The Right Side Of The Law

“If it’s that important, I’ll get in touch with Jackson. He can follow it up on this end.”

Jackson Ward was Ryland’s rebel partner—the loose cannon of the outfit. A man who was on suspension more than he was on duty because he didn’t go by the book on anything.

“So Jackson’s working?” Blu asked. “Last time we talked he was on suspension.”

“He was just reinstated yesterday.”

“That won’t last long.”

“It never does,” Ryland agreed. “But when he’s working, he’s the best there is.”

“I thought you were the best. That’s what the paper claims.”

“And we know that every word the paper prints is gospel, right, hero?”

Reminded of the harassment he’d endured over the past year due to freedom of the press over his “heroic deed,” Blu snorted.

“So Brodie’s willing to wrangle with Spoon Thompson on your behalf for a few days? That should be worth a front-row seat.”

Blu grimaced. “Oui. Those two are about as agreeable as two cottonmouths fighting over the same rat. No, Brodie’s not too happy about me taking time off, but he’s a good friend.”

“He proved it last year,” Ryland agreed. “Not too many men I know would have lived through the beating he took from Denoux’s men to protect you and Margo. No, Brodie Hewitt is a good man. Though I would certainly like to know where he calls home. No one seems to know his story. A man who keeps himself a mystery is a man who usually has something to hide.”

Blu remained silent. He knew Brodie’s story, but he’d sworn to keep it to himself. When Brodie was ready to deal with his past, he’d head home. But until then, Blu would value Brodie’s friendship and the big guy’s loyalty to the duFray Devils.

“Do you think this girl has something to do with your pal, Patch? You made quite a few enemies when you were working for him. Maybe she wants revenge for some old, unsettled score.”

“Then why didn’t she just shoot me? She had plenty of time if that’s what she wanted.” Blu walked away from the window and the warmth of the morning sun and sat on the chair in front of Ry’s desk. “She asked me if I knew a man named Salvador Maland. She seemed to think I should. And when I said I didn’t, she called me a liar.”

“You’re sure you don’t know him?”

“I don’t think so. Does the name mean anything to you?”

“Not offhand.”

“She had the damnedest eyes,” Blu mused, still unable to forget their warm color, or her sexy little mouth.

“This is personal, then?”

“Hell, yes, it’s personal. Damn personal when a fille you’ve never seen before points a gun at your nuts and threatens to blow them off.”

Grinning, Ry said, “Sure would have made a helluva headline for the Times-Picayune.”

Blu evil-eyed Ry. “The girl pulled a gun on me and you’re making jokes.”

“You make it sound like it was the first time you’ve ever looked down the barrel of a gun.”

“It was with a young fille backing it. Claiming to be a nun, no less.”

“Is that what’s bothering you, that it was a woman?”

“You’re not listening. She was little.” Blu held up his hand. “About this big.”

“So she’s maybe five four, not a woman, and not a nun?”

Blu swore and was halfway out of his chair when Ry pulled a notepad from his drawer and said, “Not so fast. Give me some facts.”

Blu eased back down onto the chair. “You mean, a description?”

“Yeah. What did she look like? What was the color of those damnedest eyes?”

“Brown. Soft brown.”

“Hair?”

“Didn’t see it.”

“You said she’s young?”

“Real young. Eighteen at the most, And she’s…” He held up his hand again. “Five feet, four inches sounds right.”

“Any identifying marks? A mole or birthmark?”

“Didn’t see any.”

Ry glanced up. “I thought you were going to give me a description.”

“She was covered in black from head to toe. You’ve seen a nun, haven’t you? They wear black…everywhere.”

“Everywhere?”

Blu refused to let Ry get under his skin. “I’ll let you know once I find her.”

“So what we’ve got is a pair of the damnedest brown eyes, and she’s maybe four inches over five feet. And she’s wearing black…everywhere.”

Blu wished he had something more to offer. “Ah, her mouth…”

Ry was waiting with his pen poised. “Yeah?”

“Ah, she’s got… She’s got great teeth.”

“Teeth?” Ry tossed the pen onto the desk. “Well, hell, that makes all the difference in the world. We’ll see her coming, then.”

“I’m out of here.” Blu was on his way up once more.

“Sit down,” Ry growled. “I need some coffee. You want some?”

“No.” Blu watched his brother-in-law stand and head for the coffeepot in the corner. Ry was an inch shorter than Blu’s six-three, and where Blu’s eyes were a deep chocolate, almost black, Ry’s were as blue as the morning sky. His sandy-brown hair was cropped close to his head, and the comfortable jeans and boots he refused to give up after making detective, fit the rugged Texan perfectly.

At thirty-four, Ry’s status with the NOPD had steadily climbed. He was not only considered a fine homicide detective, but the next in line for a promotion. But more importantly was his claim to being the luckiest man alive since he’d married Blu’s sister—a beautiful nightclub singer twelve years younger than him, who kept the Toucan Lounge in the French Quarter packed to full-house capacity three nights a week.

“She gave me another name, too,” Blu drawled. “She asked if I knew a woman by the name of Kristen Harris.”

“And do you?”

“No.”

Ry returned to his chair with a cup of coffee. He jotted the name down beneath Salvador Maland’s. “So how did you and our little nun part company? How did you disarm her? Did you get the gun? We could trace—”

“No gun.” Blu confessed.

Ry eyed the cut and fresh bruise on Blu’s forehead. “What’s that from?”

Blu hadn’t intended to go into the details of how she’d gotten away from him, but if he didn’t… “She, uh, she told me to…”

“She told you to what?” Ry prompted.

“To strip,” Blu confessed grudgingly.

Ry was in the process of taking a sip of his coffee. He promptly choked and messed his shirt. “Dammit.” He eyed the brown stain spreading on his broad chest, then, still scowling, looked back at Blu. “And did you?”

“Did I what?”

“Strip?”

“I took my boots off.” Blu rubbed his temple, remembering the way she’d smashed the heel into his head. “I toppled her before I lost my pants. But then she hit me over the head with my boot.”

While Ry laughed, and patted dry the stain on his shirt, Blu climbed out of the chair, jammed his hand into his jeans’ pocket and paced back to the window. “It wasn’t that damn funny.”

“Normally I’d agree if it had happened to someone else. But you’ve got to admit it’s not every day a nun asks the Blu Devil to strip at gunpoint, then knocks him out. With his own boot, no less.”

When Blu only grunted, Ry sobered—a little. “Okay, let me run these names through the computer and give Jackson a call. When he finds out something he’ll be in touch.”

Before Blu could agree, his sister opened the door and stuck her head inside. Surprise filled Margo’s eyes when she saw who stood in her husband’s office. “Blu? What are you doing here?” When she spied the cut on her brother’s head, she gasped. “Oh, my God! What happened?”

Blu touched his temple. “It’s not worth mentioning, so don’t ask.” He shot Ry a look that told him to keep his mouth shut. His sister was as protective as a mama bear over a newborn cub. If she thought Blu needed her, she would likely cancel her trip to Texas.

Margo frowned at him, then glanced at Ry. “Is he telling the truth or is he hiding something?”

When Ry hesitated, Margo faced Blu, her hands landing on her trim waist. Her dark eyes—a matched pair to her brother’s—narrowed with suspicion. “All right, let’s hear it. You promised me and Mama that you were done working for Patch Pollaro.”

“I am,” Blu insisted.

“Then what’s this?” She gestured to the cut on his head. “And why are you here? I can count on one hand how many times you’ve willingly set foot in this office.”

“Margo.” It was Ry’s voice that brought her up short. “You promised you would back off and give it a rest. Harping ain’t pretty, baby.”

“Harping? I don’t harp. It’s called, I’m-your-sister-and-I-have-a-right-to-be-concerned.” In a visible huff, she planted her butt in the chair opposite her husband and crossed her long legs.

Blu gestured toward Ry. “I was hoping once you married him, Chili, he’d take up all your worrying time.”

His pet nickname for his sister didn’t soften her. “I have plenty of ‘worrying time’ for all of my family. But in your case—”

“Easy, baby,” Ry warned.

Margo brushed her black hair off her shoulders, her gaze locked on Blu as she talked to her husband. “I can’t help it, Ry. He promised me he would take better care of himself after nearly getting killed last year. And as far as I can see, he doesn’t look like he’s keeping his promise. I’ll just bet Patch Pollaro is behind this.”

“I told you, I quit him. Go down to the Red Lizard and ask Patch if he’s seen me lately. He’ll tell you he hasn’t laid eyes on me in a year. I’m officially retired. I’m no longer breaking arms or fingers at a hundred dollars a pop.”

Blu watched his sister squeeze her eyes shut in disgust.

“Don’t talk about it.”

“You brought it up.”

“Then let’s drop it.”

Blu was about to agree when his stomach growled.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t eaten yet today? A shrimper who goes hungry.” Margo shook her head. “Honestly, Blu, it’s not like food is hard to come by. You just throw the nets out and—”

Blu threw up his hands and looked to Ry for help. “Now she’s attacking the way I eat. And this is the woman you chose to wake up next to for the rest of your life?”

“And they say men don’t whine.” Margo stood and gave Ry her full attention. “I guess I’m off to feed him. Do you want— What’s that on your shirt, honey?”

“Coffee.”

“Coffee? Ry, coffee stains. I just bought you that shirt. Last night it was butter. This morning it’s coffee. Do you think I should make an eye appointment for you?”

Ry scowled at his wife. “Because your old man’s eyesight is failing?”

The mischief in Margo duFray ran deep. And, like her brother, if she chose to remain stone sober a crow-bar couldn’t make her crack a smile. “It’s not my fault you’re cresting the hill, honey. If you need glasses—”

“I can still pick a lock, can’t I?”

“Yes. Last night you actually—”

“This is sweet,” Blu interjected, “but could we—”

Margo rounded on her brother. “How would you know anything about sweet? Who have you been practicing on lately?”

“No one. I don’t date, remember?”

“No, but you should. There’s this new waitress at the Toucan who—”

“Is very nice,” Blu finished. “Forget it.”

“What’s wrong with nice?”

“Nothing.”

“So you never plan on bringing anyone to Sunday dinner? Never?”

“Never isn’t a word I feel comfortable using, but it probably fits in this instance.”

Blu knew Margo’s concern for him was genuine. She had sacrificed a great deal for him last year. She’d taken a bullet in her arm, a bullet that had been meant for him. She’d survived the ordeal, and now that she’d been reunited with the only man she’d ever loved, her current mission was to find her outlaw brother a nice wife.

Blu’s stomach growled again.

“I heard that. Come on. While I’m feeding you, I’ll tell you about Sharon.”

“Sharon?”

“The nice girl at the Toucan.”

As Margo passed through the door, Blu hung back. “Thanks for your time, Ry. Tell Jackson I’ll be anxious to hear anything he finds out. Oh, and make sure you take care of my sister in Texas. She’s hard to live with most days, but I wouldn’t want to have to try living without her.”

The devil’s lair was a pigsty. Kristen crept inside the desecrated apartment, her eyes wide with disbelief. How could anyone live in such a depressing place, she thought, as she scaled the stairs and entered the apartment at the top of the landing.

The air smelled old and damp, and she wrinkled her nose, unconsciously wiped her hands on her jeans-clad thighs. There was no place to cook a meal, no chairs or table. Nothing but an old mattress lay in the far corner.

The bathroom—Kristen stuck her head inside a small archway and found a dingy yellowed sink, a toilet in worse condition, and a shower stall rimmed on all sides with rust. Suddenly she felt lucky that she had found the women’s shelter on Carmel Avenue. She couldn’t afford to stay in a motel, and an apartment such as this would have been no place for Amanda. The shelter was clean, and the food tasty and regular. And there was this wonderful nun named Sister Marian who had befriended them. That’s who had lent her the black habit yesterday, and who had agreed to baby-sit Amanda today while she was out.

Kristen released a defeated sigh. Yesterday she had hoped that the Blu Devil would recognize her, and when he hadn’t… Well, maybe he didn’t know her, but he certainly knew Salva. That’s why she was in his apartment—to find evidence he had lied. Evidence that might give her another clue as to who she was and where she belonged.

She had stared at his photo a number of times on the sailboat, then on the airplane. As wary as she was of the man and his possible connection to Salva, she’d started hoping he was her brother, or maybe a mean cousin who valued family. She’d imagined him seeing through her nun’s disguise and telling her that he was thrilled she was alive and well. Then he’d call her by name and take her home to meet the rest of her family—all ten brothers who looked as tough and solid as he did.

Fairy-tale garbage, is what it all was. The Blu Devil couldn’t possibly be related to her. Kristen glanced around the room and shuddered. No, she couldn’t be related to anyone who lived like this.

Exhausted, she admitted her bravado was slipping. She was confused and afraid. She wanted to go home, but the only home she remembered was the one on the island and she didn’t intend to go back there. Not ever.

Salva would be searching for her by now, and just thinking about how he would punish her if he ever found her made her sick to her stomach. He had contacts all over the country. Once he’d turned Belize upside down, she was sure he would dissect the coastal towns one by one.

She would have gone to the police if she hadn’t been so afraid that Salva was telling the truth about her fugitive status. She didn’t feel like a criminal, but she couldn’t take the chance. Not with Amanda’s future hanging in the balance.

But all was not lost. At least, not yet anyway. Yesterday when she’d asked to see the Blu Devil’s hand and it was free of Salva’s mark, she had actually felt momentarily dizzy with relief. The Blu Devil was not one of them—he didn’t carry the Maland dagger insignia tattooed into the palm of his left hand. And if he wasn’t one of them, then it was quite possible he was Salva’s enemy. That would explain the picture—her husband was big on vendettas. Once he’d had a statue constructed in a man’s likeness just so he could destroy it piece by piece over a week’s time.

Kristen had watched the Blu Devil for three days before she’d approached him. What she’d learned wasn’t anything concrete, but she had come to realize that, physically, he was an iron man. That his fleet of shrimpers docked full daily, and that he was always the last man to leave the wharf at the end of the day.

In the midst of her musing, Kristen heard footsteps on the stairs. Jerked back to the present, she sucked in her breath. Was it him? Had the Blu Devil come home? No, it couldn’t be him. What would he be doing here at this time of day?

She glanced around, knowing there was no place to hide—she couldn’t even crawl under the bed.

Filled with a sudden urgency, Kristen dashed for the door and flung it open. Bolting into the hall, she knew she had only a few seconds before whoever was climbing the stairs reached the landing. With no time to lose, she grabbed for the first doorknob she came to and nearly stumbled over her own feet to get inside. Heart pounding, she eased the door closed, hoping she hadn’t made too much noise. Her gaze took in the room in one quick glance. The rundown apartment was no better than the one she’d just vacated. In fact, it was exactly the same—bare of furniture, with only a mattress in the corner.

She glanced at the wall that separated the two rooms and to her horror realized that the shell of a wall was missing large pieces of plaster. In some places she could actually see into the next room through the narrow cracks. At that moment it occurred to her that maybe she’d been wrong, maybe this wasn’t the Blu Devil’s home, after all. But she’d followed him here yesterday after he’d pulled himself to his feet in the alley, and the day before that.

Oh, God, what if it had all been a trap? What if he had known she’d been following him? What if he’d gambled on her coming back?

Worse, what if it wasn’t the Blu Devil at all? What if Salva had been on her trail from the moment she’d left the island?

Chapter 4

It was him. It was the Blu Devil.

Kristen covered her mouth as she peered through the crack in the wall, another dose of fear lodging in her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to think of a way out of the building without being seen. At the very least, heard.

As scared as she was, she felt an overwhelming amount of relief that it wasn’t Salva.

It was strange to fear the Blu Devil and at the same time want him to be her savior. His wild hair was so black it looked almost blue, she thought, squinting through the crack. It appeared stubborn, too, as stubborn as his ruggedly built jaw. His good looks were understated by his fierce, dark eyes and serious, hard mouth. It gave the impression he had never smiled a day in his life. His broad shoulders were as intimidating as his long muscular legs and the size of his hands.

Kristen didn’t like big men, didn’t like their forceful natures. She knew her fear was irrational; not every man enjoyed dominating a woman with force, but she had suffered so much at the hands of a big man over the past three years that she’d become jaded. And, she reminded herself, she’d seen this man in action—the Blu Devil wasn’t just strong, he was as quick as a bolt of lightning. Not even his limp seemed to slow him down.

He peeled off his white sleeveless T-shirt in one complete motion and tossed it onto the mattress in the far corner. He was beautifully put together—bodywise there would be few men who could equal him. Even Salva didn’t compare, Kristen decided as she examined every exposed muscle in the Blu Devil’s broad back.

She continued to stare through the crack, determined to find something about this man that might spark her memory. But she found herself again distracted by the sight of him—afraid one minute, in awe the next.

He rolled his head side to side. Stretched. When he reached for the zipper on his jeans, Kristen sucked in her breath and held it. Suddenly his hands stilled. A second later, he lifted his head and slowly turned to stare at the wall she was hiding behind. The crack she was peering through was tiny. He couldn’t possibly know she was there. Still, Kristen jerked her head back and flattened herself against the wall. Surely he hadn’t sensed she was watching him, not unless he had the predatory instincts of a wild animal.

A long minute passed. Then another. More minutes came and went. Kristen took several calming breaths, and shook off her paranoia. Still, she needed to get out of there. It was going to be tricky, but she was going to have to try.

She was still debating her dilemma when something hit the wall with such hellish force it literally bounced her into the middle of the room—something hellish, like an angry oversize fist.

Oh, God! Kristen let out a wild cry, then scrambled for the door. As she thrust it open, she came face-to-face with the Blu Devil. She screamed and slammed the door shut, at least she tried to—the door flew back open, nearly shearing off her nose. She turned to run, her gaze darting around for an alternate escape route. But she already knew there was none, not unless she dove out the second-story window.

She hadn’t made it halfway back into the room before a powerful arm curled around her waist and hauled her off her feet. It happened so fast she was left peddling air.

The power that snaked around her and reeled her in was double that of Salva’s. The realization that he was ten times stronger than her husband, sent total terror flooding through Kristen’s veins. She’d suspected he was strong—but…my God!

She swung her arms and flayed her legs, relieved when a solid kick netted a grunt of displeasure. Encouraged, she remembered his limp and swung her fist in the direction she hoped his thigh would be. The second swing hit its mark. He swore crudely and loosened his hold on her for a split second. Kristen spun around and kicked in the direction of his groin. Anticipating her move, he jerked sideways.

A second later he charged her.

She shrieked as he drove her backward. Following her down, she ended up sprawled on the smelly mattress in the corner with the Blu Devil on top of her.

Momentarily dazed, Kristen blinked, then focused on a pair of fierce dark eyes studying her long and hard. A minute passed then he said, “I think we’ve already had this dance, fille. Oui, now I remember.” And to prove that he did, his hand reached up to touch the cut on his temple.

Blu could feel her frail yet shapely body beneath him—feel every inch of her. And whether he wanted it to or not, the perfection that had been hidden by the black robe yesterday put a new slant on everything; his little nun had enough curves to sober a career drunk.

A perfect package, he mused—beautiful eyes, a sexy mouth, angel hair and a killer body.

Killer?

“Where is it?” Blu demanded, quickly coming to his senses.

“Where’s what?”

“The gun, dammit?”

“I didn’t bring it with me.”

“Sure you did.” Blu shifted his weight and ran his hand over her left hip. He felt her body tense.

“Please,” she pleaded, “don’t hurt me.”

Blu ignored her plea, reminded of how easy it had been for her to aim that .22 at him yesterday. Determined it wouldn’t happen again, his hand kept moving as he watched her. Her eyes were wide, her fear stealing her air. “Breathe, dammit, or you’re going to pass out,” he warned. “If that happens, you’ll wake up not knowing what I did to you.”

His words made her cry out, and the air rushed back into her lungs.

“The gun,” Blu insisted. “I want it.”

“Please! I—”

Blu got to his knees and flipped her over so quickly she didn’t have time to fight him. And that’s when he saw the bruises covering the backs of her arms. He’d seen hundreds of bruises, in all shapes and sizes; had been responsible for more than he cared to remember. Good at his past job, he knew just how much pressure to inflict to cause a man’s skin to discolor, and to what degree. There was no question about it, his little nun had been manhandled, and it had been fairly recent.

The small bulge in her back pocket caught his attention, and he shoved his hand inside and retrieved the derringer. Confident she would have better manners now that he had disarmed her, Blu shoved to his feet.

“Get up.”

She rolled over, scrambled to her feet and took several steps back. With shaky hands, she shoved her sleeveless blue blouse back into the waistband of her jeans, then brushed the length of her hair away from her face.

Blu watched as her fairy-tale hair drifted over her shoulders, then past her arms, then past her waist. Hell, he’d never seen hair that long or that satin-smooth in his life.