Chapter 30
Sonic Temple was gone. It had been razed to the ground.
The lot had been cleared, and now it was just a big empty plot on the strip.
Harvey still hadn't given me an answer about whether he wanted to sell it or not.
There was a lot of history and emotion tied up in it.
Sonic Temple had been the premier venue for live acts on the island.
Vibe stepped up to take its place, though it didn't have quite the capacity or the sound system. Still, it wasn't a bad venue. It had its own brand of charm.
Security in a place like this was a nightmare. Especially with a bounty on our heads. We had metal detectors at the door and had beefed up personnel. I kept my head on a swivel for the entire show. Jack wasn't about to back down. No matter what, Wild Fury hit the stage as scheduled.
Jack had ditched the sling for the show. All things considered, he was in pretty good shape. He wasn't quite as active on stage as usual, but he put on a helluva show for the crowd. They soaked it up with their usual fervor.
Wild Fury pounded the audience with tried-and-true favorites. They were a few songs in when I saw Catalina step into the club alone.
I was watching the show from the back of the club to see how it looked and sounded. Catalina didn’t see me at first.
I kept my head on a swivel, looking for any of her associates, then weaved through the crowd. I caught up to Catalina and took her arm. “What are you doing here?”
“Can’t a girl take in a show?”
“I didn’t think this was your style.”
“I have broad and varied tastes. You’ve only just scratched the surface with me.”
I kept a wary eye on my surroundings. “I think someone wanted to kill us this afternoon but thought better of it.”
“I’m Diego Navarro’s daughter. Nobody is going to try anything while you’re with me.”
“Well, you should put in a good word with him for me.”
“I did. We don’t see eye to eye on the matter.”
“That’s too bad.” I paused. “You know this isn’t going to work out well for either of you.”
“What can I say? We can both be stubborn at times.”
“You should walk away from this while you still can.”
“Are you saying if I left, you wouldn’t come after me?”
“I’m saying there are limits to my jurisdiction.”
“You don’t strike me as the type of man who lets limits get in his way. There is a part of me that would be a little disappointed if you didn't continue to chase me. I might feel like I was unimportant.”
I laughed. "I think you will always be important.”
Catalina smirked.
"Why did you come here?”
"Isn't it obvious? I'm a fan of Wild Fury." Then she added, "And I wanted to see you."
We stared into each other's eyes for a long moment.
I broke my gaze to look around and check my surroundings again, ever on high alert.
"Relax, nobody's going to try anything here. Theoretically, the closer we are, the less likely an assassin's bullet will find you. Nobody's foolish enough to take the risk.”
"What if you get on your father's bad side?”
She laughed. "You’re talking about blood. As far as my father's concerned, nothing’s thicker."
"This isn’t a game.”
"Yes, it is. And we both like playing.”
She had a point. We were both adrenaline junkies and liked to push the limit. We liked to live on the edge.
"You shouldn’t have come,” I said.
"It's a free country. And don't lie, you’re happy to see me," she said with a sparkle in her eyes.
"No, I'm not," I lied.
Catalina laughed again, knowing better. "You know we could escape.”
"Escape?”
"Find a remote tropical island. Nothing but sun, sand, and surf.
And perhaps a lot of something else that starts with S.
Or, if you're a winter person, we could disappear into the mountains. The cool, crisp air. Fresh powder. Hot chocolate by a roaring fire. A bearskin rug. That could be equally fun.”
"It's a fantasy."
"Everybody should have one. I'm quite fond of fantasies. Besides, reality is overrated.”
"At some point, we all have to face the truth."
"There is no truth. Only subjective interpretations of reality.”
I gave her a look.
"Oh, live a little. Loosen up. Have fun.”
"It's hard to loosen up when people are trying to kill you 24/7.”
"Maybe you should get into a different line of work."
"I like what I do."
She smiled. "So do I.”
She wasn't talking about manufacturing high-end jewelry. That was just a cover. I suspected she liked the thrill and power of running the cartel stateside.
I liked the chase.
She liked the thrill of not getting caught. And right now, I had nothing on her.
"Maybe I will take your advice,” she said. “Maybe I will walk away from all of this.”
"That would be the smart thing to do. An even smarter thing to do would be to turn state’s evidence.”
She lifted an eyebrow. "Testify against my father?”
"I'm sure the state’s attorney would be willing to agree to a generous deal.”
"Remember what I said about blood, deputy. I will never turn on my father.” She smiled. "But it sure would piss him off if we spent the night together.” A devious smile curled on her plump lips.
Catalina was damn near irresistible. Raven hair, smoldering tawny eyes, full lips, classic features, and the kind of figure that could make a man do stupid things.
I was feeling pretty stupid at the moment.
"The FBI is probably watching us,” I said. “I'm sure they’ve tapped your phone.”
"I got a new phone. And I'll get another phone tomorrow. And a new one the day after that. They can play their games. I can play mine.” She paused. "I'm offering you an opportunity to get close to your suspect. God knows what secrets I might reveal after a good orgasm.”
The heat turned up a little. Suddenly, my collar felt tight, and my heart beat faster.
"It's a tempting offer.”
"I just want to help you do your job,” she said with a devilish smirk.
"As much as it pains me, I'm going to have to decline."
"See, that's what I like about you. You're a man of principle. You have discipline. It just makes me want you all the more.” She sighed.
"I guess we'll just have to love each other from afar.
" Then she added, "But if you prefer to get up close and personal, I'll be at the Seven Seas in the Coconut Cabana tonight. Just give the secret knock, and I might let you in.” She wiggled her fingers goodbye. "I'll see you around, Deputy."
She spun around and sauntered toward the door.
I watched her go, mesmerized by those hips, then gave another glance around to make sure there weren't any threats.
The band finished their song, and Jack howled into the microphone. "Thanks for coming out tonight! We love you. We've got one more song, then we’ve got to ramble. This is “Invincible.”
Dizzy thundered a power chord, and I weaved through the crowd, past security, to the side of the stage.
The band pummeled the audience with earsplitting goodness, then darted off stage sweaty and exhausted.
Groupies rushed toward them, but the extra security staff kept them at bay.
I escorted the guys to the green room. We filed in, and I locked the door behind us.
The space was decked out with tubs of ice-cold beer, whiskey, wine, and other fine liquors. There were plenty of snacks and sandwiches.
The guys toweled off and high-fived each other. It was another great show. The crowd stomped their feet and cheered, begging for another encore. But this was it. The end of the show for tonight.
Pinky and Floyd began to break down the gear and load it into the van. Jack called for a rideshare. I hustled outside, checked the parking lot, and cleared the hallway.
A black Lincoln Navigator pulled around to the back entrance of the club, and I escorted the guys out of the green room.
We hustled down the hall, stepped outside, and piled into the SUV.
Maybe it was overkill, but I was a little more cautious than usual.
There was no doubt in my mind that Diego Navarro had his daughter followed around.
He probably knew exactly where she was at all times and who she was talking to.
Now that she was no longer in my proximity, I was fair game.
I'm not sure what he thought he'd accomplish by killing us.
But it would send a powerful message. Maybe other cops wouldn't pursue a case against Catalina.
There were a lot of guys on the force that had a lot to lose—a wife, kids.
Sometimes it makes sense to let the bad guys walk if it means you and your family get to keep breathing.
We returned to the Avventura, and the guys texted a few select beauties to accompany them for the rest of the evening. I wanted to keep it low-key—as low-key as things could be around here.
It was tempting to drop by the Coconut Cabana, but I left it alone. Didn’t mean I didn’t dream about Catalina all night.
In the morning, my phone buzzed the nightstand, bright and early. Amber shafts of light slipped in through cracks in the blinds.
I reached a sleepy hand for the phone, swiped the screen, and held it to my ear.
“Deputy Wild, this is Lauren Prescott, Liam’s sister.”
“Yes, what can I do for you?”