"Where is she?" Rick yelled, shaking Raul Callahan violently.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Callahan replied, his calm Latin demeanor keeping his words steady despite the peril he found himself wrapped up in.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Callahan. I'm talking about Delilah. I didn't rough up a few of your thugs for nothing. I know you've got her stashed away, so tell me where she is, or God help me, I'll put an end to you."
"You realize, of course, that you would be committing suicide. I'm an upstanding, respected member of society, Armstrong."
"The hell you are. You're a hired goon."
"If you say so. There is, of course, no way of proving that in a court of law. As far as this city's concerned, I am in no way affiliated with Mr. Bigalow. If you harm me, you'll be going away for a very long time, Rick, and I'd hate to see you in prison with all the men you helped put there. I'd suggest you leave now, and I'll forget this ever happened."
"I'm not going anywhere without the girl," said Rick, gripping Callahan's nightshirt tighter.
The door suddenly exploded, splintering into a hundred pieces, and two of Callahan's men jumped into the room with their guns drawn. Rick loosened his grip, and Callahan pulled himself free.
"Show Mr. Armstrong to the door," he said, "and then show him to the bottom of the river."
"You got it, boss."
"Oh, and Armstrong, send my regards to Ox," said Callahan, grinning like the Devil himself.
The two thugs dragged Rick out the back door and slugged him across the face until he collapsed on the pavement, but before they could finish the job, two shots were fired from the shadows, and the goons crumpled to the ground with bloodstains on their jackets. Rick picked himself up off the ground in time to see Delilah step out into the light with a smoking revolver in her hand and a lit cigarette dangling from her painted lips.
"Delilah," he gasped.
"Aren't you going to say thanks?"
"Sure, I am. Thanks, doll," said Rick with a wink. "But word on the street was that Mr. Big's men had you. What happened?"
"The word on the street isn't always right, Rick. Big has nothing to do with this. Sure, I took the money, but I gave it back. I didn't want all the trouble that came with it."
"Then where've you been?"
"I needed some time alone to think things over. I've been looking for you. I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for lying. I'm sorry for using you the way I did," she said, punctuating her words with a long drag on her cigarette. Smoke streamed from her lips like a signal in the night.
"It's all water under the bridge, sweetheart."
"You really came here looking for me? You've really landed yourself in a mess."
Rick brushed the dirt off his clothes. "This is the second time I've taken a beating for you. I'm just glad to see you're all right."
"There's one more thing, Rick. I need a place to stay for awhile. Somewhere I can lay low until this has all blown over," she said.
"I suppose I could give Gloria a call. She lives in that big apartment all by herself, so she could probably use the company," he said, adjusting his hat.
"That's not what I meant. Why can't I stay with you."
Rick pointed at the gun in her hands. "Because you're trouble, gorgeous. I never know what to expect from you."
"What's the matter, Rick? I thought you loved trouble."
"Only when I know there's a way out of it."
Delilah scowled at him.
"One night," he said. "One night, and then we can find something more permanent for you."
She smiled, parting those red lips and flashing teeth so white and perfect they'd make a beauty queen jealous, and casually twirled her golden curls. Rick had a feeling like he was floating with his head just barely above water. He knew he was in for a hell of a night.
Charlie dog-eared the page she'd been reading and set the book down on her desk. She leaned toward the window and looked around the garage. She could've sworn that she heard something, like the door on the side opening and closing, but there was no one around, only the grease stained floors and her silent equipment.
There was a sudden chill in the air, and she suddenly felt like closing early.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Callahan replied, his calm Latin demeanor keeping his words steady despite the peril he found himself wrapped up in.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Callahan. I'm talking about Delilah. I didn't rough up a few of your thugs for nothing. I know you've got her stashed away, so tell me where she is, or God help me, I'll put an end to you."
"You realize, of course, that you would be committing suicide. I'm an upstanding, respected member of society, Armstrong."
"The hell you are. You're a hired goon."
"If you say so. There is, of course, no way of proving that in a court of law. As far as this city's concerned, I am in no way affiliated with Mr. Bigalow. If you harm me, you'll be going away for a very long time, Rick, and I'd hate to see you in prison with all the men you helped put there. I'd suggest you leave now, and I'll forget this ever happened."
"I'm not going anywhere without the girl," said Rick, gripping Callahan's nightshirt tighter.
The door suddenly exploded, splintering into a hundred pieces, and two of Callahan's men jumped into the room with their guns drawn. Rick loosened his grip, and Callahan pulled himself free.
"Show Mr. Armstrong to the door," he said, "and then show him to the bottom of the river."
"You got it, boss."
"Oh, and Armstrong, send my regards to Ox," said Callahan, grinning like the Devil himself.
The two thugs dragged Rick out the back door and slugged him across the face until he collapsed on the pavement, but before they could finish the job, two shots were fired from the shadows, and the goons crumpled to the ground with bloodstains on their jackets. Rick picked himself up off the ground in time to see Delilah step out into the light with a smoking revolver in her hand and a lit cigarette dangling from her painted lips.
"Delilah," he gasped.
"Aren't you going to say thanks?"
"Sure, I am. Thanks, doll," said Rick with a wink. "But word on the street was that Mr. Big's men had you. What happened?"
"The word on the street isn't always right, Rick. Big has nothing to do with this. Sure, I took the money, but I gave it back. I didn't want all the trouble that came with it."
"Then where've you been?"
"I needed some time alone to think things over. I've been looking for you. I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for lying. I'm sorry for using you the way I did," she said, punctuating her words with a long drag on her cigarette. Smoke streamed from her lips like a signal in the night.
"It's all water under the bridge, sweetheart."
"You really came here looking for me? You've really landed yourself in a mess."
Rick brushed the dirt off his clothes. "This is the second time I've taken a beating for you. I'm just glad to see you're all right."
"There's one more thing, Rick. I need a place to stay for awhile. Somewhere I can lay low until this has all blown over," she said.
"I suppose I could give Gloria a call. She lives in that big apartment all by herself, so she could probably use the company," he said, adjusting his hat.
"That's not what I meant. Why can't I stay with you."
Rick pointed at the gun in her hands. "Because you're trouble, gorgeous. I never know what to expect from you."
"What's the matter, Rick? I thought you loved trouble."
"Only when I know there's a way out of it."
Delilah scowled at him.
"One night," he said. "One night, and then we can find something more permanent for you."
She smiled, parting those red lips and flashing teeth so white and perfect they'd make a beauty queen jealous, and casually twirled her golden curls. Rick had a feeling like he was floating with his head just barely above water. He knew he was in for a hell of a night.
***
Charlie dog-eared the page she'd been reading and set the book down on her desk. She leaned toward the window and looked around the garage. She could've sworn that she heard something, like the door on the side opening and closing, but there was no one around, only the grease stained floors and her silent equipment.
There was a sudden chill in the air, and she suddenly felt like closing early.
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