Andre smiles again, that gross smile that makes me want to knock out his teeth, and then leans toward us. He whispers, “You might want to let go of each other’s arms if she’s going to be working the scene tonight.”
“Over my dead body,” Nix growls at him.
He tsks. “Consider it a warning from the man himself. She’s here to work, to bring more lucrative business to your side. You’d do best to remember who you work for and what he wants or . . .” he makes a slicing motion across his throat. And once he’s finished, he leans away, turns toward the party, and disappears into the throng of it.
Almost immediately to take his place is a couple. I cannot make out a single feature behind their masks, minus the fact that both of them have brown hair and full lips. I can tell by their demeanor, though, that they’ve had a little too much alcohol, which means they either started drinking before they came, or they’ve been here awhile. Or . . . they could have done more things than drink alcohol.Perhaps all three are true, but I tune out the conversation they start with Nix because my attention goes straight to a red-headed woman who walks briskly by.
Thanks to her not wearing a mask, I know immediately who it is.
Anya.
Relief floods me that she’s still alive.
I gently loosen my grip on Nix’s arm, and he only glances at me mid-sentence. “I’ll be right back.”
That gets his attention, and he lowers a scowl down at me. “Charlie . . .”
I point to the window where I can now see Anya standing by the rail of the dock. “You’ll be able to see me. I promise I won’t go any further.”
“Protective of her, aren’t we?” the man says with a chuckle.
I ignore them both, keep my eyes on Nix, and hold them to seal my promise. I can see his jaw working, but instead of fighting me on it – because he really can’t with an audience – he gives me a curt nod and reluctantly lets me go.
“It was nice meeting you two,” I murmur to them before heading toward the door.
The brisk, cold autumn air wraps around my bare legs, but I make an immediate stride in Anya’s direction. She stares out at the water, her hands gently resting on the rail. She doesn’t turn when my heels start to clack against the wood, but then again, she looks so lost in thought she probably has no idea someone is coming toward her.
“Anya?” I call when I’m a foot from her.
Her gaze snaps to mine, narrowing for a second, before she admits defeat and relaxes her shoulders. “I should have known you’d be here.”
I slide up to the rail and stand beside her, gazing out on the water with her. “Did you lose the napkin?” I whisper.
“Yes,” she whispers back, her accent thick. “I tossed it in the first trash can I found.”
I sigh through my nose to keep my frustration from lashing out like a whip. Instead, I grab her arm and pull her off the dock and way off to the side of the fires, near a cluster of trees. I may be breaking my promise with Nix, but we can’t have this argument with people so close by. He’ll get over it once I tell him why I went out of view.
Once we’re far enough away but not too far, I turn her to face me. “There’s still time.”
“Time for what?” she hisses. Her fingers ball into fists at her sides. “I already told you, I cannot leave.”
“And I told you that I could save you.”
“What? Do you work for the government? You can’t make promises like that – no one can.”
I glance around to make sure no one is listening. “I can, and yes, I do. I’m a cop, and I have many friends who can keep you safe.”
She stares at me like I’ve grown a third eyeball. “You’re as dead as I am,” she says after a moment’s pause. “You cannot hide who you truly are in places like this. They’ll know. They probably already do.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “They don’t know. I’d know if they knew.” I drop my hand. “I’d definitely be dead if they knew, and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
She looks at me, really looks at me, and then nibbles her bottom lip. “What kind of promises can you keep?”
Relief floods me. I take a step in her direction and lower my voice even more. “I’m here to bring down the entire operation. The entirety of it all, Anya. I’m close, soclose, and my friends? They can protect you and your family while I do what needs to be done.”
“What –”
I tip my head toward the parked cars. “If you leave now, no one will notice for a long time. My friends are not far from here; they’ll find you. And once they do, tell them who you are and that I sent you.”
