Titanium (20 page)

"Are you kidding me?"

My face began to burn, but not with embarrassment. I'd
never been more furious. How many times had those pervs watched
me get naked? If I'd had Zander's gun, I'd have turned it on Al now
without a second thought.

Al.

I'd actually forgotten him until that moment. Loud bangs on
the basement door said he hadn't forgotten me. Snapping out of my
stupor, I dashed straight to the nearest door, yanked it open, and
charged into...

A wrecking yard?

I'd never seen so many cars in my life. Stacks and stacks of
them, most crushed to some degree, all nothing more than crazy
shadows in the dark. I sprinted toward the cover they offered and
wound my way through a zillion of the junkers, piled so they formed
the walls of a metal maze. Left. Right. Left. I didn't stop until I
reached a spot well away from the building in which I'd been held
captive. Gasping for breath, I bent over, my hands planted on my
knees. My heart hammered in my chest. My nose filled with the scent
of rain, oil, and gasoline.

Some strategic maneuvering gave me a glimpse of where I'd
been. Small and nondescript, the cinder block structure offered no
outward hint that it was a viable business, much less that it had a
basement. The boarded up windows gave me the impression that it
had closed years ago. I saw one utility pole with a mercury vapor
lamp that lit up the immediate area.

Rolling my body so that my back rested against a rusted
truck, I tried to calm down. That's when I noticed the heavy mist,
steadily soaking my hair and clothes. Random plops startled me even
though I knew they were only collected moisture, dripping on metal
carcasses.

Where on earth was I?

More important, what the heck should I do now?

I had to keep running. That I knew. But to where? North,
south, east, west? I wished I was a human compass. Not that it would
help to know directions. I'd never been so lost.

The crunch of tires on gravel scared me stupid. Climbing one
of the cars, I stayed as low as possible and scoped the area. I saw that
a tall chain link fence with looped razor wire apparently surrounded
the yard. As a chain link gate with wheels rolled open, a silver SUV
pulled up to the building. Five guys piled out of it, one of them huge.
Yeah, Panther. The sight of him sent a chill shimmying down my
spine. In seconds all those guys would know I'd escaped and come
looking for me. I had to do something and quick.

With my pulse racing, I waited until they entered the house
before I hauled butt again, this time working my way to that wide
open gateway. The wind stung my face. Oily patches made me slip.
The ground flew up to meet me. Somehow I caught myself, saving my
face, but scraping my hands and elbows. Lying prone, I couldn't
breathe, I couldn't think. Worst of all, I couldn't get up.

And then I heard it--the rattle of the fence somewhere to my
right, a sound that might result if someone were shaking it. Terrified,
I silently wiggled my body under an old bus. My ankle began to
throb, something else to worry about. Had I twisted it when I
fell?

Would they hear me? See me?

How could they not?

Yeah it was dark, but the light on the pole might be just
enough to give away my position.

Boots appeared in my line of sight, but the toes weren't
facing me. I held my breath and waited until they moved past, when I
counted to sixty and added ten more before I took a chance. When I
saw I was alone, I scooted out from under the bus and rose to a
crouch. Someone stepped from behind a car, directly in my
path.

I rose and swung my fist blindly, punching him right in the
face.

"Shit!"

That voice. I staggered back in my shock and almost fell.
Zander caught me. With a squeal of ecstasy, I climbed the boy,
wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck.
Somehow his lips found mine. Our kiss tasted of tears, blood, and
relief. So much relief. When it ended, Zander didn't let me go. He
whistled, a sound unlike any I'd ever heard. Three identical whistles
came back at us, each from a distance and a different direction.

I kept hugging him, my face buried in his neck, smothering
my words. "They told me you were dead."

"I'm so sorry. I'll never forgive myself for letting you down.
"

I made him look me in the eye. "Don't even go there."

"It's my job to protect you--"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! This whole thing? What just happened?
It's about my dad. My dad and a crazy
Titanimite
."

"I know that."

"Huh? How?"

With a shake of his head, Zander switched tracks. "Did those
assholes hurt you?"

"No."

"Why are you bleeding?"

"I'm not. You are, though." I swept my fingers over his sticky
upper lip and showed it to him. "If I did that to you, I'm so
sorry."

Zander's kissed me in answer, a kiss that abruptly ended
when he swung around and put me down. Startled, I didn't know
why until I heard the sounds of feet splashing through a puddle--
someone running toward us.

A tall guy in the familiar silver mask burst from between
two crushed cars a nanosecond later. Eyes blazing, Zander shoved
me away. He hurtled his own body forward, tackling the enemy.
They crashed onto the ground, Zander on top. He yanked off the
mask and punched him in the face once, twice. The guy threw his
arms up to defend himself. "Stop! You win! You win!"

Al.

Dude was not having a good night.

With a growl of disgust, Zander struggled to stand. But
someone else had found us. As the second Titanium lunged onto the
scene, I charged and pushed him sideways as hard as I could. He
stumbled and actually fell on one knee, landing at the feet of Zander,
who was standing tall again. I saw him rip his mask off and pull
something from his boot that glinted. I screamed as he twisted his
body and plunged a knife into Zander's left leg. It deflected off the
prosthesis and flew from his fingers.

The guy stared at his empty hand in disbelief and abruptly
howled with laughter, a sound so creepy I got chill bumps. "So we've
got ourselves a real live Titanium. Ironic, don't you think?"

I knew that gravelly voice.

So did Zander, who went for Ti's throat, choking off that
maniacal mirth. Hating to do it, I still jumped up to stop him, but
Dom Perez got there first, grabbing his arm. "We need him alive,
bro."

Zander shook off Dom, released Ti, and struggled to get up
again.

Ti laughed. "Need some help, Purple Heart?"

"Bastard!" I stomped him in the crotch. Groaning, Ti grabbed
his stuff and curled into a fetal position, not laughing anymore.

"The others?" asked Zander, wiping his nose with his sleeve.
I saw his grin.

"Got six including him." Dom glanced at me. "Are there
more?"

"I have no idea." For some reason I began to blubber like a
baby even though it was all finally over.

"I'm going to call Sergeant Brian." Dom put his hand on
Zander's shoulder. "Give your woman a big hug, Xman. She's earned
it."

As I started toward Riley, she stumbled a little. "Are you
hurt?" She sure hadn't stomped like she was.

"Ankle."

I scooped her up in my arms and turned to go just as Simms
and Wilson walked up. Both of them grinned at Riley, who'd slipped
her arms around my neck. It felt so damn good to have her back, and
since she was a featherweight, I didn't have any problem carrying
her even with my effed-up leg.

"What happened?" Simms asked, his gaze shifting from Riley
to me. "You're both bloody. And look at your hand."

We did. Already bruising. She might even have a break. Riley
pointed to my nose, which had begun to swell from the feel of it.
Wilson and Simms laughed their asses off as she awkwardly wiped
off our faces with the hem of her shirt.

"Brian's going to be pissed," said Simms once my glare shut
them up.

"No doubt," I told them, my voice now a little nasally thanks
to the puffy nose. "The prisoners are secured?"

Wilson nodded. "Roger that. And we're heading over now to
make sure they stay that way." With a grin and a wave, he and Simms
left us.

Mission accomplished. Just like old times again.

"Why will the Sergeant be pissed?" Riley asked. "You just
saved me."

As we headed to the trucks parked outside the fence via the
gap we'd cut in it, I explained that the good sergeant had told us to
let the cops do the work. I didn't say a word about her father being
there. Wasn't sure how, and they'd be face to face soon enough.

"Where are we?"

"About five miles out of town. Apparently Jeremy's
grandparents used to own this wrecking yard."

"Who?"

"Jeremy slash Jason slash Titan."

"How'd you know he calls himself Titan?"

Shit. "Your, um, dad told us."

"What!"

We covered the rest of the distance to my ride with me
explaining how her dad had shown up at the house. I didn't share
anything he'd told me about his illness. That was his story to tell. Nor
did I mention how easily he'd caught me in the Nelson when I lost
my cool. She didn't need to know every little detail.

When we got to the truck, I set Riley in the passenger seat.
Although I tried to disengage, she didn't let go of me. What could I do
but kiss her and kiss her and kiss her? That led to me feeling her up.
When I did, she made a sound that would've landed us in her big ol'
bed if we'd been at the house.

What the hell am I doing?

Exactly what I wanted to do, I realized. In fact a lifetime of
Riley's kisses and her beautiful body wouldn't be enough. I knew she
cared about me. She might even love me. But how could I make my
problems hers when she already had enough of her own? It just
wouldn't be right.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Not surprised that she could sense my hesitation, I eased out
of her arms. "You're wet, hurt, and exhausted. It's time to go
home."

"Is this about you thinking you failed me? Because that's
ridiculous."

"Riley, I --" Maybe it was my tone. Maybe it was because I
was already shaking my head and pulling away. Either or both, she
sort of closed up.

I'd never hated myself more.

After wiping his face on a towel he'd found in the back seat
of his truck, Zander drove us to the front gate, which stood wide
open. By the SUV, I saw six males sitting on the wet ground, one of
them easily recognizable because of his size. Yeah, Panther. That left
Mo, V, Fe, Al, and Ti, who now looked like the weakling he really was.
Wilson, Simms, Sparks, and Dom stood guard. Their demeanor pretty
much ensured there'd be no escape.

My wounded warriors.

"Stay put." Zander got out of the truck and started toward
the prisoners. I did the same. He shot me an exasperated glance, but I
didn't care. I wanted to look those creeps in the eye.

Limping over to them probably didn't enhance the survivor
persona I wanted to display, but I did it anyway, walking the length
of that row of losers. Five of them couldn't meet my gaze. As for
Panther, well, he pursed his lips and made a disgusting kissing
sound.

Zander started toward him, but I didn't need help to knee
him in the face. And since he hadn't expected it, Panther's head
snapped back.

Wilson whooped and punched the air with his bionic
fist.

Just then a squad car turned onto the drive. We all waited
while it pulled up to us. Sergeant Brian and another man got out of it.
At first I didn't recognize who the second guy was. He looked thinner
in person than on TV. But when our gazes met, I knew. Steve
McConnell in the flesh.

What did I do?

Run to my rock. Zander put an arm around me so I could
watch my father's approach from the safety of an embrace. A peek at
Zander's expression revealed a hint of smug smile.

"Riley, honey, are you okay?" Steve McConnell advanced
warily, which told me my negative reaction to his presence hadn't
been lost on him.

"I'm fine."

He stepped a little closer, his gaze burning right through me,
his expression cautious. "I'm so sorry this happened. Never in my
wildest dreams did I imagine such a stink when I was approached
about the movie."

I nodded.

He stood there for a second, clearly at a loss about what to
do next. His eyes begged me for the mercy his lips didn't put into
words. All at once, it wasn't about an obsessed fan. That was over.
Done. This was now about a single mistake and its lifelong ripple
effect. My father wanted to turn the tide. All I had to do was let him.
Could I forgive and forget?

Well how could I not?

I was, after all, the girl who believed in kindness,
forgiveness, and second chances for strangers on the street. Didn't
my very own dad deserve the same?

With my heart racing, I slipped from Zander's embrace and
closed the short distance between us and Steve. His face lit up. As his
arms enfolded me, a million suppressed memories cascaded into my
brain. My dad and I shopping for Mom's Christmas present. My dad
and I raking leaves in the yard. My dad and I sitting at his art table,
him sketching out his latest graphic novel, me coloring a Disney
princess with fat Crayons.

Yeah. All the good stuff I'd tucked away to keep from
hurting.

Was it safe to remember now? I wanted so badly to believe
it was.

Did our sad history vanish into the chilly autumn wind?

Not even close. But we were definitely taking steps leading
to a new future.

While we waited for backup to arrive and take the bad guys
to jail, Sergeant Brian told us a little about Jeremy North, who was
the wild child of a prominent lawyer in town. In small ways his life
did parallel that of Eric Deckard--wealth, parental disapproval,
occasional alienation. But there the similarities ended. Jeremy was
no antihero trying to rob the rich to give to the poor. He was an
immature, overindulged fanatic who wanted his way and would
resort to violence to get it. As for the others, they all attended the
same elite school except for Panther, who was a bouncer at a local
bar.