Crazy Eights (Stacked Deck #8) - Emilia Finn Page 0,89

the steel handle to my left. “You suck at lying, Q. Jesus. For a street kid, you fucking suck at it.”

“Jamie!” I shake my arm and test my new restraints. “Dammit, Secretary!”

“You were gonna run. And though I’m not opposed to chasing you through dark streets just for the fun of it, I still think it would be in your best interest not to run into a strange area in the dark.”

“Jamie!”

“Grilled chicken, lots of salad. No jalapenos, right?”

“I hate you.” I turn away from his smiling face and fold my legs. “I can’t believe I ever liked you.”

“You more than liked me, Quinn. You fuckin’ loved me. Now, I’ll be back in a sec. Stay put.”

And with a whistle on his breath, he turns away and heads into the deserted shop to order our dinner.

Jamie

Not A One-Hit Wonder

I walk out of Geraldine’s Sandwich Bar barely more than fifteen minutes after walking in – with a hefty serving of Geraldine’s grilled fresh chicken – only to stop on a skid when I find Quinn standing in a little huddle of firemen with electrical tools and bad attitudes.

“Oh no!” Q puts on a loud, dramatic act and cuddles into one of the guys. “That’s him! He’s the one who kidnapped me. Please help me.”

Four dudes in half uniforms – the pants, but with regular muscle shirts that prove that, while this may be a small town, these dudes still work out – step into formation around their little damsel, and fold their arms. Quinn stands behind them, with her hand still cuffed to the bench armrest, but with the steel no longer attached to the chair.

“We’re gonna need you to put that bag on the ground, sir.” One of the dudes, the boss, I suppose, steps forward with a ticking jaw. “The police have been dispatched and are on their way, which means you’re gonna spend the night somewhere far away from this young lady.”

“Get him,” Quinn eggs the dude on. “Get him away from me. I’m so scared.”

“Sir?” The guy takes another step forward. “Bag down, hands up. Do you have any weapons on your person?”

“No.” I shake my head and glare at Quinn. “I’m gonna reach into my pocket for identification.” I study the guy’s eyes and reach across my body until I grab the wallet and flash the ID Sophia had delivered. “I’m Special Agent Andy Cruz. This young lady you’re so intent on keeping safe is a man-killer.”

I keep my smile on lock when Q’s mouth drops open in shock. “Her last victim was a nice, middle-aged man who was walking his Dalmatian only three mornings ago. She lured him off the jogging path, into the brush, and then she removed his testicles and baked them into a pie.”

Quinn’s rescuers abruptly leave her side and study her with pale faces.

“That’s not true!” she cries out. “This man kidnapped me!”

“I’m transporting her across the country to be sentenced in the state that poor man died in. They have capital punishment there, so that’s what the prosecutors are aiming for.” I step forward now, and take Quinn’s wrist in my hand. “I appreciate that you guys wanted to help this lady, but had you let her free, you’d be responsible for the dozens more men she would have taken out in her travels. And there’s no guarantee she would have let you all live. Especially you.” I zoom in on one guy with a tattoo of his dog on his forearm. “You don’t wanna know what she did to the Dalmatian.” I shake my head and lead Quinn back to the car. “That poor pup never stood a chance.”

I open the car door, toss the sandwiches inside, then I remove the bench armrest from Q’s cuff, and slam her restraints around the door handle. “Thanks boys, but you should probably call home and tell your mothers you love them. You flirted with death tonight.”

I push the car door closed as soon as Quinn is settled on the seat inside, and move around to my side. Sliding in, I merely turn to her and glare.

Instead of screaming at me or shouting about how much she hates me, Quinn bends forward and giggles like a schoolgirl. “Why’d you have to say I’m a dog-killer, huh? That was unnecessary.”

“So the man-killer thing is fine?” I push the keys into the ignition and turn the engine on, then, because the men stand outside in shock, I pull away from the curb and toss