Under Pressure (Body Armor #1)(71)
They’d just reached the big SUV Justice preferred to drive. Ice encrusted the windows and door handles on the passenger side, which faced the open end of the lot. “You should have let me get you at the door,” he complained. “I could have had the ride heated up already.”
“I’m not a flower,” she promised. “I won’t shrivel in the cold.”
Suddenly, with no warning, Justice’s head snapped up and he took one big step in front of her. Being so massive, he completely shielded her, backing her into the car at the side of the door.
“Get in,” he told her, reaching back to hand her the keys.
That particular tone alarmed her as much as the possible threat. She took the keys, but given the ice, she didn’t think she’d get the door open without circling to the driver’s side—in the direction Justice stared. “I can’t. It’s frozen shut.”
He muttered a low curse word, took her arm, and—
“Please, Ms. Silver, don’t go running off.”
Immediately Justice put her behind him again. She tried to peek around, but he didn’t let her. With a hand on the gun in his holster, he ordered, “Get in on the driver’s side.”
The intruder said, “I’m here to talk to you, Ms. Silver.”
Making a guess, she asked, “Is that you, Mr. Tesh?”
The heavy pause gave away his surprise at being so easily identified. “Just Tesh, and yes.”
“Justice,” she said with authority, “you will let me handle this.”
Conflicted, he tugged at his ear again.
“Justice,” she warned.
Reluctantly, he took one step to the side of her. He still protected her with his body, but he’d allowed her to see the men.
She knew right away which one was Tesh, though two others accompanied him but definitely not anyone powerful. Powerful people stayed hidden and sent others to do their dirty work, like cleanup.
“It’s a dreadful night, and I’m sure none of us prefer to stay in the weather any longer than necessary. So tell me, Tesh, how can I help you?”
Her amiable tone confused him further. Apparently deciding Justice wasn’t an issue, Tesh stepped forward. “You can stop fucking around.”
“Language,” Justice snarled.
Incredulous, Tesh barked a laugh.
Even Sahara was surprised by the defense. “It’s fine,” she told Justice, patting his tensed arm. But because she didn’t like his humor at Justice’s expense, she tacked on, “Some men have a very limited vocabulary and vulgarities are all they can manage. We certainly don’t want to tax Mr. Tesh’s abilities, now do we?”
Justice grinned. “Guess not, ma’am.”
Taking the bait, Tesh narrowed his black eyes. “You’re a mouthy bitch, aren’t you?”
Sensing she’d hit a nerve, Sahara stilled Justice’s automatic reaction. “There are security cameras everywhere,” she said as much for the intruders as for Justice’s benefit. “I don’t want to have to defend a murder over something as childish as foul language and insults.”
“If he doesn’t censor his mouth, it’s happening anyway.”
Oh my. Justice truly was heroic. Best to move on quickly. “In answer to your question, yes, I can be quite ‘mouthy,’ if by that you mean I trump your insults with ease.”
The men behind Tesh shifted impatiently. Tesh just pulled off a stocking cap, ran a hand over his shaved head, then, presumably with his rancor controlled, announced, “I want the girl.”
“So many people do.” Stepping farther away from the protective wall of flesh and bone Justice provided, Sahara tapped a gloved finger to her lips. Playing a dangerous guessing game, she said, “Webb Nicholson isn’t the only man who’d like to recover Catalina, is he?”
“Others want her,” Tesh said. “You already knew that. It’s why you were hired.”
Hardly the motivation, but she let it go. “Ah, yes, but I meant another good, well-meaning man. Someone who cares for her and only wants to protect her. Someone she’s accused, but who surely is innocent.” She held his gaze without blinking. “You work for that man as well, don’t you?”
Going more lethal, Tesh asked, “Where did you hear that?”
“Oh, please.” She laughed as if not afraid, as if she didn’t have a clue why she and Justice had been stopped. “I’m good. Better than good. And I do my homework. So I assume this other man is involved?”
He tightened his mouth and stayed mum.
“Is Webb aware that you have divided loyalties?”
More silence, more dead staring.
That was admission enough for her. “If you can meet me halfway, Tesh, I’d like to set an appointment with him.”
Justice tensed in disapproval, but she ignored him.
“I’ve spoken with Catalina several times now—”
“So you have her in your building?” Eyes hard with expectation, Tesh took an aggressive step forward. “You have her here?”
Justice snarled again, so Sahara put a hand on him, restraining him with just a touch.
“Now, Tesh.” She gave him such a pitying look that he ground his teeth. “Did you really think it’d be that easy? Even a man of your meager accomplishments should know better than that.”