Dirty Sweet Cowboy

“Harlow, what is this? Who is Mule ?”

I cross my arms over my stomach and choke back bile. “At the courthouse, everyone calls Alexander O’Connell ‘The Mule’ because he’s so damn stubborn. The Mule is my boss. The district attorney is on Durante Adelardi’s payroll .”

Chapter 51

“S o, what the hell do we do? Especially if you’re intent on not letting me kill him .”

I roll my eyes at Vince, who is sitting next to me on the 6 train as we make our way uptown. “Vince, the last thing we need are more bodies attached to this case. We have to get all of your evidence down to Allison, my friend at the US District Attorney’s office. At this point, we can’t trust anyone where I am. But Allison works for the public corruption department, so at the very least, she can help us figure out what to do with this information about Alexander .”

Vince grumbles as he sinks down into the seat. “I still say it would be easier to just take him out .”

The train is just about to pull into the station when out of the corner of my eye, I see two men watching us intently. I didn’t notice them before, because of the morning crowds on subway, but now, I can’t see anything else. They are wearing clothes specifically designed to blend in, and one of them has his hand resting on side, as if he’s concealing a …

Oh shit, he has a gun .

I lean over to Vince, trying to remain as calm as I can possibly manage, and I whisper in his ear .

“Vince…someone is watching us. From the other side of the car. And I think one of them has a gun .”

Vince follows my line of sight as nonchalantly as possible, then turns back to me with no expression. He doesn’t even look at me when he talks. He just keeps his gaze fixed forward .

“Stay in your seat until I say differently. Even when the doors open and people start filtering off the train, stay in your seat. When I tell you to go, you go. Don’t let go of my hand, don’t look at me, and don’t look back. Just go .”

He takes my hand in his, and gives it a tight, reassuring squeeze. I nod, trying to hold back a sob that is threatening to escape my throat. I became a lawyer to put the bad guys in jail, not to spend my mornings running from men with guns on the subway. Every minute we are out here is another minute I think I am more scared than I’ve ever been in my entire life. And then the next minute rolls around, and I am more terrified than ever before .

My eyes are fixed on the subway door as the train jolts to a stop. The doors open, and morning commuters begin to file out, while a few of the ruder people push their way on. We hear the alarm that the train is about to leave again, and I think I see the doors about to close, when Vince whisper-shouts, “Go!” and jumps from his seat, dragging me behind him as we bolt off the subway car .

My heart is beating a mile a minute as Vince pulls me with him through the station, pushing people out of our way and moving faster and faster, until I can barely breathe from running. We’re almost up the stairs that lead to the top floor of the train station when I feel another hand on my wrist, pulling me backwards, and away from Vince. I spin around, ready to swing and punch and kick, whatever I need to do to get those men away from us .

Instead, a uniformed transit cop is holding my arm, and he looks worried .

“Miss, are you okay? Do you need help? Do you want to be with his man right now ?”

I look from the cop back to Vince, who is looking over the top of the crowd. I see his eyes go wide, and he glances down at me, and mouths, “They’re coming.” I nod and turn back to the cop .

“Actually, officer, this gentlemen was just offering me assistance,” I say, panting. “Those two men, coming this way, in the black jackets, they were chasing me. And one of them has a gun .”

The cop nods resolutely, then announces a series of codes into the handset on his shoulder. The cop turns for a second to assess where the men are, and Vi

nce starts pulling me again. We get to the top of the stairs, and Vince looks up and down the station, before heading for the stairs that lead up to Chambers Street. I’m not sure I’m going to make it up another flight of stairs without my legs collapsing underneath me, but I know we just have to get up to the busy streets above us, and then we can get lost in the crowd .

We get to the top of the stairs, and Vince rounds the corner of the station wall first, when suddenly, I hear the crack of fist hitting bone, and Vince crumbles in a heap to the ground .

“Vince!” I scream as I go to kneel by his side, my hand still clutching his, but all at once, I am being pushed in the direction of a town car. Two hands shove me inside the open door, and I tumble into the back seat, my head hitting the far door so hard, I see stars. When I get upright and turn around, it takes a minute for my vision to clear. When it does, I am face-to-face with Alexander O’Connell. And he is smirking .

“You’re a clever girl, Harlow Bullock, I have to admit that. I never expected you would make the connection between me and Adelardi .”

I rub the spot on my head where it hit the door. There’s already a lump forming. “Yeah, well, I didn’t expect that my boss was a piece-of-shit mafia plant. So, I guess we both misjudged each other .”

Alexander laughs heartily. “I always liked you, Harlow. That’s why I’m so disappointed that you had to get in the way. I can’t very well have you running to your little friend at Justice with your proof, now can I ?”

“So, what are you going to do, Alexander? Kill me? My father is a senator. Do you really think that he’s just going let the disappearance of his only daughter go uninvestigated? And I hate to break it you, O’Connell, but you don’t strike me as the murdering type. You strike me as the ‘do anything for money and power’ type. But you’d never get your manicured hands dirty.” I know I’m pushing him, but I’m pissed, and I’m worried about Vince .

Alexander just keeps smiling that same serpentine smile at me .

“You’re right, Harlow. I’m not going to get my hands dirty. But you can bet that Durante Adelardi doesn’t mind getting a little messy, and he’s waiting for you at his office. What happens to you once I leave you with him? I’d say that’s on old Durante .”

I feel all of the color drain from my face. Oh my god, he’s going to let Durante Adelardi kill me. This is it. I’m about to die …