Bare It All

chapter TEN

ALICE STEPPED OUT of the changing room in the cuffed jean capris, peasant top and wedge sandals. Pepper looked her over with a big smile, then proclaimed the outfit, “Perfect.”

It would be her fifth, which was only a third of what Pepper had purchased.

Alice toyed with the loose ties at the neck of the shirt. “It’s comfortable.” So far, everything Pepper had helped her choose was easy to wear, affordable and complimentary.

“That outfit, with your new hairstyle...” Pepper whistled. “Reese will go nuts.”

She touched her hair, now parted more to the side, trimmed just enough to make it fuller and deliberately tousled. She liked it, too. “It’ll be easy to replicate.”

“The makeup, too. Honestly, you have such great bones, you can’t go wrong.”

No one had ever noticed her bones before, so she had to wonder about that. When Pepper’s phone rang, Alice darted again into the changing room to dress in her regular clothes.

They’d been shopping for hours now, before and after lunch. Alice admired the pale, iridescent pink on her nails and toes, thanks to a professional mani and pedi.

Pepper had encouraged her to be worked over, head to toes, and she’d had so much fun.

Except for the sensation of being watched.

Off and on throughout the day, Alice had felt the scrutiny but no alarm. Sometimes being so observant was a curse.

Most likely the attention had been men admiring Pepper. Her new friend had the kind of “stop traffic” looks that never failed to draw male appreciation.

When she stepped back out of the room, Pepper accompanied her to the cashier, saying, “That was Logan. They’re done at the station finally, so I guess we should call it a day.”

Alice smiled. “I know you’re anxious to see him again.”

“It’s new to me,” Pepper admitted. “I’m probably smothering him, but he’ll just have to get over it.”

“He adores you, so I’m sure he doesn’t mind.” She paid with a credit card, then retrieved her additional packages.

“He does.” Pepper gave a happy sigh. “I’ve always loved my brother, but there haven’t been many other people in my life that I could care about.”

They started out to the parking lot where they’d met up. “Rowdy is a very interesting person.” At loose ends now, but Alice trusted that he’d find his way. He struck her as a very resourceful man.

“He’s the best of brothers and a terrific ally if you ever need one.”

A hint? An offer? Alice grinned. “Reese told you he came to visit me?”

“Yeah.” She stopped by Alice’s car. “I won’t pry, but if you ever need anything, I can be a pretty good ally, too.”

“Thank you.” No way would she unload her issues on Pepper, especially since her new friend had only recently found peace of her own. She deserved happiness, not drama.

“I don’t want Logan to overdo it today, but what would you think about getting together for dinner after he’s healed up a little? We could all four go out. Someplace not fancy, because I don’t do fancy much.”

“That sounds perfect, thank you. If Reese is willing, I’d enjoy it.”

Pepper snorted. “Reese is all kinds of willing. All you have to do is get on board.” She laughed. “Take advantage of the time he has off.”

Good advice. Alice said, “I think I will.”

Laden with her own packages, Pepper left her with a wave, going to the other end of the lot where she’d parked. Alice waited until she saw Pepper get in a car, then she checked the time.

With any luck, she’d return to the apartment before Cash lost patience and soiled the floor. This was his usual nap time, but when she wasn’t around, his routine always differed.

She unlocked her car, stored her packages in the back and opened the windows to let out the steamy heat. While she waited for the air-conditioning to kick on, she did her usual survey of her surroundings.

The mall did plenty of business with cars coming and going, women walking along in small groups, couples with children. Alice appreciated the sight of normalcy—until the hairs on the back of her neck stirred.

Visually seeking the source of the alarm, she noticed a slow-moving van. Nice, new, silver...nothing to elicit suspicion—until it stopped beside a truck parked on the outskirts of the lot, away from the rest of the congestion.

Eyes narrowed, Alice put her car in gear and drove closer. Using care, she retrieved her dark sunglasses and slipped them on, then pulled up by the end of a line of other parked cars. Near enough now to watch, but hopefully not that obvious. Other drivers went past in front of her, then continued on, helping to disguise her scrutiny.

The side door of the van opened, and a young lady stepped out. The driver of the truck met her before she’d taken two steps. Her right arm sported a thick gauze bandage, loosely taped in place. Otherwise she looked fine, dressed nicely enough in jeans and a halter, her long brown hair tidy.

For reasons Alice couldn’t understand, her heart lurched.

Holding on to the girl’s elbow, the truck driver spoke through the passenger window. He smiled, and though Alice couldn’t hear what he said, her mind conjured all sorts of awful dialogue.

Things she’d heard before. Arrangements. Deals.

Okay, so maybe to the casual observer, it’d only look like the man assisted the young woman into his truck.

Alice saw it differently.

Why was she being moved from a van to a truck? Why in a parking lot? What had happened to her arm?

Even as she told herself she could be overreacting, Alice gave over to her screaming instincts. Waiting until the van pulled away, she put her car in gear and followed the truck at a cautious distance, always keeping at least two vehicles between them. Through the rear window of the truck, she watched the driver and his passenger, attuned to nuances in body language.

Alert.

Her senses churned, her stomach burning, her mouth dry.

Possibilities, spurred by a remembrance of things she’d seen, things she’d reluctantly taken part in, mixed with fresh resolve, pushing aside all other considerations. Cash was home safe. Pepper had already driven away. Logan and Reese were together, just leaving the station.

She had no one else to worry about—except the young woman in the truck.

Her hands squeezed the steering wheel, steadying her nerve and helping her to focus. The outside shaking abated, but inside, she remained a bundle of jitters.

The truck drove in the opposite direction of where she lived. Farther and farther from her personal sanctuary, from her self-imposed exile, her lonely haven.

In and out of side streets, nearer and nearer to the wrong side of town.

Twice, Alice almost lost the truck. She closed the distance a little, scared spitless on many levels. While she rationalized her actions and tried to plan for outcomes, troublesome doubt returned her thoughts to Reese.

She had absolutely no illusion about how he’d feel at the prospect of her trailing possible trouble. But their relationship was fresh, new, so testing the boundaries would be expected, right?

Neither of them had spelled out any stipulations yet.

Stay out of trouble. Did he really need to spell that out?

Never did she want to outright lie to him, but for sure he would ask. She’d been gone all day. It was time for dinner. And Pepper had already assured Logan she was on her way home, so Reese would expect her to be at the apartment when he got there.

That is, if he came straight home.

Home. She couldn’t start thinking that way. Right now, their arrangement was far from concrete.

And she’d just come full circle in her thoughts.

Nervous sweat dampened her palms, the back of her neck. With each mile covered, the area got more disreputable. Not that location mattered all that much when the monsters crawled out. They lurked everywhere, in high society and poverty, in business and in everyday life.

Her courage waned as they passed the bus terminal. Few people were out beneath the heat of the midday sun. They left behind businesses and went into a residential neighborhood, except that everything seemed abandoned.

The driver steered around a corner, dark and ominous and empty except for the crumbling brick facade of an old motel with single-story units that formed an L. The truck drove around to the back.

Alice paused before falling into that trap; her car idled on the street, her doors locked, her senses alive to warning signs. She quickly surveyed the area and decided to take an adjacent street separated from the motel only by an overgrown empty lot. She coasted along the curb until she finally spied the truck pulled up to a more open area at the rear entrance.

Neglect fell like a dark stain over the abandoned motel. Jagged glass clung to the frame of a broken back window. Weeds grew up through crumbling blacktop in what used to be a parking lot. Graffiti covered some of the individual doors. An awning hung haphazardly, ready to drop.

No one had inhabited that wretched place for a very long time.

So, why would the man take the girl in there?

Wishing she’d been wrong, Alice put her car in Park. Quickly locking up, she glanced around but saw no one. Farther down the street, a siren blared, and in the distance she could hear the traffic on the highway.

With trembling hands she confirmed the contents of her purse. Satisfied, she drew a calming breath and went in pursuit of the woman, her steps hurried up the broken sidewalk to the front of the motel.

Circling the building, she peeked around and saw the man holding on to the woman’s wrist while he worked keys in the dead bolt of a locked door. The unit he chose was at the end, with windows on two walls—but the windows were boarded up from the outside.

What to do, what to do? Wait for him to get inside, so they were out of the way of prying eyes?

Or act now, in case others were inside?

It would be awful enough confronting one man. But if she had to face two, or even three...

She lost the opportunity for choices when the door opened and the man urged the woman inside, then started to follow her.

Damn, damn, damn.

If he locked that door... “Hello!” Hearing her voice break the silence nearly made her hysterical.

But it didn’t change her mind.

Alice hastened her step, all but jogging down to the remote unit. “Excuse me, please,” she called even louder.

Incredulous, the man stuck his head back out the door. He had reddish-brown hair, a tidy goatee and a pocked complexion. He glared at her, looked beyond her, around then back to her with fury. “What?”

Moving her lips in the semblance of a smile, Alice waved to him. “Could you help me, please? I think I’m lost, and I don’t see anyone else—”

“Get lost, lady.” He started to move away.

Oh, God. Alice slipped her hand into her purse. Closer and closer she got to the door. “My phone died. I only need to make a call.” Her heart thumped so hard it hurt. “Please.”

Anger darkened his eyes. His insulting gaze crawled all over her. A smile stretched his mouth. He muttered something to the woman inside the room before holding the door open for her. “Fine. Come on in, and we can get you sorted out.”

Bile tried to crawl up her throat. She did not want to get close to him. Vision closing in, she nodded. “Thank you. That would be very helpful.”

Her skin crawled as she walked past him, and when she saw the room, she thought she might faint. Dark, with peeling paint on the walls, exposed pipes from the defunct heater/air conditioner and stained carpet. It was bare except for an older wooden desk, no chair, and a mattress on the floor. The girl stood in a corner, her back to the wall, her expression watchful, horrified.

Alice turned in time to see him locking the door.

He leered at her, saying, “Stupid bitch.”

In answer, Alice pulled out her Taser.

* * *

ROWDY DROVE AS fast as he dared. What the hell was she doing? He’d tailed Alice from the shopping mall, curious, a little concerned when she headed away from her apartment.

Never in a million years had he thought she’d pull a prank like this.

It took him a bit to realize she was tailing someone herself. Why, he didn’t yet know, but he’d find out when he caught up to her.

Unfortunately, he got hung up at a light, stuck behind a couple of other cars. He saw Alice turn a corner.

He knew the area, and he knew there wasn’t a damn thing there for her.

Nothing...except trouble.

* * *

TREMBLING ALL OVER, Alice held the Taser steady.

Nostrils flared, hands curling into fists, the man all but spit out, “What the f*ck is this?”

Finding her voice wasn’t easy. “I’ve already flipped the safety into the armed position. I know how to use it, and I know it will incapacitate you.”

“You’re insane.”

“Sometimes I wonder.” Getting enough oxygen into her lungs proved impossible. She all but panted—and still felt light-headed. “Don’t move. I will seriously fry you if you do.” The Taser had a fifteen-foot range, but in the small confines of the motel room, she was far closer than that.

Too close.

Without looking away from the man, she asked, “What’s your name?”

“Hickson.”

Alice shook her head. “No, not you. I don’t care about you.” She tipped her head toward the girl. “I meant her.”

Hickson snarled. “She’s not your concern.”

Alice wanted to shoot him. Bad. “I’m making her my concern.”

The girl fought back tears. “Ch-Cheryl.”

“What’s wrong with your arm, Cheryl?”

“T-t-tattoo.”

Disgusted, Hickson said, “Stop that goddamned stuttering!”

Alice scowled, and when the girl stammered again, saying, “S-sorry,” she lost her fragile grasp on control.

Heartbeat thundering in her ears, she whispered, “I don’t like you.” And with that, Alice pulled the trigger.

Teeth clenched and muscles bunched, Hickson gave a guttural scream of agony. His body went rigid, bowing hard as an incapacitating pulse overrode his motor functions, robbing him of any threat. It went on and on—because Alice continued to squeeze the trigger. His knees gave out, and he collapsed to the floor. Alice glanced at Cheryl. The girl covered her ears and sank to her haunches, her eyes squeezed shut.

Seeing that put her on autopilot.

Using her left hand, Alice retrieved the restraints from her purse.

The second she let up on the Taser, she was on Hickson, using the nylon straps to bind his arms behind his back. She leaped away just as quickly.

Cheryl whimpered.

Sympathy for the girl tore at Alice. She wanted to bludgeon Hickson over the head, but if she did, she might accidentally kill him, and what would Reese think about that?

Having a man in her life was proving problematic already. But she couldn’t think about that now.

Her Taser allowed her to shoot three times, thirty seconds each. She had to hurry or odds of them walking away would diminish.

She didn’t know the circumstances here, but she recognized Cheryl as a victim, Hickson as a creep. He could have a cohort or a buyer due to show up any minute. She just didn’t know.

On a slow breath, keeping that Taser steady on Hickson, she withdrew another nylon restraint from her purse. “Cheryl, calm down.”

“Oh, God, oh, God!”

“I can’t get you out of here if you don’t help.”

That got her attention. She sniffled, wiped her nose with a shaking hand. With wretched uncertainty, she asked, “Get me out? To go wh-where?”

“Away from here.” After that...well, she’d have to figure it out.

Hickson groaned, so Alice zapped him again.

His body flopped, jerked.

She let up and watched him slump boneless to the floor. Cheryl wasn’t helping much, so she’d have to rely on herself. She went back to Hickson, this time tightening the nylon around his ankles, under his pant legs. Luckily he didn’t wear boots; she was able to get them really tight.

When she finished, she tossed a nylon tie to the poor girl still slumped on the floor, now wide-eyed with confusion. “Cheryl, I need you to attach his ankles to that pipe.”

Cheryl tripped toward a protruding pipe.

“No, the other one.” Alice watched her. “The wet, moldy, dripping pipe.”

“Are you a...a cop?” Cheryl asked while looping the nylon through the ankle restraints and around the pipe. There was barely enough room.

“No, sorry.”

Cheryl hesitated. “Are you working for someone else?”

“I’m self-employed.” Her attention on Hickson, Alice watched, ready if he moved a single muscle...

All he did was moan.

Cheryl threw herself away from him, doing a crab crawl backward until she ended up in the middle of the disgusting mattress, her knees pulled up, her arms around her shins.

Hickson was completely immobilized, far enough away from the door that he wouldn’t be able to reach it. And cuffed to the pipe that way, he’d have a hard time sitting up.

Alice decided she would leave him there until she formulated a plan. On the desk was a phone, some change, a slip of paper with a number. Alice gathered it all up. “Does he have a wallet?”

“I don’t know.”

Alice had no intention of getting close to him again. “All right. Come with me, please. Quickly.”

Hickson groaned again as they sidled out of the room, being sure to stay out of his reach. At the door, Alice peeked out, replaced the Taser in her purse and motioned for Cheryl to follow.

As she hustled past the truck, she paused, then decided to take a risk. “Wait.” She dug the small folding knife out of her purse, went to one knee on the gritty, rough blacktop and cut the air valve off a tire.

If Hickson did find a way to get loose, he wouldn’t be driving anywhere.

Her knee hurt as she stood again, but she paid it no mind. “Come on.”

Cheryl followed as she darted back to her car, this time crossing the field. Weeds caught on her clothes; disturbed insects swarmed upward.

Alice tried to be vigilant, looking around for prying eyes. She saw no one. “Does anyone else know about that place?”

Swiping at the mascara tracks staining her cheeks, Cheryl hurried behind her. “Yes.”

She should have known. Creeps gravitated to each other, often running in packs like wild dogs. “Do you know when they’ll go back there?”

Cheryl shook her head.

Alice said, “I’ll figure it out.” How, she had no idea. Eventually she’d have to tell Reese. Or better yet, she could call... No. She wouldn’t do that.

Maybe she could trust Rowdy. Reese was the law, and he saw things as black-and-white. But Rowdy understood the fine balance between right and wrong. He would balk at venturing into illegal territory—as Alice herself had just done. For right now, Rowdy’s propensity suited her just fine.

As long as he didn’t tattle to Reese. Honorable men, she knew, had this weird loyalty to one another.

Decisions, decisions.

She unlocked her car with the clicker before they’d even reached it. “Get in.”

Alice circled around to the driver’s side while Cheryl crawled in, her fearful gaze going everywhere, waiting for more hurt to come her way.

Alice started the car and drove straight ahead, then took the first left, and another. No one followed.

They were safe. For now.

Beside her, Cheryl held herself so stiffly that Alice wondered if she planned to leap out at any moment.

“What would you like to do? I can either take you to the police—”

“No.” Cheryl gripped the door handle.

“Or,” Alice said, understanding, “I can rent you a hotel room, or even put you on a bus.”

Cheryl fretted, unsure of her offer. “A b-bus?”

“No strings attached.”

A sob tore from Cheryl’s throat. “Why would you do this?”

“I want to help,” she said gently. “That’s all. I swear.”

Close to hyperventilating, Cheryl watched her. “I believe you’re not a cop. But h-how can I be sure you’re not working for the competition?”

“What competition?”

“The other dealers? A supplier?” She pressed into the door, cowering. “How do I know you won’t take me somewhere and d-d-do awful things?”

Drugs and dealers. What awful things? “So this... It’s about drugs?” She hadn’t figured it that way at all. Alice waved a hand. It didn’t matter, not right now. “Whatever’s going on, I just want to get you someplace safe. I swear.”

For the longest time, the only sound was of Cheryl’s erratic breathing. Alice pulled into more traffic, willing to give her time to think, to compose herself.

Suddenly Cheryl ripped at the bandage on her arm. Her sobs escalated as she exposed an odd tattoo, a design of overlapping numbers and lines. “He marked me so they’d know.” She used the wadded up bandage to scrub at her still raw skin. “That’s why I had to get the tattoo. Others will see it and kn-know I’m carrying the drugs. They’ll know who I’m with, that deals are made—”

“Shhh.” Keeping her eyes on the road, Alice reached out to touch her arm lightly. “Please, don’t hurt yourself, Cheryl. Please.”

Defeated, Cheryl curled in on herself. “I want to go home.”

Relief took the strain out of Alice’s backbone. “You have family?”

She nodded hard, eyes squeezed shut, lips trembling. “I ran off from college. Everyone told me he was no good, that he’d hurt me. But I didn’t believe them, and I ran off with him and n-now my parents are probably—”

“Worried sick,” Alice finished for her. “That was him I met? Hickson?”

“No.” She shuddered in revulsion. “He’s just the guy who gets us tattooed.”

Us. More than one girl? “Do your parents live far away?”

“A few hours.” Cheryl scrubbed at her eyes, wiped her nose.

Driving one-handed while she reached into her purse, Alice produced a pack of tissues. “Use the visor and try to clean yourself up.”

Cheryl sobbed a rough laugh. “Do you have everything in that purse?”

Everything she might need. “I like to be prepared.”

Alice knew what to do now, and that shored up her courage. She drove toward the bus terminal. “I’ll get you on a bus, with enough money for a cab from the station, and you’ll be home before nightfall. It’ll be okay. I promise.”

Thank God, this time she could make a difference.

Maybe a big difference. Alice glanced at her. “While I drive, tell me everything, please. Especially about that tattoo.”

* * *

FURIOUS, ROWDY HUNG back in the churchyard, watching through binoculars as Alice went into the bus station with a bedraggled woman who looked to be young: nineteen, maybe twenty. Slim, pretty, but now with swollen red eyes and blotchy cheeks.

What was Alice up to?

After falling behind, it had taken him a few moments to locate her again. To expedite his search, he’d pulled into a quaint stone church sitting atop a rise that overlooked the rest of the area. Using binoculars, he’d spotted her car, then located her at the motel just as she’d hauled ass out of the place with the other woman. Thinking she ran from someone, Rowdy started to rush to her rescue—but his alarm had faded when Alice paused long enough to sabotage the truck tire.

No one in hot pursuit.

Settling back, he’d watched her high-step across an overgrown lot that probably hid snakes, rats and too many insects to count. He tracked her as she drove through the neighborhood, circled around and headed toward the highway. He thought she’d finally be heading home, plus one passenger, until she pulled into the bus station.

Confusing.

Twenty minutes later, Alice emerged alone. Sun glinted off her brown hair—had she done something with it? It looked different. Rowdy rubbed his chin, still on high alert.

She smiled as she slipped on sunglasses and—after checking the backseat of her car—unlocked it and got in.

Undecided for only a moment, Rowdy pulled out his cell phone and thumbed her number before she could leave the lot.

“Hello?”

She sounded breathy, probably on an adrenaline rush. He shook his head. “It’s Rowdy.”

“Rowdy?” And just like Alice, she asked, “Are you okay? Is anything wrong?”

All kinds of things were way wrong, but he’d save that for a face-to-face. “Go back into the bus station and wait for me there.”

“Go...” She twisted around in her seat. “Where are you?”

“I’m where I can keep eyes on you. Now hustle your ass back inside and stay put. I’ll be there in less than half an hour.”

Silence. Alice got out of her car, shielded her eyes from the sun and searched the area. “Did you watch me as I shopped with your sister?”

“Why?”

“I felt someone.”

Damn. For the second time in their short acquaintance, he wondered if he was slipping.

“Rowdy? Why are you following me?”

“Inside, hon. I’ll explain when I get there.”

Even from a distance, looking through field binoculars, Rowdy saw her frown. “I don’t like taking orders from you.”

“Would you rather take them from the police?” He saw her go still. “Maybe from Detective Reese Bareden?”

“That’s blackmail!”

“Whatever it takes.” He and Reese had a deal, so Rowdy would end up telling him, anyway. Whether Alice realized that yet or not, it was a moot point.

As he said, whatever it took.

Head down, she turned a stiff circle, probably scheming, trying to think up options.

“Make a decision, Alice.”

“Fine!” She relocked her car. Stride stiff, she marched toward the station entrance. “I’ll be inside.”

“Fine,” he repeated back to her, and damned if he didn’t have to fight a smile. “See you soon.” Rowdy disconnected the call, but watched until he saw Alice reenter. He waited a few seconds more to see if she’d come right back out.

She stayed put.

And good thing, because his gut told him to get back to that motel, to stake it out, so that’s what he did. Just as he’d observed Alice, he watched the motel—from a safe distance away, this time inside a condemned house, up on the second story.

The floor trembled under his feet, almost as if it’d give out any minute. But he’d been in worse places.

Hell, he’d lived in worse places.

He’d give it a few minutes, not long because he didn’t want to leave Alice unprotected. But if someone showed up, he didn’t want to miss it.

Every so often, he checked the perimeter. No way did he want to get caught spying on...whatever the hell she’d gotten into. Best to keep his guard up.

He was about to call it quits when a black SUV approached the dilapidated building. Two average-looking lowlifes went inside.

They wore jeans and printed T-shirts and both were armed.

One came right back out, scoping the area, cell phone in hand while he made an urgent call. Rowdy couldn’t hear from this distance, but he didn’t need to be a lip reader to pick up on the fury.

Finally the other two joined him. The one he hadn’t seen before rubbed at his wrists. He looked waxy from pain, walking unsteadily.

What did Alice do to him?

When the guy noticed the flat tire on his truck, he cursed a blue streak—until one of the other men grabbed his shirtfront, slammed him to the brick wall and apparently gave a credible threat.

Subdued, emanating menace, they all three climbed into the SUV. Rowdy read the plates, committed them to memory and lowered the binoculars.

Whatever had gone on here, it wasn’t good.

Alice, Alice, Alice.

Little Ms. Goody Two-shoes had put herself at the center of danger.

Now what?

* * *

THE PHONE SHATTERED when it landed against the wall. Those around the man jumped, sickening him with their weakness. “Get out.”

In a rush, they scattered, filing out the door like frightened mice. Idiots.

He strode across the floor to stare out a window. God, he hated it when his people f*cked up. Wasting precious time on discipline—or retaliation—meant he wasn’t utilizing that time to make money. If Hickson wasn’t so competent in other ways, he’d have him beaten to death and dumped in the river.

Instead, he had to find a way to drive home the seriousness of his error, to ensure such incompetence never happened again.

And he’d have to find the do-gooder broad, because no way in hell would he let her interference go unpunished. He showed no weakness, ever. He exhibited power, only power, and that’s what kept them all in line—and kept his profits rolling in.

Yes, the bitch would have to pay.

Maybe, just maybe, he could kill two birds with one stone.