A Perfect Storm
Page 11
“She knows you want her.”
“No.” Damn it, he’d said that too fast and sounded far too defensive.
Trace just looked at him.
“I’m too old for her.” God, just shut up, Spencer.
“Given what she’s been through and the way she lives, I’d say you’re just what she needs.”
Not a topic he’d discuss with Trace or anyone else.
As if he realized that himself, Trace didn’t wait for confirmation. “Get her to your place, and I’ll find a way to disable her car. It’s as good an excuse as any for her to stay the night. Keeping her with you will give you more control until we shut down the joint.”
The enormity of coercing Arizona to do anything was overshadowed by Spencer’s surprise. “Shut it down?” Could it really be that easy to remove Arizona from danger—this time? “Just like that?”
“Yeah, just like that.” Being enigmatic, Trace added, “We were on this anyway.”
We, meaning Trace, Dare and Jackson? He didn’t ask. He knew Trace wouldn’t tell him. “Glad to hear it.”
“Now, with Arizona ready to dive in… It could still take some time, but I’ll do my best to accelerate things.”
“I hope so, because if you know Arizona at all, you know I’m not going to be able to get her to pull back.” Hell, he’d be lucky if he could get her to stop swinging for his head. “As for her staying with me…dicking with her car might work once, but after that? She won’t like the idea of anyone protecting her.”
Trace looked down at the table. “I understand her. After what she’s been through, she hurts, physically and emotionally, thinking about anyone caught in that situation.”
“She knows how it is,” Spencer agreed softly. “She understands that unique misery only too well.” And for Arizona, the only escape from her memories would be to validate her current well-being by helping others. Otherwise, she’d feel like she had no justice at all.
They shared a somber moment, then Trace flipped open his phone and pressed a button. “Let me make this call, and then I’ll tell you what we’re going to do.”
CHAPTER THREE
BRIGHT SUNSHINE SHONE in Arizona’s eyes as she waited in her car for Spencer to return. Even adjusting the visor didn’t help. Heat built—inside the car, inside her mind.
Growing bored, then quickly drowsy, she leaned her head back, closed her eyes against the glare…and drifted away to the day of that awful confrontation.
Spencer’s voice sounded with conviction…and with caring. “Whatever Chandra did to you, she’ll pay.”
But Arizona knew that couldn’t be true. Even thinking Chandra had died wasn’t payment enough. And now, people she cared about, people she loved, were at risk.
Because of her.
Red-hot hatred, bone-deep fear, churned inside her.
It wasn’t easy, but she pretended indifference to the situation. Not that she ever could be. Not faced with her tormentor—the one who’d orchestrated so much hurt and unthinkable disgrace, here in the flesh.
All this time, she’d thought Chandra dead, well out of reach of revenge.
And unable to cause more pain.
Yet there she stood. Smiling. Sick as always. Unfortunately, this time, Arizona wasn’t her only target. Now Chandra planned to hurt others—Jackson, his girlfriend, Alani.
Spencer.
No, not Spencer. He’d skipped out seconds before the situation escalated. To where?
Who cared? She wouldn’t. She couldn’t.
Bravado would have to get her through. Summoning a snide smile to hide the hurt, Arizona sneered, “Usually dead women can’t talk. And you are dead—whether you realize it yet or not.”
A maniacal laugh. Chandra’s awful, bone-chilling enjoyment of pain.
It left her pale, cold. Determined. Arizona didn’t back down. “It’s between us. Leave the others out of it.” Let me have my revenge. Please.
Chandra disregarded the warning, saying, “If she speaks again, shoot her.”
And they would. Chandra’s bully boys would enjoy putting a bullet in her.
What to do? Stand back, as Jackson asked? She owed him so much, but…she couldn’t. If she stayed safe, she couldn’t strike out. And she wanted to. She desperately needed to.
So what if her hands were shaking?
So what if her heart thundered and her eyes burned and the urge to flee beat hard and fast in her chest? Never would she run away.
This was her hell.
She had the right to end it.
Determined, determined…but then everything happened at once. Multiple shots, chaos…
Spencer! He hadn’t left. Not yet.
Expression fierce and jaw rock-hard, Spencer started toward her.
He’d stolen her revenge.
He hadn’t left her.
Anger and relief built in combustible force, so confusing, so powerful—
“Yoo-hoo.”
Jolted from the dark memory, Arizona bolted upright in her seat. Without thinking about it, she automatically reached for her knife and looked around at the same time.
Standing there by the passenger door, bending to look in the window, was Spencer’s busty neighbor. She showed off a bright smile, a lot of cle**age and cunning resolve.
Perfect. Just what she deserved.
Still caught up in reliving the awful scenario that had stolen her purpose for being, Arizona breathed too hard, too fast. Sweat had gathered along her spine. Her palms felt damp.
“No.” Damn it, he’d said that too fast and sounded far too defensive.
Trace just looked at him.
“I’m too old for her.” God, just shut up, Spencer.
“Given what she’s been through and the way she lives, I’d say you’re just what she needs.”
Not a topic he’d discuss with Trace or anyone else.
As if he realized that himself, Trace didn’t wait for confirmation. “Get her to your place, and I’ll find a way to disable her car. It’s as good an excuse as any for her to stay the night. Keeping her with you will give you more control until we shut down the joint.”
The enormity of coercing Arizona to do anything was overshadowed by Spencer’s surprise. “Shut it down?” Could it really be that easy to remove Arizona from danger—this time? “Just like that?”
“Yeah, just like that.” Being enigmatic, Trace added, “We were on this anyway.”
We, meaning Trace, Dare and Jackson? He didn’t ask. He knew Trace wouldn’t tell him. “Glad to hear it.”
“Now, with Arizona ready to dive in… It could still take some time, but I’ll do my best to accelerate things.”
“I hope so, because if you know Arizona at all, you know I’m not going to be able to get her to pull back.” Hell, he’d be lucky if he could get her to stop swinging for his head. “As for her staying with me…dicking with her car might work once, but after that? She won’t like the idea of anyone protecting her.”
Trace looked down at the table. “I understand her. After what she’s been through, she hurts, physically and emotionally, thinking about anyone caught in that situation.”
“She knows how it is,” Spencer agreed softly. “She understands that unique misery only too well.” And for Arizona, the only escape from her memories would be to validate her current well-being by helping others. Otherwise, she’d feel like she had no justice at all.
They shared a somber moment, then Trace flipped open his phone and pressed a button. “Let me make this call, and then I’ll tell you what we’re going to do.”
CHAPTER THREE
BRIGHT SUNSHINE SHONE in Arizona’s eyes as she waited in her car for Spencer to return. Even adjusting the visor didn’t help. Heat built—inside the car, inside her mind.
Growing bored, then quickly drowsy, she leaned her head back, closed her eyes against the glare…and drifted away to the day of that awful confrontation.
Spencer’s voice sounded with conviction…and with caring. “Whatever Chandra did to you, she’ll pay.”
But Arizona knew that couldn’t be true. Even thinking Chandra had died wasn’t payment enough. And now, people she cared about, people she loved, were at risk.
Because of her.
Red-hot hatred, bone-deep fear, churned inside her.
It wasn’t easy, but she pretended indifference to the situation. Not that she ever could be. Not faced with her tormentor—the one who’d orchestrated so much hurt and unthinkable disgrace, here in the flesh.
All this time, she’d thought Chandra dead, well out of reach of revenge.
And unable to cause more pain.
Yet there she stood. Smiling. Sick as always. Unfortunately, this time, Arizona wasn’t her only target. Now Chandra planned to hurt others—Jackson, his girlfriend, Alani.
Spencer.
No, not Spencer. He’d skipped out seconds before the situation escalated. To where?
Who cared? She wouldn’t. She couldn’t.
Bravado would have to get her through. Summoning a snide smile to hide the hurt, Arizona sneered, “Usually dead women can’t talk. And you are dead—whether you realize it yet or not.”
A maniacal laugh. Chandra’s awful, bone-chilling enjoyment of pain.
It left her pale, cold. Determined. Arizona didn’t back down. “It’s between us. Leave the others out of it.” Let me have my revenge. Please.
Chandra disregarded the warning, saying, “If she speaks again, shoot her.”
And they would. Chandra’s bully boys would enjoy putting a bullet in her.
What to do? Stand back, as Jackson asked? She owed him so much, but…she couldn’t. If she stayed safe, she couldn’t strike out. And she wanted to. She desperately needed to.
So what if her hands were shaking?
So what if her heart thundered and her eyes burned and the urge to flee beat hard and fast in her chest? Never would she run away.
This was her hell.
She had the right to end it.
Determined, determined…but then everything happened at once. Multiple shots, chaos…
Spencer! He hadn’t left. Not yet.
Expression fierce and jaw rock-hard, Spencer started toward her.
He’d stolen her revenge.
He hadn’t left her.
Anger and relief built in combustible force, so confusing, so powerful—
“Yoo-hoo.”
Jolted from the dark memory, Arizona bolted upright in her seat. Without thinking about it, she automatically reached for her knife and looked around at the same time.
Standing there by the passenger door, bending to look in the window, was Spencer’s busty neighbor. She showed off a bright smile, a lot of cle**age and cunning resolve.
Perfect. Just what she deserved.
Still caught up in reliving the awful scenario that had stolen her purpose for being, Arizona breathed too hard, too fast. Sweat had gathered along her spine. Her palms felt damp.
