Saving Rose Red Read online

  No one in her right mind would call the man soft, but he hadn’t been nearly as intimidating without that scowl.

  Jenna, clearly on Team Anthony even though she’d never met the guy, wouldn’t let the topic drop. “So what did he talk to you about?”

  Andie shrugged. “He said he wanted to look at my photos. I’d been trying out the new camera Margaret gave me and—” As she talked she’d automatically reached for her camera but her hand stilled next to her bag.

  Her stomach dropped in horror. No. No, no, no! She couldn’t have lost it. Tossing her bag to the side, she fumbled with her jacket as if it might have been hiding under there.

  “What’s wrong?” Mack asked.

  Andie groaned as she accepted the obvious. “I lost it.”

  “Maybe you just left it at the shop,” Jenna said.

  Maybe. “Yeah, I’ll call them tomorrow.” She groaned again. “I feel terrible. Margaret just gave it to me.”

  “She can definitely afford to buy you a new one,” Mackenzie said.

  Andie nodded. Margaret definitely could, but that wasn’t the point. It had been a thoughtful gift from her mother, a woman she was just starting to get to know. She didn’t want another camera, this one was meaningful.

  Mackenzie took a handful of popcorn and turned to her with a mischievous smile. “You could always go down to the shop in person tomorrow.”

  Andie grinned as she sipped her drink. Not a bad idea. Maybe she’d be seeing Dagger sooner than she’d planned.

  Cole limped into the bar on the corner, ignoring the questioning looks. He had to act quickly. He tried to think over the blood rushing in his ears. Between the pain in his leg and the rush of adrenaline, it was nearly impossible to think straight. He wedged himself into a booth in the back and took out his phone.

  He had to tell Eddie what happened. The phone only rang once before Eddie picked up and Cole hastily filled him in on the fact that he’d been shot. Before Eddie could ask, he added, “Just a scratch. Nothing to worry about.”

  A painful scratch, but it wouldn’t kill him. Probably didn’t even need stitches.

  There was a momentary silence when he finished. Then Eddie cursed softly under his breath. “Do you think you’ve been made?”

  That was Cole’s first thought too. He supposed it was possible that he’d been targeted by another gang. Possible but unlikely. He was a lowly member, and relatively new. Besides, there were no turf wars going on at the moment—at least not that he’d heard of.

  The Corada gang could have enemies he wasn’t aware of, but what were the odds that they would know where he worked, that he left out the back entrance, and when he was working?

  He rubbed his forehead as he tried to focus on the facts before him. “It looks that way. I’m not certain though.”

  “We can’t take any chances.” Eddie spouted off some stuff about protocol but Cole couldn’t focus. He had a sick feeling in his gut. One he’d learned to listen to during his years undercover.

  Something was not right. And it had something to do with that photo. That third man. Who was it? And why was he in a suit? That person was the answer, he was sure of it. If he had been made—and it sure looked that way—that man had something to do with it.

  He looked down at the camera that he still clutched in his hand.

  “We need to bring you in,” Eddie said.

  “I need to know how they found out about me before I make any moves—as Dagger or as Cole Michaels.”

  Eddie was quiet. “You think it was someone from the inside?”

  Cole bit back another groan. The idea that one of their own had ratted him out was beyond disappointing…it was depressing. “I don’t know enough yet to say. But I have an idea on how we might find out.”

  “I’m all ears.” He could hear background noise and heard Eddie tell a cab driver to keep the change. “Tell me where you are and I’ll come and get you.”

  “That’s not necessary.” The bar was empty for the moment but it wouldn’t be for long. If a Corada member didn’t come in, there was no telling which of their friends might come by. This was their territory, they had friends everywhere. “You coming here won’t help matters if they don’t know who I am. No offense, man, but you look like a cop.”

  “None taken.” Eddie sounded like he was trying not to laugh. “There’s a reason you fit in on undercover operations and I’m left behind to man the desk.”

  Cole was too busy scrolling through pictures to engage in their old joke—Eddie made fun of his gangster look while he gave Eddie a hard time for being such a square. But right now, his mind was elsewhere. A couple walked into the bar and Cole slunk back further in the booth and lowered his voice. “Look, I can’t stay here for long. If I’ve been made, I’m a sitting duck.”

  “If it’s internal, they could know your real name. Until we clear this up, don’t use any credit cards.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Eddie was just doing his job but at the moment Cole wasn’t interested in protocol. He was far more interested in figuring out what had gone wrong.

  “I’ve got a picture I need to send your way. Once I can get access to a computer, I’ll send it. The bigger problem is, this camera’s owner.” He filled Eddie in on Andie, leaving out the part about how he couldn’t stop fantasizing about her, even now when he was wounded and on the run. “Anthony wants these pictures and he’ll be going after her.”

  “I’ll get some officers on it, they can keep an eye on her place if we can track her down. You said she worked at a bar nearby, do you know the name? They might have her contact info.”

  A new thought occurred to him, making him mutter a string of curses. “If Anthony doesn’t know who I am…if this was another gang…”

  “Having cops on her tail would tip Anthony off that we’re on to him,” Eddie finished. This time it was Eddie’s turn to curse.

  “I’ll keep an eye on her.” Cole tried not to overthink his eagerness to see her again. He was a cop, she could potentially be in danger. It was his job, that’s all. “If they don’t know I’m a cop, they’ll just think I’m sleeping with my client. And if they do…”

  He didn’t want to finish that thought. If they knew he was a cop who’d been spying on them, he’d be a dead man. His job would be to make sure Andie wasn’t caught in the crossfire. “They’d be focused on getting me out of the picture. She’s not a threat to them. They just want her camera.”

  “Can you get to her first?” Eddie asked.

  “Yeah, I think so.” It wasn’t like she’d told Anthony her last name or address. It wasn’t like she’d told Cole, either. He started to put the camera back in its case. First he’d have to track her down, which wouldn’t be easy. But Eddie was right, the bar could be a good start. His hands froze in the middle of packing up the camera. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “What is it?”

  There in neat handwriting on a little tab inside the carrying case, someone had written, “If found return to 799 Park Avenue.”

  “Wait, where are you going to stay? Do you have enough cash for a motel?”

  No. He barely had enough for the subway uptown. But he remembered the way Andie had asked if he needed a place to crash. That would give him the perfect excuse to stay close to her just in case she was in trouble. It would also give him a place to lay low for a night or two.

  Was he really going to take advantage of that kindness? Was he really that much of a jerk?

  He sighed as he hung up with Eddie and he answered his own question. If it meant keeping her safe, then yes.

  Chapter Three

  Andie was only partially tipsy when she came back to her mother’s apartment on the Upper East Side later that night. Definitely not drunk enough to be seeing things. Still, she stopped in her tracks in the middle of the hallway, absolutely certain that she was hallucinating.

  There was no way Dagger from the tattoo shop—the Dagger she’d just been gushing about—was standing in her hallway, lea
ning against her doorframe, looking like the bouncer outside an exclusive club.

  Except that the exclusive club was her home.

  His gaze met hers and her stomach did a dipping move she’d only experienced on a roller coaster. Was the ground moving? Because it felt like she’d gone into a free fall.

  She seriously hadn’t had that much to drink.

  As she drew closer, he straightened and held his hands up, palms out like he was under arrest. “I’m sorry to just show up like this.”

  His voice was low and gravelly, rippling through her like thunder. She was dimly aware that those were the most words he’d spoken all together since she’d met him. Also…he was standing in her doorway. What was going on?

  Then she saw it—her camera, in its case, hanging from his shoulder. She’d come to think of it as a large, clunky accessory but on him, it looked comically tiny. Her shoulders sagged with relief and she picked up her pace to close the distance between them. “Oh my gosh, you found it!”

  He handed it over and she did a quick check to make sure it was all in one piece before hugging it to her chest like a doll. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

  She assumed his grunting noise was in lieu of a “you’re welcome.”

  “Wait, how did you know where I live?” Her eyes skimmed over the muscles bulging through the black T-shirt and down, down, down…. Good Lord, this guy was turning her into some sort of pervy ogler. Eyes up, Rose Red.

  He hadn’t answered her and when she glanced up she saw that he was doing some ogling of his own. The warmth that spread through her made her blood turn to lava and her cheeks burst into flames. She’d never changed after she saw him earlier that evening. She still wore the same pale pink T-shirt, skinny jeans, and black leather jacket. Nothing revealing, but somehow she felt naked standing there in front of those all-seeing eyes.

  “Uh…” That was it. That was the only sound she could force out of her mouth. She of the unstoppable tongue and ready quip was rendered speechless.

  Glancing down, she saw the blood that spattered his jeans and the shock of it was enough to bring her back to her senses. “What happened to you? Are you hurt? Oh my gosh, why didn’t you tell me you were injured?”

  She didn’t wait for a response. “Do you need a doctor? We should take you to the hospital.”

  “No hospitals,” he said. “It’s just a scratch.”

  She studied him for a second, noting the grim set of his jaw. He wouldn’t cave anytime soon and there was no way she could drag him to a taxi. She relented with a sigh. “Come on then, you’re coming inside.”

  He seemed content to watch her with that heavy-lidded stare. She was keenly aware of that gaze on her as she fumbled for her keys and went to unlock her door.

  The heavy eyelids paired with those intense, all-seeing gray eyes had an unnerving effect. It made him look like a predator stalking his prey.

  Despite that, she wasn’t scared of him. Intimidated, yes. Attracted, for sure. But she hadn’t felt even the tiniest quiver of fear around him so she deemed him harmless. Well…maybe not harmless, but definitely not dangerous.

  She fumbled with her keys until she found the right one and let them both in. He followed her through the foyer and through the hallway that led to the living room. She flipped on lights as she went, all the while seeing her mother’s opulent apartment through his eyes. The ultra-modern furniture and artwork were a far cry from her tastes, but it was beautiful by anyone’s standards. Once they hit the living room, she paused for a moment before turning on the lights.

  This was her favorite part and she wanted Dagger to see it. One wall of the living room was floor-to-ceiling windows and the city lay before them, twinkling lights giving it a magical feel.

  When she was sure he’d had a chance to soak it in, only then did she flip the lights on. “Have a seat, I’ll be right back with a bandage and something to wash out the cut.” She headed toward the bathroom to grab the First-Aid kit but stopped halfway there. She spun around. “Wait!”

  He froze in the middle of the room.

  “Lose your pants.”

  Oh no, had those words really just come out of her mouth? The now-familiar burning sensation returned to her cheeks and she licked her lips.

  Dagger’s face was expressionless but she could have sworn she saw a flicker of amusement in those steely gray eyes.

  Wonderful. She was here to entertain.

  “I mean…” She gestured toward the white furniture that cost more than her entire last year of rent in Brooklyn. “I don’t want you to get blood on the couch.”

  He gave a small nod. Yeah, he was definitely laughing at her. Silently, perhaps, but he was amused.

  She spun on her heel and hurried to the bathroom. Now that he was out of her sight, her brain started to function again and questions popped up one after the other. What was he doing here? The camera, obviously, but he could have waited for her to pick it up.

  Maybe he’d wanted to see her. That thought made her far too giddy for her own good. She slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from giggling out loud but a squeaking noise still escaped.

  “Are you all right?” His gravelly voice was right behind her in the dark hallway.

  She screamed and spun around only to find him right behind her. Out of some strange scared reflex she smacked his arm. Which, she discovered, was solid as a rock. Ouch.

  “Sorry,” he said. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

  His voice in the dark was either incredibly creepy or outrageously sexy depending on how one felt about Christian Bale’s take on Batman. The fluttering in Andie’s belly put her firmly in the sexy camp.

  “You didn’t scare me.” The breathlessness in her voice was embarrassing. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I didn’t realize you were following me.”

  She felt him move closer in the dark but she couldn’t bring herself to back away.

  “It’s just a scratch, I can clean it myself. Just show me to the bathroom.”

  She nodded and then realized he couldn’t see her. “Right. This way.”

  After opening the door and flipping on the light, she showed him where the first-aid kit was located and left him to tend to his wound.

  When she was back in the living room she heard a knock at the door that was so faint she almost didn’t hear it. Which meant it was her neighbor Kate, who had the daintiest knock of all time.

  Sure enough, when she pulled the door open she found the sweet, wide-eyed gaze of her redheaded neighbor staring back at her. Margaret and Kate had the only two apartments on the floor and luckily for Andie, Kate was a sweetheart who was nearly as desperate for a friend in the neighborhood as she was. Though her old neighborhood was only a few miles away, the Upper East Side felt like a different planet.

  “Is everything okay?” Kate whispered when Andie opened the door.

  “Fine, why?” Andie whispered back. “And why are we whispering?”

  Kate blushed. She had a tendency to blush with little to no provocation, like now. “I couldn’t help but notice that you had a, um…a visitor.”

  Ah. Yes, she could imagine Dagger had made quite the impression on her timid, sheltered neighbor. “I’m fine. Dagger is a friend of mine from my old neighborhood.”

  “Oh.” Kate’s eyes widened dramatically and her one word was filled with understanding. To the best of Andie’s knowledge, Kate had never stepped foot in Brooklyn, or any other borough for that matter, and she had a feeling her preconceptions were based on crime dramas like Law & Order.

  Andie had decided that it was her duty to show this young woman real-world things—like subways, for example. But now was not the time to start Life Lessons 101. She had a wounded tattoo artist in her bathroom and that took precedence.

  She started closing the front door. “You should meet him sometime. Hey, are we still on for Dancing with the Stars tomorrow night?”

  Kate nodded quickly. “Of course. Goodnight.” She headed back toward
her apartment but turned back to add, “Shout if you need me.”

  Andie had a hard time imagining how exactly Kate would be able to help if she was shouting for help. The thought of the tiny heiress from across the hall taking on big, bad Dagger had her stifling a laugh as she waved goodnight to her new friend.

  By the time she got back to the living room, Dagger was there. There was a wet stain where he’d attempted to hand wash his jeans, but he was fully clothed. She refused to feel disappointment that he’d kept his clothes on. She barely knew the man, for heaven’s sake, and she still wasn’t sure what he was doing there.

  As for that… “What are you doing here?” She’d never been one to beat around the bush. She added a friendly smile so it didn’t sound as unfriendly as it could have. When he didn’t immediately answer, she added, “I mean, thank you for the camera. Seriously, I was so worried that I’d never see it again. But how did you know where I live?”

  The camera in question was sitting on the couch beside him and he picked it up and handed it over, the tab with her address in view.

  “Right. Duh.” Sometimes she was an idiot. However, he must think she was the biggest idiot in the world for having her address spelled out in neat letters like she was a fourth grader. “I didn’t write that.”

  He continued to stare at her.

  “My mom, Margaret, she’s new to this mom thing. I just found her after she put me up for adoption and, um…I think I told you that already.” Yeah, this wasn’t the most eloquent speech of her life, but then, it wasn’t often she was on the receiving end of a sexy, silent, brooding stare. “Anyway, she’s still figuring out how to treat me, you know? So sometimes she does things that are a little…over the top.”

  Like cutting the crusts off Andie’s sandwich the first time they’d had lunch together. But that example was better left unsaid.

  As it was, Dagger’s brows drew together in a glare that made him look alarmingly angry. “Hasn’t anyone told your mother that you shouldn’t give out your address to strangers?”