I came through the door opening to the bar, and felt my entire body turn to ice. I didn't recognize the men personally, but I could smell the Manticore in the air. The soldiers were norms at least. There were a dozen of them in the bar and I knew there was more coming down from the roof. Three were holding Victor, and one had Onyx. She was trying to fight, but he was too strong for her. Then I looked by the door.
Oh dear God in Heaven. Sweet Jesus above. Don't panic, I ordered myself. Panic is not permitted here. You're an adult now. You could take out every solider in here without breaking a sweat. I could tell myself that all I wanted, but seeing Donald Lydecker by the door, I was suddenly nine years old again, seeing him shoot Eva for trying to defend Max. I was staring at the only man in the world that had ever scared me in my life. Dear God, my nightmares were coming true. He was in my club. He found me.
No, I reminded myself. He couldn't know who you really are. He doesn't have Ben. If he knew, there would be a hundred soldiers and they would have used a taser on me the moment I came through the door. Forget Terran. She's a silly little girl to be scared of one man. You are Miss Topaz Dieudonne.
"What the fuck is going on here?" I shouted. I looked directly at Lydecker and strode towards him purposefully. I was glad none of the soldiers tried to stop me. It would be much harder to explain how little 'ol me could fling one away like he was a doll I didn't want to play with anymore.
"I suggest you tell your man to get his hands off of my girl before I remove them and feed them to the gators in the bayou," I told Lydecker firmly. Hold your ground, I ordered myself. He doesn't know. You're just another whore in the Quarter to him.
His eyes drilled into me, taking in every aspect. I didn't dress trampy, after all, I was the owner of the place, and so I didn't need to. I was a respectable five feet nine inches on my own, my heels bringing me to just under six feet tall. He could see my amber eyes, a gift from my feline genetics I think, meeting his cold blue ones steadily. I kept my dark red hair in a short and sexy style that showed my bare neck. It made me keep the barcode off despite the pain. I had never been so glad to have it off in my life.
He held up a picture of Ben. "We're government agents," he proclaimed coldly. "We know this man is here. Where is he?"
I had to fight the urge to run like hell, or just blubber out everything. Zack thought he was in command? This was the voice I heard giving us orders in my dreams. Lydecker was God to us then. Hearing him demand information now was like hearing a bellow from on high. Sweet Jesus, help me now.
I looked at the picture and then gave him a bemused smile. He wasn't ordering his men to attack me. He couldn't tell I was terrified of him. Thank God for huge favors. "Benny?" I said, taking the picture. Don't scream. He's just a man like all the others. You can handle any man. Oh God. He's not a man. He's Lydecker. "Honey," I said to him smoothly, "you missed Ben by oh, almost two weeks or so."
I glanced back at Victor. "Vic, baby, when did Ben leave here? You know, my boy I had hanging around for a few days?" Victor knew I'd known Ben for a while. Hell, he was in Miami with me when I'd run into Ben. Victor knew to play dumb. Just be another fag with muscles, okay? Victor was smart, thank God for that as well.
"About ten days or so Miss Topaz," he called back. I'd spoken low to Lydecker so he knew Victor hadn't heard me tell him how long Ben had been gone. I had to be telling the truth. I was, but truth is subjective.
"Where is he?" Lydecker demanded.
"Exactly what government agency are you with?" I asked. It was the proper question to ask. I certainly couldn't tell him I knew he was with the military.
He grabbed my arm and yanked me to him. I had to play weak. I could snap his neck like a chicken, but Onyx and Victor would pay the price. I always protected my girls. That was my trademark. I could get out of this. There was always a way out. "Start talking now," he snarled in my face.
"I have no idea who you are," I said back coldly. "I want some identification before I cooperate." I knew he would do a soft interrogation first. He would get me to give up the information willingly if he could, or take it by force if I didn't talk. I had a fine line to walk, but dancers are known for their grace and agility.
He let me go, and held up an ID that was from the Federal Crimes Investigation Division. After the Pulse, the federal government had to combine several of its law enforcement agencies. The FBI, DEA, and BATF were lumped to create the FCID. Most people in my circles pronounced the initials as "Fuck-id". Sometimes because the group was all fucked up. Other times it was because they could fuck you over and damn the law. Law was subjective as well.
"Mr. Lydecker," I said, sounding slightly nervous. I wanted him to know I was a little scared. It was a proper way to feel. Total lack of fear would set him on edge. "May I talk to you in private? My office is right upstairs."
He nodded and I took him in there. I was thinking fast. Okay, I had a plan; I just had to carry it out. Attack, let him counter, and then give it up as a rush of relief. Lydecker didn't notice the little hand signal I made to Onyx. She did though. It meant pump the guy. There would be more than a few men drooling over my African Queen there despite their solider boy attire. She knew to get information from them. Maybe pick one and invite him to the club tonight while she danced. If she gave him a freebie, I would cover her time. I was good for it.
"Mr. Lydecker," I said quickly the moment my office door was shut. "I know you feds are after the organized crime types, and I don't know or care what Ben was involved with, but I will not get the mob angry at me. You can say all you want that you'll protect me, but the truth is I'll be left high and dry, and then they'll take revenge on me. I have a decent business here, and I look after my girls, but all it' going to take is the rumor I helped you take down a hitman and my business will be over." I went to the side bar and poured myself a drink, shaking it nervously. Please let him believe me. "May I offer you a drink?" I asked with a weak smile. I was feeling sick already.
He shook his head no. "Ben is not a hitman," he informed me. "He's a serial killer that we've been tracking. He's very dangerous Miss Dieudonne. We just want him stopped." He sounded so convincing. Smooth as ever, that was Don Lydecker. A thousand lifetimes ago we followed him blindly. He never let on that he was unconfident about anything. He was always right.
"Ben?" I gasped. I sounded shocked enough. "Ben's a killer?" I sat down heavily. "I…I can't believe that. Are you sure it's Ben you're looking for?"
He nodded. "We're positive."
"My God." I stood back up and fanned myself a little. I paced a little, sipping my drink. "Ben? A killer? Sweet Jesus, what is this world coming to?" I have excellent peripheral vision. I noticed Lydecker check me out. It was a natural male reaction. He probably didn't realize he'd done it, but he checked out my cleavage when I was sitting, and now my ass when I was walking. I was wearing a black leather skirt and a gauzy cream shirt over a cream silk tank top. It was enough to give a sample of the goodies, but not give the full show. He'd noticed it at least. Good. He was human. Control, girl. Keep control.
"I met Ben almost two years ago in Miami," I said. That was the truth. "We had a good time and I told him to come by the club anytime he was in town. He's come in a few times and we have fun then he takes off again. We don't ask questions. It's better that way for both of us. Has he been killing this whole time?"
"We know so," Lydecker said, studying my face. I hoped I looked sufficiently distressed. If not, he was going to move to hard interrogation. Then I would have to kill him.
"I tell my girls I'll take care of them and I invite a serial killer into my place," I said bitterly. I knew Ben would never hurt one of my girls, but it was a good line. "It's one thing if they know a man works for the mob. You only have to worry if you do something to one of them. But this…these people do it for no reason. They just like it."
Lydecker was smirking. He knew I was going to help him. That's what all the manuals said. Bastard. He taught me those manuals. I was feeling more stable now around him. He wasn't the giant I remembered him to be. In bare feet we would be at eye level. I knew now I was faster and stronger than him. I could kill him before he could kill me. He wasn't immune to my charms. He was a man. That was all. He just knew things that I didn't want him to, but that could be worked.
"Where was he headed?" he asked me. I thought for a moment, like I was considering the question.
"He mentioned that he had a friend in California that he wanted to see, but he didn't say what city," I replied. That was a blatant lie, but Lydecker believed it. I still looked too distressed at finding out Ben was a killer. Lydecker actually seemed upset that Ben was killing. He'd taught us to. What else did he expect? Not all of us would give up Manticore just because we left. We ran because he killed one of us, not because he wanted us to kill.
"Nothing else?"
"Mr. Lydecker, our relationship isn't…traditional in that sense. He shows up, we have a good time, and then call it quits for a while. No strings attached," I informed him. "In the meantime we're both left to our own pleasures." I gave him a subtle eying and he picked up on it. Excellent. Throw his ass off balance for a change.
Maybe I should do it. It wouldn't be hard to get him in my bed. No man is difficult to seduce really. He'd probably get a thrill out of fucking the girl who liked to play around with Ben. It'd be like screwing his son's girlfriend or something. He's a sick bastard. He'd go for it. If I ever got caught…he wouldn't want me brought in then. He'd look at me and know I tricked him. He would probably kill me first, but that was better than Manticore. Maybe it would end up being my trump card. Kill me or everyone will know you fucked one of your kids. He wouldn't be able to stand that kind of humiliation.
He swallowed but didn't change expression. "I'm certainly glad you showed up," I said. "Ben could have come back tomorrow and I would have let him in, not knowing a thing. You may have saved my life Mr. Lydecker. One of my girls' lives. I have no idea how I can thank you for that."
"If Ben shows up again…" he began. A normal woman wouldn't have noticed a change in him, but his pulse was up slightly.
"You will be the first person I call," I finished for him. "Do you have a card? I will need a number to reach you at if I think of anything else or if I see him."
"And you're just going to give up your lover?" he asked harshly, but he took out a business card. I'd lost his interest with suspicion. Not a problem.
I sat on the edge of my desk and crossed my legs. My skirt bunched so that he could see the line of my thigh. "Ben's a casual lay," I replied. "I admit he's fabulous in bed, but my girls are far more important. I know you look at me and see a two-bit madam, but I have a reputation for taking care of my girls. I won't let them get hurt." I smiled wickedly. "Unless they're getting paid well for it…and want it of course."
He nodded. "Of course," he echoed sarcastically. But he did take note of my legs. I wondered if he was a leg man. He didn't seem like a tit man. I had excellent instincts for this. He was either into legs or ass. I wasn't too sure.
"Thank you very much for letting me know this," I said again. I did a little trick that never failed to get a reaction. I kept some business cards with a thin plastic coating to keep them from getting messed up from body heat or moisture. I reached deep into my cleavage and pulled one out, and handed it to him. "Please let me know when you catch him," I said. "In the meantime, while you're in the city, please stop by the club anytime. For you, drinks will always be on the house. It's the least I can do." I smiled sweetly, holding out the card. It had the club hours on it. Yes or no Mr. Lydecker?
He took the card. Damn I'm good.