Chapter Fifteen

Magnus

I leaned my elbow on the table, smiling up at Arnaud, concealing the sick feeling in my gut. "Dad, hi. How're you? Nice to see you."

Jade reached into her pocket, then brought out her compacted baton, tapping the butt end lightly on the table. She, too, smiled cheerily at my father, yet her emerald eyes glittered with an enmity I felt glad wasn't directed at me. I gestured toward her.

"You remember Jade? Right?"

Arnaud's pig eyes flicked between us. "Of course. You two appear to be doing well."

"Yes, we are," Jade said. "You, er, seem to have broken your arm."

As mine had, Arnaud's cut face and throat from my slashing talons and teeth had mostly healed. His left arm sat in a sling, however, bound with a plaster cast. His right hand anchored a young woman to his side, a pretty girl whose ancestry spoke of Asian descent. Her glassy gaze and vacant stare told me enough about her that I nearly seized Jade's baton to beat my father to death with it.

Arnaud half-lifted his cast. "Yes, an unfortunate accident."

"Who's your friend?"

"My date for the evening," Arnaud replied, his voice flat. "I thought to remind you, as I saw you sitting here, looking at each other like star-crossed lovers, that I haven't forgotten about you."

"Why, Dad, that's so thoughtful of you. Isn't that great, Jade? He hasn't forgotten us."

I tapped his sling lightly, playfully. "We haven't forgotten about you, either, Dad. How's that for a coincidence? You know, sorry, we're about to leave so we can't invite you to join us." I smiled broadly. "How about we all meet for brunch on Sunday? My treat."

Arnaud's returning smile spoke of a bloody death for both Jade and me. "I'm afraid I'm booked for Sunday. But you two enjoy yourselves. While you still can."

"Thank you, Arnaud," Jade said, her voice sugar sweet. "I'm sure we will. Uh, it seems the host is waiting to take you to a table. It was so good to see you again."

Arnaud stiffened in outrage at her obvious dismissal, yet his smile remained. "And I'll be seeing you very soon, Jade."

I waggled my fingers as he took his "date" from our table. The hovering host escorted them to a small booth on the far side of the restaurant. Arnaud sat with his back to us while his lady friend stared listlessly down at her hands.

"She's doped to the eyeballs," Jade growled. "Take a wild guess as to why she's with him."

I took my card from the waiter, scribbled my signature on the receipt, and gave it to him. He smiled slightly as he bowed slightly, then left us alone. "I don't have to guess," I replied. I glanced significantly at her hand still clutching her baton. "I'd better get you out of here before you go hog wild on his head with that."

"Don't tempt me."

Rising, we donned our jackets, then wended our way through the tables and diners toward the doors. I glanced back once but saw nothing of Arnaud. Nor did I guess he could see us. I didn't like having him at my back, even in a public place. My father's self-restraint could be thin at times.

The cold air slapped us in our faces, the chilling wind biting deep despite our coats. I slid my arm through Jade's, hurrying across the parking lot to the Jeep. As I unlocked the doors, I glanced again at the restaurant, expecting to see Arnaud staring at us.

The doors stayed closed.

Once inside, I started the engine and drove from the lot, merging into the light traffic on the street.

"Should we go to his house?" Jade asked. "Now that we know where he is?"

"No." I studied the mirrors for any followers. "He's suspicious. We're in his domain. We need hours to find what we need, he'll eat fast, then head home. Dammit, I shouldn't have chosen this place to take you."

"I think I like having him on edge." Jade looked over her shoulder. "Off balance. Make him wonder what we're up to, why we're so cozy together when you were the one to take me to him."

"That would set him on edge," I agreed. "He's worried. But will he stand guard over his house, his precious records? Does he have a clue what we're planning?"

"Let's hope not. I'm not seeing a tail."

"I'm going to make some funky turns just to make sure."

Making random right and left turns, driving down quiet streets with little or no traffic, I concluded we weren't tailed. Arnaud didn't have any goons sitting in parked cars watching over him as he ate dinner with his sex slave.

"I think we're good," I commented. "Home?"

"Yeah."

Something in her tone had me eyeing her sidelong. "You okay?"

"Yeah. No."

"What's wrong?"

Her face lit by the dashboard, she frowned, nibbling her lip I'd come to recognize as a sign she thought hard about something. "Why was Arnaud so open about flaunting a trafficked woman? It's like, he's so arrogant, no one cared a hoot about her. That she's on something."

"Would we have known she'd been brought to this country illegally to become a sex toy," I asked, "had we not already known Arnaud made money trafficking humans?"

"Their age difference sticks out."

I shook my head. "Rich dudes can have any women they want. Look at Hugh Heffner."

"I see your point." Jade sighed heavily. "I suppose that unless you knew what she was, she's his arm candy."

"Exactly. Not everyone can see she's stoned. To the casual eye, they're just another couple."

"After seeing him with her," Jade growled, "I really need to end him. End his business of bringing girls like her to this country to sell." She met my gaze, her eyes as hard as green agates. "I'm really glad you convinced me to help you."

"Somehow, I don't think I can do this without your help."

***

The next morning brought relative warmth for the season, permitting us to toss our jackets in the Wrangler's back seat. Snow melted rapidly under the bright sunlight and unseasonal heat. I backed the Jeep from the garage, the tires sluicing wet on the driveway and street.

"Arnaud tends to sleep late," I commented. "Especially since he, you know, with the girl, last night. We have time for some breakfast before there's any chance he'll leave the house."

"Why are you so shy about saying he had sex with her?" Jade asked with a grin.

I coughed, clearing my throat. "It may not have been exactly consensual."

Jade slapped her face. "Color me stupid. That was really insensitive, girl. You can do better."

Reaching across the console, I took her hand. "It's because I know Arnaud. You're not being insensitive."

"A doped up chick who probably can't speak English can give consent? I was insensitive. Suck it up, buttercup."

"I just adore you when you get all riled and feisty. Gives me the shivers."

"I want pancakes," Jade announced. "With bacon. Lots of bacon."

"Your wish is my command."

I found a family type diner a few miles down the road we took, and I pulled in to park. I'd barely shut the engine off when I saw a big black Chevy SUV driving down the street. I'd chosen to park facing the street. I seized Jade by the neck and forced her head down.

"Hide," I hissed, as though the occupants of the Chevy could hear me. "Stay down."

I, too, ducked my head below the dash. I waited, my gut tight with the tension, fearing the goons had seen me before I saw them. When, a seemingly endless time later, I ventured to peek through the windshield, I found no black SUV pouring goons with machine guns from its doors.

"Sorry," I said, letting Jade up. "I was a bit rough."

Jade rubbed the back of her neck, grimacing. "You're a strong son of a gun. Do you think they're cruising for us?"

"No way to know," I replied, searching all around for goons, guns, and black Chevys. "Maybe yes, maybe no. We'll have to be on guard for cops, too. We won't know we've been spotted by a dirty cop until it's too late."

"Maybe we should don disguises." Jade opened her door, grinning. "We both put on blonde wigs."

"That might not be a bad idea. I'm hungry."

A smiling hostess escorted us to a table, thankfully near the front window. I'd planned to ask for such a table had she not taken us to it.

"Coffee?" she asked, setting menus down.

"Yes, please."

I couldn't stop myself from watching the street and the parking lot for Arnaud's pals. "This is crap," I muttered. "Anywhere we go we might be seen."

"Hence blonde wigs," Jade said. "A passing cop, looking for people with our descriptions, and sees two blondes in a Jeep when he's been instructed to look for my car and us." She shrugged. "He'll drive on by."

I shook my finger at her. "You're too good at this spy business. I want us to buy cameras before we hit Arnaud's. I don't think one phone will do all we need it to."

"And a laptop computer. We should look at the pictures on that, I think. Especially if we find anything especially incriminating."

The hostess brought coffee, poured for us while asking if we were ready to order. Jade took only a moment to decide.

"I'll have the pancake special with extra bacon."

"I'll have the same."

As we had the evening before, we talked with an ease, a level of comfort between us that hadn't been there before I'd gotten shot. Before that time, Jade held her mistrust and suspicion up like a shield, her defenses so good they were military grade. I saw a softness, a gentleness in her face, her manner, the way she spoke, that only came about in that abandoned house.

"After this is over," I said slowly, pushing my empty plate away, "what do you think will happen?"

She frowned, her brows lowering. "Happen?"

"You know." I swallowed hard. "With us."

"Oh." She stirred her coffee that didn't need stirring. "I can't really say. I suggest we just get through this shit alive, then see. Fair?"

"I like you, Jade." The admission dried my mouth. "I don't want the end of this shit to be the end of us."

"I like you, too. I-I've never had a successful, you know, relationship before. I sometimes think I never can. I'm too hard, too jaded, too independent."

"Gee," I drawled. "You sound like a dragon."

That brought a light chuckle from her. "So let's just wait and see. I don't like pressure, so, you know, give me space. Okay?"

"You're a dragon." I sipped my coffee. "How can I pressure a dragon?"

So intent was I on our conversation, I nearly missed seeing the sleek, black Chevy roll past the diner's front window.

"Shit," I hissed, turning my face away from the window. "Turn around."

As Jade had also seen it, she'd already lifted her arm to shield her face and her red hair. "Dammit. Do they know we're here?"

"I wish I knew."

Grabbing my wallet, I piled bills on the table without really looking at the denominations. "Let's go."

Taking her hand, I tried to walk casually, smiled at the waitress, then pointed to the money on the table. "Keep the change."

"Enjoy your day."

I just hope we survive the next five minutes.

I, with Jade, nearly made it to the front door when three big, burly males stepped inside. They gazed around, perhaps looking for the hostess to seat them, or searching the diner for us.

"Dragons," Jade hissed.

For a moment, I stared at them, standing in the middle of the diner, Jade's hand in mine, like a damn idiot.

The trio started to turn, to look in our direction.