Sweet Collateral

When I step into the police station, the few officers there fall into silence. The cool caress of the air conditioner makes my mood marginally better. Marginally.

The officer on the desk leaps to his feet. “Mr. D’Cruze,” he splutters. Everyone in this station knows me because they all work for me.

“Get me the Russian girl,” I growl.

A few minutes later and the same officer walks into the room, shoving Anna in front of him like a sacrificial offering. The second her eyes meet mine, they go wide, and she stops, trying to back up. The cop collides into her back, uncuffing her before pushing her again. Carlos grabs her arm as if she may bolt at any moment.

“Who interviewed her?” I ask the officer.

“Me,” he says shakily. “I did.”

I eye him up and down. Middle-aged, standard washed-up cop. “What did she tell you?”

“That she was sold from Russia and had been a slave, but that she escaped.” I eye Anna through narrowed eyes.

“Did she give you any names?”

“None.” Interesting.

“Good. You’ll wipe her name and arrest from the records.” He doesn’t respond. “Won’t you?”

“Yes. Absolutely,” he blurts quickly.

“Good.” I give him a look that makes it clear he doesn’t want to cross me. The guy is practically trembling. All that fear mongering works in my favor at times.

I hear the door click open behind me and feel the wash of blazing air over the back of my neck before it closes again. The police officer glances over my shoulder, his face washing white and his eyes widening as he takes a slow step backward.

Turning around, I come face to face with none other than Dominges. His salt and pepper hair is perfectly combed back, his three-piece suit in place. Two of his men linger behind him, guns in hand.

“Ah, Rafael. How are you?” he asks, but his eyes are locked on Anna like she’s the Golden Goose.

“Dominges. I just came to pick up some lost property.”

“Ah, but she’s not your property is she? Imagine my shock when I received a call to say one of my whores had turned up here.” He gestures around the station. “In the middle of nowhere.” Damn it, he’s got someone in here. “Those tattoos are so very handy.” He lifts a brow, taking a cigarette packet from his pocket and sliding one free.

The tension hangs in the air, thick and cloying. He came here for her, and I’m all too aware how much he wants her—enough to risk my wrath without blinking.

I glance at Anna where she stands with Carlos, halfway between Dominges and me. She wriggles in Carlos’s grasp, and he loosens his grip, his attention focused on the threat in the room. Dominges also watches her, a twisted little smile on his lips.

“You don’t own her, and she’s not for sale, so what are you going to do? Steal her?”

He tilts his head to the side. “Do you know what she is yet, Rafael?” I clench my jaw and say nothing. His face cracks into a wide grin. “Oh, I never would have sold her had I known. She’s worth so much more than ten million.” His gaze slides to her, and there’s that longing look again. “She’s priceless.”

Anna break loose, darting away from Carlos. I’m ready to make a grab for her, but she throws herself at me, so hard that I grunt.

Taking her wrists, I shift her behind me.

“How sweet,” Dominges says with a smirk, snapping his fingers. His men raise their guns, one pointing at me, the other at Carlos who pulls his own on Dominges.

I cock a brow. “Mexican standoff? A little cliché don’t you think?” Anna presses tighter against my back until there’s not an inch of space between us. I can feel her trembling breaths through the material of my jacket. Apparently, the thought of going back to Dominges scares her far more than I do.

I lift my hand and hear the shuffling of feet behind me. A quick glance shows five cops, all armed and ready to kill on my order. Dominges may have a rat or two in here, but I pay their wages. I own them. Dominges expression changes from smug to furious in mere seconds.

“What did you think was going to happen here?” I smile. “I’m going to walk out of here with the girl, and you’re going to behave. I’m not in the mood for a shootout today.”

Carlos steps forward and presses his gun against Dominges’ temple.

“I will get her, Rafael. It’s only a matter of time,” he says through gritted teeth. His men look confused, unsure of what to do in this situation. Reaching behind me, I tightly grab one of Anna’s wrists and pull her to my side as I walk past Carlos and Dominges.

The hot desert air outside actually feels like a relief after the tension in the police station. I allow the warm breeze to wash over my face, the tiny little grains of sand caressing my clammy skin. That was close. Too close.