Being a keen observer certainly had its benefits, especially in circumstances such as this. Before she even made it to the table, I’d noticed where they kept their weapons. While they’d tried to conceal their heavy artillery, the slick tailored suits prevented them from doing so.
Making mental note, I passed behind her, thankful she barely gave me a glance. I was just some dude drinking coffee in a shitty diner close to midnight.
“Sweet Valentina. Why don’t you consider coming home with us tonight?”
The man’s voice and his guttural accent made my skin crawl. Unable to help myself, I stopped walking, tipping my head to see if he dared cross a line. He had. With his hand placed on her thigh as she was trying to place food in front of them, I was already at the point of no return.
“I suggest you take your hand off the lady.” I made the statement quietly with no anger, no inflection.
“And I suggest you mind your own goddamn business,” he answered, flipping me a hate-filled look. As he lowered his gaze, I knew he was assessing whether I’d be an issue for them.
The way he glanced at his buddies meant they underestimated my abilities. Something that would change in time.
“It’s okay,” Valentina offered. “These fine gentlemen just never learned manners. They’re more like Neanderthals than men. Don’t worry. I can handle them.”
“Ooohhh…” one of the jerks said.
Laugh it up, buddy. You won’t be able to do that for long.
She all but dropped the last plate, spilling a few fries on the lap of one man sitting closest to the window. While I admired her spunk, I’d need to remind her that challenging them with any behavioral tic or inflammatory words would only draw more attention.
And more of their desire. That much was clear in their eyes. I sensed exactly what they had plans to do with her before ending her life or shipping her away.
Perhaps on a stolen cargo ship. Maybe Delgado had made an entirely different deal with the Colombians. Drugs in exchange for fresh female meat.
That wasn’t going to happen.
She backed away with a flip of her head and didn’t look back.
They laughed as if it was all a joke. I gave each one of them a hard look before returning to my stool.
I didn’t need to turn around. At least one of them was watching me closely. I requested another refill from another waitress. Now I was playing the waiting game.
Ten minutes later, there was no assurance Valentina had left, but I couldn’t feel her presence any longer. Every time we were in the same room, the electricity we shared was off the charts.
All that was left in the diner was their stench and a flat line of rage on my part.
Less than five minutes later I noticed the taillights of a vehicle that had obviously left from the backside of the parking lot. The small car was nondescript, but I expected the bastards had discovered most if not all the details regarding her life.
They powered down the food, every so often searching for her. Thankfully, they’d yet to realize she’d escaped.
However, I knew things were about to go into overdrive, so I pulled out my wallet, tossing some cash and headed out the diner’s door into the darkness.
Where I’d wait.
The game was about to get interesting.
Diners were all the rage, most staying open twenty-four hours. This one remained open until one in the morning, most customers already gone. What the closing afforded me was the luxury that the four men would spend the night suffering in silence.
Determining which was their vehicle wasn’t difficult. The gang members were nothing if not happy to showcase their wealth gained from the sale of illegal drugs, weapons, and extortion. The large black SUV had gold rims. Nothing screamed a criminal element like the gilding effect.
I’d parked my tank of a truck in an adjacent parking lot in the dark. The vantage point allowed me a perfect view of the dining room and the exit. While they were still chowing down, I took the opportunity to pull out my favorite hunting knife. I’d owned it since I was eighteen, carrying it with me whenever possible.
Just like I did with an old Sig Sauer, a favorite weapon kept in the middle console of my truck. I’d also brought along some additional tools that I might need if things got out of hand. At this point, I simply wanted to disable their vehicle just in case.
Details did matter when dealing with cockroaches.
Without any fanfare, I headed to their vehicle, slicing the tires on the side away from the diner. That should do it.
