Scarlet Angel (19 page)

When she spoke again, her voice was flat and an
octave lower. “Get Mr. Zinchenko.”

“
I do not take orders from pretty
little angels. Mr. Lewis comes with us now.”

“
Neil Smithson.”

The thug’s face tweaked and hand dipped a little.
“What did you say?”

“
Tell Mr. Zinchenko that I’m a
friend of Neil Smithson’s. I’m sure he would not be pleased at me
being treated this way.”

He laughed.

Scarlett looked up at the man’s face contorted in
laughter.
Here we go.

“
Little angel, you should be
careful when throwing around other people’s names.” Euro stepped
closer.

“
Fine.” Scarlett closed the
distance to Euro. Her left hand flew up and hit the thug’s wrist,
wrenching the gun from his grasp. Scarlett’s other hand shot across
her body and knocked the gun from the other thug’s hand. She
continued in one fluid motion, sending a single powerful punch into
Euro’s armpit. Her knuckles felt the pop of the man’s shoulder
dislocating.

She spun around and swept the man’s legs out from
under him. He crashed to the ground and groaned. By the time the
other man could move, Scarlett was on one knee with Euro’s own gun
at his throat.

“
Now, you tell your friend here,
to go get Mr. Zinchenko.”

The man grunted. “He’s not here.”

“
Bullshit. Zinchenko always rides
along. In fact, I’m willing to bet he’s sitting in his car right
outside that door. He probably even has his personal bodyguard,
Yuri, with him.”

Scarlett saw the man’s face sag; he knew he was
beaten. She stood and backed up.

He mumbled a few words in Russian and the other man
ran out the door. The remaining thug slowly climbed to his feet,
avoiding putting any weight on his dislocated arm. When he stood,
his left side drooped and he cradled his arm.

A moment later, the bell jingled again. Through the
door strolled a man in an expensive grey suit with a red tie. His
hair was a lighter shade of the same color as his suit.

“
Vadim, what is this? You were
defeated by a little girl? And how did you put it Daniil?” His
accent was high Russian.

The second thug followed behind and nodded.

Scarlett lowered her gun and stepped forward. “Hello
Mr. Zinchenko.”

The silver-haired man turned to look at her. He
looked her up and down, then back at Vadim holding his arm. “This?
This is what sent you to the floor? Bah.” He waved the other man
away.

Vadim disappeared outside.

Zinchenko mumbled under his breath. “I need better
men, it seems.” He turned to Scarlett again and held his hand out.
“So, you are an associate of Mr. Smithson. What is your name?”

“
Scarlett Angel, and let’s just
say he was a mentor.” She shook his hand.

“
I was not aware he took
protégées, Ms. Angel.”

“
I was a special case.”

“
I see that.” Zinchenko looked
past Scarlett at the men behind her. “Ah, Dax. I have been looking
for you. It is time for you to pay your debt to me.”

Scarlett stepped to the side, putting herself
between Zinchenko and Dax. “How much did he take? A few thousand
credits? Ten? Twenty?”

The older man’s gaze locked onto hers. “One hundred
thousand.”

Scarlett choked. She closed her eyes, shook her head
and turned around. Her eyes opened and focused on Dax. “You sooo
better be worth every credit.”

Dax’s eyebrows arched and his mouth twisted.
“Huh?”

She turned back around. Zinchenko had quietly
stepped back to the door.

“
Fine, I’ll take care of it. Right
here and now.”

“
I’m afraid it’s not that simple.
You see, I have a reputation. I think many people know he take from
Zinchenko. They must know that people who steal from Zinchenko do
not live long.”

Scarlett’s eyes narrowed. “Dax belongs to me. He’s
off limits.”

“
To you?” Zinchenko laughed and
wagged a finger. “I think not. Even Mr. Smithson understands the
importance of reputation. No. Mr. Lewis belongs to me.”

Daniil opened the door. A cool breeze pushed through
the opening just before it was cut off by a massive form stepping
through the entryway.

Scarlett had never actually seen Yuri, Zinchenko’s
bodyguard. She’d only heard his description from Neil. Neil’s
description was woefully inadequate.

The giant of a man crouched through the door and
stepped inside. When he stood up straight, he was easily close to
eight feet tall. What bothered Scarlett more was his width. Each of
the man’s arms was as big around as her chest.

“
Yuri, I presume?”

Zinchenko smiled. “Da.”

Chapter 29
The Giant

You know that old adage... the bigger they are the
harder they fall? Yeah... sometimes it’s bullshit.

* * *

Neil had described Mr. Zinchenko’s bodyguard, Yuri,
as big and augmented with implant stims. Scarlett stared Yuri’s
bulging arms. Her mentor had not been clear on exactly which kinds
of implants Yuri had, only that he was a beast. A bear is a beast.
Yuri was a Russian Godzilla.
Neil should have used the term
“fucking huge.”

Mr. Zinchenko walked alongside his bodyguard until
they were just a few feet from Scarlett. “Mr. Lewis, please come
with me. I would hate for Yuri to make a mess of your friends.”

Scarlett raised her arm. “Dax, you might want to get
behind the table.”

Yuri growled.

“
Ms. Angel, you may be fast and
strong. You may even have been trained by Mr. Smithson. But Yuri
will crush your skull with one hand.”

“
We’ll see.”

Scarlett ducked down and to the side.
Knees are
good.
She brought her fist down hard into the side of Yuri’s
knee. Instead of dislocating his knee, her fist stopped dead. Her
hand crumpled under the impact.

“
Ow, sonofa...”

The back of Yuri’s hand slammed into her side,
tossing her across the room like a sack of oranges. She bounced off
the worktable.

When she climbed up onto her hands and knees, pain
ripped through her chest. She reached up and felt at where her side
hit the table and grimaced.
Damn, cracked a fucking rib.

Scarlett shook off the pain. She rose to her feet
just in time to dodge a jab from Yuri’s massive fist. More swings
followed. Each time she avoided a punch, his fist got closer.

Scarlett kicked off the giant’s chest with one foot
and cartwheeled backwards. She came to a stop between two metal
shelving units stacked high with electric motors, pipes, and other
junk.

She snatched up a metal pipe just as Yuri charged.
Scarlett blocked one of Yuri’s arms with the pipe and brought her
right fist up into his jaw. The giant stumbled back a step.

Scarlett’s left hand was numb from blocking Yuri’s
arm with the pipe. She dropped the weapon and rubbed her palm.

Yuri regained his balance and snarled. He leaned
forward and charged again, swinging.

Scarlett dodged the first swing. She ducked down
just as Yuri’s fist slammed into some of the stuff on the shelf to
her left. Sensing the wall just a few feet behind her, she rolled
onto a lower shelf. Parts and trash tumbled out into the next aisle
over. Scarlett fell to the floor and bounded back up. She jumped
into the air and climbed the shelving rack. Yuri reached out for
her, swiping each shelf clear of stuff as he went.

Scarlett reached the top and felt the shelf shake.
She gripped the top rack, wrapping her legs around the metal
structure. Below, Yuri had grabbed one of the shelves started
yanking it back and forth.

She smiled. Scarlett shifted her weight in time with
Yuri’s pushes and pulls. The shelf rocked back and forth gaining
momentum. With one final lunge, she brought the shelf and remaining
equipment down onto Yuri.

Scarlett watched the ground rush up toward her and
jumped. She slammed into the next shelf over. More equipment
spilled from the shelf as her new perch teetered on the edge of
tumbling over as well. Scarlett yanked back to counterbalance, but
pulled too hard.

The metal shelf creaked as it tipped.
Oh
shit.

She reached up and pulled herself to the next level.
Scarlett felt the shelving rack tip past the point of no return and
kicked off. She sailed through the air, clearing the pile of debris
on top of Yuri and slammed into the ground. Her momentum slid her
over the concrete floor and she collided with another shelf,
knocking the wind out of her.

Pain ripped through Scarlett’s side. She lifted
herself up by one arm to look around. Yuri was buried somewhere
beneath the two shelving units and the junk they once held.

Then the pile of rubble moved.

A low, angry growl came from beneath the collapsed
shelves and equipment.

Scarlett felt a trickle of fear poke at her
confidence and shoved it away. She gasped for air. “Fucker.”

On her feet, she climbed over the broken bits of
scrap. Scarlett stepped around behind Yuri. “Alright. Sleepytime,
asshole.”

Yuri’s head poked out from the mess. Scarlett
wrapped one arm around, under his chin. She locked it in place with
her other hand.

The giant’s head snapped up as she pulled, cutting
off the blood flow through one of his carotid arteries and his
jugular. Debris flew across the room as he reached up, slamming his
hand into her back. Thick fingers dug into her skin and
muscles.

Scarlett grunted with effort and pain. Threads
snapped and fabric tore as Yuri seized her shirt. He pulled for
just a moment before his hands and arms went slack.

The giant was unconscious.

Scarlett’s chest heaved. Her head sagged with
relief. She heard movement from near the entrance and her eyes shot
open.

She stood and spun to face Zinchenko, her plasma
pistol appearing in her hand. Zinchenko’s remaining thug reached
for his own gun but froze with his hand in his coat.

The crime-boss’s face was relaxed. “Are you going to
kill me now?”

Scarlett kept the weapon leveled at his head and
stepped around the table toward him. “Wasn’t planning on it.”

“
Then what do you
want?”

“
Dax.” With her free hand,
Scarlett pulled her eCash card from her pocket.

The older man’s eyes narrowed. “Very well.”

She put her gun back into her waistband. Scarlett
tapped the surface of the eCash card and it lit up. She typed in
the cash amount and held the device up for Zinchenko. The older man
reached for the card but she pulled it away at the last second.

“
Let me just make this crystal,
Mr. Zinchenko. Dax is mine, free and clear. And be sure to tell all
your crime-boss friends that he’s off limits as well.”

Zinchenko’s face was emotionless, but his eyes
burned with anger. “And how am I supposed to do that?”

“
At your next Friday night poker
game, when you meet for coffee, or at your fucking knitting circle.
I don’t give a shit. Just make sure the message is received. If any
one of them comes for him, I’ll come for you first.”

Zinchenko snatched the card from her hand. He
pressed his thumb to lock it to his own print.

Rubble shifted behind Scarlett. She turned to see
Yuri climb out from under the pile of equipment and broken
shelving.

The giant rose up and wobbled. He reached out to
steady himself and sent another shelf tumbling over.

Zinchenko whistled and pointed his thumb at the
door. Yuri and the other thugs headed for the door.

When his men had left, the crime boss turned and
spoke over his shoulder. “You really should be careful who you
threaten, Ms. Angel.”

“
Consider it more of a warning,
Mr. Zinchenko.”

The bell dinged as the door closed behind the older
man. Scarlett closed her eyes and sighed. Her shoulders sagged and
she let her head droop for a moment.

She walked back over to the table. Janson, Mickey,
and Dax stood on the far side. They stared at her with their mouths
hanging wide open.

Scarlett’s brow furrowed. “What?”

Chapter 30
Dax

It’s funny how readily we open up to the people from
our past when we need someone to talk to, even if the original
relationship was not particularly close.

* * *

Dax was the first to speak. “What the fuck was
that?”

Mickey and Janson slowly nodded their heads.
Something clanged as it fell from one of the shelves into the pile
of debris.

Scarlett grabbed a stool and sat at the worktable.
“Um, that was me saving your ass.” She reached over and grabbed a
piece of pepperoni pizza from a box she hadn’t noticed before. Her
other hand reflexively moved to her cracked ribs. She took a bite
of the room-temperature slice and continued. “Mm... God, it’s been
so long since I’ve had a slice. So, I guess it’s a good thing you
won that little competition, huh?”

Dax pulled up a stool and sat next to Scarlett.
“What the fuck was that? I’ll tell you what that was... That was
the hottest— sexiest— most insane thing I’ve ever seen!”

Scarlett smiled for a moment then furrowed her brow.
She held out her slice of pizza and pointed it at Dax. “I didn’t do
it for your amusement.”

“
I think I’m in love.” Mickey’s
voice was barely a whisper.

She turned and inclined her head at the debris.
“Sorry about the mess, Janson. Let me know what’s broken and I’ll
replace it.”

Janson’s lips moved but no words came.

Dax tilted his head to the side. “So, what the hell
is going on? Last I knew you were this timid, albeit hot, research
student named Jillian. Now you’re this kick-ass, even hotter,
ass-kickin’ ninja-woman.”