Mitch glared at his friend. “Don’t even go there.”
“Oh, I already went.” Josh raised his eyebrows. “Now, if you two are finished with your little spat, you might want to question this crash-through-the-window lowlife.”
Cat pushed a limping man in front of her down the hallway toward the great room.
The guy stumbled, catching himself with his shoulder against the wall. His pallor was as green as the lizard imprinted on the front of his shirt. “Hey, take it easy. I think you broke my leg.”
“I sure hope so. You tried to kill me.” Cat shoved him forward again.
Mitch’s relief that they’d taken one alive cleared all thoughts of anything else. With a little luck, there might be a chance to gain more info on how Liz’s father had come back on Coercion Ten’s radar. He made eye contact with the limping jerk, then, to really get the man’s attention, he rolled his fingers in and out of a fist as he crossed the room.
Coming to a toe-to-toe stop in front of the man, Mitch snarled as he popped his fist into the other palm. “Well, what have we got here?”
“He’s the one who crashed through the window in the bedroom. Got off a shot at Cat before she put him on the floor.” Josh positioned himself by the French doors leading to the patio outside the great room. “He’s right, though. I heard the bone crack. Bet anything he’s gonna need a doctor.”
Mitch forcefully braced his forearm against the wall beside the man’s head. Leaned to within an inch of the man’s nose. “Well, this may be your lucky day, Lizard Breath.”
The man tried to keep the dilated pupils of his eyes focused straight ahead. “Wh-why’s that?”
“Well, you see, we’ve got doctors on staff. Won’t take me a second to call a doc in.”
“So, call him. I’m hurting bad.”
“Sure thing…as soon as you tell me who you work for.” Preying on a suspect’s fears didn’t set well with Mitch. But neither did someone trying to snatch his client. “Of course, Cat could splint that bone for you.”
Lizard Breath visibly leaned away from her.
He glanced toward the man’s leg. Shook his head. “My advice is to go with the doc. He’s always got those good meds to take the pain away. And, Cat…well, she’s not always a gentle touch. Know what I mean?”
“I…uh…” The artery in the man’s neck pulsed beats at well above a hundred. Breaths twenty-five, or more, per minute.
Keith walked in the door leading a man wearing a red T-shirt with his hands cuffed behind his back. The guy was covered in sand, with a trickle of blood trailing from the corner of his eye socket.
Mitch turned his attention back to the man standing in front of him. “Make up your mind, Lizard Breath. I got someplace to be.”
“Don’t you say a word,” the handcuffed man shouted from across the room.
Threateningly, Mitch stalked toward the newcomer then stopped halfway there. “I’ll be with you in a minute.”
Off to the side, Liz kept her serious expression, but she’d put the sofa between herself and the guy who’d yelled.
“I ain’t afraid of you.” The man spit in his direction. “You’ll get yours when them other guys get here.”
Mitch stomped back to the hallway then slammed his fist against the wall next to Lizard Breath’s head. The wall shook. “Who the hell do you work for?”
Lizard Breath wobbled on his one good leg then pointed at the loudmouth across the room. “He said we’d make some quick money if we—”
“I said shut up,” the guy yelled as he struggled to get away.
Josh stepped aside as Keith pushed open the patio door and yanked the yelling man outside. “I’ll be back as soon as I cuff him to the patio post.”
“Secure him in the master bath. Wouldn’t want a stray gator to eat our suspect.” Of course, if Mitch didn’t get the answers he needed soon, a stray gator would be the least of the man’s worries. For now, though, Mitch stayed focused on the guy with the bad leg. “I’m getting tired of waiting. What were you supposed to do?”
Lizard Breath didn’t say a word.
This was taking way too much valuable time, so Mitch decided to speed things up. “Cat, come over here and see what you can do about this man’s leg.”
She took a couple of steps in their direction.
