Tell Me No Lies: The Black Orchid, Book 1 (35 page)

Chapter Thirty-Four

Zelie screamed and fell to the floor. She looked around the room in a panic. “My leg!”

I scanned the room and saw Luke climbing to his feet, wrists still bound tightly with rope and a gun positioned precariously between his palms. Half of his face was covered in blood from the cut on his scalp.

“You’re not killing my best friend, Zelie. You’re undermining everything I did to keep him safe.” With a grim look, he stood over her, gun in hand and shot her in the leg again. “Say you’re sorry.”

She screamed in pain and looked at me, her face white as milk. “I’m sorry! I was only doing my job.”

He looked at her coldly. “And what was your job?”

“The Falcon contacted me. He was concerned that it was taking too long to find Kael.” Tears streamed down her cheeks as blood poured from her lower calf in two neatly placed holes. “If Il Morte, well, you didn’t get him, I was backup. I was asked because of my special relationship with him.”

“Have you no loyalty?” He stepped closer to her and kicked her bleeding leg.

She howled in pain and crawled away from him.

He took a deep breath. “All this time, you’ve been playing me? You only pretended that you wanted to join Il Morte?”

She stared at the floor then nodded.

“So, you really don’t care about justice at all.” With eyes cold as ice chips, Luke smiled. “Okay.” He moved around the room. “Rain,” he called out. “You can come out now. You’re safe. No one is going to hurt you.”

There was no movement or sounds. Luke looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

I nodded. “Rain, it’s okay.”

She stood up several yards away and slowly walked to me as if she were in a dream, while Luke untied Asa.

Rubbing his wrist, Asa glared at Luke. “I’m still taking you in, you know.”

Minutes later, a white van with the words
Jones’ Dry Cleaning
stenciled on the side in gray pulled up to the front of the storage facility. Four men in head-to-toe black stepped out, the first one had a rifle slung over his shoulder.

He looked around. “Someone call for a pick-up?”

I looked at Rain who was perched on a table, off to the side. She wasn’t looking at me, wasn’t looking at anyone. She seemed to be focused on the wall. I was hesitant to talk shop in front of her, but then again, I had the feeling she was in a state of shock and not really present.

“Yes, I have two loads of laundry that need to be dry cleaned,” I said, repeating the phrase used by operatives when a mission had been completed. I pointed at Luke and then Zelie.

He immediately aimed the barrel of his gun at Luke, while the second man brought out a revolver and aimed it at Zelie.

The third man in black held an iPad and examined the group. “Whose name goes on the bill?”

I looked at Asa and nodded at him. “Give him your information.”

Surprised, he stared at me. I nodded and he stepped forward and signed his name on the tablet, like he was accepting a package from Fed Ex. He brought the tablet in front of Luke and Zelie, and had them each scan their eye into the screen.

The fourth man stepped forward with a large black case. He set it down, punched in a password on the digital screen and brought forth four sets of shackles.

Luke held out his arms as he was fitted with heavy irons, another set around his ankles. He grinned at me. “I’ll be out soon. I know so much top secret shit, they’ll be creaming for a trade. My knowledge for a get-out-of-jail pass.”

He cocked his head and gazed at me. “Bro, I did this for you. You know that.”

Rain laughed, her shoulders suddenly heaving in amusement. I ignored him, instead turning my gaze to Rain.

Her laugh turned into a sob and she shook her head. “It was all for you, he says.”

Luke looked over his shoulder at her as the men led him out, the angular lines of his face softened for a moment. “
Bella
, truly it was.”

She locked eyes with me, but I could only shrug. Luke was a complex person. I’m sure, in his own twisted way he thought he was helping me.

When Luke was gone, the men in black next applied restraints to Zelie’s wrists and ankles, and then provided first aid to her leg. They placed her on a stretcher and moved her to the van. Unlike Luke, she had no parting words, instead she glowered at me, shooting daggers my way with her eyes.

A minute later, they too were gone.

And then there were three.

Asa stared at me, his shoulders slumped. “It’s over? I finally got him?”

I glanced at Rain.

She stared back at me, a glazed expression on her face.

I looked at Asa and nodded. “Yeah, it’s over. You got the bad guy. Mark will be pleased.”

Rain made a soft sound, like a kitten begging for milk. I went to her, put my arms around her and breathed in the sweet honeyed scent of her hair. “Are you okay, Rain?”

She snuggled into the crook of my arm. “Is it over?

I hugged her tighter. “You’re safe. Safe in my arms.”

“I don’t know…this all feels like a bad dream.” She took a deep fortifying breath and looked around the storage space as if seeing it anew. Her eyes lit on Asa and she pulled away from me. “You.”

He exhaled loudly. “Rain, look—”

She yanked her hand from mine and stalked to him, slapping him across the face.

Eyes wide, he glanced at me before looking at her. “What was that for?”

“For lying to me.” She jabbed her finger onto his chest. “For pretending to be my friend. Pretending to care. Pretending to give advice…”

Asa’s face was grim and he suddenly looked like the rookie he was. “I’m sorry, Rain. I was just doing my job.”

“And the kilt? The stupid kilt? Knowing which coffee I drank?”

“Just me doing whatever it took to get close to you. You weren’t paying me any attention and I needed to be closer.” He ventured a wary look at me, but I kept my face impassive. “You were profiled, there was a meeting…it was determined a kilt might get your attention.” He shrugged. “Women are finding kilts sexy these days.”

“A meeting?” Her eyebrows shot up as she turned to look at me. “Did you know about this?”

“No.” I hadn’t been involved, but I knew intelligence agencies worked much like marketing agencies with research, analysis and strategic planning to obtain goals – whether that goal was to gain intel, take a mark out or befriend an unassuming civilian. It pissed me off to know Rain had been the focus of this type of effort and assigned to an operative. I clenched my fists at my sides.

“And it worked,” he said, his cocky smile making a reappearance. “After that, you started talking to me. I was able to—”

“Enough”, I spit out. I stepped forward and almost punched him in his face. That smirk reminding me that I disliked him, even if he did save my life. But Rain grabbed me by the arm and pulled me close to her.

She raised her chin and smiled at me. “I’ve got a grand opening to plan, remember?”

“Your café.” I nodded and reached for her hand. “I agree, it’s best to look forward but you might want to consider seeing a counselor first.” I gritted my teeth trying to sound casual. “You were abducted, assaulted and had your life threatened. The beignets can wait.”

Asa chose that moment to slide out of the room. Nostrils flaring, I nodded at him.
Smart move, son
. I returned my attention to the woman I loved.

Rain’s fingers tightened around my hand. “Sure, of course. Whatever you think is best…but I’ve put my life on hold long enough and for all the wrong reasons. I’m ready to start living…”

Her eyes lingered on my lips and I pulled her to me and kissed her as gently as I could. “And loving?”

“And loving,” she whispered back.

With her face pressed against my chest, my gaze roved around Luke’s “dungeon”, coming to rest on the piece of equipment Rain had been bound too. I imagined her standing in the middle of the rack, arms tied above her head, and I’m ashamed to say I was aroused.

Something Luke said came to me then, and I looked down at her bowed head. “Baby, were you at The Crow tonight?”

She nodded against my chest and I pulled back to look into her eyes. “Why?”

Her face flushed bright pink and she averted her eyes. “I was trying to forget you, forget myself – it was stupid, obviously.” She waved her hand around the room. “Gian-Carlo, Luke or whatever his name is, found me as I was making my way out…”

“And brought you here.”

She nodded.

“He’s not as nice as I am, as I can be,” I amended. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to protect you.”

“You’re here now and that’s all that matters.” I gave the room a final sweep as I wrapped my arm around her and led her to the entrance. “Promise me, you’ll never go to a place like that.”

Eyes wide, she turned to me. “Of course. I would never. I will never—”

“You didn’t let me finish, babe. Don’t ever go to a place like that…without me.”

Eyebrows lifted, she stopped and stared at me. “We’ll go together, and we’ll have some naughty…dirty…kinky fun.”

Just when I thought her cheeks couldn’t blush any further, they did. She hid her face in the crook of my arm, my sore arm, and yeah, it hurt like hell. But I didn’t care. Despite what I did for a living, I was the good guy. And the good guy always got the girl in the end.

* * * * *

I glanced around the room. Roughhewn brick walls, unfinished beams and dull distressed iron piping snaked across the ceiling, while the floor was blue-and-gray Spanish tile. Large antique-silver frames showcased sepia-tinted photographs of New Orleans, the famous architecture, well-turned out women and street scenes at the turn of the century.

Bluish-gray soapstone counters ran around the perimeter of the café, with plush teal accent chairs and mosaic-top end tables were placed along side small distressed oak and wrought iron tables and quirky chairs in various shades of purple. A Jelly Roll Morton tune jangled softly in the background.

It was perfect, just like her.

The front dining area was packed with customers, and so was the area that slid along the display case, the elegantly scripted menus displayed in the wall and register and wrapped around in a “c”-figure.

I hovered behind a large woman in front of me, trying to stay out of Rain’s view. She wasn’t expecting me until tomorrow and I hoped to surprise her. She finished with the customer in front of me, and I moved up to stand directly in front of her. “So, this is the place.”

She bit her bottom lip to keep from squealing, but a soft sound of pleasure still escaped her lips. “You’re back!” Rain leaned over the shiny oak counter and grinned at me. “This is it. Grandma
Lola’s Beignets & Coffee
. What do you think?”

“I love it.” And I loved the way she looked in the café. Happy, content, at home.
My woman was
c
reative, independent, ambitious, entrepreneurial, sexy.
How’d a guy like me get so lucky?

One of her cooks handed her a dish of pastries fresh from the fryer. She gently pushed it toward me.

“Try one.”

I gazed at the plate of three beignets sprinkled with powdered sugar and garnished with ruby red raspberries. “Your grandmother would be proud.” I bit into a golden-colored square of fried dough and sighed as the tastes of butter, sugar and fried goodness did a slow waltz around my taste buds. “Really, really good.” I couldn’t help myself and discreetly licked the powdered sugar from my fingertips.

“Glad you like them.” She scanned the dining area and shook her head. “I don’t know what’s going on, but my grand opening has been amazing. Look at all of these people.” She laughed. “Where are they coming from?”

I gestured outside. “Probably has something to do with the radio station broadcasting live . I thought that was part of your marketing and promotion plan.”

“Radio station?” She motioned to an employee. “Suzette, would you cover the register for a few?” Wiping her hands on her apron, she came from behind the counter and went to the front door.

I trailed behind her, enjoying the shortness of her frilly white skirt and how it flounced around her thighs. Wondered if she could wear it later when I spanked her.

She turned around and caught my eyes on her bottom and mock-scowled at me before her lips lifted into a smile. “Come on!”

I pushed open the door to my café and stopped. Jax and his radio station’s van covered in bright photographs of the latest pop stars were parked on the street about two hundred feet away. He and a few other black t-shirt-clad staff manned a booth and table located on the sidewalk.

There was a crowd of people around him, many making a beeline for my door. I swung the door open and held it as a group came inside, holding radio station goodie bags.

Kael placed his hand on the small of my back and gently guided me onto the sidewalk. “You didn’t know about this?” He listened for a moment as Jax spoke in between songs, telling his viewers to come down to my shop and try our beignets and coffee.

We moved closer to the crowd receiving free radio station key chains and coffee mugs. “You know this guy?” Kael jerked his head toward the DJ, the same guy who’d broken Charlotte’s heart with his wedding day stall tactics.

Nodding, I explained who he was and tried to get closer to the van. Kael pushed forward, holding my hand as we made our way to the front. Jax saw me first, a wide grin splitting his face.

“What’s up, Rain?” He removed headphones from his ears. “Loving the turn out?”

“Yeah, it’s great. And I really appreciate it, but how—”

The door to the van opened and Charlotte stepped out wearing jeans and a radio station t-shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. The big grin on her face froze in place when she saw me. She glanced nervously at Jax before coming to stand beside him.

Kael’s hand tightened around mine as I looked from her to Kael and back to her. A tightness gathered around my chest. “What are you doing here?”

She shrugged. “Helping Jax out.” She wiggled her hand at me and a large diamond ring dazzled us in a bright stream of sunlight. “We got married in Vegas last weekend.” She avoided Kael’s stern gaze. “Jax surprised me. First with a romantic getaway,” she glanced at Jax who had the grace to blush, “and then a proposal.”