Chapter Eight
What a day.
After teaching the bookie a lesson, Ten had gone to Poison Fruit. He’d spent the rest of his afternoon in the vineyard checking on his grape arbors. He noticed subtle changes in the vines, monitored their progress. He often visited after he’d taken someone out and it was something of a ritual.
Maybe it was a way of purging the dark thoughts, or making up for what he’d done. Regardless, he felt better after he’d taken care of the plants.
His employees had left a couple of hours ago, but Ten stayed to go through his bills. Running a small business was time-consuming, especially when it was used to launder mob money.
When Ten heard a knock on the front door, he ignored it and went back to his spreadsheets. The knock became pounding, and then the doorbell rang.
Evidently, someone wanted to see him pretty bad.
Grabbing his gun, Ten headed down the hall to check out the commotion. Although, he doubted an enemy would announce his presence before he started shooting. At the front door, he found a bedraggled Aggie standing at his doorstep, and she was soaked with blood.
Ten flung open the door. “What happened?” He stepped aside so she could enter. “Are you all right?”
“Yes and no. I got shot, but it ain’t life-threatenin’, yet.”
His mind was racing, flooding with a stream of violent images. He wanted to head straight over to her house and track down the man who’d hurt her, but first Ten had to care for Aggie’s wound.
“Dammit. You should’ve taken me up on the offer of protection.”
She winced. “I’m not disagreein’ with you.”
Ten wrapped an arm around her waist and half-carried her into the dining room. Aggie had a bit of a limp, and she was shivering, shaking. Aggie’s face had gone ashen, and he didn’t know if it was from shock or blood loss. There were cuts all over her face and bruises on her arms.
Ten recognized the distress in her eyes because he’d seen it in the mirror so many times. Although, he was grappling with a new sensation—panic. Seeing her injured made the hair stand up on the nape of his neck.
“Walk me through what happened.”
“One of Santiago’s men shot up my place like it was an old western saloon. He said Santiago wanted to see me in person.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” He fisted his hands. “Did you get a good look at the shooter?” Because it would be his pleasure to take care of the man for her. “And what kind of weapon did he use?”
“An AK-47 and a handgun. The assassin/kidnapper guy wore a ski mask so I couldn’t identify him. I’m sorry to bring this problem to your door, but I’ve got nowhere else to go. If I went to the hospital, they’d tell the police.” She grimaced as he helped her to a seat.
“I’ve got more bad news for you.”
“Fantastic.” She hissed a breath. “And what’s that?”
“Chances are the police will find out anyway. If he used an automatic weapon, the gunfire echoes for miles. At the very least, the cops will check it out.”
“Terrific.” She ran a hand through her hair. “And some of them might be on Santiago’s payroll?”
“It’s not out of the question.”
Aggie buried her face in one hand. “Dammit. I’m so sorry for draggin’ you into this.”
“I volunteered, you didn’t force my hand, but we’ll worry about what our next step is later. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Ten focused on her wounds. It gave him something to do, besides fantasize about killing her attacker or worrying about what could’ve happened to Aggie.
***
After giving her a bag of ice for the ankle, Ten examined the wound on her shoulder with a practiced eye. “This is gonna hurt, and I apologize in advance, but there’s no way around it. I gotta pull the bullet out as fast as possible.”
She closed her eyes, already dreading it. “What are you gonna use?”
“A knife.” He pulled one from his pocket and showed it to her.
She gulped. “So you’ve done this before.”
“Yes, I’ve extracted bullets several times. I’ve taken them out of myself, as well as other people.” The corners of his mouth turned up in a devilish smile. “It pays not to leave evidence behind.”
Said the psychopath.
Then again, who am I to judge? Earlier I was having a blast while somebody tried to kill me. Aggie hadn’t come to terms with her behavior. Did she have some kind of death wish? Was this a delayed reaction to her mother’s passing?
Or am I just plain old nuts?
“I guess it’s an occupational hazard, huh?”
“Absolutely.”
This was her first gunshot wound and the blade he’d brandished looked extra sharp. Aggie didn’t want to think about the metal sliding into her vulnerable flesh and poking around for bullet fragments. Although, it’s not like she had much of a choice. She couldn’t leave the bullet in her arm either.
“This is gonna hurt, huh?”
“Yes, but I own a winery, so pick your poison.”
He gestured to the bar behind them. The shelves were full of brightly colored bottles, which looked luminous in the light. Or maybe I’m hazy from blood loss.
“What do you recommend?”
“Venom has 12% alcohol by volume.” In preparation, he removed his coat and rolled up his shirt sleeves.
Aggie noted several healed pink scars up and down his forearms. She wanted to ask him about them, but this was hardly the time.
“Sold.” Although Aggie could really use some tequila.
Ten pulled a bottle from the shelf, unwrapped the plastic at the top, and stabbed it with a corkscrew, pulling the cork out in one thrust. Aggie admired his technique. Most of the time, when she uncorked wine, she left bits of it floating in the glass.
He handed her the glass and she sniffed it experimentally, and it smelled of fruit with a hint of chocolate. Aggie tried to remember all those times she’d practiced mindfulness, putting herself in the moment, instead of worrying about the past or future. Focusing on sensations helped ground her and calm her anxieties.
“Don’t sip it, just chug the wine down, while I get everythin’ ready. You can be on your second or third glass by the time I start.”
She gulped some down as she watched him gather supplies from behind the bar. He pulled out a black kit, a couple of clean towels, and a small wastebasket.
Aggie closed her eyes, pinching them shut. It didn’t help matters much, her stomach clenched in dread of what was to come.
Ten sluiced peroxide over his pocket knife, to remove any germs.
Oh God, he’s going to cut me open. I should be at a hospital with anesthetic and clean equipment.
Ten seemed to sense the direction of her thoughts. “Are you reconsiderin’ your options? I can take you to see a doctor if you want, but you might have to answer some uncomfortable questions.”
“Do you have any medical trainin’? From your military days?”
“Let’s put it this way, I’m very familiar with anatomy.” Somehow, the answer didn’t ease her fears.
She drained the rest of her glass. “I’m fine, just get it over with.”
“Whatever the lady wants.”
She refilled her wine and took another hearty drink. Thankfully, her nerves were settling, as the alcohol slipped through her bloodstream, dulling Aggie’s senses. If she were completely sober, amateur exploratory surgery would be out of the question.
Ten opened his black leather bag, the kind a businessman might carry to a meeting. He had bandages, ointment, scissors, and the like. And in another pocket, she glimpsed several syringes, along with a selection of medical blades, the kind surgeons used.
Since he wasn’t a doctor, it had to be some sort of murder bag.
Don’t think about it.
“I need you to take off your shirt.” He nodded to the wound on her right shoulder. “So I can see what I’m working with.”
Aggie unbuttoned it. Undressing in front of somebody didn’t bother her. She’d been stripping off in front of other people at ballet practice for years. And she’d spent more than one night with a perfect stranger.
Soon she sat there in her blood-stained bra and jeans. Aggie got the sense Ten was more unnerved by her exposed skin than she was.
“Are you ready?” Ten asked, as he gloved up for the procedure.
“No, but do it anyway.” She tipped her head back and squeezed her eyes shut.
Ten braced a hand on her other shoulder for leverage, and then dug into the wound, poking her defenseless flesh.
“He didn’t hit anythin’ major, so you should heal just fine.”
That was some good news, at least, but it still hurt.
Aggie clamped her mouth shut to keep from crying out. She whimpered, holding onto the edge of the table for support. Aggie felt like she was coming out of her own skin.
“If you need to scream, go ahead.”
Aggie couldn’t hold back any longer, and she howled in agony. After what felt like an eternity, he pulled the final piece out and plunked it in the trash can.
Shivering, she took another gulp of alcohol.
“There, it’s all over, the worst of it anyway.” Ten handed her antibiotics. “I want you to take two of these a day for the next week, and I’ll give you painkillers tomorrow. You can’t have one tonight, since you’ve already drank some wine.”
“Thanks.” Aggie blew out a shuddering breath, willing her heartbeat to slow once more. Somehow she’d survived this. “Hey, where did you get this stuff?” The last time she checked, a prescription was required.
“Trust me, you don’t wanna know.” He placed a fingertip beneath her chin. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Glad to hear it. You did very well.” Ten surprised Aggie by kissing her brow.
He stepped back, as though just as shocked by the gesture. Then Ten made short work of the rest, cleaning and then bandaging the wound with gauze and medical tape. When he was finished, Ten slid the gloves off and tossed them away.
“How are you holdin’ up?”
“I’ve had better nights.” Aggie wrapped her arms around herself because she was suddenly cold. The adrenaline rush ended, and Aggie realized how close to dying she’d come. Even more unnerving, it didn’t bother her as much as it should, which was the most disturbing part of this.
“This one isn’t so terrible, you walked away from a shootin’, more or less intact. It could’ve been a lot worse.”
“Don’t I know it? This was stupid.”
“So you’re reconsiderin’ this case?”
Ten crossed over to the bar and retrieved his suit jacket, which he draped over her shoulders. Evidently, he’d noticed she was chilly, and Aggie snuggled down into it. The linen smelled like Ten—a hint of fruit, rosemary, and a male musk all of his own. Aggie struggled with the urge to bury her nose in the fabric.
“I didn’t say I was quittin’, I’m admitting this was more difficult than I imagined.”
“So you’re gonna stay with me now.”
“Once again, I like how you didn’t ask, you just told me.”
“Are you gonna kick up a fuss?”
“I didn’t say I’d pitch a fit, I merely pointed it out.”
Bunking with Ten was her only option at the moment. For one thing, her place looked like Swiss cheese. And if Santiago was gunning for her, there was no safer place to be then by Ten’s side. The man was a force of nature, and apparently, Santiago didn’t want to get the mafia involved.
His smile was smug. “I didn’t think you’d argue with me.”
“Where do you live?” Aggie was curious, even though she’d been through the ringer.
“I’ve got a cabin on this property, down by the creek. You should be okay there.”
“Should be? No guarantees, huh?”
“None at all.” His shook his head. “You can’t be sure of anythin’.”
***
“This place must be easy to dust.”
“Hmm?” Ten glanced at Aggie.
She’d been filling the silence with small talk since they’d eaten. Ten had realized he didn’t have any food in his fridge, so they’d scarfed down some cheese and crackers and polished off the rest of the wine.
Afterward, he’d escorted her to his cabin even though the idea of anyone invading his space made him uneasy. And yet, he didn’t mind opening his door to Aggie as much as he should.
She glanced around, taking everything in. “You don’t have knickknacks or family photos lying around. It’s a bit like one of those cabins you rent at a campground.” Aggie almost sounded disappointed.
“I’m not overly sentimental.” And I don’t have a family.
That’s when Smokey padded into the room. She paused by his legs, to rub them and he reached down to pet her sleek head. Smokey purred in response and he melted, as always. The sound of a contented cat purring was his happy place and he could listen to it for hours.
Her eyes widened. “You have a cat.”
“Yes, this is Smokey. She’s friendly so you can pet her if you’d like.”
“Hmm, I think you asked me if I liked cats before.” When they’d first met, he’d mentioned his cat.
“And you never answered.”
“I like them.”
“But you don’t have one.”
“No, because I’m not home much and it wouldn’t be fair to the kitty.”
She reached down and offered her palm to Smokey who sniffed it delicately before lowering her head slightly. After Aggie stroked her for several minutes, she wandered off to the pet bed tucked into the corner of the room.
Ten smiled. He didn’t realize it, but he’d been holding his breath. If Aggie didn’t like animals, this wouldn’t work at all.
What wouldn’t work exactly? You’ve no idea what you’re doin’ with this woman.
Ten wasn’t certain why, but he wanted Aggie to feel comfortable in his world.
“You really love her, don’t you?”
“Yeah, she’s special to me.” Like you.
“Why do you like cats so much?”
This was an easy question. “Growin’ up, I just remember thinkin’ if I could be like them I wouldn’t need anyone else.”
Aggie touched two fingers to her parted lips, and he got the feeling he’d said too much.
Ten glanced at the clock. “It’s late, and we should get some shut eye.”
“Sure.”
“Let me show you where the bedroom is.” He led her down the hallway until they reached it. He had a king sized oak bed with white sheets. Like the rest of the cabin, the room was sparse, and the only other furniture was a chest of drawers and a nightstand.
“Oh, I don’t wanna put you out. I can sleep in a chair, or on the floor.”
“You’re not inconveniencing me at all.”
As a matter of fact, he wanted her here where he could keep an eye on her. He should’ve offered to protect her himself. If Ten had been with Aggie, she wouldn’t have gotten shot.
“You’re being polite.”
“No, I’m not. I’m never polite.”
She chuckled.
“You’re injured so you should take the bed. Besides, I’ve got a comfortable couch in the office. I sometimes fall asleep there anyway.”
For some damn reason, he wanted her in his bed, even if Ten wasn’t ready to be in it with her. Even he’d begun to think he’d gone all squirrely when it came to her. Aggie inspired some rather intense emotions he’d rather not examine too closely.
Aggie still wore his jacket, and she slid it off her shoulders as she sat down. The bra she wore was plain white cotton, but it intrigued him. He’d brushed his fingertips against the fabric earlier, and it was every bit as soft as it looked.
Ten swallowed the lump in his throat.
“There’s plenty of room.” She patted the bed. “Why don’t you join me?”
Ten hooked a thumb at the hallway. “No thanks, but I’ll be close if you need me.”
“Can you stay a while at least?”
“Why?”
“Because I’m…” She blew out a breath. “I don’t wanna be alone, and I’m sorry to be a bother. You’ve already done so much for me.”
“I can stay for a spell.” Even though Ten felt like a swarm of mosquitos had taken up residence in his abdomen, flying around and making him queasy.
“Thank you.” She gestured to the end of the bed. “Wanna sit down?”
“Okay.”
He sat at the very edge, far away from temptation. It wasn’t easy though. Aggie smelled like flowers, and her skin was supple. Ten wanted an excuse to touch her again, but he was afraid at the same time.
“I’m gonna say somethin’, and it’s none of my business, but I’ll put it out there, okay?”
“Alright.” Ten tensed.
“I don’t wanna upset or offend you, but I believe you have a personal stake in this case, don’t you?” She bit her lip.
“What makes you say so?”
“Your actions. I’m an idiot for not seein’ it sooner.”
“You’re mistaken.”
“No, I’m not.” Her voice lowered. “A lot of little things are adding up—you flinched when I touched you the first time and then you turned me down for sex. Plus you agreed to help me without anythin’ to gain and a lot to lose.” She closed her eyes a moment. “I think you might’ve been abused.”
Ten froze. She saw right through him, and there was nowhere to hide. He wanted to run out of this room and pretend the topic had never come up, but he couldn’t ignore it. Once again, lying to Aggie felt wrong.
“It’s a long, complicated story.”
“I’m sure. For what it’s worth, I know what it’s like to carry around a big secret, and you can talk to me, if you need to, or even if you just want to.”
“I’ll keep it in mind, but you’ve been through enough for one night.” There was so much ugliness in his head.
“Fair enough.”
Something else was bothering him, and since she’d brought up her sexual proposition once more, Ten decided to address it.
“I don’t want you to think I’m some kind of eunuch. I’m not, I have urges, but I don’t…” A burning hot flush crept up his neck. “I feel....”
“Take your time,” Aggie said gently.
Ten took a second to collect his thoughts, but it wasn’t easy. Aggie made him nervous in a wonderful sort of way. He knew she wanted more from him, and he was working on opening up.
“Never mind.” Ten didn’t know what else to say. Instead, his gaze dropped to the floor.
“You’re so closed off. I just wanna know more about you.”
“You’re right.” He sighed. “Connectin’ with other people is difficult for me, but I want to do better.”
For you. He left the words unspoken, but he hoped she understood him anyway.
“Can you let your guard down with me? Let me in a bit?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll try.”
“Thank you. Right now, I need...” She bit her lower lip, and her eyes were wide as saucers.
“To be close to someone?”
She nodded. “Just fill the silence.”
How could he say no? Somehow, Aggie got at the heart of him. Most of his life he’d been alone, tucked away like a shameful, dirty secret. Her desire to connect with him humbled Ten.
He searched for an innocuous question.
“What did you want to be when you were growing up?”
“A dancer.”
“What happened?” He couldn’t reconcile a private eye job with a desire to be a ballerina because the two professions were polar opposites.
“I realized the likelihood of makin’ it to the big time was small, so I chose something more practical, but I’m lucky. I love my job.”
“I’m glad you still dance.”
“I think it’s more accurate to say, I can’t stop dancing.”
He knew how she felt. Ten couldn’t stop playing, even if he tried. Frank had taught him how and he’d stayed up endless nights, practicing and losing himself in the music.
“Ever wish you were still on the stage?”
“Sure, whenever I’ve had a rough day, but I think everybody daydreams about the life they could’ve led. I’m sure there are plenty of librarians fantasizing about being rock stars. And what about you? What did you want to be?”
Alive?
Ten was stumped. He’d never dreamt of being anything, mostly he’d wanted to survive. He hadn’t been able to see beyond making it through the next hour, the next five minutes.
“I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”
When he glanced at Aggie, her head was turned slightly, watching him with a thoughtful look.
“What?”
“I don’t know why, but I like you a lot.”
Ten was speechless. No one had ever told him that before. In general, people feared him, or tolerated him, but no one actually enjoyed his company, except for Aggie.
He cleared his throat. “I like you too, and I’m gonna keep you alive. You don’t have to worry.” At least he knew what he was doing when it came to murder and mayhem. He’d make sure nothing happened to her.
“You will?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because if you weren’t in my life, I’d…I would miss you.”
The admission slid out before he could eat the words. Ten wasn’t one for emotional displays, but he wanted Aggie to know she mattered to him.
“You just gave me a really big compliment, huh?”
“Yeah, I did.” He stood. “Everything will look better in the morning. We’ll figure out what to do and attack the problem.” Ten didn’t know if the platitudes helped, but he offered them up anyway. Isn’t that what normal people did to reassure each other?
“Where do you suggest we start?”
“I think we need the facts first. Let’s pay Vick a visit and see what she can dig up for us.”