Not Quite Juliet: A Club Imperial Novel (Silver Soul Book 1) (36 page)

“She’s in the other ambulance.”

“Hey, mister driver! You need to radio back!” I yelled.

Nick laughed. “Well, you’re feeling better.” He pulled out his phone. “How about I text the nice Lieutenant Garabaldi the name of the guy you said lit the place up?”

“Fine,” I said. I wanted to fold my arms and harrumph, but once again, I couldn’t do anything because I was strapped down. “What happened? Where are we going? I feel fine, by the way. You can let me up now. I want go back to the apartment. They need to find—”

I passed out again.

~*~*~

T
his time, the approach to consciousness was much more controlled and I enjoyed the ride back up. I could tell I was in the hospital, because my bed wasn’t bouncing. I opened my eyes and found myself staring at a pleasant yellow wall with soft lighting. There were no more straps, and I was wearing a hospital gown. I could feel some very serious bandages on my shoulder where my collarbone had been broken.

I was out a lot longer this time. I turned my head, and found Nick sitting in a chair staring at the television. I followed his line of sight and saw the news was on. Not only the news, but the story on was my flaming apartment. I looked back at Nick. “Did everyone make it out?”

He snapped his head around. “Hey, kitten.” He stood and walked over to me, grabbing my hand on my good arm. “As far as the last report from Nadine at the apartment, yes. Everyone’s out and safe.”

“Taylor?”

He sighed. “Simon is on him.”

“Simon?”

“Sal’s brother. Lieutenant Garabaldi.”

“Oh.” I had no idea the Lieutenant had a brother. Or that Sal had a brother. Or that they were related at all. “Do they have any idea where he is?”

“A few.” Nick ran his thumb over my knuckles. “You scared me, passing out twice.”

“I scared myself. But a girl is allowed to pass out when she nearly died a few minutes earlier.” I tried to smile.

“You’re fine, Morgan.”

“I was caught in a fire deliberately set to kill me.” I took a deep breath. “Forgive me if it takes me a little longer to believe that.”

“How about, you’re going to be fine.” He gave me a sweet, crooked smile.

I nodded. “That’s agreeable. Where’s Nicole?”

“She’s down in the cafeteria, getting a drink. She’ll be up in a minute.”

“Nick, how did you get there? How did you know?”

“The more I thought about that text message, the more I realized Nicole had never texted you with that kind of the text-bingo-speak. I got nervous, and Nadine agreed with me. We all piled in the two cars and drove up to make sure you were all alright.” He traced the outline of my hand with his fingers. “We were just a few minutes ahead of the fire trucks. I found Nicole and another resident outside, having called nine-one-one just a few minutes before we showed up. She pointed to her ankle and then to the smoke pouring out of the balcony window.

“Nadine and Jose went all the way up, and Van and Sal followed me. We didn’t know what kind of shape you were going to be in. Nicole was so hysterical we couldn’t make heads or tails of what she was babbling.”

“I tried so hard to get out of there.” I sniffled.

He lifted my hand up, and kissed it softly. “I know.”

There were cuts and bruises from where the zip-ties had dug into my wrists. He looked at him. “I couldn’t get out. I couldn’t figure a way out. Lisa was frightened out of her mind and I just...”

I lost it. I started shaking and crying and I couldn’t stop. I could barely breathe. I had almost died. I’d almost inhaled the smoke and died, and then I would’ve been burned to a crisp. I just couldn’t figure out how to get out of there, and I had never felt so helpless and hopeless in my life.

Nick pushed his way onto the bed and pulled me close to him, wrapping his warm arm around me. I buried my face in his chest and tried to stop crying. I couldn’t believe my past—which was pretty lame and tame considering some of the people I worked with—caught up with me so hard and so fast it came back to kill me. Kill me. I had never done anything to warrant the hate Taylor had shown me at the apartment.

I looked up at Nick. “Is there still peanut butter on my face?”

He laughed lightly in disbelief. “What?”

“Taylor ground a peanut butter sandwich into my face.”

“That explains why I’ve been craving Reese’s for the past four hours.”

“Thank you.” I stared up at his gorgeous eyes.

“You’re welcome.” He brushed some hair off my cheek. “I’d like to not make the knight–in-shining-armor-charging–through-flames a habit. Are you okay with that?”

“Well, I can’t think of anyone else who wants to get back at me in any more dangerous ways than slipping an Exlax in my box of chocolates.”

“I think I can deal with that.” He pulled me into him again. “You know, I have no intention of letting you go anytime soon.”

“I think you bashing in my door, and stealing me from the flaming jaws of death was a pretty good indicator of your intentions.” I smiled crookedly at him this time.

“You know the place was wrecked, right?” Nick asked. “There’s nothing left in your apartment or the one above.”

It hurt to hear, but I had already suspected. “It’s just stuff. Nicki and Lisa are alive and we’re all fine or will be soon enough. We’ll just have to figure out our living arrangements, and I’ll have to go shopping for some new clothes. Oh, the horror.”

“Oh, jeeze, you’re a shopper?”

“Only when I have to be.” I smirked. “And then, get out of the way!”

Nick laughed and smiled at me. “Come stay with me.”

Whoa. “What?”

“Come, stay with me.” He blinked at me. “Nicole can keep the bedroom in the basement. I want you to make that house ours. Not just mine. Stay with me. Sleep in my bed. I love waking up to your warmth, and wrapping myself around you in the morning.”

“Still writing lyrics, rocker-god.”

“When my muse is around, they just happen.” He cocked his head. “What do you say?”

“I love that house, but the funeral parlor living room has to go.”

“Do I get to wake up with you from now on?”

“Yes, Nick, you do.”

The door popped open, and Franz walked in, tailed by Vanity and Emmy. They looked even more haggard than I felt, and instantly I felt there was something wrong above and beyond the flaming, murderous apartment.

“We’re going to head out to Darien’s now,” Franz said to Nick. “Would you like to come with?”

“I’ll stay here with Morgan,” Nick answered. “This isn’t good, is it?”

“It’s a horrible coincidence,” Emmy said. “But since we can take care of Taylor first and wipe this out, we’ll handle the easy one and get yins on your way.”

“What’s going on?” I asked. I gave Emmy my best ‘don’t bullshit me’ face.

“Everett Milhouse was found murdered this morning,” Franz sighed.

“Cece found him,” Emmy stated. “She had an off-site arrangement with him.”

“Oh, God,” I said, putting hand to my mouth. “They suspect her.”

“The chatter is getting louder.” Vanity nodded.

“We need to get Taylor back where he belongs,” Franz stated. “For now, he’s the priority. And the rumor is he’s been at Darien’s on and off when Darien wasn’t there. Which pissed Darien off, big time. He was raging, and I don’t blame him.” Franz looked at me. “Morgan, the whole apartment is destroyed. Your furniture, your clothes...it’s all gone.”

I nodded. “Nick told me. It’s just stuff.”

Emmy nodded, putting on a brave face. “You’re right. We’ll get him. He’s not getting away.”

I took a deep breath. “I’m taking that asshole down. Morgan the prosecutor was just born.”

Nick looked at me and I could see so much pride in his eyes. “That’s my fierce kitten.”

––––––––

I
wiped the bar top again, and watched as Dunham slunk away and Vanity took his place. This was Nick’s idea, this time. Finally. At least someone was listening to me, even if I did have to give him a bj to convince him of it.

I walked over to her, and smiled. “Finally. A woman. I don’t know why they think Taylor’s going to walk in here with Hulk or Superman sitting here.”

“Took a lot for Franz to be convinced,” she smiled. “But when I stepped up and kicked his ass in three easy moves, he got the hint.” She looked up and down the bar. “Where’s my drink, bitch?”

“Screw off, you slut.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Martini, extra dirty.”

She leaned on her fist and smiled. “And make sure you stuff that pimento in the olive nice and tight.”

I laughed. “Well played!”

“Just remember, they’re all watching from upstairs and it’s all gonna come down to you giving the signal.” Vanity watched me making her drink. “You really ready to be bait?”

“I want this asshole out of our lives,” I said. “It’s been two weeks and we haven’t found the bastard yet. We don’t have room for this in our lives right now. We have to make sure Franz can worry just about Cece.”

Vanity nodded and took the drink from me. “Totally agree.”

I walked away to clean up some of the regular bar mess that happened as I went through the night. There had been the usual early rush at the bar on a Sunday, but now at ten at night, most people were getting ready to go home and go to work tomorrow. This was the second weekend I was working three shifts just to see if I could attract the still-missing Taylor.

After I had been released from the hospital, we went back to the apartment. There really wasn’t anything much left from the fire. Lisa’s room was a bust. There was one outer wall and one inner wall left. The other wall was gone and it was possible to see into the next apartment and the hallway from what was left of her bathroom and closet. In her closet, though, was her fireproof safe. Her important papers, including a ton of pictures, were all safe and untouched, and I knew that meant the world to her.

The living room was burnt to a crisp. My bedroom was demolished from the water the firefighters had used. I was able to get my safe, too. All of my clothes were forfeit, the kitchen was wrecked. Lisa and I knew we were just lucky to have walked away with our lives. The fire had been set to kill us.

Even though they had the name, no one could locate Taylor Sherman. Darien, the Dom who ran a very private, very exclusive bdsm training house, was pissed beyond measure when he found Taylor had been staying there under the name Roger Woods. But even Roger Woods couldn’t be located.

I had the feeling Taylor was really pissed we’d lived, and was biding his time. We were going to lure him out. Darien had said Roger-Taylor had a membership at the club. I decided the best way to get him out was to put myself out there.

Everyone agreed with me, and then put Durham and Albright on me at the bar.

Durham was the size of a small mountain. Albright was the size of a large one.

Little tiny Taylor wasn’t stupid. An asshole, yes. Stupid, no way.

Nick, Franz and Emmy had them on me all weekend. They were going to do the same thing all this weekend, while Taylor slowly and surely drew his plans against us. More than just my own safety, I was starting to be frightened for Nick and Nicole and Lisa. He’d used Lisa without a second thought. He’d come after my sister and boyfriend without a thought as well.

So, after a very long conversation and some oral skill, I finally talked Nick into putting Vanity on the bar with me. Vanity was perfect for what we needed. The girl was muscles, deadly accurate and self-defense in a compact, cute package. Her double black-belt was only a bonus.

Nick’s concession was that Nicole was behind the bar with me.

“No!” I yelled. “You
cannot
ask me to bring my sister to the club!”

“That’s my deal,” he said.

“Nick, she doesn’t know
anything
about the lifestyle!” I looked over at Nicole. “She’s not going to be able to help me back there, and she’s a target too!”

“Lifestyle?” Nicole asked.

“Oh, damn it, Nicholas!”

He folded his arms. “Nicole. Can you serve drinks?”

“Yes,” she said. “I was working at a bar in Milwaukee for about a month before I just got the eff out of Wisconsin altogether.”

“She can totally help you,” Nick said.

“Keeps two of our targets together,” Franz said.

“Guys! She doesn’t
know
about this stuff!”

“So explain it,” Franz said.

My eyes grew wide. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I looked between them. “You want me to just casually explain the BDSM lifestyle to my vanilla sister?”

“Yup.” Nick nodded. Franz nodded in agreement.

“You’re both assholes.”

Nicole cleared her throat. “BDSM?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes.”

“Bondage, dominance, submission and masochism.” She shrugged and smiled. “Your kink is not my kink, and it should always be safe, sane and consensual.” My mouth fell open and I stared at her in utter shock and complete speechlessness. She cleared her throat. “There’s not much to do in Marathon. I kind of found a group and I went to their parties a few times. I mostly stayed out of it, but...yeah. Not unfamiliar with it.” She cocked her head at me. “You into it?”

“Crap on a cracker.” I put a hand to my forehead. “Mildly. I’m a switch.”

“Cool,” Nicole said. “We can have some girl bondage time.”

“Done!” I tossed the papers I had in my hand on the table and walked out of the room.

Nicole yelled after me, “Are you really angry?!”

“I have to pee!”

Now, it was all waiting for Taylor to think he had a chance to take us out and show up at the club. Everyone else was convinced he was gone. He wasn’t stupid, but he was also angry and
that
made him desperate. I knew he hadn’t left town yet, and so I was at the bar for the sixth night.

Most of the night went off without a hitch. I knew Nick and Franz were up above somewhere. They didn’t tell me where so I didn’t keep looking up. I paid attention to the bar, and the business was good. My sister was actually an amazing bartender. She was going full “Cocktail” on the patrons, and they loved it. I served while Nicole showed off and it worked for us. I also had the feeling she was going to be quitting the mall job because she was going to take my place when I was ready to leave the bar at Imperial.