Page 7 of Dangerous Refuge

“Means any harm? Are you an idiot?” I rake a hand through my hair, wondering what Red is thinking. “The guy deliberately tries to pick the lock on the front door of the store. He means harm. I want him taken out. Got that?” I feel my chest tightening at Red’s reluctance. He knows something he’s not telling me, but I don’t dare question him on it, not if he’s working on something for Dominic.

“Yeah, of course. I’ll handle it.”

“Good, now, tell me what you have on Allie.” Knowing her name is a step in the right direction, and based on what I heard of her conversation with that slimeball, I gather they have a thick history. She was gracious enough to share some of the details, but I have a thirst for vengeance now. No man should ever put a hand on a woman to harm her—a little wise correction now and then goes a long way, but not abuse. Not to my property—even if it was in the past.

“Uh, yeah…” I hear more shuffling, papers rustling and the sound of Red slurping some liquid through a straw. I must have interrupted his dinner. “I got a lot. This guy Paul is a real piece of shit, Sven. The woman was in the emergency room thirty-two times in one year. She put a restraining order out on him about three years ago, but she has moved at least nine times that I can see and had about that many jobs too, all in the past five years. She’s on the run from him, and I don’t blame her.”

While I already know most of what he tells me, the bit about her stints in the ER is news. “Tell me more about the trips to the hospital. What has he done to her?”

“It’s not documented that she reported him for the abuse, but no single woman is that clumsy. And what’s more, she went to different hospitals and emergency medical clinics. It’s just how those things go, you know? The woman is afraid but needs medical attention, so she never goes to the same place twice. She won’t draw suspicion from doctors, and the abuser keeps abusing.”

“Red, the details. What did he do to her?” I’m growing impatient, chewing the inside of my cheek when I’d rather be blowing the guys brains onto the side of a building.

“Well, she’s had broken arms and a broken cheekbone. At one point she was burned pretty badly, third degree on her back. She’s put her back out a few times, which given her age is a little suspect. She’s too young for that, so I think it’s more abuse.” I hear clicking in the background now, and listen intently as Red reveals the only piece of information I need. “The most interesting thing I dug up was that the man has a rep. He did three years for assault with a deadly weapon when he was in his twenties and after his release it was only six months before the hospital visits started.”

“Assault?” I lean forward, feeling the butt of my gun press into my side as I plant my elbows on the desk in front of me.

“Yeah. He almost killed a man with a baseball bat, all over a dispute about a mailbox.”

This guy has to be stopped. If he is this out of control, he could really hurt Allie, kill her even. “Thanks for the information, Red. Keep digging. I need to know where he’s living now.” If I can’t stop him from stalking her, making him understand that she’s under new management now, then he’s going to be put down. He doesn’t deserve another breath as far as I’m concerned.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why do you want so much information on this guy? Usually you just shoot first and ask questions later.”

Red is right. I’m impulsive, lacking self-control at times. I know it’s a fault of mine. Dominic will never let me forget it. It’s a vulnerability that makes him a much better leader than me. “Because I’m trying to do things the right way this time. Just get the fucking intel and stop asking me questions.”

I hang up the phone before Red can pry further. I know every bit of our conversation will be relayed up the chain to my older brother and he will have things to say about it. I don’t care. I saw something I want in Allie, and I’m not letting anything come between me and having what I want. I rise, smoothing my hands down my suit coat, and I feel my pistol strapped to my hip. I need to know where Paul lives if I’m going to intimidate him enough to make him leave Allie alone, or take him out, whichever seems appropriate at the time. Red is the one who is going to get me that information.

I flip off the monitor and the recording, then the lights. The old bookstore grows dim, and I make my way toward the front door in darkness. Harmless prowler or not, the man on the recording will get his just desserts and I will be rid of one more thing that distracts me from what I really want to be doing right now. I already put Tucker on Allie for the evening so I could handle this irritation. Matty was right to inform me but that doesn’t mean I enjoy being distracted.

I lock up, heading to my car and decide to call Tucker to see how things are going. Allie should have been off work a while ago, and I know she walks nearly thirty blocks home to save the subway fare. I know because I’ve been following her, or had someone tailing her, for more than a week now. I pull my phone from my pocket and dial Tucker’s number.

“Yeah, Sven. I got your girl. She’s walking home from work.” Tucker is moving. I can hear cars moving past him.

“Good. Any sign of the man tonight?” It’s been a few days since Paul showed his face. I’m hoping maybe he got my message and he will leave her alone now, but my gut tells me he is going to strike when she least expects it. I want to be there if that happens, but when people pull me away it leaves her vulnerable. Tucker can handle himself, but I want the blood on my hands so I can taste victory.

I slip behind the wheel of my car and start my engine. I’m going to head that way and relieve Tucker of his post. I want to watch her tonight, even if I get no sleep.

“Yeah, we may have a situation brewing. I’m tailing her, but I’ve kept my distance. She’s more than a block ahead of me with no fear at all. She hasn’t looked over her shoulder once.” A horn honks in the background and drowns out the next thing Tucker says.

“Say that again?”

“I said, there is a man between me and her. So far he’s been distant from her. He could just be heading the same way, but I have a feeling it may be our guy. I’ve got my eye on her and my hand on my gun.” Rex will shoot him dead in a split second, which isn’t what I want. If this guy is going down, I want him to suffer the way she suffered at his hand.

“Don’t do anything. I’m on my way. Just keep an eye on them and I’ll meet you at her place. If he attempts to hurt her, move in, but not unless you think she’s in real danger.” I hang up and put my car in gear, flooring it. Allie’s place is a four-minute drive in light traffic, and it’s about as light as traffic is ever going to get in the city that never sleeps. I weave between two cars, punching the gas. That bastard better not lay a hand on her or I will slit his throat.

At a red light, I slow and look both directions, then blow through it. The red-light camera flashes and I know the license plate will have to be swapped out in order to make sure no one can prove my car was the one at this intersection. If I have to take drastic measures tonight, there needs to be no evidence anywhere.

By the time I am at her building, I can see her approaching at the end of the block. I shut my car off and slip out, hand on my gun. I stand in the shadows just around the corner waiting where the next building’s entrance is recessed in darkness. From where I’m at, I know she will never see me watching, and neither will he. I really hope for his sake that it’s not him, because I’m ready to do some damage. After what Red told me minutes ago, my blood is still boiling. I want him to pay.

I peek around the corner. She is stunning as usual, even with her hair messy and hanging loose around her face. She’s let her bun out, probably exhausted from her shift. I watch her take her key from her pocket and reach for the door handle to unlock the building and let herself in. Then I see the man behind her. It’s definitely her ex, and he doesn’t look happy. I draw my gun, bracing myself for a fight as Tucker rounds the corner at the end of the block. In the light streaming from the window in the door, I see Allie’s face flash with fear. She whips around and presses her back against the door.

“Paul! No,” she whimpers just as he clamps his hand down on her mouth. She squirms and I steel myself. I can’t discharge my gun here, but God do I want to. Especially when he drags her down the steps, pinning her against his body, and moves my direction. It’s just the break I need.

The second he pulls her past me into the darkness created by the recessed building I act. The butt of my gun slams into his head like a cobra strike, and he relinquishes his grip on her.

“The fuck!” he screeches and drops to one knee. Before he can get up, I swing my knee upward, connecting with his jaw and I hear a sickening crack. For a second, I think I’ve snapped his neck, but he falls to the side, and rolls over, holding his head.

“Allie, stay behind me,” I tell her, hooking my arm around her waist. She obeys instantly, crying and whimpering. She clings to me from behind, tugging at my suit coat. “You piece of shit. I told you to stay away from her.” I drive my foot into his side, giving him a taste of his own medicine, and a knife drops from his hand and rolls out into the light of an overhead streetlamp. He was going to kill her.

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