Showdown in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law, #3)(47)

“Spider? I thought you said he was a pansy.”

“He is a pansy, which is why he shot me instead of bringing me in so Sonny could do it himself. Lucky for me he ran after the first shot.”

“And you lured him into a booth in a seedy bar and shoved a gun in his crotch.” Zach laughed. “You’re my kind of woman.”

“And you didn’t arrest me for doing it.” Raissa lifted one hand and placed it on the side of his face. “You’re my kind of man.”





Pounding on the room’s door brought Raissa out of her satisfied haze. “Raissa,” Maryse said in a loud whisper. “There’s somebody out back. I’m opening the door.” Raissa heard the key turning in the lock and looked at Zach, who was frozen, staring at the door as if he were headed for the chopping block. It was far too late to do anything about clothes, or blankets, since the only one within reach was the one they were laying on. So Raissa did what any other woman would do in that situation. She smiled.

Maryse opened the door and slipped inside. She looked toward the bed, but when she found it empty she looked the other direction and gasped. “Holy shit.” She put her hands over her eyes. “I am sooooooo sorry. I had no idea you two were…um…working? On the floor? In the nude?”

She spread the fingers on one hand and took a peek. “Okay, well, maybe I’m not completely sorry.”

Raissa laughed as she sat up and tossed Zach’s clothes to him. “The bathroom’s behind you. Put on some clothes before she gets any ideas.”

Maryse lowered her hands as Zach slipped into the bathroom, and leaned slightly to the side so she could watch his backside. “You mean any more ideas.” She grinned at Raissa. “Wow. Nice butt, but don’t you dare tell Luc I said so.”

All of a sudden, the grin dropped from Maryse’s expression. “Holy crap—I completely forgot. The monitors. There’s a guy out back.” She grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt from the dresser and tossed them at Raissa. “Would you mind?”

Raissa slipped into the jeans and shirt as she studied the monitors. “Where did you see him?”

Maryse pointed to a monitor showing the alley behind the hotel. “He was behind the hotel at the back door. He tried the door handle, and I figured he was going to try to break in, so I hauled butt down here.”

Raissa studied the screen and frowned. “Then where is he now? The alarm never went off, so he’s not in the hotel.”

“Maybe we should have Helena look. She’s in the room next to mine. I could send her outside.”

Raissa nodded. “Do that, but get right back in here afterward. I don’t want us separated if we don’t have to be. Where’s Mildred?”

“She had three glasses of wine at dinner tonight, so she’s sleeping like the dead.”

“Good, then tell Helena to keep this quiet so we don’t panic her.”

“Gotcha.”

“Who’s Helena?” Zach asked, and they both jumped. Maryse stared at him, her eyes wide, then rushed out of the room, shooting a fearful glance at Raissa on her way out.

“Who’s Helena?” Zach repeated. “Another friend?”

“You could say that.” Raissa frantically searched her mind for a rational way to explain Helena Henry. Finally, she decided to avoid the topic for the moment. “She has special abilities.”

Zach raised one eyebrow. “Can she make herself invisible? Because I can’t think of a good reason to send someone outside the hotel to look for this guy unless you want them dead.” He stared at Raissa for a moment. “You don’t want her dead, do you?”

“Of course not!” Because she already is. “I would never intentionally put another human being in danger.” Not a live one anyway.

Thankfully, Maryse slipped into the room again and saved her from any more Helena questions. “Well?” Raissa asked.

Maryse shot a nervous look at Zach, then looked back at Raissa. “She was asleep, but she’s headed downstairs now. If she sees anything, she’ll come back up.”

Raissa nodded and looked at the screen displaying the back of the hotel just in time to see Helena walk through the hotel wall and into the alley. She tapped the screen and Maryse stepped closer to look. Zach looked at the screen, then at Raissa and Maryse, wondering what the hell they found so interesting.

Raissa knew she was holding her breath as she watched Helena stroll across the alley to the garage. Neither Raissa’s nor Maryse’s car was in Mudbug, much less in the garage, but the intruder had no way of knowing they’d arrived by way of a fish truck. Helena walked through the wall of the garage, and Raissa looked over at Maryse.

Maryse’s eyes were wide as saucers, and she inclined her head toward Zach. Raissa barely shook her head to let Maryse know that Zach was not in on the Helena connection. With any luck whatsoever, he’d never have to be. Raissa looked back at the monitor.

But her luck had run out.

A man burst out from the front door of the garage and right behind him came Helena. Raissa might still have been able to swing an explanation if it weren’t for the trashcan lid and crowbar Helena was wielding like one of King Arthur’s knights. The only blessing was that Zach couldn’t see what she was wearing. Unfortunately for Maryse and Raissa, they could, and full body tights with a family crest on the front was not Helena’s best look.