Justice Incarnate (13 page)

"Anytime, anywhere, any dress code," she countered with her normal fire.

"Good luck," Cleveland said, fading into the dim alley with the kid.

When they were out of earshot Brian asked, "Where to, Sherlock?"

"Caldwell's, Watson." She led them down the block.

"You've got a hunch."

"Uh-huh."

"Will this hunch get me killed?"

She thought it over as they crossed the next street. "It might."

"You could sound a tad more upset by the possibility."

"No I can't. I have to consider the option that you being dead would make my life easier."

So now he was some 'thing' she was using for whatever purpose she deemed fit? While that might be a fun diversion behind closed doors, here on the street it gave him pause.

"But considering everything," she continued, "I think it's important that you live."

"How reassuring."

She gave a low laugh, a sound he thought might also have a whole new meaning behind closed doors. Then her hand landed on his arm and gripped hard.

"What is it?"

"Katie's a diversion. Call Micky."

"Come again?" He looked around for whatever alerted her as he pulled his cell card from his back pocket. He spoke the order and waited for the connection to go through. The sign on the nearest door marked it Caldwell's, but she walked past it toward the alley entrance. He heard a scuffle of rats, then an irritated groan.

"Diversion from what?" he asked.

She shushed him, released her hold and closed her eyes. When she looked at him again, her determination was clear. "Is he on?"

Brian handed over the wireless earpiece and watched her give orders to Micky. At least she bossed everyone equally. "Check on your girls." Pause. "Then make other arrangements. Turn." Pause. "Two hours."

She disconnected and looked up at him. "Maria will have to wait and hang on. I'm not letting the child suffer."

"Let me call the authorities."

Jaden shook her head and walked into the darkness.

Brian followed, frustrated, but determined in his own right. He just wished he understood what they were really up against. So far she'd offered him nothing concrete to implicate the Judge, though she'd set plenty of shadows into motion in his brain.

"Oh, poor baby." Jaden's voice came from a small circle of light breaking up the dark.

When she moved to the side, he saw a young girl taped into a chair. Eyes wide, face stained with tears, Brian felt the swell of disgust for whoever put her there.

He reached for his knife, but Jaden beat him to it, preparing to slice away the child's bindings.

"Stop!" he called. Her hand stilled. "She's wired to something."

The girl gave the tiniest nod, the move filled with sorrow and defeat.

"So she is. Your pal sure loves his explosives."

"You–"

"Save it until we get her out of here."

Brian dropped to the ground and studied the wiring. In the soft plastique explosive, he saw the imprint of a unique ring and hated the doubt rising like bile in his throat. The Judge, as he knew him, couldn't be doing this.

"Easy enough," Jaden said from the opposite side of the bomb.

He jumped to his feet. "Hold on a sec."

"We don't have the luxury. I'm a security expert, remember? I've seen this before and can deal with it."

"What if it's a dummy fuse?"

"Then you don't have to sweat who recognized you in drag." To the girl she said, "Don't worry, hon. It's almost over."

Before Brian could prescribe caution, she used the dagger to separate wires from plastique. He braced, but discovering they survived, he helped Jaden cut Katie free and scooped her up. The girl's bony frame cut into him as she clung to her newfound safety.

"Where to?" he asked, willing the surge of emotion out of his voice.

Jaden reached over, lifting her dress to dry the girl's face. "Cleveland."

For a moment he thought she meant the city.

Then she snaked an arm around his waist and nudged him deeper into the alley, away from the street. "We'll take the back way."

"What about the diversionists?"

"If we're lucky, we'll bump into them."

Her voice was granite. He'd never met a woman so eager for a fight. Then again, he'd never met a woman so certain she was meant to single-handedly save the female population from an elusive predator, either.

And too bad watching her was such a turn on. The thrill might get him killed for real next time.

No thugs showed up on the way to Cleveland's place. Too bad. Jaden still itched for a fight, needing to unload the remnants of adrenaline in her system on someone or something.

"Here we are," she said, covering her finger with her dress to press the antiquated buzzer.

"Paranoid, even for you," Brian accused.

For a moment she entertained an image of sparring with Brian. Horizontal or vertical–didn't matter, giving her crystalline awareness of the depth of her danger. Swallowing a retort, she smoothed a hand over the sleeping girl's hair.

The door swung open and they stepped off the raw edge of the street into a surprisingly posh lobby.

"Whoa," Brian said.

"I second that," she agreed. "Who knew thieves lived like kings?"

"Do they live with conveniences like elevators?"

"You wish." Jaden laughed as she started up the stairs. His grumbling wasn't all an act, though Katie was underfed, she had to be getting heavy by now.

Cleveland stood silent at the third floor landing. Behind him, Quinn shifted from foot to foot, shameless worry stamped on his face.

"Is she d-dead?" Quinn asked.

"Not at all," Brian said, his voice a strong counterpoint to the quaking boy's. "I bet she'd like some water and a blanket. Can you find those?"

Quinn dashed off.

Jaden stilled, impressed with Brian's thoughtfulness, while Cleveland ushered him inside to settle Katie on the couch.

"Coming?" Cleveland called back.

"Yeah. Sure." She entered, and then stalled out again. "Haven't seen one of these in awhile," she murmured to Cleveland, as she crossed the Aubusson carpet in the foyer.

"It took a small fortune, but I liked it."

Jaden grinned. "Don't you mean you took a small fortune?"

"One day girl, you'll stop giving me crap over the rep I earned as a kid."

"Sure thing, Cleve." She hugged him hard. "Can you help me clean her up?"

He nodded, his eyes troubled. "The kit's all ready. On the counter." His hand on her arm stilled her. "How bad?"

"Nothing that will scar," Jaden said with a meaningful stroke of her ear.

Cleveland exhaled his relief and mumbled a prayer Jaden found appropriate.

She smiled, gently imposing herself between the siblings. As she eased the blanket back to clean Katie's wounds, Quinn made himself scarce and Jaden blanched.

On Katie's wrist was the diamond bracelet the Judge had baited her with in his chambers. Message received. And proof that Katie's peril had been a diversion. Judge Albertson knew far too much about Jaden's movements and weaknesses. She put the troubling development out of her mind, Katie needed her now.

Not once did the girl fuss about the sting of the antiseptic swab or the wound-sealing laser. Even set on the lightest mode for minor surface skin repair, patients complained of the heat. Jaden made a mental note to find out how Cleveland had acquired the special issue medical tool.

"How's our girl?" Brian asked handing Jaden a tall glass filled with a golden, bubbling liquid.

"She's a champ. Nearly good as new."

But who knew if she'd ever be safe again. Jaden had to find a way to draw the Judge away from people she'd come to think of as family.

"Do we have to go now?" Quinn asked.

Cleveland joined them, setting down a sterling silver bucket filled with ice and a bottle of whatever beverage he'd served. Then he wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulder.

"I figure you'd better hang with me awhile."

"No parents?" Brian whispered in Jaden's ear.

She shook her head, as much to gain space as to answer him. Then she made the mistake of sipping her drink, and swore softly as the alcohol burned her lip.

She cursed again, this time mentally, as Brian's intense focus landed on her face.

"What's this?" he asked, taking her chin in his hand. "Pretty bad bite."

"Pretty big bomb," she muttered, unwilling to admit any further frailties.

He reached over and drew an ice cube from the bucket. Gently, he stroked her lip with the ice and she felt her knees weaken in response. She liked it much better when he was doubtful and impossible. She couldn't afford the additional hazard of being attracted to him. Again.

Who was she kidding? She was into him, wanting him already. And after that kiss she knew it wouldn't be a simple itch she could scratch and walk away from. Giving in to the physical wouldn't be enough and broaching the emotional was out of the question.

And based on that damned bracelet, when she faked his death she'd sent him straight to the top of the Judge's hit list.

"Such storms," he murmured.

"Huh?"

"In your eyes, Jaden. Such storms in your eyes."

She snapped them shut, willing him to go away. When he did, she let her tongue roll over her lip, tracing the path of his touch, catching the lingering taste of him.

Behind her, Brian asked the girl questions about the people who'd taken her. Jaden moved to a safer distance across the room. Under the guise of studying some incredible art, most likely original, and several equally valuable porcelain figures, she listened to Katie's answers.

To his credit Brian didn't ask leading questions and he appeared to take all her replies at face value. Jaden appreciated that, for Katie's sake.

To Jaden it was all too obvious who was behind the attack and when the name circling around her mind was echoed aloud, she started.

"Didn't mean to scare you," Cleveland apologized.

"No problem." Jaden stepped out onto the balcony to prevent the children from overhearing. "Are you really going to keep the kids?"

"Why not? I've got room to spare and no one else cares about 'em."

She nodded. It was sad, but typical in this neighborhood. Hell, it had been typical in all sorts of neighborhoods throughout time.

"You can't blame yourself," he said.

"I can if I'm unable to stop him." She turned to face her friend, and then realized the mistake. From this angle she could see Brian interacting with the kids. No, interacting was sterile. He was nurturing, assuring, showing kindness to two small strangers. She struggled to find solid ground. "You've got room all right. And it's filled with perfect replicas."

Cleveland only gave her that priceless wink. "So the kids don't have to worry about breaking anything."

"Uh-huh." She bumped his shoulder and risked another glance into the apartment. Quinn hovered between Brian and Katie, then seemed to convince Brian to take a tour of Cleveland's unique collections.

"You could call child services."

"Could, but they'd just run away. Quinn didn't find the system appealing. Neither did Katie."

"Who did what to them?"

"Let it go, Jade. You've got your own battles to fight. I'll handle theirs."

She raised the glass, carefully sipped around her sore lip and savored the warm slide of the drink on her throat.

"You'll teach them to thieve and pillage," she teased.

"Everyone needs a skill set."

She heard a silly giggle pop out of her mouth and wanted to know what sort of drink he'd given her. But then the apartment erupted into a flurry of excitement that surged out to meet them.

"Check this, Jaden!" Quinn exclaimed. He shoved a small flat rectangle toward her. "How cool is that? You look just like her! Who is it, Cleveland?"

Jaden stared into a small portrait from the nineteenth century.

"Brian says it's a flake–"

"Fluke," his sister corrected.

Jaden knew better. It was no fluke that the diary, necklace and now this had turned up here and now. For a moment she studied Cleveland, asking silently about the acquisition. It had been tucked away in her apartment just a week ago.

"And here I trusted you not to rip from me," she whispered.

"I could hardly let this one go by," he confessed with a sheepish smirk.

She felt a ridiculous urge to thank him, but before the words tumbled out, Brian's voice broke the mood.

"Thanks for the hospitality. We'll be going." He handed Jaden's glass to Katie and gripped her elbow with convincing force.

"Sure thing," Cleveland called after them. "Take care, girl."