No Escape From War (Trouble for Hire #1) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,63
playing?”
Tears—real damn tears—filled Gary’s eyes. “He said…d-double if you broke up with her!”
“Dylan? This is still all about that jerk?”
“The p-pictures…”
“Are fake. Your photoshop skills suck.”
“They do not!”
“When Rose is kissing someone, that is sure as hell not what her expression is like. FYI, she also has a crescent-shaped birthmark on her right shoulder. The woman in your pic who was dropping her shirt was magically missing that mark.”
Gary’s lips shook. His whole body shook.
“I’m going to ask you some questions, Gary. You’re going to answer them honestly. Depending on how satisfied I am with your answers, I may or may not beat the ever-loving-hell out of you.” Ice cold. Each word bit from his mouth. His whole body was like ice, trapping the fire inside. The rage that had exploded because this asshat had tried to get him to turn on Rose. That he’d tried to pull them apart.
“L-let me go…” Gary whimpered.
“Hell, no. Question one. Did you ever see Billy tailing Rose?”
A rough shake of Gary’s head. His red hair stuck to his sweaty forehead.
“A yes or no answer, Gary. I want to be clear.”
“N-no.”
“Wonderful.” War drove his fist into Gary’s face. Blood spurted from his lips.
“Ow!” Another howl. “What the hell was that for?”
“It’s because you lied to me back at my place. I don’t like lies. You deal straight with me, and I won’t make you bleed again.”
Gary swiped the back of his palm over his bleeding mouth. “You’re…a f-freaking bastard, you know that? What…you get off on pain?”
“How about you worry a little less about what gets me off…and little more about how you’re going to get through the next five minutes with me?”
Gary’s breath heaved in and out as the blood dripped from his lips.
“Question two. Can you really alibi Dylan for the murder in Tampa?”
“Y…yes…” Gary squeezed his eyes shut and flinched, as if in preparation for a blow.
War’s brows rose.
Slowly, Gary opened his eyes. “You—you didn’t hit me.”
No shit. “Question three. What was the point of those fake photos?”
“For you to leave her.” Now he was speaking quickly. “Business has been slow, and I—he said double pay. He wanted me to find something to break you up. I told him about your past, but that didn’t work. This was the next option.”
“It was a screw-up of an option. I trust Rose. Fool me once, then I’m a fucking prick. Fool me twice…” His jaw locked. “And I will make you wish you’d never been born.”
“Oh, God.”
“You came at me with a gun, Gary.”
“Unloaded! I hate guns! Can’t st-stand them!”
“You lied about my girl.”
“Sorry?”
“I’m hunting a killer, and you are wasting my time. I don’t appreciate having my time wasted.”
A lick of fire appeared in Gary’s eyes. War knew the fool was going to attack even before Gary’s chin notched up and he snarled, “Yes, well, I don’t appreciate you punching me!” With that bold declaration, Gary swung at him.
The blow barely scraped War’s shoulder.
In return, War drove his fist into Gary’s stomach. All of the air heaved from the PI. “Good talk, Gary,” War snapped. “Real good talk.” The rage was getting too close to breaking through his control. War stepped back. He was done with Gary. He turned away. Moved around that big filing cabinet.
“You cocky sonofabitch!”
War glanced back. Gary was heaving the whole freaking filing cabinet at him. War’s fist flew out and slammed into the side before it could crash into him. “Bad move, Gary.” The rage cracked through the ice that had surrounded him. “Now you’ve pissed me off.”
***
She was standing on the porch waiting for him. Odin had been swinging in the hammock. Not talking much because…Odin. But keeping her company and keeping a close watch on the property.
War approached slowly and climbed the stairs that led up from the beach. She could see the tension that was cloaking him, and nerves had her arms curling around her own stomach.
“See? He’s still in one piece.” Odin’s unconcerned voice.
War opened the screen door. Stopped short when he saw her. A lot of emotions flashed on his face. Longing. Need. Pain. Anger.
“What happened?” Rose asked.
“Not secure out here.” The gruff words were aimed at Odin. “Didn’t you think you should keep her inside?”
“I consider the porch to be inside. It’s a screened-in porch. Besides, I had an eye on her.”
War’s jaw tightened as he focused on Rose. “Billy wasn’t tailing you. That was just a lie. Gary is still working for Dylan.”