Page 99 of Dead Girl Running

Kellen released the safety on her pistol and cautiously approached the cottage Temo shared with Adrian. She climbed the stairs, put her head to the door…

Inside, she heard a burst of sound: men shouting, a girl crying.

She used her pass card and slammed into the room to find four pairs of eyes fixed on her: Adrian; a Hispanic guy with dyed blond hair who was writhing on the floor, holding his bleeding thigh; Temo himself, hard-eyed and furious, pointing his pistol at the door…and a preteen Hispanic girl who had to be Temo’s sister.

Whatever Kellen had expected, this wasn’t it.

Without hesitation, Temo lowered his pistol. “What are you doing here?”

“What areyoudoing?”

“My sister… I brought her back here to live with me. My mother went to prison for drug use, and this bastard was planning to sell Regina to work the streets.”

“I’m her stepfather!” Mr. Dyed Hair shouted.

Temo pointed his pistol at him. “Chulo!Pimp! You never married my mother. You’ve got no rights to my sister as a parent or guardian.”

“No!” Regina screamed. “Don’t make me go back with him!”

Temo paced toward the guy on the floor. “If I killed you and dumped you off the cliff, no one here would know or care.”

The tense situation explained so much about Temo and Adrian and their recent suspicious activities—but this had nothing to do with smuggling and murder. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Kellen asked.

Temo struggled for words. He gestured. He looked hopeless and defiant. “I can’t work all the time, take care of the resort like I promised. Regina’s eleven. She’s been abused and neglected. And…she’s eleven.”

He gave her age twice, as if it should tell Kellen everything—and in a way, it did.

He said, “She needs me. I have to be here for her.”

“Temo, I understand. Annie will understand.” Kellen was incredulous. “I told you I’d talk to her. Why would you think keeping your sister here would be a problem?”

“Mitch said—”

“That lousy bastard.” Mitch had misled Temo—and Kellen. Sucker and lousy, distrustful friend that she was, she had fallen for it. Mitch hadn’t been around long enough to be the Librarian, but he certainly could be one of the assistants. Had he been involved in the fight the night before? He showed no obvious signs of damage, but that meant nothing. He was a good fighter and an excellent survivor. Maybe all his injuries were hidden beneath his clothes.

“I told you so, Temo,” Adrian said. “I told you Mitch was full of shit.”

“Thank you, Adrian, for the testimonial.” She holstered her pistol. “Guys, don’t worry—we’ll deal about Regina.” She looked at Regina. “You’ll be fine, I promise.”

The girl trembled and nodded.

“As for him—” Kellen gestured at Mr. Dyed Hair and his bloody leg “—I don’t care if you shoot him and drop him off the cliff. But clean up the mess afterward.”

The pimp gave a howl of objection.

Like she cared. “Guys, when you can, I need help at the resort.”

“We’ll be there as soon as we handle him.” Temo waved his gun at the pimp. “Shouldn’t take too long.”

Adrian focused on Kellen. “What kind of problems are we talking, Captain?”

She said, “Be prepared for ambush, deadly force, sabotage. Trust no one.”

“Captain, you might put a cap on.” Adrian removed his and tossed it to her.

She pulled it on, nodded at Temo’s sister, whirled and ran for her ATV.

Behind her, someone slammed the door closed.