hurt a woman.” She locked eyes with his, not backing down. “I bet you ran with scissors when you were a kid. Didn’t your momma teach you about the danger of sharp objects?”
“I ain’t worried about that, but you should be.” The eye twitched again.
“Taking a knife to an unarmed woman, that’s the mark of a real coward.”
“But it does get your attention, don’t it?”
She stood her ground, her body taut and ready. Timing would be everything.
He clenched his jaw and made a move toward her. Jess clutched the grenade, primed to react, but a man and woman walked out of Dirty Monty’s. They were talking and laughing too loud, a reaction to the noise inside. The man hesitated and stared at the two men next to Jess. And everything came to a grating stop.
“What are you lookin’ at?” Muscle for Brains pocketed his blade and glared until the man backed off without a word.
The two latecomers to the party had assessed the situation and opted not to get involved. They headed around the corner with heads down and tails between their legs. In the ‘hood, once the action went down, she’d be on her own. Good Samaritans these days were as rare as a straightforward politician.
“Whoever Desiree was before, she isn’t now,” the smoker reached in his pocket for another cigarette and lit up. “She is no longer your concern. If you’re smart, you’ll walk away. Forget about finding her.”
Anytime the guy opened his mouth, she got a cold chill. He had defused the tension, but she had the feeling he liked to strike when least expected. A primitive-yet-restrained cruelty hardened his words. Unleashed, the guy would do serious damage.
The question was—would he let her walk or would he feel the need to demonstrate?
“I appreciate the advice. And I’ll certainly give your words of wisdom all the consideration they’re due.” Her friendly way of saying—hell, no, and mind your own damned business. “But I still need to find her.”
Admittedly, she could have played it smarter. Provoking the guy wasn’t the mark of a sane woman. The problem was that Jess wanted more from their exchange than these men were willing to give her voluntarily. Harper needed results—and answers. If she played the trump in her pocket, she had options—her way.
“Then you leave me no choice,” he said, his voice low.
For the first time, the smoker curved his lips into a nicotine-stained grin. All in all, she wished he hadn’t. She had enough trouble sleeping.
“That makes two of us.” Jess fixed her eyes on him, sending the man a clear message that he’d misread her. She saw that he’d gotten the message, but his hired muscle wasn’t a man of subtlety. Without waiting for an order, the big guy made his move.
And so did she.
The man lunged for her, his meaty hand reaching for her throat. With her left arm, she blocked his attack and grabbed his wrist. A quick yank and she wrenched his arm, thrusting it back. The move caught him off-balance. He compensated with a shift of his body, but as he leaned, she cocked her hip and swung a leg behind him. His momentum dumped him onto the sidewalk, slamming him hard to the concrete.
It happened fast, but time hadn’t been her friend. The smoker had reached into his jacket. In the shadows, his moves were a blur. It didn’t matter whether he’d pull a knife or a gun, either way she had no time to think—only react.
Her life would mean nothing to this man. She had seen it in his eyes.
Jess reached into her pocket and took out the stun grenade. She pulled the pin and lever, tossing it between them. She’d have only seconds. The disorienting effects of the blast would be over in a heartbeat. But unless she moved, she’d be swept up in the detonation.
A second later, a deafening blast thundered off walls. It echoed wave after wave down the block. And a blinding light stabbed the dark.
Her heart slugged the inside of her rib cage, her adrenaline on overload. She barely
“I ain’t worried about that, but you should be.” The eye twitched again.
“Taking a knife to an unarmed woman, that’s the mark of a real coward.”
“But it does get your attention, don’t it?”
She stood her ground, her body taut and ready. Timing would be everything.
He clenched his jaw and made a move toward her. Jess clutched the grenade, primed to react, but a man and woman walked out of Dirty Monty’s. They were talking and laughing too loud, a reaction to the noise inside. The man hesitated and stared at the two men next to Jess. And everything came to a grating stop.
“What are you lookin’ at?” Muscle for Brains pocketed his blade and glared until the man backed off without a word.
The two latecomers to the party had assessed the situation and opted not to get involved. They headed around the corner with heads down and tails between their legs. In the ‘hood, once the action went down, she’d be on her own. Good Samaritans these days were as rare as a straightforward politician.
“Whoever Desiree was before, she isn’t now,” the smoker reached in his pocket for another cigarette and lit up. “She is no longer your concern. If you’re smart, you’ll walk away. Forget about finding her.”
Anytime the guy opened his mouth, she got a cold chill. He had defused the tension, but she had the feeling he liked to strike when least expected. A primitive-yet-restrained cruelty hardened his words. Unleashed, the guy would do serious damage.
The question was—would he let her walk or would he feel the need to demonstrate?
“I appreciate the advice. And I’ll certainly give your words of wisdom all the consideration they’re due.” Her friendly way of saying—hell, no, and mind your own damned business. “But I still need to find her.”
Admittedly, she could have played it smarter. Provoking the guy wasn’t the mark of a sane woman. The problem was that Jess wanted more from their exchange than these men were willing to give her voluntarily. Harper needed results—and answers. If she played the trump in her pocket, she had options—her way.
“Then you leave me no choice,” he said, his voice low.
For the first time, the smoker curved his lips into a nicotine-stained grin. All in all, she wished he hadn’t. She had enough trouble sleeping.
“That makes two of us.” Jess fixed her eyes on him, sending the man a clear message that he’d misread her. She saw that he’d gotten the message, but his hired muscle wasn’t a man of subtlety. Without waiting for an order, the big guy made his move.
And so did she.
The man lunged for her, his meaty hand reaching for her throat. With her left arm, she blocked his attack and grabbed his wrist. A quick yank and she wrenched his arm, thrusting it back. The move caught him off-balance. He compensated with a shift of his body, but as he leaned, she cocked her hip and swung a leg behind him. His momentum dumped him onto the sidewalk, slamming him hard to the concrete.
It happened fast, but time hadn’t been her friend. The smoker had reached into his jacket. In the shadows, his moves were a blur. It didn’t matter whether he’d pull a knife or a gun, either way she had no time to think—only react.
Her life would mean nothing to this man. She had seen it in his eyes.
Jess reached into her pocket and took out the stun grenade. She pulled the pin and lever, tossing it between them. She’d have only seconds. The disorienting effects of the blast would be over in a heartbeat. But unless she moved, she’d be swept up in the detonation.
A second later, a deafening blast thundered off walls. It echoed wave after wave down the block. And a blinding light stabbed the dark.
Her heart slugged the inside of her rib cage, her adrenaline on overload. She barely
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