“Come on,” he said, tucking me securely under his arm while never taking his eyes off the men, even as we crossed the busy street. His hard body was tensed, like a tightly coiled spring, ready to unfurl at any moment. I wasn’t sure what he’d do if the opportunity presented itself, but he seemed confident enough that his stare-down hadn’t faltered. Maybe he wasn’t aware, but in this neighborhood, staring was the equivalent of challenging someone to a fight.
“Are you trying to get shot?”
“That’s not going to happen.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, so you’re bulletproof now?”
“No. I don’t need to be. Let’s just say I know people.”
I’d heard a similar saying, which was always the punchline to some joke. But in Derek’s case, I had no doubt he really did know people. Powerful people. It had to be why he was so knowledgeable about the Belov family. Why he trusted his car would remain untouched in a sketchy neighborhood. And why he was unafraid to stare daggers at a group of even shadier men. The thought was a sobering one as I realized I knew nothing of the man my godfather’s son had become.
“What’s wrong?” His brows furrowed as he pulled open the rickety iron door to the Esther house.
“Nothing. I just hope we get some answers. Maybe she came back here for her stuff.”
Derek flashed me a dubious look, but said nothing. Placing his hand on the small of my back, he ushered me inside.
The musty smell of the building was unforgettable. I’d wanted to find a better place for Rayne, but her friend Tori was here, and she insisted on staying. Once I saw how well she was doing, staying clean and off the streets, I felt better about her decision, but clearly, I was fooling myself. Rayne had more demons and vices than I could have ever helped her with.
“What the hell do you want?” The hoarse voice of a woman pulled our attention to the small corridor just before a flight of stairs. Her haggard face, set against shaggy graying hair, looked familiar. Perhaps I’d seen her during one of my visits, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Hi. Have you, by any chance, seen Rayne Johnson?” I took a step forward, though keeping my distance.
The woman eyed me with staunch indignation and folded her arms over her ample chest. “Who’s asking?”
“I’m a friend. I need to speak with her. Has she been here recently? Like, in the last four hours?”
She blew a frizzy curl off her forehead and rolled her eyes. “You think you can just waltz in here and get information on our residents? How do I know you’re not a cop?” Her dark eyes flicked behind me, where Derek stood in silence, like a sentinel at my back. The woman took a shaky step, bracing herself against the rusty banister.
I felt the heat of him as he moved closer. While I couldn’t see him, I could only imagine the feral glower searing a hole through the woman’s face.
“Please, if you know anything. I’m trying to help her.”
“Eva?”
A soft voice shifted my attention to the top of the staircase.
Tori.
“I-I met up with her,” she stammered nervously. “This morning. Rayne called me.”
The older lady whipped around; her face pinched into a scowl. “You really gonna rat out your friend? You don’t even know this bitch! For all we know—”
“Enough.” Derek’s voice was calm, yet as sharp as a razor’s edge. “Apologize.” He moved past me, now face to face with the woman, who was trying desperately to squirm backward, but had run out of room. “Apologize,” he demanded a second time.
“W-what?” Her hand clutched onto the railing.
“You’re going to apologize for your disrespect. And I won’t ask again.”
Her eyes ping-ponged between us before she blurted a barely intelligible apology.
Derek placed a hand on the wall above her head, towering over her. Deep down, I knew I should have stopped him. Intimidating people was not how I operated, but damn it, if his defending my honor wasn’t sexy as hell.
“Walk away. And if you so much as look her way, breathe in her direction….” He leaned in close to her ear and whispered something I couldn’t hear. Whatever he said caused the woman’s eyes to widen in shock, and she quickly stumbled past us and out the door.
Derek and I shared a look, and he shrugged his shoulders almost innocently, as if he hadn’t just scared the shit out of a stranger.
I’d deal with him later.
