Brit crossed his arms. “Nope, not good.” Cold rain beaded on his leather jacket.
“Come on, guys.” Payne tried to pivot. Duke slammed him against the fence. Mark, Duke’s partner, stood a few feet away as if blocking onlookers from coming down the alley.
“It’s not mine,” Payne said as a slice of lightning lit up the dark gray sky.
Brit stepped closer. “What do you know about a cop killer? Start talking and we might be inclined to overlook things.” Thunder boomed in the distance.
“I don’t know shit!” Payne tried to jerk away.
Duke slammed the man against the fence again. “Either you’re going to sing, or I’m going to make sure you’ll be humming a tune to about five years up in Huntsville. I heard you didn’t do so well up there on your last visit.”
“I sing, I die,” Payne said. “Besides they won’t put me away for that little bit.” The storm’s fury swallowed his words.
Brit leaned his shoulder against the fence, so Payne could see him. “He’s right.” Brit spoke to Duke, but focused on Payne. “He won’t go down for that bit of weed.”
“Then you want me to beat it out him?” Duke leaned his shoulder on Payne’s back.
Payne’s eyes hardened. “You wouldn’t do that.”
“You’d be amazed what we’ll do when a cop killer is involved.” Duke snarled the words.
Part of Brit knew Duke wasn’t joking. And as much as Brit wanted it, he couldn’t allow it. But he wasn’t above trying something else. Brit held up his hand. “Beating him is too easy.” Brit looked back at Payne. “Besides, some things are worse than a beating. Things like going back into the joint. Right, Payne?”
“That ain’t gonna get me no time.”
The rain beat down harder. Brit had to speak louder to be heard. “You’re right.” Another bolt of lightning sizzled through the air. “But I can fix that.” Brit wiped the rain from his face. “Assaulting an officer is serious.”
“I didn’t assault anyone.” Payne bumped his head against the fence like an angry child.
“Oh, yes, you did,” Brit said. “You see, Duke here has some mean fists. And instead of letting him use them on you, I’m going to let him use them on me. Then I’m going to say you did it. With the weed and assaulting an officer...you’re going down.”
Duke leaned on Payne’s back. “I’d rather hit this jerk.”
Brit blinked the rain from his eyes and looked at Duke, so he’d know how far Brit would play this game.
“We can’t beat him. It wouldn’t look good.” Brit’s words almost got lost in the sound of the rain. “Cuff him so we can get this over with.”
Duke cut his questioning gaze to Brit. “You’re serious?”
About Duke hitting him, he was damn serious. About going through with the threat if Payne didn’t come through. That was yet to be seen. “Cuff him,” Brit ordered as the thunder rolled. “We don’t want him getting away while you’re beating the shit out of me.”
Snapping the cuffs from his back belt loop, Duke fit them on Payne’s wrists and gave the man a shove. Payne dropped on his ass in the mud and stared up at the two of them.
“This ain’t gonna work!” Payne shouted.
Brit wasn’t sure it would either, but he was fresh out of ideas.
“I’m not talking,” Payne belted out.
Brit ignored Payne and stared at Duke. “Hit me.”
~
The storm raged in Cali’s ears. She felt Stan press closer, and a sick feeling hit the pit of her stomach.
“Why did you call the police?” Stan’s unshaven face pressed against her cheek while lightning danced overhead.
“Because you shot at me.” She tried to pull away. His grip tightened on her arms and she jerked, slamming her knee against her car. The pain made her flinch—that was so going to bruise. Having taken a few safety courses, she tried to remember what she should do if someone attacked her. Stop, drop, and roll. No, wrong crisis. Scream, kick, scream.
He swung her around. “I didn’t shoot at you.” His words smelled like beer, but another smell, hideously ugly, clung to his clothes. “It wasn’t me.” His grasp inched down her arm to her wrist. “Where’s the bracelet?” His grip tightened.
“I took it off.” The thunder matched the beating of her heart. “Let me go.”
He ran his free hand over his face. “Look, baby. I need your help. But you can’t call the police. No police.”
She wanted to scream she wasn’t his baby; that she’d been one woman’s baby, but her mom had died. Before she opened her mouth to speak, his head descended, and he kissed her.
The second his lower lip moved between her teeth, she bit down.
The taste of blood flavored her tongue and she gagged. He yanked back. “Fuck it, Cali! Why are you doing this?” He reached for his lip.
She bolted.
His footsteps chased her. Close. Too close. Fear clawed at her. Then his fingers snatched a handful of her hair. The pain sent chills through her skull.
Chapter Eight