After all these years, why does the Kozlov protocol for witnesses burn like acid in my stomach? “He would’ve killed you.”
Her chest heaves. “Who the hell are you? And what do you want from me?”
“Someone you’d have been wise to walk away from.” I scan her face, noting the freckles dusting her nose, her bow-shaped lips, and what I think is a small butterfly tattoo behind her left ear. “If you’d asked me what I wanted an hour ago, my answerwould have been very different.” I remove my hand from her throat to run my thumb across her plump bottom lip. “But now? I want answers.”
For a split second, her gaze flicks to my mouth and desire clouds her eyes.
“Answers?” She has the audacity to scoff. “I’m just a cocktail waitress. Whatever answers you’re looking for, I don’t have them.”
“I beg to differ.” I skim my knuckles down the side of her throat. “You knew Benny.”
Drawing her lower lip between her teeth, she shakes her head, giving me a better view of the blue butterfly tattoo. “Oh, is that his name? Never saw the guy in my life…until I came out here and saw you murder him.”
I sigh. “Nice try,lyubimaya, but you said his name when he demanded the key from you.” I release her wrists and instead cage her with my arms on the wall. “You’re coming with me.”
Rookie mistake.
As soon as I drop her wrists, she fights like a wild animal, all teeth and elbows and desperate strength. Impressive.
And completely useless.
I pin her arms to her sides and lift her off her feet so I can carry her toward the mouth of the alley. Her sweaty, faintly fruity, fear-tinged scent assaults my nostrils. I need to get her out of here before an employee or customer ventures outside.
“Let me go!” Her scream rends the night air.
When I slap a hand over her mouth, her teeth sink into the meat of my palm.
Der’mo.
The pain is sharp but not unexpected. I tighten my grip, squeezing her jaw with my bitten hand to force her mouth open. Her terrified eyes latch on mine, pissed but pleading. A muffled protest slips out.
“Bite me again, and you won’t like what happens.”
Her body goes rigid against mine, but the fight remains, vibrating beneath her skin like a barely contained storm. I haul her to my Lexus parked a few spaces from the alley entrance. Still covering her mouth, I fumble in my pocket for the keys and press the button. The headlights flash once, and the locks disengage.
She takes advantage of my divided attention by twisting in my grip. Her knee shoots up, aiming for my groin again.
When I pivot, the blow lands on my thigh instead. Dull, throbbing pain blooms. She’s got good instincts.
“Enough.” I spin her around, pressing her face-first against the car.
With my body weight pinning her in place, I grab her wrists and yank them behind her. The back of her skull connects with my chin in her failed attempt at a headbutt. My teeth click together, an iron tang flooding my mouth.
This one’s trouble.
Ignoring the ache in my jaw, I reach into my jacket pocket and pull out a zip tie. Never know when they’ll be handy. Her panicked breathing is ragged as I remove her heavy gloves and cinch the plastic around her wrists.
“Please.” The word is muffled against the car window. “Please…don’t do this.”
“If you keep talking and refusing to cooperate, I’m going to have to kill even more people.” I nod toward the bar. “Which one of your coworkers do you think will stick their head out first?”
She stops moving.
I pull a handkerchief from my pocket and fold it into a thick strip. When I shove the fabric against her lips, she thrashes again, trying to twist away.
I trail a finger over her cheek. “What did I say about cooperating?”
She stills, chest heaving.
