Maiden and the Lion (Lions of Manhattan 2)

“Go fuck yourself!” Cat shouted and went back to tailing Danielson, burning rubber. The Camry groaned and emitted shrieking tyre noises.

“Holy crap.” Bea clutched the seat and checked that her seat belt was properly attached.

“You okay there, sis?” Cat gave her a sidelong glance.

Sis. Bea grinned. I’m in the family. “I’m cool.”

“We’ll get this dickhead. He knows my car, for Christ’s sake. Why is he running away from us?”

“He knows?”

“Danielson was one of the few who tailed me everywhere. What gives?”

How curious.

Danielson sped into an abandoned industrial area. Crumbling warehouses. Car junkyard. Seedy place. He turned left and ploughed through a gateway. He stopped in front of a weather-battered, massive building. Cat slammed on the brakes behind him. She took off her seatbelt and waited for Danielson to exit. But the man didn’t make any attempt get out of the vehicle.

“Okay, what’s going on here?” Cat opened the car door.

Two men appeared out of nowhere, holding guns aimed at them.

“Oh, crap,” said Cat and Bea at the same time.

The man at Bea’s side motioned for her to get out from the car. She had no choice but to do what he wanted.

A third man showed up. He looked familiar. Young, under thirty. Slender with unruly dark hair curled in ringlets over his shoulders. He was dressed in black. Leather jacket, boots, and a cowboy hat. Bea couldn’t put her finger on it, but she was sure she had seen him somewhere before.

“I know you,” Cat said to the cowboy man. “You’re Gustav Angelo, the magician.”

That was it. Bea had seen him on TV. What was he doing h

ere with goons and guns? What the hell was going on?

Angelo tipped his cowboy hat, a sly grin spreading on his face. “Catherine Kovac. Beatrice Summer. What a lovely surprise.”

Cat narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “You’ve worked for my husband before. What’s the meaning of this? What did you do to Danielson?”

“He’s just doing a little errand for me.”

“Errand?” Cat’s face darkened. “You’re the blackmailer.”

“I’m just an opportunist, Mrs Larousse. Cuff them up,” Angelo ordered his men.

“How did you do it? Get Danielson to do your dirty deed?”

Angelo reached for something from his pocket. It was a little bell. He rang it. Danielson got out from the SUV. His expression was blank. The big man looked absolutely…off.

“You hypnotised him!” Cat accused.

“Never underestimate the power of suggestion.” Angelo barked, “Search them, cuff them and put them in the trunk.”

“Wait. What?” Cat protested. “What are you doing?”

“Don’t worry, Mrs Larousse. We have to move you to a safer location until your husband pays up.”

“You’re not going to get away with this. He’s going to kick your bony ass.”

Angelo laughed.