Page 53 of Special Agent Isabella

Wanting to move on to other topics, Demi found herself enjoying the break from routine while talking with Alan, the name he’d given her. Time flew by as they joked about their lives, keeping everything light.

Suddenly, he looked at his watch and panicked. “I’m sorry, Demi. I promised to pick up my mom at the dentist’s office. They’re giving her some drugs, so she isn’t able to drive. But I need to see you again. We have to finish our discussion.”

“You mean argument. I still say women are as strong as men.”

“Brat. You just won’t give over that our bodies can take more punishment, but I’ll give it to you they’re as smart…” He saw her look and added, “and at times even smarter. Look, here’s my phone. Can you type in your number so I can call you?”

Bella broke into her thoughts, “So you met up?”

“Yes. He’s the one who took me on the date the other night, the one I had to borrow a dress to wear as he’d made reservations at a fancy place.”

“And you had fun?”

Demi’s soft expression gave her away. “Yes. It was perfect. We didn’t want the evening to end. We walked for a long time, talking, sharing stories, and then he brought me home. Since then, he’s been here to visit most nights when he knows I’m not too busy. We hang out with the staff or just come in here. I’ve never felt this way about a man before, Bella. It scares the bejesus outta me.”

“No. Don’t say that. He must like you, and you seem to be attracted to him, so just let everything happen naturally. Don’t fuss over what’s coming, just enjoy the ride, baby. I’m so glad to see you this happy.”

“Am I though? I didn’t want to upset you, but there’s been a situation with this property. The government has decided they want my location and will force us to either move or shut down.”

“Jesus, that’s all you need to worry about. I’m sorry, Demi.”

Demi smiled, her expression betraying her unconcern. “Don’t worry, I have a plan, and I think it’ll work out.”

Before Bella could reply, they heard a commotion at the front of the building and Nora stuck her head in the door. “There’s a fight outside. That slimeball Hewie is back, and he’s like a raging animal.”

Both women jumped up, but it was Bella who spoke in a commanding voice to Nora. “Stay here with Abbie and don’ let anyone else in but myself or Demi.”

Nora nodded and sat on the cot close to the child, hearing the door lock automatically behind the two women.

ChapterForty-One

By the time Bella and Demi arrived at the scene, Hewie had a knife in his bloodied hand and was about to plunge it once again into the mutilated body of a man curled in a fetal position for protection.

Demi screamed Alan’s name and rushed forward only to have Bella pull her back and fling her to safety. “Stay here.”

She moved in with her gun now in her hand and knew she didn’t have the time to physically stop the next downward thrust. Instead, thankful to be close, she aimed and shot at his arm, thrilled to see the knife fly into the air.

She rushed at his body then and held her gun against Hewie’s temple. With her voice filled with ice chips, she snarled, “Get off of him… now. Lay over on the ground with your hands behind you.”

When Hewie followed orders and rolled to the side, Bella grabbed hold of his jacket roughly to drag him even further away. Just then, Demi rushed past her to slide beside the victim. Her heartbroken screams made Bella’s control slip for an instant.

That’s all the bastard needed.

He twisted away, only to be brought back by her wrenching his hair, hauling him down to smash his face into the sidewalk. Heartsick with the realization that the man lying in a pool of blood was the one person Demi had met who’d gotten through to her heart, Bella felt like a bulldozer was ramming into her.

Suddenly, she wished she had it in her to keep smashing the drug-ridden son of a bitch’s face into the concrete over and over until he couldn’t move. Good thing or not, her values overcame her instincts. Instead, she grabbed his hands behind him and screamed at one of the female looky-loos who’d run out of the center to give her the scarf she had around her neck.

“Use it to tie his wrists,” she demanded. “ You… call 911.”

Staying with her gun held on him, she glanced over at Demi. “Is he alive?”

Demi’s blood-soaked hands felt for a pulse at his neck, and she croaked her reply. “I think so. But he’s been stabbed multiple times.” Her voice caught but she forced the words out. “He’s lost so much blood. Bella, I’m scared. He’s pale and hardly breathing.”

“Stem the flow if you can. And keep him warm. They’ll be here in a few seconds. I’ve seen worse. The paramedics are brilliant. They’ll do the best they can to save him, honey. I promise.”

Before Demi could reply, two cop cars swerved to a stop and the ambulance pulled up beside them. All hell broke loose as they stabilized the victim and cuffed the perpetrator. While they dragged Hewie away, his high-pitched, ugly threatening screams were heard and made the sickness roiling in Bella’s stomach so bad she had to swallow numerous times and clench her fists hard enough to leave nail marks on her skin. Bent over to clutch her knees, she forced her breathing to even out, afraid that if it didn’t, for the first time in her life, she’d pass out.

In the distance, Hewie continued to spew his hatred. “She’s the one that made me go to jail… that red-haired bitch.” An officer pulled him upright. “I’d have killed her if that nosey prick hadn’t found me and got in my way.”

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