Page 66 of Love on the Run

“This makes things awkward, Skinner,” Mal said quietly. “I can get the LAPD to look the other way most of the time, but now you’ve killed one of their own, and you didn’t even have the grace to do it in a way that could possibly be construed as accidental. What the hell am I going to do with you?”

Skinner looked so frightened Callie almost felt sympathy for him. But then she thought of Ty, dead or dying on the ground, and she hardened. Whatever happened, she had to stay smart if she wanted to get out of this alive. She closed her eyes, using an old stage trick. Think of a calm moment. Keep breathing. Recall the smells, the sounds. Callie breathed in, unexpectedly calling up the memory of sleeping on Jake’s deck and finding him sleeping next to her. Her heartbeat slowed a bit when she recalled how cool the night air had been, and how perfectly her head lay on his chest. She opened her eyes slowly, seeing that Malcolm was looking at her once more.

“Where have you been, Calista?” he asked, anger bubbling under the smooth voice. “Come back here, I’ve got some questions for you.” He was angry because she wasn’t scared.

“What do you want, Mal?” she asked calmly. “Why did you come all this way to talk to me?”

“Because I care about you. I put a lot of money into you, Calista. A lot of time too. I thought you were going to break out, I really did. I busted my ass to get you auditions. Your last movie role? That wasmepulling strings for you.”

“I know.” Callie nodded serenely, almost glad to be able to get everything out in the open. “I never would have gotten the role if it wasn’t for you.”

“And you were great in it, beautiful. That’s why I want you back, Callie. Understand this. I’m the only future you’ve got.”

“Malcolm, do you remember when you shot me in the leg?” she asked, still calm.

“Precious, I was out of sorts. I wish I hadn’t done that. And I wish you hadn’t run away. I would have taken care of you.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.”

“Don’t say that, Callie. I’d never hurt you.” Oh, she almost believed it. Malcolm could do that, talk so sweetly and say what people wanted to hear. It was what had kept her near him for too long. His sweet side. The side that could vanish in a second.

“You already did hurt me.”

Mal put up a hand. “You’re forgetting. I also fed, clothed, and housed you. So, I made a mistake. I admit that. But you are very important to me, Callie. You know that. Please forgive me. Come back with me. We’ll get everything sorted out.”

“How can you possibly sort this out?” she asked, amazed she still almost wanted to agree with him. Mal was magic, sometimes. He could make people say yes to nearly anything.

“There is no problem that can’t be solved, sweetheart. I promise I will do whatever you want. You want a new pad? I’ll do that. You want a vacation, some time away? Sure. How about New York? You want stage work for a while? We can do that. I have invested in you, Callie. I’m not giving up.”

In a flash, Callie understood that Mal had actually convinced himself his words were true. At least for this moment, he saw himself as the white knight coming to save her, not the villain at all.

Then he spoke again. “But before you say yes, sweetheart, I’ve got just a few things to ask.” Callie went cold. She knew then, no matter what he said, Mal couldn’t keep her alive. She wasn’t an investment. She was a liability.

11

Despite Jake’s tension, Quinn forced them to hold tight until the car had parked at the garage doors. Two men got out and hurried into the vast building.

“Okay,” Quinn announced suddenly. “We got to go. Call your men to let them know we’ll be moving.”

Jake called Kyle, who would pass the info to everyone else. They would radio to Jake if anyone else was seen moving inside the hotel, or around the property. When he was done giving Kyle his instructions, he nodded to Quinn and Ty. “Ready.”

“Move,” Quinn said.

It was odd, really, how everything fell into place. It was as if the years since the Army had vanished, as if no time at all had passed since he and Ty were doing missions just like this on an almost weekly basis.

Following the plan, the three men pushed through the last few feet of trees between them and the wide meadow surrounding the building. Once on the lawn, they began to run, knowing speed was the only thing that would help them at this point. Jake ran flat out, praying he wouldn’t hear the sound of a gun in the next minute. Bruiser ran right beside him, panting with effort. Quinn was on his left, keeping up, and Ty had already outstripped them both, despite the injury to his side. He was the first to reach the relative safety of the east wall of the hotel, near a partially boarded-up doorway. Jake ran right up to him, and Bruiser followed, shuddering to a halt and sitting at attention. The dog had sensed this was no game.

Quinn rolled into the safety of the building wall to avoid blowing their surprise. “Guess this is the right place,” he gasped as he pointed up to the window, where they could see a man standing watch with a gun. Looking over at Ty, he asked, “How the hell do you do that? You’re built like a tank.”

“I did track in high school,” Ty replied, his breathing only slightly heavier than normal.

“Okay, quiet,” Jake hissed. “Someone might have seen us. We have to assume there’s more than one. And they’ll be waiting for us.”

“Split up?” Quinn asked Jake.

“Yes. We’ll each take a different way, but head to the top floor. I’ll take Bruiser. He’ll pick up Callie’s scent soon. If he barks, follow the sound. Once you get to the top floor—or wherever they are—stay out of sight until one of us joins you.”

“Good.” Quinn nodded. “I’ll go first.” He kicked out the boards covering the door next to them, and slipped through the opening. He moved like a ghost through the twilit area, seemingly part of the hotel basement.

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