As a result, Talley bolted from the duct, running full speed toward Ross. Ross only had enough time to absorb a brief impression of wild green eyes and a tirade of cat-speak, before an angry Talley ran over the top of his head and then attached himself via some tremendously long, and extremely sharp, claws to Ross's back.

"Son of a-"

Officer Dan laughed gleefully. "Hey. See there? That got him out of his little hidey-hole."

"Yes, it certainly did," Ross said between clenched teeth as he crept back out of the crawls.p.a.ce with his pa.s.senger still firmly fused to him. Ross immediately felt his sinuses clog. Then Ross sneezed violently.

When he freed himself from under the house, Mo grabbed the cat and tried to pry him off of Ross's shirt. He flinched as Mo pulled and Talley refused to be removed.

"Talley. Let go, baby." She tugged more forcefully.

"Be careful, those claws have some of my skin attached," Ross said through the congestion of his allergic reaction.

"Sorry. He doesn't seem to want to part with you right now."

Ross straightened, causing the cat to climb his body and settle in a curl on the backside of his shoulder like a live hump. A hump attached with nails, biting through the fabric and making a pincushion of his skin.

"Call me Quasimodo," Ross joked. Somehow it didn't seem manly to cry about the puncture marks on his back.

There was one benefit of this particular lump as Mo hugged him from behind. Ross felt a fierce tug of pleasure. Of course, she was mainly hugging the cat, as she mumbled loving baby talk to the beast. But Ross felt her arms enfolding him too, so he felt good. He wanted to relax into her embrace and enjoy this moment of peace.

Officer Dan shoved a piece of paper and a pen at Ross. "How about an autograph, Mr. Dagger. For my wife this time. Could you make it out to Dora, the most beautiful woman in the world? Oh, do you have one of those posters you could sign instead?"

Chapter Ten.

Kubikov leaned back in the chair with his feet resting on the desktop. Alone in the office, he finally had the chance to read through the monthly profit and loss statement prepared by his accountant. This version wouldn't be shown to the IRS in an audit.

His black brows converged in a frown. Not enough profit. Never enough profit.

The pounding music from the next room matched the rhythm in his temple and he found himself absently ma.s.saging the spot.

The cell phone in his pocket rang. Kubikov pulled it out and glanced at the face: Betsy. Grumbling, he tossed it onto the desk unanswered. Kubikov didn't need to talk to her right now.

The office landline phone rang. Seizing the receiver he answered. "Da."

"Boss," Ivan said. "I do as you tell me."

The cell phone beeped, drawing his attention. "Hold on," he said to his brother as he examined the face of the phone and found a text: When are you coming home? I'm not going to be stuck with a crying baby all night by myself. I practically gave up my career for you and this kid. I'm coming to the club to perform my act tonight.

"Career?" Kubikov made a sound between a chuckle and a huff. Stripping wasn't something the mother of his child was going to do ever again.

A knock sounded on the office door. "Come," he called. The door burst open. Its k.n.o.b hit the wall before bouncing back on the three men entering. One man held it open for the others to come through. Two stupid morons- he couldn't remember their names-and the alligator food between them.

"Boss," Moron One said after closing the door behind them.

Kubikov held up a hand. "Shut up. I'm on phone."

"...And that what happened," Ivan finished, his voice coming across the cell phone. Then he fell silent.

Kubikov clenched his teeth. "Repeat what you said. I did not hear." He glared at the threesome standing on the other side of his desk.

"I go to the home of Dagger's girlfriend. But I find nothing. And that what happened."

"But you got the man, right?" Without waiting to hear Ivan's response, he continued. "Bring Dagger here and I question him." Kubikov slammed down the receiver. He jumped to his feet, stomped to the alligator food and then examined him up and down. The guy-Bruno-appeared healthy except for the Band-Aids on his chest.

Kubikov withdrew the Glock from the waistband of his suit pants."What are you doing here alive?" he waved the gun at his employees. "He supposed to be in some gator stomach by now."

"The alligators wouldn't eat him. They just nicked him with their teeth," Moron Number Two said, pointing to the Band-Aids on Bruno's chest.

"I told you. Get chicken. Tie around neck."

Moron Number One nodded. "We did. We got the best chicken in town. That special Cajun style fried from that place on Bull Street."

Kubikov stared at them, mouth agape. "I meant raw chicken, gloopee."

"But the alligator liked the chicken, he ate it."

"Shut up. Why do you argue with me, stupid?" Kubikov tore at his hair in frustration.

The two men nodded and hung their heads.

The landline phone rang again and Kubikov s.n.a.t.c.hed the receiver up. "Da."

"Boss." Ivan again. "I need tell you. I not have guy."

"What?" Kubikov didn't think he could've heard right.

"I think you should just pay the blackmail," Ivan continued.

"Don't think anything," Kubikov said. "Just do as I say." He hung up and threw the phone on the desk.

My Way played as the cell phone wiggled. Kubikov could see the ID: Betsy again. He grabbed it and snapped it open. "Leave me alone, woman! I'm working." He tossed the closed phone onto the desk again.

Kubikov turned back to the three morons in the room. "I not have time for you now. Get out!"

"Am I still on the payroll?" Bruno asked.

Kubikov rolled his eyes. "Nyet." He pulled the Glock, pointing it at Bruno. He squeezed the trigger. A round ripped through the flesh on Bruno's arm. He screamed, clutching the wound.

"Now try the gators."

The two morons stood gaping at him.

"Get the gator food out of here before I shoot all of you."

The morons finally came to their senses and grabbed Bruno. They dragged him toward the door that led into the building's lobby.

"Not that door. That one," he said, pointing to the back door to the outside. "You don't want someone to see, do you?"

They shook their heads and changed directions.

"Gloopees," he muttered.

Kubikov turned his back on them and phoned Ivan from the landline. His brother answered on the first ring.

"Tell me I didn't hear you right," Kubikov demanded. "You say you still don't have Dagger and you can't bring him to me?"

There was a gulp on the other end. "No, sir."

He thumped the landline receiver on the desk, before putting the receiver to his mouth again. "Get me Stephen Dagger and his girlfriend," he shouted into the mouthpiece. Kubikov thumped the receiver on the desk again until the hard plastic cracked and then crumbled, falling into pieces across the desk's surface. The room finally fell silent. Kubikov wiped at the sweat on his brow and walked around the desk before collapsing into the chair.

He breathed in and out, attempting to concentrate on the rhythm as he'd learned in his Buddhist meditation group. The notes of My Way began to play. Kubikov raised the Glock, squeezed the trigger, and blew the cell phone off the desk.

Mo and Ross were in his car heading away from her house when Mo's cell phone rang. She glanced at the face.

"I can't believe it," she exclaimed, glancing at Ross. "It's Clarence."

Ross, at the steering wheel, turned a corner. "Find out who the b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l he gave your address to."

She nodded and answered the call. "I don't even know what to ask you first," she said.

"Everything is definitely not virtuoso," Clarence answered.

"Really?" she asked. "I hadn't noticed, except that somebody broke into my house and trashed it. I have a feeling you know who it was."

"No money was dropped off?"

"Are you completely insane?" she yelled. "Someone broke into my house. Why would they leave me money?"

Clarence fell silent.

"Come on," she said. "Tell me what's going on."

Ross pulled his Mercedes to a stop before backing into a parallel parking place in front of his hotel. He switched off the engine and looked at Mo questioningly.

The police had allowed them to re-enter the house once the official work was finished. After the locksmith had declared the front door secure, Mo tried to reach Leo on his cell phone. He didn't answer so she left a message about the break-in. After showering, Mo slipped on some clothes that hadn't been disturbed by the breakers. She offered Ross the use of her shower along with a pair of her brother's jeans, a shirt and a jacket.

Finally, with no sign of Leo, Mo had not felt safe alone so she and Talley had taken Ross up on his offer to spend the night in his hotel suite. He would sleep on the sofa, he'd a.s.sured her. What a gentleman. Where was a lecher when you really wanted one?

"I tried to call you and tell you not to go back to your house," Clarence said.

"Yeah. Thanks for nothing, bagel-head." Mo rolled her eyes. "I'm putting you on speaker so Ross can hear this." Mo pressed the b.u.t.ton on her phone so Clarence's voice would fill the car.

"Ross Grant is with you?" he asked, his voice squawky. "You shouldn't go to his hotel tonight."

"What do you mean?"

"Gotta go."

"Clarence," Mo shouted, but he was already gone.

"Now what?" Mo questioned. "If we can't go to your hotel, what should we do?" She usually wasn't at such a loss, but the day had sucked away her ability to think clearly. She hoped Ross had a few brain cells left.

"We're already at my hotel. So I'm going to go inside and see if anyone's been here. You stay in the car and I'll call you if it's safe to come up."

Without waiting for her response, Ross opened the driver's side door and climbed out. Mo defied his instructions to stay in the car. She opened her own door and pulled Talley's cat carrier from the seat behind her, before following after Ross.

Their footsteps sounded against the pavement and he glanced over his shoulder and saw her.

He stopped and turned. "What are you doing? I told you to stay."

"Woof."

"What?"

"Woof."

Ross looked at her, uncomprehending.

"Well, you're treating me like a dog, telling me to 'stay' so I thought I might as well bark like one."

"You are exasperating,"

Mo marched forward. "Backatcha."

After taking a few steps, Ross stopped. Mo prepared herself to meet whatever argument he had with belligerence. She couldn't let him go into the hotel alone when there might be danger inside. How could she cower outside in the car and leave Ross to fend for himself?

"Maybe you should wait out here," he said in an ultra reasonable, borderline condescending, tone. "You don't want to leave Talley alone in the car, do you?"

The pizza-head obviously thought he could use her love for Talley to manipulate her.

"You have a point," Mo agreed, holding up the carrier. "That's why Talley is coming with us."

"Agh. Come on." Ross held a hand to Mo's elbow and urged her forward. The motion brought a Mmmmrrrrwwww from inside the carrier.

Mo lifted the carrier to eye level. "Shush it, Talley. I'm not taking orders from you either."

"Wait." Ross pulled her to a stop. What would he try this time? "Isn't there anything I can say to persuade you to stay here with Talley?"