“Sixty?”
“Take it or leave it.” I pulled out a wad of cash. We’d all chipped in to cover the costs in hopeful anticipation of a bigger return at the end.
Dog took the money, but not before registering a complaint with customer service.
“You said she was a newb,” he said to Jack.
“She’s a smart and savvy newb.” Jack grinned. “Gotta say, it’s pretty damn hot.”
He told Dog he also needed a large, vacant mansion in an isolated area for an afternoon. Unlike most normal people, Dog didn’t ask why. He pulled out his phone, made a few calls, and within five minutes Jack had an address.
“Hold on a second,” I interjected. “How much?”
“$1,000,” Dog said. “It’s up for sale and the owners are out of the country. Half goes to the agent, who could lose her license if anyone finds out. Other half is a finder’s fee. And the final half is my danger pay.”
Dog wasn’t smiling anymore so I refrained from sharing that there were only two halves in a whole. In the end, it didn’t matter how he divided it up. The cost to us would be the same.
“We’ll take it.” I figured $1,000 was cheap for an afternoon at a mansion, considering how much I paid in rent for the privilege of living in a damp basement suite, and the fact we would be committing a crime.
“I already said we’d take it,” Jack mumbled. “You’re just saying what I said.”
“I said it after eliciting some useful information that you forgot, like how much it was going to cost.”
After I handed over the money, Dog scrawled a phone number on the flap of a cigarette package. “Here’s my card,” he said to me. “You need anything else; you call me. Ask for Wren.”
“So . . . Dog is your . . .” I trailed off, hoping he’d fill in the blanks.
“Middle name,” he said. “I didn’t vibe with ‘Wren’ when I got into this line of work, but that’s my mom’s number and she doesn’t like it when people call me Dog.”
“I’ll definitely call if I need anything else.” I could hardly wait to see Chloe and share every detail of this crazy night. Just imagining her reaction when I told her about Wren Dog made me smile.
There was an awkward moment when we got back into Jack’s vehicle. I leaned toward him, fully expecting him to show me just how hot he was for my retail negotiation skills, but he just turned the key and hit the gas, his only interest seemingly to be getting the hell out of Dodge. To be honest, I didn’t mind. I needed time to process our encounter. I’d hash it out later with Chloe over drinks in her kitchen as I always did.
“Dog doesn’t give his number to just anyone,” Jack said. “He liked you. Respected you.”
“He’s an interesting person.” I sucked in my lips and took the plunge even though I could sense his withdrawal. “Should we . . . ?”
“Rain check?” Jack asked, bursting my bubble of hope.
“You good for it?”
“I’ve never let a customer down.”
* * *
◆ ◆ ◆
?I made Jack stop at Buffalo Joe’s for Chloe’s favorite wings and cheddar chips on our way home. He pulled up outside her house and helped me sort through the box to take out the equipment Chloe would need.
“Thanks for connecting me with Dog.” I gave a farewell nod instead of a wave because my hands were full.
“Pleasure.”
Chloe pulled open the door before I had a chance to knock. Her face was flushed, and her eyes had a sparkle to them that I hadn’t seen before.
“Are you on something?” I moved to step forward and she blocked the door. My skin prickled in warning. I put down the box and my Buffalo Joe’s bag and reached into my purse for my pepper spray. “Is Kyle here?”
“No.” She swallowed hard, her gaze drifting down to the box and then up again. “He was here,” she said. “He was drunk. Angry. Someone garnished his wages and he thought it was me trying to get the child support payments. I didn’t want to call the police because it would just inflame the situation.”
“Did he hurt you? Why didn’t you call me? I would have come right over.” I was getting a weird vibe from Chloe, like she was holding something back. “Is he still here?” I whispered. “Is he threatening you? Should I call 911.”
“Babe . . .” She sighed. “He kept banging on the door, so I called Gage.”
“Gage?” My voice rose in pitch. “You called Gage and not me? He’s a stranger.”
She gave a half shrug. “The day I had to wear the sunglasses, he took me aside, and he made me promise that if Kyle ever showed up at the house, I’d call him. I told him it wasn’t his concern, but you know how he gets . . .”
“Actually, I don’t ‘know how he gets’ because I don’t know anything about him and neither do you.” My head was spinning again. My girl was in danger and hadn’t even sent me a text. We had a plan for when Kyle showed up—and his visits had become more frequent over the last few months—she called me; I called my brothers; we all showed up at the house and Kyle went away.
“He’s very protective,” she said. “And he’s gentle with animals. When we were at the Angelinis’ mansion, he was lying on the grass playing with the Rottweilers.”
“I don’t care if he’s gentle with tigers.” I shook my head. “Babe, he isn’t safe. He carries a gun.”
Her face brightened. I knew then it was already too late.
“He disabled the boat during our recon mission without harming anyone,” she said. “Wasn’t that amazing? He’s got a permit for a concealed carry. He says in his line of business, he always needs to be armed.”
“And that doesn’t worry you?” I was shaking, my lungs so tight, I could barely breathe. Chloe was my everything. It was my job to keep her safe. My job to be there when she was in danger. “What if his business follows him home? Or to your home, where your child sleeps. Where is Olivia anyway? What does she think of all this?”
“She’s with Gage on the couch. We’re watching a show about lions on Animal Planet.”
“He’s inside your apartment?” I couldn’t picture Gage in Chloe’s place with all the frilly cushions, soft furnishings, and feminine decor.
“You should have seen him, Simi! He came here so fast. Olivia and I watched from the window. He flew out of his truck, grabbed Kyle by the back of the neck, and threw him down the stairs. Kyle took a swing at him, and in two seconds he had Kyle on his stomach, face down in the grass. I don’t know what he said, but the second he let go, Kyle ran to his car and drove away. I invited Gage in for a drink after Kyle left. It was the least I could do.” She bent down and picked up the box. “He says he can help me test the equipment so you don’t have to stay. I know you have to work in the morning.”
Have to stay? Chloe was the other half of my heart, and Olivia was like my own daughter. Spending time with them was a joy; not an obligation.
“Take the food.” I handed her the bag, my heart in my throat making it difficult to swallow. “There’s more than enough for three. Let me know if there’s a problem with any of the equipment.”