Next Exit, No Outlet Read online

  He opened the refrigerator door and reached in to pull out some beers.

  “Stephanie, are you drinking beer?” he called over the door of the fridge.

  Stephanie looked up from the dining room table where she was filling a plate with rice.

  “I’ll have wine if Alina’s opening a bottle,” she answered.

  Alina turned back to the cabinets and took out three wine glasses. She carried them into the dining room, setting them on the table as Michael and Angela re-entered the house, laden with more bags and cases of soda.

  “Are you opening a bottle of wine?” Angela asked, spying the wineglasses. “Fantastic! I’ve had a long day.”

  Alina blinked while Stephanie looked up, dumbfounded.

  “She’s had a long day?” she said under her breath, drawing a short laugh from Alina.

  “Clearly,” she replied in a low voice. “She was shopping all day.”

  After depositing the bags in the kitchen, Michael and Angela joined them at the dining room table. While everyone began filling their plates with food, Alina opened the wine cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Pinot Noir. Before she could take it into the kitchen to open it, Damon took it out of her hand and motioned her to the table.

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  Alina looked at him in surprise, then she nodded and reached for a plate while he took the bottle into the kitchen.

  “I got a pretty good selection, I think,” Angela announced, reaching for a quart of General Tso’s chicken. “I didn’t know exactly what everybody liked, so I got the basics.”

  “I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I smelled all this food,” Stephanie said. “Thank you for doing this.”

  Angela waved her hand, brushing the thanks aside.

  “With everything that happened to you, I knew you wouldn’t have eaten. I know you better than you know yourself, Stephanie Walker.”

  Damon came back with the open bottle of wine and began pouring it into the three glasses.

  “Just make sure you save me some of that chicken,” he told her, handing her a glass of wine.

  “Oh, there’s more here somewhere,” she assured him. “I got two orders of it.”

  Alina scooped some chicken and broccoli onto her plate, foregoing the rice. Damon handed her a glass of wine and she smiled in thanks, setting it down next to her plate. Conversation stopped then as everyone dug in. It wasn’t an easy silence, and after a few moments, Angela sent a questioning look around the table.

  “Why is everyone so quiet?”

  “Are we?” Michael asked when it became apparent that no one else was going to answer.

  “It certainly seems like it,” Angie said. She looked at Stephanie. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

  Stephanie looked like a deer in headlights.

  “I’m fine,” she said quickly. “Just tired.”

  “I’m not surprised,” Angela exclaimed. “You should’ve stayed in the hospital. I still can’t believe you signed yourself out. You could have brain damage!”

  “I don’t have brain damage,” Stephanie said in exasperation. “I’ll be fine. I just need to sleep.”

  “You know, if you have another concussion, the last thing you should do is sleep,” Angela said. “Someone needs to keep an eye on you.”

  “She’ll be fine,” Alina said, looking up from her chicken and broccoli.

  Stephanie’s eyes narrowed and Blake shot Alina an unreadable look.

  “You don’t know that,” Angela argued. “She left the hospital before they did any of the tests.”

  Alina looked like she was about to say something, then changed her mind, reaching for her wine instead.

  Silence fell over the table again, and Alina suppressed a sigh. The tension was so thick she could cut it with a knife, and Angela wasn’t stupid. She had to know she’d walked into something, and knowing Angela, she wasn’t going to ignore it. This whole nightmare had just gotten even more complicated.

  Damon met her glance and, for once, there was no laughter lurking in his eyes. Any other time, she knew he would be thoroughly amused at the collection of characters from her past acting like any other normal friends. Tonight, it was different. Tonight, everything was different.

  “Michael, when did you get in?” Angela asked after a few more moments of silence.

  “This afternoon,” he answered, glancing at Alina.

  “Are you staying here too?”

  He nodded.

  “At least for tonight,” he said vaguely. “I’m not sure what my plans are beyond that.”

  Angela looked around the table again, then suddenly frowned.

  “Where’s Buddy?” she asked. “Isn’t he here?”

  Blake glanced around, then bent down to peer under the table. He chuckled.

  “He’s under the table,” he said, straightening up again. “Hoping for something to drop.”

  “I already dropped something,” Michael said with an unrepentant grin. “Sorry.”

  “Me too,” Stephanie admitted. Blake looked at her and she shrugged. “He looked hungry.”

  “He always looks hungry,” he said in exasperation. “It’s his specialty.”

  “A few treats won’t hurt him.”

  “It will when he gets fat.”

  Stephanie shrugged and silence fell again. Angela reached for an egg roll and Alina could almost see her squirming at the lack of conversation.

  “What did everyone do today?” Angela finally asked, breaking the silence once again. She looked around expectantly, a determined gleam in her eyes. “Damon? What did you do?”

  Alina almost choked on her food and shot a swift glance under her lashes at the man seated beside her.

  “Went and got Stephanie and Blake to bring them here,” he answered blandly.

  “Is that why your car isn’t here?” Angela asked Blake before biting into her egg roll.

  “Yes. It’s...hey, where is my car?” he asked, looking at Damon. “You said you were going to take care of it.”

  “I did. I removed the tracker and bugs and it’s somewhere safe,” Damon answered calmly. “When it’s things have calmed down, I’ll tell you where it is.”

  Blake frowned. “Are you sure it’s safe?”

  “Yes.”

  “For your sake, I hope you’re right,” Michael said, re-filling his plate with lo mein. “That car is Blake’s baby.”

  “It’s a nice car,” Alina said, glancing up, “for a Chrysler.”

  “So is yours, for a Ford,” Blake replied, drawing a smile from her.

  “Why did Damon take your car?” Angela asked. “I don’t understand.”

  There was an awkward silence as Blake looked to Alina for guidance.

  “The people who tried to kill Stephanie put tracking software on Blake’s car,” she told Angela calmly. “Damon had to remove it.”

  Angela looked from Alina to Blake, a frown creasing her lips.

  “What’s being done to find them?” she demanded. “How long is Stephanie going to have to stay here?”

  The frown grew when no one answered and Angela set her fork down impatiently.

  “Something is being done, right?”

  “Yes,” Alina said, her voice even.

  Stephanie’s lips tightened, but she remained silent.

  “Good.” Angela reached for her wine. “I don’t know why things are getting so crazy around here all of a sudden. First John, then you, and now Stephanie is being attacked. It’s making me see killers lurking around every corner now!”

  Alina looked up sharply. “What?”

  Angela looked at her. “What?”

  “What do you mean you’re seeing killers lurking around corners?”

  Angela shrugged. “Just that all of this is making me paranoid.”

  “Paranoid how?” Michael asked, glancing at Alina’s face. She was frowning, her eyes on Angela.

  “I’ve had this strange feeling that someone is following me,” Angela told him
readily. “It’s absurd. No one would have any reason to follow me. Trent is dead, and it’s not like I have a dangerous job like Stephanie.”

  “How long have you felt like someone is following you?” Alina asked.

  Angela frowned thoughtfully.

  “I don’t know. A couple of days, maybe? It doesn’t matter. The whole idea is nonsense. No one’s following me. I’m just shaken up because of everything that’s been going on lately.”

  “They say if you feel something’s wrong, it probably is,” Stephanie said, her eyes darting from Alina’s face to Angela’s. “Did you see anyone? Any strange cars? Any new construction around your house?”

  Angela shook her head.

  “No, nothing like that. You know that feeling you get sometimes when someone’s watching you? It’s like all your hairs on your arm stand up?” she asked. “It’s like that, only instead of my hair standing up, I just feel...uneasy. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

  Alina glanced at Michael and he nodded almost imperceptibly.

  “You’re probably right,” she said, turning her attention back to Angela, “but Michael’s going to keep an eye on you just to be safe.”

  Angela stared at her as if she’d suddenly sprouted a second head.

  “Are you crazy?” she demanded. “Stephanie’s the one who needs protecting, not me!”

  “We don’t know that,” Alina replied. Steel laced her voice, discouraging any argument. “Stephanie is here, where Damon and I can keep an eye on her. You’re not. If someone is following you, Michael can protect you.”

  “No one is! I told you, I’m just being paranoid!”

  “Then Michael won’t have much to do, will he?” Damon said reasonably.

  Angela gaped at them, then looked at Stephanie.

  “What the hell is going on?” she demanded. “What did you get yourself into?”

  Stephanie looked startled. “I didn’t get myself into anything!”

  “Well, you obviously did, and now I’m getting dragged into it!” Angela exclaimed. “Why do they think I’m being followed?”

  “Because you just said you were!” Stephanie cried, throwing her hands up in the air. “Why is everything suddenly my fault?”

  Alina reached for her wine glass and drained it. Damon’s shoulders shook silently beside her and he took the empty glass from her hand, reaching for the bottle to refill it.

  “I didn’t say I was being followed!” Angela protested. “I’ve been saying I’m not!”

  “Is this real life right now?” Blake asked, reaching for his beer.

  “’Fraid so,” Damon replied, his voice trembling.

  “I don’t see what the big deal is,” Michael said. “You spend all your time working and plugged into your phone. You won’t even know I’m around.”

  Angela shot him a look disbelief.

  “How can I miss you?” she demanded. “You’re six feet tall and as big as a barn!”

  Michael blinked, unsure how to respond to that accusation. Alina felt her lips tugging upwards as a laugh built inside her and she sternly repressed them.

  “Angela, don’t be ridiculous,” Stephanie said tiredly. “You were just saying the other day that Michael should come visit more often. Well, he’s here.”

  Angela’s cheeks flushed.

  “I don’t need a babysitter,” she said defiantly. “I’m not the one who’s got people trying to kill me!”

  “This isn’t up for discussion,” Alina said firmly. “Until I’m convinced you’re right and no one’s following you, Michael is going to stick by you. End of discussion.”

  “Or what?” Angela demanded. “What will you do?”

  In an instant, the friend Angela had known for years disappeared and the terrifying stranger she’d glimpsed a few days before took her place.

  “You’d rather not find out.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Harry glanced at his watch as he climbed out from the backseat of the black SUV. He nodded to the Secret Service agent holding the door and glanced up at the large building in front of him. It was just past eight, and the gala was in full throttle. He buttoned the jacket of his black tux and started up the shallow steps, moving towards the wide double doors at the top. He was halfway up the steps when his cell phone vibrated from the inside pocket of his jacket. He frowned, pulling it out impatiently. This was a big night for the intelligence community, and Harry wanted to enjoy it. Everyone at the office knew not to bother him this evening unless it was an emergency.

  “Hello?”

  “I received your message, my friend,” a heavily accented voice greeted him. “All is well. There is no need to fret.”

  Harry glanced around and moved to the side of the steps, out from the flow of people ascending to enter the gala.

  “Martese?” Harry lowered his head and his voice. “Is that you?”

  “None other,” said Martese Salcedo, the head of the Casa Reinos Cartel. “Tell me, what is so urgent that you bypassed our security arrangement and contacted me directly?”

  Harry rubbed a hand over his bald head, watching absently as a black limousine pulled up to the curb.

  “I’ve had to move my plans forward,” he said. “I’m running out of time.”

  There was a brief silence on the line, then Harry heard a soft sigh.

  “I’ve heard that you’ve run into a few, how do you say it, snags?” Martese said. “Will everything still be as discussed?”

  “Yes, yes,” Harry said impatiently. “It’s all been arranged. The problem is that I’ll need to move sooner than expected.”

  “Is that all? Never fear, my friend. La Cabeza is a man of his word. The Sea Queen is already on her way. She will be in place at whatever time I tell them.”

  He sighed in relief. “That’s good news, Martese. And the crew?”

  “All my own trusted people, led by Roberto, my second-in-command. Stop worrying! You’ll give yourself a heart attack. There’s no reason for all this bother. The crew will be at your command once you arrive. They will get you where you need to go.”

  “How soon can they be in place?”

  “The Sea Queen is the fastest yacht in Mexico,” Martese boasted. “When do you need her?”

  “As soon as they can get there,” Harry said. “Tell Roberto to contact me when he reaches Miami, and I’ll direct him to the rendezvous from there.”

  “Already done, my friend. And your side of the arrangement?”

  Harry’s lips twisted into a cold smile.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “Not only will the Casa Reinos Cartel have exclusive run up the East coast, but you’ll have Special Agent Blake Hanover to do with what you will.”

  “And his new partner? Agent Walker?”

  “You won’t have to worry about her. I’m in the process of taking care of her.”

  “Fantastic! It’s a pleasure doing business with you, amigo. When you board the Sea Queen, Roberto will assist you with the wire transfer.”

  Harry nodded in greeting to a couple walking up the steps, smiling congenially.

  “Of course. I look forward to hearing from you.”

  He disconnected and slid the phone back into his pocket, turning to continue up the steps to the doors. The last arrangements were made. By this time next week, he would be sipping whiskey in his villa in Montenegro, beyond the reach of extradition. With just a little luck, Viper and Hawk would be dead and he would be free to live out his days in luxurious obscurity. It was what he’d worked towards for twelve years.

  And no one was going to stop him.

  Angela’s face went white, then the color rushed back and stained her cheeks pink as her temper flared.

  “I don’t know what you do, Alina Maschik, and I don’t care. What I do know is that you’re turning into a real bully! First my journal, now this. You can’t just snap your fingers and expect me to do whatever you say. I won’t! I don’t need a bodyguard, and I’m certainly not going to take a Federal Agent away from Ste
phanie when she does!”

  Stephanie pinched the bridge of her nose and shot Alina a look of reproach.

  “She has a point,” she said. “She doesn’t have to allow Michael to keep an eye on her.”

  Viper turned that cold gaze on her and Stephanie shivered.

  “No, she doesn’t. But if she is being watched, how long do you think it will take them to realize that she knows where you are?” Alina asked, her voice clipped. “And then, what do you think they’ll do?”

  Stephanie’s gaze wavered. “Do you think that’s possible?”

  “Hello?!” Angela waved her hands above her head. “I’m right here! You don’t have to talk over me like I’m a child.”

  “You’re certainly acting like one,” Michael muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear.

  Angela gasped and Alina felt a laugh building inside her again.

  “I am not!” Angela cried. “You should be on my side! You can’t honestly want to follow me around all day.”

  “You’re right,” he agreed. “I don’t. But I also don’t want to have your death on my conscience, so here we are. You’re stuck with me.”

  “Like hell I am.”

  “Angie, maybe you should consider this for a minute,” Stephanie said, turning to face Angela. “If you felt like you were being watched, you can’t just discount that gut feeling. What if you are? What if Lina’s right, and the person who tried to kill me is watching you? Not only are you in danger, but you could also lead them right to me.”

  Angela waved a hand impatiently.

  “Don’t be silly. This place might as well be the White House for all the security she has going on. You’re safer here than anywhere. Even if someone did follow me, which is unlikely, Alina would see them coming a mile away!”

  “Five miles away, to be exact,” Alina murmured, reaching for her wine glass again, “if I know what I’m looking for.”

  Damon shot her a look of amusement, his eyes dancing. She glowered at him. He was enjoying this debacle way too much. It was easy for him to laugh; he had no idea how stubborn Angela could be, or how miserable she could make all their lives. Her lips tightened. Even so, she would be damned if she would have Angie’s safety on her conscience as well. She had enough to worry about already without adding Angela to it.