Bear Meets Girl
Page 114
Dont know? Some full-human.
Crush shook his head at Dez. That cant be Sophie DiMarco.
It might be, Smith said and when they all stared at her, she added, I tracked her down in Atlantic City earlier today.
Cella skated around and then walked over until she was in front of Smith. You did what?
Why are you lookin at me like that for?
Because, Cella snarled, you goddamn hick! I promised the Callahans she wouldnt get hurt!
I didnt hurt her! I just wanted her to take me to where she found Callahan, and Im thinking thats where Whitlan is. And when we were done, I put her back on the train to Atlantic City.
Did you see her get on the train? Crush asked.
I did.
Did you see the train leave the station?
When Smith didnt answer, both Dez and Crush groaned.
Cella took off her helmet. Oh, my God, Smith, what did you do?
Im not likin your tone.
How would you like my fist?
Bring it, calico!
Stop it! Dez snapped. Both of you. We dont have time for this.
Shes right, Cella agreed. Baissiers going to kill her.
No, Crush corrected her. She wont do that until she has Whitlan in her hands. He looked at Chazz, while Gray finally got to his feet behind him. Wheres Whitlan?
Chazz and Gray gave identical shrugs and said together, The Hamptons.
Crush looked at the three females, then said, The Hamptons? Really?
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
The black Range Rover door opened and Peg stepped out. Her team surrounded her. Shed chosen only the most loyal for this, but was still disappointed in the Crushek boys. They were still whining about what had been done to that idiot cat all because of some stupid hockey team.
Whatever. They were of no use to her at the moment anyway. That was the girl. The full-human girl the Group and KZS had been busy trying to protect turned out to be the key. Its what Crushek and the others hadnt know about the little thiefit had been Whitlans car shed been stealing that day shed rescued the cat. And what Peg had found out about Sophie DiMarco was how very good she was at her job. One of three thieving sisters, Sophie didnt just steal cars, she studied her mark. Learned everything about them. Who they were, where they lived, what their hobbies were. In the end, the girl had known more about Whitlan than any of themincluding where hed been hiding for the past couple of weeks.
Bring the girl, she said, and walked into the country club. Another group of her men mether inside. Well?
One of the sows held up a full-human man by the neck. His face was battered, his arms nearly pulled from the sockets, some of his scalp missing. But he was still alive.
Peg stepped closer. Wheres Whitlan? she asked.
Shaking, his body slowly dying, the man stuttered out, Base ... basement.
Good boy. Peg stroked his face with her gloved hand and turned away. Lets go.
She headed toward the stairs, but stopped, looked back at her people. And keep your eyes open. The boy might show up and try something stupid.
When she was confident that everyone understood, she walked on, heading to the basement.
Sophie heard the back door of the Range Rover open and she was yanked out. These ... whatever the hell they were ... they kept yanking her and dragging her everywhere. There wasnt a subtle one in the bunch. Not like that woman with the weird eyes. Shed been tall with wide shoulders, and you could smell the predator on her. These guys were really tall and wide, but they were like the mobsters she sometimes dealt with. Not big on brains and they thought their size alone gave them the only edge they needed.
Although her wrists were left bound in front of her, the blindfold covering her eyes was removed and she took a second to look around. Yeah, she said to the guy holding her. Really makes sense to make me wear that since I was the one who told you how to get here.
He tightened his grip on her bicep and Sophie had to grit her teeth together to stop herself from screaming.
I can hurt you now, he whispered to her. Or I can hurt you later. Your choice.
Thats not really much of one, she shot back. But nice try.
He started to walk. When Sophie dragged her feet, he swung his arm forward, yanking her around. Using the momentum, Sophie bent her knees and swung her tied fists up and into the guys groin. He squealed, a sound that startled her, and then dropped to the ground, hands between his legs. Sophie took off running toward the other side of the road.
She made it to the line of trees and ran inside. But with her arms bound and the darkness of the night, the moonlight not helping much with all those trees, she kept stumbling. She could already hear at least one, probably more, of those guys coming after her. Theyd be mad now, once they got her. But she couldnt have just waited for them to kill her. And they would kill her. She knew that.
A hand wrapped around her throat, choking off both screams and her ability to breathe. She was lifted off the ground, her feet dangling, and brought up to look the man in the eyes.
He stared at her, cold dark eyes studying her. She felt like a bug hed found in his kitchen. A spider he was curious about. Or an ant.
Crush shook his head at Dez. That cant be Sophie DiMarco.
It might be, Smith said and when they all stared at her, she added, I tracked her down in Atlantic City earlier today.
Cella skated around and then walked over until she was in front of Smith. You did what?
Why are you lookin at me like that for?
Because, Cella snarled, you goddamn hick! I promised the Callahans she wouldnt get hurt!
I didnt hurt her! I just wanted her to take me to where she found Callahan, and Im thinking thats where Whitlan is. And when we were done, I put her back on the train to Atlantic City.
Did you see her get on the train? Crush asked.
I did.
Did you see the train leave the station?
When Smith didnt answer, both Dez and Crush groaned.
Cella took off her helmet. Oh, my God, Smith, what did you do?
Im not likin your tone.
How would you like my fist?
Bring it, calico!
Stop it! Dez snapped. Both of you. We dont have time for this.
Shes right, Cella agreed. Baissiers going to kill her.
No, Crush corrected her. She wont do that until she has Whitlan in her hands. He looked at Chazz, while Gray finally got to his feet behind him. Wheres Whitlan?
Chazz and Gray gave identical shrugs and said together, The Hamptons.
Crush looked at the three females, then said, The Hamptons? Really?
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
The black Range Rover door opened and Peg stepped out. Her team surrounded her. Shed chosen only the most loyal for this, but was still disappointed in the Crushek boys. They were still whining about what had been done to that idiot cat all because of some stupid hockey team.
Whatever. They were of no use to her at the moment anyway. That was the girl. The full-human girl the Group and KZS had been busy trying to protect turned out to be the key. Its what Crushek and the others hadnt know about the little thiefit had been Whitlans car shed been stealing that day shed rescued the cat. And what Peg had found out about Sophie DiMarco was how very good she was at her job. One of three thieving sisters, Sophie didnt just steal cars, she studied her mark. Learned everything about them. Who they were, where they lived, what their hobbies were. In the end, the girl had known more about Whitlan than any of themincluding where hed been hiding for the past couple of weeks.
Bring the girl, she said, and walked into the country club. Another group of her men mether inside. Well?
One of the sows held up a full-human man by the neck. His face was battered, his arms nearly pulled from the sockets, some of his scalp missing. But he was still alive.
Peg stepped closer. Wheres Whitlan? she asked.
Shaking, his body slowly dying, the man stuttered out, Base ... basement.
Good boy. Peg stroked his face with her gloved hand and turned away. Lets go.
She headed toward the stairs, but stopped, looked back at her people. And keep your eyes open. The boy might show up and try something stupid.
When she was confident that everyone understood, she walked on, heading to the basement.
Sophie heard the back door of the Range Rover open and she was yanked out. These ... whatever the hell they were ... they kept yanking her and dragging her everywhere. There wasnt a subtle one in the bunch. Not like that woman with the weird eyes. Shed been tall with wide shoulders, and you could smell the predator on her. These guys were really tall and wide, but they were like the mobsters she sometimes dealt with. Not big on brains and they thought their size alone gave them the only edge they needed.
Although her wrists were left bound in front of her, the blindfold covering her eyes was removed and she took a second to look around. Yeah, she said to the guy holding her. Really makes sense to make me wear that since I was the one who told you how to get here.
He tightened his grip on her bicep and Sophie had to grit her teeth together to stop herself from screaming.
I can hurt you now, he whispered to her. Or I can hurt you later. Your choice.
Thats not really much of one, she shot back. But nice try.
He started to walk. When Sophie dragged her feet, he swung his arm forward, yanking her around. Using the momentum, Sophie bent her knees and swung her tied fists up and into the guys groin. He squealed, a sound that startled her, and then dropped to the ground, hands between his legs. Sophie took off running toward the other side of the road.
She made it to the line of trees and ran inside. But with her arms bound and the darkness of the night, the moonlight not helping much with all those trees, she kept stumbling. She could already hear at least one, probably more, of those guys coming after her. Theyd be mad now, once they got her. But she couldnt have just waited for them to kill her. And they would kill her. She knew that.
A hand wrapped around her throat, choking off both screams and her ability to breathe. She was lifted off the ground, her feet dangling, and brought up to look the man in the eyes.
He stared at her, cold dark eyes studying her. She felt like a bug hed found in his kitchen. A spider he was curious about. Or an ant.
