the horror is plain baloney—time to move on.

A flash in his peripheral vision attracted his attention. He snuck a peek sideways and Johnny sat, white-knuckling the front dash in an obvious hint—or a feeble attempt at humor.

“You can ignore me, but I’ll not be going anywhere. I popped in to see you for a reason. And it’s coming up shortly. So once again, Gov, for your own good, drive the speed limit.”

“What are you? A ghost with a badge?” This time Liam glanced over and acknowledged his passenger just by talking with him.

“Nah, just an angel with a mission.”

The light ahead turned yellow, and as was his habit, Liam speeded up in order to make the intersection before it turned red. The hiss from next to him made him laugh. “Relax, man. One thing I can do is drive. Anyway if you’re an angel,” he snorted while saying the word, “what do you care? You can’t die again, can you?” All of a sudden, a slight pressure on the brake pedal effectively slowed the car, and it didn’t come from him.

“Not worried about me. But you could hurt someone else. I’m here to make sure that doesn’t happen. You couldn’t live with another killing on your conscience.”

Before Liam could suck up the words, a small child dashed into the road. Slow motion kicked in—as it was wont to do in such times—and his brain assimilated everything exactly as it was trained. From behind a parked car the toddler’s ball had rolled from his reach. He’d chased it and ended up in front of Liam’s bumper. Liam’s quick reaction—slamming on the brake and wrenching the wheel—helped somewhat, but the saying, too little, too late, perfectly described the situation.

Chapter Two

“So how many dogs are you walking today, Sadie?” Her nosy but lovable neighbor liked to pull Sadie’s chain about her livelihood. Not that she gave a hot damn. Sadie figured it was mostly envy that prompted the teasing. Greta’s job as a hairdresser, a bitchy one at that, meant having to listen to her customer’s complain about their lazy husbands and rotten kids all day, for which she had Sadie’s total respect and sympathy.

“None. My next two days are free.” Sadie leaned back in the bright red and yellow flower designed patio lounger with a sigh of utter contentment. While she’d been out watering her flower baskets, Greta had produced one of her special coffees with a wonderful smell and whipped cream and had cajoled her to sit for a few minutes

“Lucky dog! How will you survive without your pooches?”

Sadie laughed at the pun, and then shook her head. “You make me sound obsessed. I love dogs, so sue me.” Being a dog-walker was one of Sadie’s three jobs. Many in the nearby high-class neighborhood fought over her services, and those she chose as clients were willing to pay top dollar.

“Uh-huh!” Greta smiled and crossed her arms, waiting.

“Whatever. I just hate to think of my charges not getting proper exercise because of their owner’s lifestyles.”

“You mean the lazy parasites who’d rather pay someone else to walk their dogs than get off their pampered behinds and do it themselves? Those clients?”

“Now, Greta. You’re happy enough to take their money when you do their hair. So why would I begrudge them the opportunity to pay me to do something I love?”

“Well, when you put it that way… So what’ve you planned for all your free time?” The pseudo sarcastic way she asked the question made Sadie aware that she knew dam well there would be little free time.

Walking dogs wasn’t her only responsibility. She also gave yoga classes five mornings a week, which left her afternoons free for the canine care. Then in the later part of the day, she gave free classes to the middle and high school students, tempting them to better themselves. She’d started helping out in the local school gym, and by getting to work with the overweight, unhappy kids, many times she’d convince them to give her workouts a try.

Also, she volunteered at the neighborhood care home a couple of evenings a week to work with the elderly, showing them that being sedentary might be easier and more comfortable, but in the long run it’s the wrong choice.

“Don’t you have night classes tonight at Country Gate?”

“Usually I would, but they’re having a dinner theatre evening specially set up for them by a group who’s supposed to be brilliant. The old dears are so excited. Didn’t you get a call to set up shop there to work your magic?”

“I couldn’t go this time. We’re booked solid, or should I say,
I’m
booked. But Julie will be there most of the day.”

“You tease me about my good works, but my friend, you’re also a softie and you know it.”

“Maybe a bit soft-hearted, but you go as far as being soft-headed. Anyone can con you with a teary look and a sad story.”

“Nah! I’m no one’s sucker—trust me. But some people are just rather pathetic, and it’s not a sin to give a helping hand now and again.”

“Yeah! And again, and again, and—”

“Oh shut up.” Sadie slugged the arm next to her gently and grinned. “Gotta go for dinner to Mom’s tonight. Wanna come?” The whining note made Greta laugh.

“I have no idea why you always want me to protect you from the mother you love more than—than is healthy. She just has to blink those false eyelashes of hers, and you roll over like that bizarre puffy poodle you walk. The one that prances around like some gay canine.”

“Oh, you mean Giorgio? Hey don’t make fun of the stud. He’s very intelligent.”

“He struts. Throws his head so all those silly pompoms bounce, and I swear he flirts with his eyes.” Copycatting, Greta angled her pretty face to one side and fluttered her long dark eyelashes as if she were the dog. Sadie had to admit to there being a slight resemblance and laughed until she heard Greta’s next sentence. “Sorry, kiddo, you’re on your own with the tribe tonight.”

Sadie’s mother and two sisters meant the world to her. She loved them dearly and tried really hard not to give in to them every single time they set her up, but so far her record was lousy. Inwardly, she straightened her shoulders and stiffened her backbone.
Quit putting it off… beg… you know you will
.