Kiss an Angel(124)

Her mind reeled with terrible images. Sinjun didn’t have a normal tiger’s fear of people. He wouldn’t realize the men coming at him with guns wanted to hurt him. She saw his body jerking as the bullets hit him. She saw him lying on the ground, his orange-and-brown striped coat streaked with blood, and she whirled on Sheba.

“I won’t let you do this! I’ll go to the authorities. They’ll put a stop to it.”

“No, they won’t,” Sheba replied. “There’s nothing illegal about selling a tiger. Webley told me he’s going to exhibit Sinjun at his hunting ranch. That’s not against the law.”

“Except he’s not going to exhibit him, is he? He’s going to let him be killed.” Daisy felt as if she were choking. “I’ll go to the authorities. I will. They’ll put a stop to this.”

“I doubt it,” Sheba said. “Webley’s been getting around the law for years. Someone would have to testify that they actually saw the kill, and that’s not likely to happen. Besides, it would be too late by then, wouldn’t it?”

Daisy had never felt such hatred for another human being. “How can you do something like this? If you hate me so much, why didn’t you just come after me? Why did you have to go after Sinjun?”

Alex moved into the center of the ring with her. “I’ll pay you twice what Webley offered.”

“This time your money’s worthless, Alex. You’re not buying Sinjun like you did Glenna. I made it a condition of the sale.”

Daisy’s head shot up. Alex hadn’t told her he’d bought Glenna. She’d known he was the one who’d arranged for her to go to the Brookfield Zoo, but she hadn’t realized his money had made it possible. The gorilla had ended up in her spacious new home because of him.

“You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?” he said.

“Webley’s people won’t be picking Sinjun up until dawn.” Her expression grew sly. “I don’t sign the final papers till then, and I could always change my mind.”

Alex’s quiet whisper was barely audible. “Now we get to the heart of it, don’t we, Sheba?”

Sheba gazed over at Daisy, who was still standing outside the ring with Brady. “You’d like that wouldn’t you, Daisy? If I stopped all this. I can do it, you know. With one phone call.”

“Of course, you can,” Alex murmured. “And what do I have to do to get you to make that phone call?”

Sheba turned to face him, and it was as if Brady and Daisy had disappeared, leaving only the two of them to confront each other in the center ring they had both been born to. She closed the small distance that remained between them, moving sinuously, almost like a lover, except there was no love between them. “You know what you have to do.”

“Spell it out.”

Sheba turned toward Daisy and Brady. “The two of you have to leave us alone. This is between Alex and me.”

Brady exploded. “This is bullshit, is what it is! If I knew this was what you were up to, I swear to God, I’d of beat the crap out of you!”

His bluster left her unmoved. “If you and Daisy don’t get out of here, that’ll be the end of the tiger.”

“Go on,” Alex said. “Do what she wants.”

Brady looked as if he’d lost everything he’d believed in, and his voice grew bitter as he turned to Alex. “Don’t you let her cut your balls off. She’ll try, but don’t you dare let her do that.”

“I don’t intend to,” he said quietly.

Daisy threw an imploring look at him, but he was concentrating on Sheba, and he didn’t notice.

“Come on, Daisy. Let’s get out of here.” Brady wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her toward the back door. These past few months had taught her how to fight and she started to resist, but then she realized that Alex was Sinjun’s only hope.

Once outside, she took a deep gulp of the chilly night air, and her teeth began to chatter. Brady hugged her and whispered, “I’m sorry, Daisy. I didn’t think she’d go this far.”

From inside, they heard Alex’s scornful voice, only slightly muffled by the nylon sides of the big top. “You’re a real businesswoman, Sheba. If you sell Sinjun to me I’ll make it worth your while. All you have to do is name your price.”

Both she and Brady stood rooted to the spot, knowing they should leave but unable to. Then Brady grasped her hand and pulled her into the shadows by the back door, where they couldn’t be seen but had a partial view of the center ring.

She saw Sheba stroke Alex’s arm. “It’s not your money I want. You should know that. It’s your pride.”

He pulled himself away, as if he couldn’t bear her touch. “What the hell does that mean?”

“If you want that tiger back, you’re going to have to beg me for him.”

“You go to hell.”

“The great Alex Markov is going to have to get on his knees and beg.”

“I’d die first.”

“You won’t do it?”

“Not in a million years.” He splayed his hands on his hips. “You can do whatever you want with that damned tiger, but I’m not getting on my knees for you or anybody.”

“I’m surprised. I guess I thought you’d do anything for that little simp. I should have known that you don’t really love her.” For a moment she looked up into the shadows of the rigging, then she returned her attention to him. “I suspected it all along, and I guess I should have followed my instincts. How could you love her? You’re too damned coldhearted to love anybody.”