Hello My Angel - Sue Brown Page 0,47

to say was abruptly cut off by the screech of an engine and a hail of bullets thudding into the car and building. Josh heard glass shattering then the car roared off, leaving them in silence once more.

Brenner raised his head, but Cal shoved it down.

“Keep your head down, idiot,” Josh hissed.

The sound of a car alarm filled his ears, but Josh wasn’t going anywhere until he knew the area was safe.

“I’ve thought about a threesome with you boys,” Brenner drawled suddenly, “but not on a pavement while being shot at.”

Josh gaped at him. “What the fuck, Brenner?”

“Wrong moment?” Brenner asked.

“Wrong lifetime,” Cal growled.

Josh put his head back down on the ground, feeling grit dig into his cheek. What had he done to deserve Brenner and Moles? He must have been really bad in his previous life.

Chapter 13

Before Cal could deck Brenner, Josh heard footsteps running toward them and then he was being hauled to his feet by a meaty hand. He swayed as he recovered his balance and Dave flung an arm around his shoulders.

“Stand still before you end up on the ground again,” Dave ordered.

Josh appreciated his solid body to lean against. Gil and Rick helped Cal and Brenner to stand. Ignoring the detective, Cal stepped into Josh’s space. Dave stepped back to give him room.

“Are you all right, Angel?” Cal wiped a thumb over Josh’s cheekbone and Josh flinched. “Does it hurt?”

“A little.”

Cal gave his cheek a careful examination. “It’s nothing serious. You must have scraped it when you hit the ground.”

“I’ll still look pretty for you even with road rash,” Josh teased.

“How sweet,” Brenner cooed. He rolled his eyes when Josh and Cal both glared at him. “Joke! Jesus, you’re both so sensitive.”

Ignoring Brenner, Cal slung his arm around Josh’s shoulders and studied the pockmarked front of the building. “I’m never going to be able to rent it out again.”

“I can’t wait to explain this to your management company. It’s a damn good thing you own the building, Cal.”

The office block had survived the latest attempt to destroy it but there were more shattered windows and a few bullet holes. It was a good thing Cal had deep pockets.

“How am I going to explain my car?” Brenner said.

The gray sedan was totaled One side of the car was completely riddled in bullet holes.

“You were lucky nothing hit the fuel tank otherwise you would have gone up in flames,” Dave said.

Gazing at the wreck of the car, Josh had a feeling he had just used up another of his nine lives.

“Let’s get into the office before they come back for a second attempt,” Rick said.

“Third attempt,” Gil corrected.

Rick furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

“Last night was the first. This one the second. They could try for number three.”

Rick grunted in agreement.

“For a country with no guns, there sure are a lot of guns,” Gil remarked as they stepped into the elevator.

Cal and Brenner scowled at him. Josh kept his mouth shut as he’d thought the same.

Instead he looked at Dave. “Why are you here?”

“Cal told us to be here.”

“Uh.”

The elevator doors opened and they got out. The first floor was a wreck and they took over Cal’s office for Brenner’s interviews.

Josh didn’t have time to worry about Brenner. He spent an hour handling glaziers and soothing the management company who were having kittens about the continued violence in their building. Josh was sure if Cal hadn’t been the owner of the building, they’d have been facing eviction.

What he did realize was Dirk Brenner had stepped up his game. When the local cops turned up, Brenner handled them with a professionalism Josh didn’t expect after his snide remarks about uniformed cops at Philip Barton’s murder scene. No cop liked to find another police officer tramping over his scene, but Brenner got them sent away with a promise of future cooperation.

Josh had just put the phone down on another call from the management company when there was a knock at the door.

“Yeah?” he called out.

Gil poked his head around the door. “You free now? It’s your turn for the interview and Cal’s ready to explode.”

“Is Brenner being a dick?”

“That would be our glorious leader. He’s been taking lessons from Dominic.”

Josh looked down at his to-do list. It could wait. “You should have sent him my way.”

“I’m here now,” Gil grumbled.

Cal was pacing around the office barking orders at Rick and Dave, most of which they ignored. Brenner on the other hand sat in a chair in the office,