Breaking Her Rules(31)

He could hear a low, grunting and clanging sound so he eased out of his hiding place and hurried around the dimly lit pool to the one-story building. Slowly he crept along the wall and once he reached the end, he carefully looked around the corner.

For a moment he blinked at what he saw. A man in a tuxedo had a green hose with a nozzle on the end of it in his hands and was trying to throw it over the privacy wall like it had a grappling hook attached to it or something. Clearly these thieves hadn’t thought anything through. Probably thought they’d do a quick grab and run.

Idiots.

Sheathing his weapon, Kell crept up on the man and tapped on his shoulder as he reached him. The man yelped and jumped as he turned. From his right Kell heard Iris snicker, but she didn’t make her presence otherwise known.

“What are you doing?” he asked the other man calmly.

“Uh…” He looked around frantically and dropped the hose. As he moved a diamond bracelet fell out from somewhere under his jacket—he’d probably lifted it from a guest. The man stank of booze and even though he swayed once, he tried to take a swing at Kell.

Easily dodging the wide punch, Kell grabbed his arm, twisted him around and slammed his face against the wall as he pinned his arm behind his back. As the man struggled and cried out about ‘suing his ass’, Kell spoke into his communicator. “Got the other guy. Tell the police we’ll be bringing them around the side of the house. They can pick them up near the main gate.” He didn’t want the guests seeing any of this.

Kell felt more than heard Iris as she approached. Wearing a sleek black dress that split to mid-thigh he knew she had to have a weapon on her somewhere. The woman rarely smiled but right now she was grinning. “I thought I was gonna die when you just tapped him on the shoulder like that. You should’ve just punched him.”

His eyes widened slightly at her comment. “Didn’t know you were so bloodthirsty.”

She simply shrugged and the man he’d just flex-cuffed moaned about police brutality. “We’re not the police, you dick,” Iris muttered as she grabbed one of his upper arms.

Kell took the other and they began leading him back toward the house. Oh yeah, tonight was off to a great start.