Page 19 of Never Enough

“We’re all going to stay on the line. I need you to do something for me, okay?”

By this time, the guys were all in the elevator. Midas and TB had their keys at the ready. When the door opened at the garage level, they flew out and divided up into two vehicles. Midas went behind the wheel of his Bronco, Steel in the passenger seat, with Nemo and Scheherazade in the back. TB was behind the wheel of his Humvee with Waters in the passenger seat and Demon in the back.

“Cherry, are you listening to me? Get that tight ass of yours out of there right now, you hear me?”

There was silence for a moment. The guys in Nemo’s vehicle exchanged looks all around.

What the fuck was that?

Nemo could only imagine the looks Demon was getting right now.

“I can’t leave her, Demon. She’s scared enough.”

Waters tried to deflect. “It’s not fair to ask you to stay, Cherry. If that thing has a remote on it, and it goes off, or if she shifts for some reason, you’re both going to get blown sky-high. Please do what we’re telling you to do.”

“I’m not leaving her, Waters.”

Demon came back over the line, a little less agitated, but not by much. “Clear that café as quickly and quietly as you can. Don’t cause panic if you can avoid it. Remind her not to shift her weight in any way. Keep her breathing evenly, all right? Try to get her to a five-second pattern. Breathe in for five, breathe out for five. No deep breaths that are going to change her weight distribution. Just nice and easy, okay?”

“I’ll try.”

“Better do fecking more than try. I swear to every Irish saint, I’m going to tie you to your desk when this is over.”

“Wow,” Midas mouthed.

Steel had a little smirk going at the corner of his mouth. “Fucking finally.”

When they arrivedat the café, Nemo put the sweater with Cherry’s scent on it in front of Scheherazade’s nose. While this was a true emergency, and he could see Cherry from where he stood, it couldn’t hurt to put the dog through a test run.

“Scheherazade,vind Cherry!”

Tail up, the dog put her nose to the ground and began to search. She went in circles a bit, then found a trail that led straight to the woman in question.

The outside courtyard of the café was clear except for one girl in a wrought iron chair at the far end of the garden fenced-in area. Her hands lay on top of the armrests, not gripping them, but Nemo could tell she wanted to. Nemo and Demon walked up the sidewalk toward the café while the others formed a mini-command center on the hood of Midas’ Bronco.

Nemo could actually feel Demon vibrating. “Cherry, get your ass around this fence right now and into one of the vehicles.”

Her eyes were blazing. “I am not leaving Haskell alone. I’ve already told you that. My decision is final.”

Nemo inhaled sharply. “Kitty cat?” He looked closer at the woman frozen in the chair.

What are the fucking odds?

The woman’s slight frame tensed, her fingers now gripping the arms of the chair. “Fancy meeting you here,” Haskell quipped nervously.

Nemo swallowed tightly, his mouth completely dry. He rubbed at the spot above his heart as if touching the numbers there would somehow ease the pain and tightness.

“Cherry-girl,” Nemo coaxed, “Demon’s about to bust a vein if you don’t move, and I’ve got Haskell. I’m here. She’s not alone anymore.”

“But…” Cherry darted a quick look at her.

“Cherry,” Haskell said, “It’s okay. Go.”

Nemo closed his eyes, inhaled long, exhaled slowly, and reopened his eyes.

Crossing to the other end of the table, he hopped the fence in a one-handed vault and motioned to Scheherazade to back off. “Vryheid!” With a yip, the dog backed off her target, looked at Haskell, sniffed, gave a soft chuff, and looked at Nemo.

“Goeie meisie,” he praised the dog. When he looked down at Haskell, his face was sporting his patented playboy smile, looking for all the world like there was no emergency at all.

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