Rigatoni Ruin, page 10
He snapped the door shut with a groan. “Listen, I’m not here to hold your hand. I’m not here to get you pretzels or traipse around the city with Grandma. I’m here to keep you alive, which I’m wondering if that’s a good thing right about now.”
“You can leave anytime you want. I didn’t ask for you to manhandle me and order me around. All I want to know is if Logan will come back alive.”
“You know the 411. Think bigger and more violent, then you might finally get the picture.”
I paused. “You think he won’t come back?”
“I warned him not to go. You don’t meddle with the mob and think you’re going to walk away.”
“You did.”
“Did you not hear that I have a mark on my head and I can’t go back to a normal life?”
“Sorry.”
“Me, too.” He crossed his arms. “But I would do it again.”
“Because you like the cage?”
“No. Because I like knowing I made a difference.”
Interesting. That bit of insight had me looking at him differently.
“Then make a difference again,” I said.
“I’m not getting involved with the Guzzardo family.”
“I’m not asking you to. Just tell me what you know.”
He smirked. “Nice try.” Opening the door, he glanced back at me. “Stay.”
I stuck out my tongue, but he was already gone.
As I nibbled on my pretzel, I thought about what he said. If the big, scary Exterminator was too afraid to face Guzzardo, then what hope did Logan have?
Suddenly, the pretzel didn’t sit well.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
I scanned the sidewalk from the living room window. Nana’s boat idled near the front door, so all I had to do was make a dash for it.
While I feared Gunner would catch me at the door like last time, I didn’t see him stalking the sidewalk. Perhaps he was taking a break.
When I reached the first floor, I looked out the glass door. Nana was straight ahead.
Just run and jump in. That’s all I had to do.
So why did my feet root to my spot?
Maybe a countdown would activate them. Just as I began a lengthy countdown, the door swung open. Both Lan and I shouted as we startled each other.
“Why the hell are you lurking in the entry?” he asked, picking up a bag of chips that sprung from the grocery bag.
“I was working up the courage to sprint to Nana’s car.”
He glanced back. “Oh. Didn’t even see her.”
“She drives a boat. It’s impossible not to see her.” I peeked out the door. “Do me a favor and create a distraction.”
“A distraction?”
“Yeah. Start yelling or something. I only need a few seconds so I can get into the car.”
“Just get into the car like a normal person.”
“I already tried to leave once today. My babysitter hauled me back inside.”
Lan glanced outside. “I didn’t see anyone out there. Not even wig guy. Maybe your babysitter needed a break. A guy can only hold his bladder for so long. Make a run for it while you can.”
Lan was probably right. The longer I stayed rooted to my spot, the more likely I’d get caught.
Shoving open the door, I sprinted to Nana’s car. Just as I reached for the door handle, an arm snaked around me and flung me over a shoulder.
Dammit.
“Did I fail to mention there’ll be consequences if you try leave?” Gunner growled.
“Put me down!”
“Not happening.”
When he turned to bring me inside, Nana shouted, “Freeze, dirtbag! Or I’m going to bring you to your knees.”
I only saw a flash of Nana aiming her stun gun at him before he whipped around to face her. Now my view was of Lan standing inside the door. He munched on potato chips as he watched.
“You must be Grandma,” Gunner muttered. “Ma’am, stand down. I’m an officer, and I’m protecting this woman on orders.”
“Officer or not, I will bring you down and hogtie you if you don’t let her go.”
“Lady, enough. If you want to visit your granddaughter, then come upstairs. But she’s not leaving.”
“You’re going down, punk!”
Gunner jerked, and I felt a mild jolt hit me in the gut. And then nothing.
“Damn. I should have charged this thing.”
“Did you really just use a weapon on an officer?” he barked.
“You gave me no choice.”
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Looking for another weapon. I think my taser is working. If not, I got the retractable baton.”
“Put the purse down!”
“Put my granddaughter down!”
Both fell silent. I wasn’t sure what was happening. But I felt like they were eyeing each other for weaknesses.
“Nana, go get ice cream with Dad,” I said. “I’ll catch up with him later.”
“I need to talk to you about the case.”
“What case?” Gunner asked.
“Lan’s drugging case,” she said. “We’ll need to stage another party.”
“No parties,” Gunner said.
“I can have a party if I want to. I’m old enough to be your mother.”
“Lady, you’re old enough to be my—”
“I wouldn’t finish that sentence if I were you,” I warned him. “She used to be a dancer and has a wicked kick.”
“It’s all those years of training to be a Rockette,” Nana added. “But I was too short.”
“Upstairs. Now!”
“I’m only going because I want to talk to Jade,” she said.
Lan was quick to move out of the way when Gunner herded Nana inside.
“I can walk,” I complained.
“You lost my trust.”
“Can’t lose it if I never had it.”
He jostled me, shoving the air from my lungs.
“You are such a jerk,” I wheezed.
“Remember that.”
When he deposited me on the couch, I rubbed my stomach. “I don’t think I’ll ever eat again.”
Lan continued to crunch potato chips as he walked to the kitchen to put away the groceries.
“Sit,” Gunner ordered both Nana and me.
“You can’t order us around,” Nana said. “But those stairs got me a little winded.”
She dropped her purse by the chair and sat down with a sigh.
Gunner stood sentry at the door.
“Are you just going to stand there all day?” I asked.
“Trust was broken.”
Nana leaned toward me. “How was the ride up here? He’s got some nice shoulders.”
“He knocked the air out of me. And last time he spanked me.”
Nana grinned. “I like a man who knows how to spank.”
Gunner raised a brow.
Ignoring him, I asked, “Do you have information on the drugger?”
She nodded. “The gossip mill has been active. Not only are people pointing their fingers at Bruce, saying he has hook ups with a local drug dealer, but he’s been seen at parties outside of our community. And guess what happened at those parties?”
“Someone got roofied.”
She nodded. “Exactly. Bruce is the culprit. Now we just need to catch him in the act and then we can send him to jail.”
“We’ll plan something. I can barely concentrate right now. I’m too worried about Logan.”
“What’s happening on that front?”
I leaned close to whisper. “All I know is Logan and the others are leaving today. I don’t think they had time to put a plan together. It sounds like it’s a last-minute effort, and I’m afraid they won’t pull it off.”
“Which means they’ll be in deep water with the mafia.”
“Exactly. I want to go, but I have an evil babysitter, and I’m a liability.”
She looked thoughtful. “You didn’t blank out when Gunner grabbed you just a moment ago.”
“I’m not sure why I didn’t. I blanked with him once already. Now I think he makes me more mad than afraid.”
“Interesting.” Nana eyed Gunner.
Gunner glanced over. “I can hear everything you two are saying. Don’t get any ideas about trailing after Logan. He already warned me you guys would try something stupid.”
“Stupid is a little harsh,” Nana said.
“They don’t mean to be stupid,” Lan said as he plopped down on the couch with his bag of chips. “It’s just everything they do goes sideways.”
“Hey! We saved your butt,” I said, thinking back to the Blood Dragon fiasco.
“And nearly got killed in the process. I think your scooter was stolen then, too. Right?”
Gunner smirked.
“I admit things tend to get away from us,” I said. “But we saved many people, including Logan. Twice.”
“Technically once,” Nana said. “He wasn’t in trouble the last time we tried to save him.”
“Not helping,” I said. “Anyway, it’s better than sitting here and doing nothing.”
“I agree,” Nana said. “We have things to do. People to save. Bad guys to arrest.”
“Leave it to the cops,” Gunner said.
“The cops can’t be everywhere,” Nana said. “And rules limit them. We have no rules.”
“Rules still apply to everyone,” Gunner said.
“They are more like guidelines,” Nana countered.
Gunner leveled Nana with a steel gaze that made me suspect he wasn’t above bending the rules for certain occasions.
“You were undercover,” I said. “You broke a ton of rules.”
“In order to keep my cover, I had to.”
“Since you’re babysitting Jade, either you’ll have to battle us the entire time, or you can wave the white flag and help us,” Nana said
“It’s easier to wave the white flag,” Lan said. “Nana doesn’t hear the word no.”
Nana grinned.
Gunner grinned back. “And I never lost a fight.”
I glanced between the two of them and then sighed. “All I want to do is make sure Logan and Mila come back alive.”
“We will,” Nana said. “Tell me what you know.”
“They are leaving today.”
“And?”
“That’s all I know.”
Nana pressed her lips together. “Weren’t you able to gather any other intelligence?”
“Intelligence,” Gunner snorted. “That’s funny coming from the Three Stooges.”
“Ignore him,” Nana said. “We can figure this out. Obviously, they are going to get Mila, which means they are going to the Guzzardo estate. So, we just go there and help with their mission. If something happens, we can swoop in and save them.”
“One problem,” Gunner said. “Jade isn’t getting past me.”
“Don’t you have a wigged spy to catch?” Nana asked. “You have your mission. We have ours.”
“Jade is not leaving.”
“We’ll see about that,” Nana said.
My brain throbbed from the bickering and the worry. I felt like a trapped kid watching parents argue.
“Enough,” I said. “I already know I can’t go. I’m a liability. But, Gunner, you can go. Logan is in more danger than I am.”
“I have my orders.”
“This isn’t the Army. You won’t get arrested for ditching me.”
“I take my assignments seriously.”
“And who gave you the assignment?”
“Logan.”
“And what happens if Logan dies?”
“I still carry on my assignment.”
I frowned. It was no use talking to this guy. The more we argued, the more he resisted. Unless . . .
Would it actually work? I supposed it wouldn’t hurt to try. Crying women tended to make men uncomfortable.
But if crying was my pocket ace, did I want to use it now?
I pondered for a moment as Nana squabbled with Gunner about loyalty to friends over assignments.
She wasn’t making headway.
I glanced at the time that was slipping away.
Think sad thoughts.
My mind went directly to the 411. I tried to stop the images, but they caught me.
“We’re losing her,” Lan said.
Like a silent movie without the accompanying piano music, I watched as sparks of light flashed in the dark building. The flare of the guns burned in my memory. They blazed in slow motion, searing into my vision.
My cheek stung as something hit me.
And then again.
“Stop hitting my granddaughter!”
I blinked up at Gunner just as he was about to slap me again.
Nana latched onto his arm.
“Let go,” he said. “I’m not going to hit her. I was only waking her up.”
“How about using an alarm clock?” Nana said.
“She needed external stimulation,” Gunner said.
“I’ll give you external stimulation!”
“She’s awake,” Lan said.
Glancing between the three of them who looked pityingly at me, I burst into tears.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Don’t cry!” Gunner ordered, which only made my job of crying easier.
Once again, I had glitched.
“Make her stop,” Gunner barked at Nana.
“Stop yelling and maybe she’ll stop crying,” Nana shot back.
The veins in his neck pulsed.
“You’re a scary dude,” Lan said, still munching on chips. “Perhaps back up a bit. You're kind of menacing up close.”
Gunner swung his glare to Lan, who didn’t seem to care. Perhaps Lan had to deal with worse with the Blood Dragons, but I was grateful when Gunner finally inched back. It made the throbby veins less noticeable.
Nana stealthily peeked at her phone while Gunner thrust a tissue box under my nose. “Take it.”
I took a tissue to mop up my tears.
“Better?” he asked.
“No. I keep glitching.”
He sighed and then sat on the coffee table, straddling my legs between his as he eyed me. “It’s not a glitch. Your mind is trying to cope. It takes time.”
“Sounds like you’ve been through it.”
“Not me. A buddy of mine. He witnessed a gruesome murder. Had to be put on desk duty for a couple of years. He quit after.”
“Why did he quit?”
“Most cops don’t become cops to get stuck on desk duty. We tolerate it until we can get back on the street. I think after the years at the desk, he lost his appetite for the job. It happens.”
“What does he do now?”
“He got his pilot’s license.”
“Sounds nice,” I said.
“If it wasn’t for witnessing the murder, he might not have become a pilot.”
“Are you saying it’s a good thing I’m glitchy?”
“I’m saying it’s good to step back and take a breath. You never know where life will lead you.”
“You’re on desk duty. Do you know where life is leading you?”
“If it’s any more babysitting assignments, I might as well walk in front of a bus and end it.”
I frowned at him. “This is still better than desk duty. Admit it.”
He paused for a moment. “I suppose.”
Since we seemed to be in a sharing state, I said, “I never thanked you for letting me use you as a body shield.”
He shrugged. “I thought I was dead, anyway.”
“You’re very cavalier about your death,” I said.
“When I took the undercover assignment, I thought I’d be dead within a month. I made it longer than that, so I figure I’m running on borrowed time.”
I studied his hardened jaw as he talked about death like one would talk about the weather. It made me uncomfortable.
“If you’re already on borrowed time, you won’t mind going to New Jersey,” Nana said.
“You don’t give up, do you?” he asked.
“Never. I still apply to be a Rockette every year.”
“Do you?” I asked.
She nodded. “I figure some day they might open a granny tour. Can’t hurt to keep my name in the mix.”
Gunner stood and pulled out his phone. He glanced at it and then typed a message.
“Is that Logan?” Nana asked.
“If it is, I’m not telling you,” he said and then pocketed his phone.
“Must be Logan,” Nana said with a nod. “I just got a text from him to stop harassing you.”
How come everyone was getting messages from Logan but me?
Beyond Logan’s silence, I had another annoyance. After all of this, I was no closer to figuring out how to get Gunner off my back. Crying made him uneasy, but he didn’t run away. It made him come closer. That was the last thing I needed.
I glanced at the clock again, noticing my last glitch had stolen ten minutes from me. And that was with Gunner slapping me.
“Do you mind if I work on my laptop?” I asked Gunner.
He looked as if he wanted to say no but then gave a dismissive wave. “Don’t tell people you’re being held hostage. It will only make more paperwork for me, and I get cranky when there’s paperwork.”
“You? Cranky?” I teased as I walked over to the kitchen table.
Nana followed and sat down next to me.
I pulled the laptop closer and opened it.
“What are you up to?” she whispered.
“I don’t have a clue. But we have four issues to deal with.”
“Mila, the big guy, the spy, and the druggist.”
“Exactly.”
She glanced over at Gunner, who stood off to the side of the living room window and was peering out.
“What do you want to tackle first?” Nana asked.
“I was hoping Mila, but I’m afraid I’ll end up putting Logan into more danger.”
“Nonsense. More hands make less work.”
“It seems I need some of those hands to slap me.”
“Happy to,” Lan said as he sat in the chair opposite of me. He put the bag of chips down and wiped his hands on his jeans.
“You’re in?” Nana asked him.
“No. I’m on the delivery schedule tonight. I don’t want to get fired on my second day.”
