Strip Tease (20 page)

“We need to go.” Janelle stood, grabbing her
purse. “Now.”

“But I already ordered breakfast, I’m
starving! I want to eat first,” Ginger whined.

“I’ll feed you something at my place. Come
on.” Janelle gestured with a wave of her hand.

“The waitress is gonna be pissed.” Ginger
still hadn’t budged from her spot in the booth.

Janelle rolled her eyes. “I’ll pay for your
stupid breakfast. Come on.”

Ginger’s gaze shifted to over Janelle’
shoulder and her eyes widened, her mouth popping open in shock.
Janelle turned to find Billy Diaz himself standing behind her so
close, he almost touched her. A lethal smile curved his lips and
his eyes narrowed almost into slits.

Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach.
God, how could she reach Nate now?

“Well, well, lookee what we have here? The
two most beautiful sisters on the planet, hanging out. Having a
little family reunion?” His gaze went to Ginger, his tone dropping
a notch. “Sweetheart, you don’t look so good. See what happens when
you run away? I told you, I’d always take care of you.”

“Hey, Billy.” Ginger’s voice was weak and
her eyes were hazy. No doubt from fear.

Billy sauntered past Janelle, his shoulder
brushing against hers and she faltered back, fear gripping her like
a vise. He slid into the booth next to Ginger and wrapped his arm
around her slim shoulders, hauling her to him. “Sit down,” he told
Janelle, his firm voice brooking no argument.

She did as he bid, trying to find Nate’s car
without Billy noticing.

“He has no idea I’m here. I spotted him
first. Lover boy is clueless.” Billy grinned, revealing big white
teeth.

Janelle shuddered, wishing she could call
Nate, flash him a signal, anything to let him know what was
happening.

“Why’d you leave me, sweetheart? I’ve been
searching for you all over the place.” Billy’s gaze was locked on
Ginger’s face as he squeezed her shoulders. She winced, looking
smaller than Janelle had ever seen her.

“Don’t hurt her,” Janelle warned. No way
would she let this asshole push her sister around.

“Shut the hell up. This is none of your
business.” His tone threatened and the look he shot her simmered
with anger.

“Fine, then I’ll leave.” Janelle went to
slide out of the booth but Billy reached across the table and
grabbed her wrist. She tried to yank away, but he squeezed so hard
it felt as if he could snap her bones in two.

“You think I’m stupid enough to let you go?
So you can run to your detective lover and he calls his entire
squad out to bust my ass? I don’t think so. Sit. Down.”

Janelle glared at him, trying her best to
withdraw from his grasp. But he wouldn’t let her go, only squeezed
harder until she cried out in pain.

The waitress glanced in their direction but
flicked her gaze away guiltily. Janelle didn’t doubt Billy paid the
poor woman off to be quiet.

“Stop it Billy! Let her go,” Ginger pleaded,
pressing a pale hand against his wide chest. The man was built like
a barrel.

He let Janelle go with a jerk of his
fingers, pain radiating down her arm. She leaned against the back
of the booth, clutching her hand to her chest.

“Don’t fuck with me.” He jabbed his thick
index finger in her direction, his face an ugly mask of rage. “One
wrong move and I’ll shoot that asshole cop of yours in the back
just like I did his partner.”

Her eyes widened in shock at his blatant
admission. “I—I can’t believe you said that.”

He laughed, the sound of it sending a chill
down her spine. “Yeah? I’ve got nothing to lose, what with the
fucking DEA on my ass. Try and prove I said it anyway. You got a
little recorder in your purse?” He smirked when he saw the slight
shake of her head. “I didn’t think so.”

Smug jerk. If only she did.

She clutched at her still throbbing wrist
with her other hand and glanced out the window yet again. No way
could Billy sneak them out without Nate seeing.

At least, she hoped so.

Nate’s uneasiness intensified the second
Janelle disappeared within the crappy little restaurant. The place
was a dump, the windows dirty, the signs old and weathered. Hardly
anyone was inside, which didn’t allow for being discreet. But he
did what he could, parking in the far corner of the lot.

He swore he saw where they sat but couldn’t
be sure. Dirty, bent blinds covered the windows, slanted open only
a fraction to allow a trickle of light in.

Damn, he wanted her out of there and safe
back at her apartment. Or even better, his condo. They’d spent so
much time together lately. He enjoyed nothing more than being with
Janelle. Sleeping, talking, watching TV or making love, it didn’t
matter. He just enjoyed being with her.

But instead he sat in a parking lot doing
surveillance and worried out of his mind. Over her.

This is what you wanted, what you’ve been
waiting for since A.J. was murdered. This is your chance to finally
get the information you need against Billy Diaz.

But it wasn’t his case anymore. It had all
been turned over to the federal authorities. The Drug Enforcement
Administration had been casing his nightclub for almost a year. At
least two agents had gone deep undercover, working directly for
Billy all that time, collecting enough evidence to put Diaz and his
cohorts away for a long time.

Nate’s mission was finished. Billy would do
time as he’d always wanted. If Nate worked it right, he’d be able
to get Ginger out of doing jail time in trade for her testimony. If
the agents gathered enough evidence though, they might not need
her...

He couldn’t think about that now. How much
it would devastate Janelle to see her sister thrown in prison.

The fear in his gut hadn’t subsided and
she’d been inside only five minutes. Grabbing his phone, he called
his sergeant and requested minimal backup at the restaurant
location immediately. He didn’t want a heavy brigade coming in.
Noticing a parking lot across the street thickly surrounded by
trees, he requested everyone to wait there.

His sergeant agreed, didn’t ask questions.
Then Nat called Greg and told him to get his ass down there
stat.

Now he waited.

Scanning the parking lot, his gaze wandered
to the street, catching a glimpse of a gold Mercedes parked close
by. He swore the car hadn’t been there moments before.

Senses on high alert, Nate climbed out of
his car, walking along the edge of the parking lot so he wouldn’t
be easily spotted. As he grew closer to the street, the hairs on
the back of his neck stood on end. Something told him Billy Diaz
drove this car.

Grabbing his phone, he called into dispatch
and listed the license plate number, asking the dispatcher to do a
search. He walked around the car, peering inside, but there was
nothing personal or telling lying about. The back windows were
tinted so darkly he couldn’t make out anything at all.

The license plate came back under someone
else’s name but that didn’t matter. He knew the vehicle had
something to do with Billy. His instincts were rarely wrong. Which
meant Billy was most likely inside the restaurant with Ginger and
Janelle. Just the thought of that monster close to Janelle made him
sick to his stomach.

“I want a change to my initial request, send
more backup. A SWAT team, whatever it takes. I believe we may have
a hostage situation at the following location,” he barked into the
phone, rattling off the address once more before he hung up.

His gun still rested in the back of his
jeans and he felt for it, gripping it discreetly. Slowly he
approached the restaurant, sidling along the fence that surrounded
the parking lot and headed toward his car. No one was outside and
he was thankful the place was in the middle of an industrial area
on a Sunday morning.

The restaurant sat high on its foundation,
the windows even higher than normal and he went to the north side
wall, his head barely reaching the bottom of the windowsill.
Standing on tiptoe, he peered inside and scanned the room
quickly.

He spotted her to his left in the very last
booth. Janelle sat across from Ginger and Billy, cradling her hand.
Her expression pinched, as if she were in pain.

Fury filled him. That asshole must’ve hurt
her, which meant he would pay.

Dearly.

Feeling completely useless, Nate dropped to
his feet. He couldn’t risk going inside. Running into the
restaurant with guns a blazin’ would only set Billy off, make him
do something rash.

So Nate would sit and wait. Sweat it out
until his back up came and they could seriously get it on.

Turning, he slumped against the wall of the
restaurant, smacking his fist against it. Frustration mounted and
he wished he could save Janelle himself.

But all he could do was wait.

* * * *

Janelle couldn’t help it. Her gaze kept
wandering to the window to check on Nate’s car. Only minutes had
ticked by, but it felt like hours. Did Nate realize what was going
on? Had he called for help? Would he come into the restaurant and
confront Billy?

She didn’t want him to do it alone.
Considering the crazed look in Billy’s eyes, the irrational way he
behaved, she was afraid he might do something stupid. Like shoot
Nate.

God, she hoped Nate wouldn’t risk it. She
wanted him safe. She wanted him alive.

Funny, how she was being ignored. Billy only
had eyes for Ginger and Janelle knew Nate was right. Ginger
was
Billy’s weakness, the only thing he seemed concerned
with. It was as if he didn’t see her hallowed face, her lackluster
gaze and messy hair. His golden eyes shone with overflowing
emotion. He continued to stroke the top of her head, his fingers
gentle, Ginger staring at him much the same way.

Were these two in love? Could the
cold-hearted criminal really care for her sister?

“Listen,” Janelle started, drawing the
lovebirds’ attention. They both watched her, Billy irritated by her
interruption. “It’s clear you two don’t want me here, so why don’t
I leave? I’ll sneak out the back. No one will see me and I won’t
bother you two again, I promise. Whenever Ginger is ready to
contact me, she can. But until then, I’ll leave her alone.”

The pleading light in Ginger’s eyes said it
all. Her sister didn’t want her to leave and again, Janelle was
consumed with guilt.

Billy laughed, the uproarious sound filling
the empty restaurant and catching the waitress’s attention yet
again. This time the woman continued to watch. “Yeah right, like
I’d let you walk out of here. Nice try.”

Janelle sighed, desperate to steady her
frayed nerves. “You only want Ginger. I’m a nuisance, so let me go.
Please.”

“I’ll let you go when I’m good and ready.
And there’s no way I’m sending you out to that cop.” Billy’s mouth
twisted on the last word. “I know exactly what he is to you. You
two have been fucking for weeks. Don’t look so shocked. I know all
your dirty little secrets.”

His words made her skin crawl, her blood
turned to ice. Had he really been spying on them?

“I’m sure you’re a hot little number in the
sack. I can see why he’d keep you around, though he’s only using
you. He wants Ginger so he can get to me. He doesn’t really want
you.” Billy squeezed Ginger’s shoulder. “The second he gets what he
wants, he’ll dump you.”

Anger filled Janelle, replacing the fear. He
only said that to upset her and it worked. He’d pushed all her
buttons.

And hit exactly upon her fears.

“You’re a lying sack of shit,” she declared
boldly.

Billy scowled, his eyes narrowed. They were
such an unusual color, the gold shade reminding Janelle of a tiger,
but Billy’s eyes were cold. Menacing. “Watch it, bitch. Say one
more word to piss me off and I won’t be held responsible for what I
do to you.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’re used to it, since you
haven’t been held responsible for anything you’ve ever done.”
Janelle swallowed, saw the ire flaring in his eyes. She should shut
up, but the man infuriated her.

He wasn’t worth the dirt on the bottom of
her shoe. And this
criminal
was in love with her sister. He
didn’t look like he ever wanted to let Ginger go, and that was
scary. Beyond scary.

“Janelle, be quiet,” Ginger said, her voice
low, her eyes full of sorrow. “Don’t make him angry. You won’t like
him when he’s angry.”

That sounded like a line straight out of a
movie. But she knew her sister was right. The guy meant business.
He was a murderer. He wouldn’t have any problem “taking care” of
her if she didn’t shut up.

“He has nothing to lose now, Ginger. Did he
tell you the DEA is after him? They’ve built a strong case.”
Janelle curled her lips when she noticed Billy’s pissed off glare.
“He’ll end up in prison for a long time when they catch him.”

“Yeah, well so will Ginger, they’ve got
almost as much on her as they do me,” he said, immediately looking
contrite when he heard Ginger’s horrified gasp. “It’s okay, baby.
As long as you stick with me, we’ll be all right.”

“Is it true?” Ginger stared at Janelle, her
eyes huge, wild. “The DEA? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Janelle pressed her lips together. “I can
help you with all of this. Trust me.”

“You can’t trust her. When has she ever been
there for you, huh? She doesn’t care about you, baby. Not like I
do,” Billy crooned low in Ginger’s ear.

“Don’t believe him,” Janelle whispered, her
voice a low hiss. “Please, Ginger.”

Ginger looked between the both of them, gave
a loud sniff. “I don’t know who to believe.”

Oh, God. Janelle glanced out the window.
Please, Nate, hurry. I need you.

“Hey, there’s a bunch of cops outside.” The
waitress stood up straight, peering out the front windows. “What
the hell is going on?”