I Know Lucy (A Fugitive #1)(31)

Lucy gazed at the card in her hand, taking her time, giving the mark an opportunity to call her over, but he wasn’t quick enough. Instead, the tall blond man was clicking his fingers at her.

She glanced up and was forced to approach him, swallowing back her annoyance.

His pale gaze travelled over her as she approached, nerves exploding through her system like fireworks. Her brain began to buzz as she neared him, her mind igniting with an image from years before.

“I don’t suppose you’d mind showing me that watch.” An arrogant smile eased over his lips, his hard eyes sparkling in a way that was more menacing than anything. “If you’re interested in selling, I might be able to offer you a decent price.” His blond eyebrows rose, making his face look even longer.

That face.

That voice.

Trying to ward off her growing anxiety, she reached into her pocket, deciding it’d be okay if the mark was a different person. She was just handing it over when an image crystallized in her brain. She was suddenly back in a dark stairwell, gazing through a crack in the door. Her mother was screaming and her father was begging a tall blond man with pale green eyes to leave her alone.

Lucy’s breath hitched, her fingers clutching the watch tight.

It was him.

She was standing a foot away from her parents’ killer.





Chapter 15





LUCY


May 2011





“I—uh, I have to go.”

“Excuse me?” His eyes hardened, making them look like cold emeralds.

“I’m sorry, I have to get back to the bar.” She shoved the watch into her apron pocket and turned.

He tried to grab her arm, but she snaked out of his way.

“Excuse me, miss. I’d like to order something more,” he called after her, but she didn’t stop, just kept moving. Slamming her tray on the bar, she made Mark jump.

“What’s your problem?”

“I feel sick.” She swallowed. “I think I’m gonna be sick.” She made a beeline through the kitchen and instead of turning right towards the bathrooms, headed straight out the back door. The night air hit her and she ran straight into it, pumping her arms as fear coursed through her muscles.

Her breaths were erratic and punchy as she raced around the corner and straight into a pair of tight arms. She screamed, trying to pull away, but the grip was relentless.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Shorty’s pincer grip grew tighter as he pulled her down the street. Marlin was waiting in the car, looking worried. Shorty opened the back door and shoved her inside, before they squealed away from the curb.

“How the hell could you screw that up? We were playing it perfectly. It didn’t matter that the mark had changed. I told you to go with the flow in those situations. Damn it, Cyan. You just lost us a shitload of cash. That arrogant prick would have paid big time for that watch. I could see it in his smarmy expression.”

“I think he was a cop,” Lucy mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself. Her insides were quivering, she could feel her organs jumping to a terror-filled tune.

She’d seen him.

It was him!

“You don’t know he was cop.”

“I just…I could feel it. He was onto me. I had to back away.”

“We were killing that con. He was the perfect mark — arrogant and greedy. He was eating out of your hand until you screwed it up.” Shorty slammed the dashboard as Marlin accelerated through the green light. “Sputtering like a school girl amateur! You might as well have written conman on your forehead, you stupid, stupid girl!”

They drove the rest of the way in silence, Lucy fighting off waves of nausea as memories assaulted her, while also trying to combat the growing dread of dealing with Shorty.

He stomped up the stairs and slammed the door of their apartment once they were all through.

“I’m sorry, Shorty.” Lucy untied her apron, too afraid to look at him. “But something was off.”

“Even if he was a cop. It was obvious he was a dirty one and we could have pulled if off anyway.”

She looked at him incredulously. “As soon as he figured out the con, he’d be all over us!”

“We wouldn’t be around to be caught!” He threw his hands in the air and looked at her like she was dumb. “Why are you so scared of cops anyway? They’re some of the easiest people to bribe.”

“Duh,” Marlin scoffed. “Not all of them can be, Shorty.” He moved to stand by Lucy, his protective instincts there for all to see.

Lucy felt a touch better, knowing he wasn’t going to let Shorty completely demolish her.

“No.” Shorty shook his finger, stabbing Lucy with a dangerous gaze. “It’s more than that. She’s running from the law for more than one reason. It ain’t just the conning that’s got you spooked, is it Cyan?”

She kept her head still, refusing to shake it in front of him. “I just don’t trust them. Like you said, some are crooked, some aren’t. We won’t always be able to tell the difference.”

“And that’s where you underestimate me, little girl. I know you’re lying.” His face was mottled with rage, making Lucy shrink back behind Marlin. With a disgusted scoff, Shorty stormed from the room.