Chapter 17
D evi was so tired that she wasn’t certain she could continue to put one foot in front of the other.
All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball on the floor and cry. But she had to get through this shift at the tavern. Just a couple more hours and then she could go home and stay up all night, holding the baseball bat that she’d found at the thrift shop.
It was Thursday night. She hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep since last Sunday. She’d caught a few hours here and there but she needed more.
“You need to go to bed.”
The voice startled her and she jumped, turning to find Hayes glaring up at her. He was sitting in her section again. The same place he’d been the last two nights she’d worked.
What was his problem? Why was he always around?
“I will once this shift is over,” she replied.
“But will you sleep?” he asked.
Sleep? What was that? Every night she stayed awake, waiting to see if Derick would come home.
Or if Vega would return.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” he urged. “I can help you.”
Yeah, right. No one could help her.
Devi plastered a wide smile on her face. “I don’t know what you think I need help with! I’m fine.”
Little liar.
His hand was practically itching with the need to spank her ass.
But more than wanting to spank her, he wanted to wrap her up tight in a blanket and rock her back and forth on his lap until she fell asleep.
He wanted to feed her, make her rest, make that smile fill her whole face once more.
Hayes clenched his hands into fists and released them. Something was definitely going on with her tonight.
Drawing out his phone, he messaged Donovan.
Hayes: Not sure when I’ll be back tonight. You good?
Donovan: Wait . . . wait . . . what? Are you . . . do you have company for tonight?
Hayes sighed. Why him? Why did Kent have to pair him with this fucking annoying guy?
Hayes: No. I’m watching Devi tonight.
Donovan: Watching Devi or . . . I mean is that an euphemism for something else? I don’t speak grouchy old man.
Hayes: Keep going and you won’t speak anything. Ever again.
There. That ought to scare him into showing some respect.
Donovan: Just make sure you’re home by morning and treat her well. Also, if you bring home company, hang a sock on the door handle.
For fuck’s sake.
Kill him now. He’d told him he was watching her. A sock on the door? They didn’t share a room! Why would he need to do that? Switching to a different chat, he messaged Kent.
Hayes: You’re going to need to hire someone else.
Kent: What? Why? Are you quitting?
Hayes: No, I’m killing Donovan.
Kent: Sigh . . . what did he do now?
Hayes: He’s a fucking pain in the ass.
Kent: I can tell him to calm down.
Hayes: Don’t need you to do that. Just wanted to give you a heads up about his death.
Putting his phone back down, he studied the room. It was getting busy in here. So far tonight, Devi had broken three glasses and spilled two bowls of fries. And she hadn’t really laughed or smiled once.
Now, it seemed like Mac just had her wiping tables. The old man was studying her with concern too.
What was he missing here? There was something and it was frustrating him. Was it her other boss? Was he hassling her? Did it have something to do with her brother?
There hadn’t been any more threats. But Stein was still jumpy as hell.
Hayes had this bad feeling that something was going to happen . . . and soon. And he had no fucking idea how to prevent it.
“Give me your phone,” he demanded when Devi came close to his table.
“What?” She gave him a startled look.
“Phone. Now.” He held out his hand imperiously.
She huffed out a breath and pulled a phone from her apron pocket. It was pink and bedazzled and ridiculous.
He added his number and then rang it so he would have hers.
“Why are you giving me your number?” she asked.
He just shrugged. Finally, she walked off, muttering to herself.
Walking to the end of the bar, he gestured his head to Mac. The older man moved slowly over.
“Something’s wrong with Devi,” Hayes said bluntly. “You know what it is?”
Mac sighed and shook his head. “She won’t tell me.”
Hayes grunted. “Have you heard anything about what happened to her attacker from the other night?”
“Was just talking to Jerry, the Chief, today. He was charged with assault and remanded on bail.”
Right. At least he was charged.
Hayes sat back at the table and waited until it was close to closing time before he left a tip on the table and walked out to his truck. It took half an hour to clear the place and for her to walk out with the old man.
They got into a beat-up ancient truck and drove away.
Hayes wanted to follow, but he knew that would be pretty fucking obvious at this time of night.
Instead, he brought up her home address and plugged it into his GPS.
He gave them another five minutes before he started driving.
When he reached the trailer park, he didn’t enter but drove past it and parked on the side of the road before walking in.
It took him a moment to find her trailer. Half of them weren’t numbered.
Mother-fucker.
There wasn’t any security lighting but the full moon provided enough light to see that it was the worst one in the park. And he didn’t like that.
At all.
He needed to get her out of this place. Why did she stay? Surely she could afford better.
His hands clenched into fists and he had to resist the urge to pound on her door, pick her up, throw her over his shoulder and carry her out of here.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Every light was on. How was she meant to sleep? And where was her father? Was he even there or was she all on her own?
That was it. He was going in.
He wasn’t going to just stand here anymore.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Shit. Pulling it out, he saw it was Donovan.
Shit. That meant he couldn’t ignore it. He stepped back into the trees that surrounded the park.
“What?” Yeah, he was a grouchy bastard. But he wasn’t really interested in changing.
“Stein got a call and he’s sneaking out to meet with someone. I’m following him.”
What. The. Fuck.
Hayes was torn. He wanted to grab Devi and get her out of here. However, Donovan might be annoying as fuck, but he was his partner. And this sounded fucking dangerous.
For the moment, Devi was safe. She was home, where she’d spent every other night of her life.
So he guessed Donovan needed him more.
“Wait for me,” Hayes barked at him.
“Can’t, man,” Donovan replied. “I don’t know where he’s going so if I stop I’m going to lose him.”
“Fuck. Shit. I’ll track your phone.” They could track their work phones. Hayes jumped in his vehicle and took off, putting Donovan on speaker as he opened the tracker app.
“Sorry to interrupt your Devi watching,” Donovan said.
“Shut up,” Hayes growled. “Why the fuck would Stein leave the house without telling you? And where is Sondra?”
“Asleep upstairs. She took her usual pill and Scotch mix. She’ll be out. I reset the alarm.”
“And he doesn’t know you’re behind him?”
“I’m not an idiot, Hayes,” Donovan snapped.
Okay. He’d never heard the other man get angry like that. He was always so easygoing.
“Right. Good. How did you overhear the phone call?”
“Oh, I bugged his office.”
What?
“I thought Kent said not to do that,” Hayes said in confusion. Had Kent changed his mind and not told him?
“Yeah, I ignored him.”
Fucking hell.
“Are you fucking nuts? Kent is our boss!”
“Yeah, what’s he going to do? Fire me?”
“Yes, you idiot! Or worse, Stein will find out and Kent’s reputation will be toast. He’ll sue. Kent will lose everything and we’ll all be out of jobs.”
There was silence.
“I don’t think I’ve heard you say that much.”
Hayes began praying for divine intervention. Because without that he was going to kill this stupid idiot.
“Tonight, we remove those bugs, got me?” Hayes said in a low voice.
“Got it. He’s entered a shady area of town.”
Yeah, Donovan wasn’t far from Hayes. Because Devi lived in that same fucking shady area.
“Shit, he’s gone into a parking garage. I’m going to park on the ground level and move in by foot.”
“Fucking wait for me,” Hayes demanded.
“Can’t do that, man. I have a feeling he’s meeting with the same guy he was talking to the other night. We need to know what is going on. Plus, he’s still the client, right? I’m simply protecting him.”
God, give him something. Patience, strength, he didn’t know what. But if he didn’t kill Donovan then he deserved a fucking medal.
Hayes pulled over half a block from the parking garage and, sticking to the shadows, he ran toward where the other man was.
Slowing, he moved quietly up several floors of stairs to Donovan’s location. He spotted Donovan crouching behind a large concrete post. Hayes moved carefully forward, choosing a post further away.
Donovan glanced around and he made a quick gesture to him. Then, shielding the light of his phone he sent him a message.
Hayes: I’m to your right and back.
He watched as Donovan checked his phone. There was no light in here other than Stein’s car lights, which he still had on as he idled in a parking space.
What the fuck was he doing?
Donovan: Got it.
Hayes heard a car approaching. It turned onto their level. Thankfully, both he and Donovan had moved so they were hidden as the beams of light hit the building.
Hayes peered around the thick concrete post. The driver didn’t pull it into a space like Stein had.
Stein got out of his car and approached the vehicle. The driver got out to meet him.
Dumb move. But helpful for them. Hayes brought out his phone to take a few photos as he watched the two of them.
Shit. Not close enough to hear. He spotted movement to his right and saw Donovan creep forward to where there was an old car.
It looked like it had been abandoned. Fuck.
Hayes stuck to the shadows as he slowly headed toward the next pole. Risky as fuck.
If they both survived, he was going to kill Donovan.
“I want to get out of the country!” Stein said.