And I walk away, hoping like hell he doesn’t follow.
Three
Titan
* * *
Fucking shit. This woman is a bit of a handful. But I love a satisfying challenge.
“Um, Blue,” I say as she weaves between cars.
Headlights blind me when an SUV pulls out of a spot and cuts off my path. By the time it’s out of my way, Blue is nowhere to be found.
I glance around, searching for movement, but it’s too dark with the streetlight out to see where she went.
“Blue, where are you?” I call out into the emptiness.
“Shh, you’re going to get us both killed.” She’s kneeling next to a Range Rover about ten feet away and I bound over there, dropping myself beside her.
I follow the direction of where she’s watching and spot Steele, in the back edge of the lot, on the phone, pacing back and forth, squawking into the phone like he’s going to destroy whoever is on the other end. And who knows, this is the kind of guy who just might do it.
“You’re not planning on following him, are you?” I whisper.
Blue looks up at me with those gorgeous baby blues. “I do.” She plants a fingertip on my lips to avoid what I’m about to say. “Listen, I’m undercover, ok?” My brow lifts. “I need to discover who he’s buying from. I need to expose this operation.”
She withdraws her finger from my mouth when she’s stopped speaking. It’s adorable.
“You’re a cop?” I feel a little better about letting her charge off to pursue Steele. Only a little better, though.
She shakes her head. “No, an undercover reporter.”
“Ah, I see.”
“So, you can understand why I’m so agitated you ruined everything by buying me. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
“I can’t let you go after him.”
Steele hangs up his phone, shifting closer to a black BMW SUV.
“And why’s that?” Blue asks, easing up from her stooped position, ready to make her move.
I lay a hand on her arm, gripping lightly and say something I never imagined when I left my house tonight. “Because I own you, remember?”
Blue’s eyes enlarge to saucers. “You did not just say that to me.”
I’d laugh if this weren’t a dangerous situation because her reaction is priceless. “Take notice of what I’m saying. You’re a smart girl. You can’t just go wandering after a bad guy. What’s your plan? Do you have a plan?” She remains silent. “Always have a plan and a back-up plan.”
“I’ll have you know, I do have a plan. And maybe a back-up back-up plan. What is your plan? To steal my plan?”
My lips twitch, trying not to laugh at her cuteness. “How were you planning on getting away if he bought you?”
She explains how her ‘partner’ in this madness planned to use a contact of his to get her out safely.
“That’s a bullshit plan,” I tell her.
I can see I’m making her upset by the way her upper lip curls and her breathing becomes heavier. She rises, wriggling out of my grasp, and advances toward Steele. I accompany her, whether or not she wants it. I’m guessing it’s a not, by the daggers she flings over her shoulder at me. She can throw me all the dirty looks she wants, I’m making certain nothing happens to this beauty.
“Well, hello,” Steele says in the most revolting way when he sees her approaching him.
I hold my breath, ready to draw my Colt out.
“Hi. I was heartbroken to see you didn’t go any higher in the bidding. Maybe you two could work something out?” Blue says, motioning her hand to me.
Steele’s lip curls up into a sinister smile. “Oh, really?”
Blue moves closer, wiggling her body in some sort of sexy move to walk, her hips swaying like a pendulum. “I was kind of hoping you’d win.” She giggles, and I can tell it’s fake as fuck.
Hopefully, Steele doesn’t detect her bad acting.
“Oh, yeah?” Steele’s dark eyes find mine. “You need to keep a stronger handle on your property.”
And then my world goes black.
Four
Blue
* * *
I’m really struggling with the five W’s right now.
Who—Titan.
What—Hit over the head by one of Steele’s men.
When—Just now.
Where—Right before my eyes.
Why—I don’t know.
I can’t believe this just happened. One of Steele’s men struck Titan over the head with the butt of a gun, and he crashed to the ground like a fallen oak tree. With a yelp, I rush to Titan’s side. Steele and his men hop into their SUV and peel out of the parking lot.
“Are you ok?” I ask, but he gives me nothing except disturbing silence.
I check for a pulse and breathe a sigh of relief when I feel the steady thump in his neck. Please, be ok.
“Titan, can you hear me?” I try to shake him awake, but he’s out cold.
He doesn’t even budge when I push against him.
This is not in the plan. What do I do? I don’t have my car, phone, or any of my things, because I needed to blend in to avoid blowing my cover.