“How about Harley Purcell?” Skye asked. “Were you able to come up with anything on him?”
“No. Probably an alias, too. I’ll work on the list, see if I can learn anything else. I’ve got some things to do for other people. As soon as I get caught up, I’ll take a look at Sunstar.”
“Thanks, Zoe,” Skye said.
They left the office and went back out to Edge’s truck, which was parked in the lot. Skye climbed in, this time without a problem, and realized she was already getting used to the big black beast.
“Beast,” she said. “That’s what I’m calling this thing.”
Edge’s blue eyes crinkled at the corners. He flashed her a smile and fired the engine. “I like it.”
From Nighthawk, they decided to put the truck to the test and drive out to one of Edge’s favorite spots for a late lunch, a local tapas restaurant a couple of miles away.
“I’m starving,” Edge had complained. “I need to refuel. This place has really great food, and you’ll love the view.”
It was a sales pitch she couldn’t resist, and she was actually hungry, herself. They’d gotten about halfway to their destination when Skye’s cell phone started to ring.
CHAPTER TWENTY
WORKING ON HER RÉSUMÉ, CALLIE SAT AT THE KITCHEN COUNTER, trying to come up with words that would convince an employer to hire her. She finished her opening, but it didn’t seem quite right. She hated to bother Skye, but she needed more input, and it seemed as if Skye was good at just about everything. She pressed her sister’s contact number, hoping for some suggestions.
Skye picked up just as footsteps sounded in the hall outside the apartment. The knock came swift and hard.
“Hang on a second. Someone’s at the door.” Setting the phone on the counter, she crossed the living room, wondering why the guard in the lobby hadn’t called ahead.
When the knock came again. Her pulse took a leap. What if it was Daniel or someone he’d sent after her? Maybe Daniel was afraid she knew something that would help the police.
“Open the door, Callie! Open up, or I’ll break the fucking thing down!” Klaus’s angry voice sent an icy chill down her spine.
She ran back and grabbed her cell phone. “Klaus Mahler’s here! He’s trying to break in!”
She heard a loud thump as Klaus’s thick shoulder pounded against the wood. The door shuddered but held, then crashed open beneath the weight of Klaus’s heavy boot. The blond giant and his friend, Cisco Vasquez, burst into the apartment.
“They’re inside!” she grabbed the phone as she raced down the hall toward the bedroom to lock herself in. She was almost there when Klaus caught up with her. The phone went flying as he gripped her shoulders and dragged her backward. Callie whirled and tried to knee him in the groin, then kicked him hard in the shin and rushed into the bedroom.
“Fucking bitch!” Klaus was right behind her. She tried to close the door, but he blocked it with his boot. Big and strong, he shouldered his way inside.
“Get away from me, you pig!”
Klaus’s eyes narrowed. “That’s no way to talk to your future husband.” His mouth looked like a hole in his thick blond beard. “You’re going with me, Callie—one way or the other. You can make it easy or hard.”
“This is kidnapping, Klaus! The police are already looking for you and the rest of Henson’s men. You won’t get away with it!”
Klaus’s big hand swung out, and he slapped her so hard she flew backward across the bed. She tried to roll away, but he grabbed her ankle and hauled her toward him, yanked her to her feet, and slapped her again, then dragged her out of the bedroom and down the hall.
Dark and menacing, Cisco Vasquez stood next to the splintered front door, which hung on its hinges at an odd angle. His one good eye focused on the activity in the hall.
“We need to go,ese.”
Klaus nodded and hauled her across the room.Where were the police?She trusted that Skye would have called them, but police departments were shorthanded. Lately, everyone was shorthanded.
Callie stumbled as Klaus yanked her through the broken front door and down the main corridor toward the elevator, his grip so tight she hurt from elbow to shoulder. Her face burned where he’d slapped her. Her lip felt puffy and swollen.
As the elevator doors parted, the emergency exit door leading to the stairwell flew open, and a big, dark-haired man stepped out. He was wearing a tactical vest and leather boots. A black semiautomatic pistol gripped in both hands pointed directly at Klaus.
“Let her go! Do it now!”
Holy hell—her half-brother, Conner Delaney! She barely knew him. She started shaking.
