Page 43 of In His Veins

Chase shifts in his seat, and I’m impressed he’s withheld any sort of interjection.

“I’ll sometimes mingle with the crowd after a performance,” Paige continues. “I’m usually tired, but after watching me on stage, some patrons are willing to pay a lot for a private room with me. I went into the crowd last night and I wasn’t even surprised when he approached me. I had almost expected him to, and to be honest, I was a little curious.” Her throat bobs and she presses her lips together. Chase slides his hand toward her, and she grips it like a lifeline.

“He asked if he could take me to a private room, but up close his eyes made him look deranged. They were too wide, and I knew he was going to hurt me if I went with him. You learn to recognize the dangerous look about a man in this line of work. I was still so curious, but I declined and started toward the dressing rooms. He didn’t follow me, but I felt his eyes on me the whole time. I looked back before ducking inside, and sure enough, he was still watching me. He wiggled his fingers in an odd wave, and I hurried inside. I had a few more performances scheduled that night, but I waited in the dressing room between each one.” Paige takes a deep breath and looks down at where her hand is entwined with Chase’s. She seems to hold it tighter as she continues.

“All the performers walk to our cars together and last night was no different. I had parked a little further away, but it wasn’t like I was alone. I got into the driver’s seat and locked the doors right away, just like always. A few of the girls were already pulling out of the parking lot, but I took a second to look through my notifications on my phone.”

She closes her eyes as she says the next part.

“I didn’t look in my backseat when I got in my car. I was distracted by my

phone and he took the opportunity to strike. He got his arms around my neck and chest, and I thrashed around trying to break free. I looked in the rearview mirror, and his scar seemed even deeper in the shadows of the streetlights. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a syringe flash in his right hand. I knew I was going to die if I couldn’t come up with a way out. His hand was still on my chest, and I bit down on his arm as hard as I could.”

“I didn’t know human teeth could cause so much damage,” she whispered. “My teeth sunk deep into his arm, and his blood filled my mouth. The taste made me gag, and he pulled his arm free. I took the opportunity to run. Thankfully my phone was in my lap and it fell out of the car with me. I grabbed it and started running away from my car. I screamed and waved my hands, hoping to get the attention of the other people still in the lot. One of the bouncers and a few of the other performers saw me and ran to help. I didn’t realize I had left my keys in the seat, and when I turned back around, the guy made off with my car. The bouncer helped me back inside and that’s when I called Chase.”

I glance down to where their hands are still joined. Noticing my look, she casually pulls her hand free. She starts twisting the hem of her shirt again.

“When did this happen?”

“Around 4 am. The club closes at 3 but I usually shower here before going home.” I nod and sneak a look at my friend. His expression is tortured, but when Paige turns her attention back to him, he looks neutral and politely concerned.

“Paige!” One of the bouncers calls from the stage. He gestures for her, and she excuses herself, sliding off of the stool. Once she’s out of earshot, I address Chase.

“So what time did you get here?” I mutter, already having an idea.

“She called me at 4:04. I was here by 4:15.” He looks tired, suddenly seeming a lot older than 35. I’m already in trouble with him, so I don’t say anything.

“Who does that sound like to you?” He asks, but I know he’s come to the same conclusion that I have.

“Kiel.” My jaw clenches. “Hard to forget giving someone a scar like that.”

“And the eyes,” Chase adds. “I still have nightmares of Afghanistan, and I’m not ashamed to admit his face comes up with some frequency.”

Kiel Armstrong is an American who came into his wealth by investing in opium. His fortune only grew when he set up in Afghanistan. Our task force was established to track down the primary producers of the drug. Kiel found one of our men during routine surveillance and mutilated him to send a message. It was relatively simple for Chase and me to track him down after that.

There are things I did in those few days afterward that still haunt me. I don’t regret them exactly, but it’s something that keeps me awake at night.

I see movement from the corner of my eye and, a moment later, Paige returns. She stands close to Chase, their bodies not quite touching.

“Well? Any thoughts, ideas, or schemes?” Her short black hair brushes her shoulder as she tilts her head. I glance at Chase, deferring to him. He sighs, deliberating how much he should say. She seems to sense this too and places a long, slender hand on his leg. He freezes, his eyes cutting to hers.

“Don’t you dare hold out on me. He would have killed me. Or worse. I deserve to know what’s going on.” Chase looks at me again. I know he wants to tell her the truth and appreciate his hesitation. The story is mostly mine to tell, but he won’t say anything until I give him the go ahead.

“We first heard of him 7 years ago when we were stationed in Afghanistan. We had just been moved into Special Operations with the goal of identifying key figures in the opium trade. We knew Kiel was somewhere in the center of it all, and it took us two entire years to track him down. When we got to him,” I clear my throat before continuing, “let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. He got away and kept his head down for a while. I can only imagine he’s in the area to reacquaint himself with Chase and me.” Paige doesn’t look convinced.

“How do I play into it?” I wish I could give her a straight answer, but her guess is as good as mine.

“If he’s behind some of the recent overdoses, then he might have targeted you for his personal gain. His vice is power. It’s hard to say what he had planned.”

I realized I might have been too blunt when I see Paige’s face is suddenly devoid of color.

“Cal,” Chase hisses. I wince and look back at Paige.

“No, it’s fine. I know I’m statistically more likely to be targeted like that considering what I do for work.” She offers me a wry smile. Her reaction makes me think I could actually be friends with this girl.

“You should be proud of yourself. Very few are strong or clever enough to get away from Kiel. You were quick on your feet, and it saved your life.” Her eyes suddenly well up with tears and she gives me a quick hug.

“Chase made you sound a lot meaner, you know.” Chase rolls his eyes, but he seems pleased as Paige steps backward against his chest. He’s still on the stool, and she occupies the space between his legs. He doesn’t touch her, instead bracing a hand on his own thigh.

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