Swing Shift: Book 2 Read online

  Her thoughts were a squealing, bubbling, clattering nightmare of fear of rejection, a strong amount of what Gus would call puppy love, and a desperate hope he’d say yes.

  It was exactly what Melody had once said about the woman.

  And then some.

  Sighing, Gus put his chin in his hand and rested his elbow on the arm of the chair.

  “Sure,” he said, not wanting to crush the poor young girl. “But it’s pretty likely others will join us. Can bet on it, in fact.”

  “Of course, of course. Not a problem,” Hailey said with a smile.

  Internally, she was shrieking.

  Shrieking as if she were on fire.

  Chapter 6 - Outlines

  Opening the door to his new home, Gus really wasn’t sure how he felt.

  It was a strange thing to be living in a home he hadn’t purchased. He hadn’t been a part of it in any way, but all his furniture was inside of it.

  Doubly strange that he wasn’t used to it.

  The top of a head came up over the back of the couch.

  “Oh, hey Ness,” Gus said as he realized who was lying on the other side.

  “Hey,” Vanessa said, watching him from where she was. “Long day?”

  “Yeah. First day with Chloe. Met our mechanic.” Gus put his keys up on the hook, then pulled off his jacket and put it on the coat hanger. “You could have warned me.”

  “Could have,” Vanessa said, still watching him. Only her eyes were really visible over the top of the couch. “Didn’t want to. I was feeling a little angry that you were alone with Trish up north. Sorry.

  “Not… really… used to this whole… being in a big relationship thing.”

  “I get that,” Gus said, and he honestly meant it. When he’d come home late last night from the airport, Vanessa had more or less jumped him. It’d been obvious she was jealous, missed him, and was slightly hurt. “If it makes you feel any better, I was a little jealous you were here with Melody. And oddly enough, jealous that Melody was with you.”

  “Yeah,” Vanessa said. “It’s… a bit of a jumble, isn’t it?”

  “Mm. But we knew that going into it. You and I both talked about it,” Gus said as he walked over to the fridge.

  “Beer me… dear?” Vanessa asked from the couch.

  “Course. Dear, huh?”

  “I mean… we’re contracted. That’s a form of marriage, right? So… I should go with it,” she said. “And yeah… we talked about it. I guess I just wasn’t quite ready for you to be so far away and alone with one of us.

  “I felt better after last night, though.”

  “Clearly,” Gus said with a chuckle, remembering. He pulled out a beer and opened it for Vanessa, then got a citrus soda for himself and walked over to the couch.

  “And what does that mean? I wasn’t needy,” Vanessa said. “Was I?”

  “A little, but it was endearing,” Gus said when he reached Vanessa, who had lain back down on the couch.

  She was dressed in a very loose tank top, with shorts that looked far too big for her. It was a very sexy sort of messy to Gus.

  Handing the beer to her, he kept his eyes on her face. “You good?”

  “Yeah. I’m good. Just adjusting,” she said, taking the beer. “Kinda nice to not be in debt. Kinda sucks to be in debt to you.”

  “Well, I don’t mind. As Melody and Trish said, lots of interesting ways for you to pay interest.” Deciding against his earlier course of action, Gus walked over to the other side of the couch, pulled Vanessa’s feet up, and then sat down. Putting her feet into his lap.

  He began to rub at the tops of her feet with one hand as he pulled the tab on his soda with the other.

  “Seems like I’m earning interest instead,” Vanessa said, wriggling her toes against his wrist. “Tell me about Chloe.”

  “Vampire. Murderer, straight up. The kind that belongs in prison,” Gus said with a sigh. “And I let her out. She’s holed up in an apartment I’m paying for through our budget. She’s got a city limit boundary, but otherwise she might as well be a free citizen. Other than that, she spent most of the day writing reports about the SA for us.”

  “I can’t say I care for that much. The criminal part.” Vanessa took a long sip from her beer.

  “Nope. Do what I gotta, though. We need to bust the SA hard. Bust it to the point that there’s nothing left. Mark needs this to be a complete slam dunk. So hard the backboard shatters.”

  “Seems like it,” Vanessa said. “I’ve been working through all those CI contacts Hailey gave me. Definitely have a really good pool to start with.

  “Nothing for the SA, though. I get the impression they went through and cleaned out their organization. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of bodies turning up with connections to them over the next year or two.”

  “Probably,” Gus said, then took a long drink. He pulled at one of Vanessa’s big toes, and it gave off a satisfying pop.

  Working his way down, Gus pulled on each toe one by one.

  “That feels really good,” Vanessa muttered, clearly enjoying the attention. “What’re your plans for tomorrow?”

  “Take Chloe out right as the sun’s setting and see what we can figure out with SA. She wants to try to go deep cover.

  “I’m not exactly on board with the idea, but… if she can make it work, it’d be massive. Truly massive.”

  “She suggested it?” Vanessa repeated. “That was after she wrote out all those reports you mentioned?”

  “Yeah. She did. And yes, it was. I was reading her mind when she offered, too. Nothing behind it. I dug a little.” Gus sighed. “Trish is going to start working on the accounting side, I think. Most of my day tomorrow is going to be paperwork and making sure Chloe is ready. Can’t take her out during the day, after all. Even with all those fancy new lotions like the ones C&C made, she really can’t be out in direct sunlight for too long.

  “Care to join me? Could use another detective for backup. Would be nice to go out with you again.”

  “Can’t,” Vanessa said. “Want to, but can’t. I’m meeting a lot of CIs tomorrow. They might not be useful for the case we’re working on, but we’ll probably need them eventually.

  “And Melody is flying out to Larimer tonight, by the way. She wasn’t sure if you’d checked your phone yet, so she wanted me to tell you. Sounds like your outing with Chloe will be just you. I can’t imagine they’d try to kill someone in their club, though. That’d just bring down too much action. Threaten her or throw her out, sure.”

  “Nope, haven’t checked my phone,” Gus said. “And let’s hope you’re right. Not a lot of resources to keep Chloe safe.”

  Gus was trying not to think about the fact that Melody was leaving. Truth be told, he felt rather saddened by the idea that she wouldn’t be around. He’d been looking forward to seeing her when he got home.

  She was crazy—quite possibly completely insane, in fact—but he did care for her. Far more than he wanted to admit.

  “Well. Trish will be home in an hour or so,” Vanessa said. “Wanna go fool around? I could kinda use it, and I’m still feeling… needy… I guess.”

  “Yeah, I do,” Gus said, and he meant it. Being able to just enjoy the comforts of another person was amazing. It was beyond what he was used to.

  He’d never say no.

  ***

  As he pressed the buzzer for Chloe’s apartment, Gus was mildly annoyed.

  She was late by about ten minutes. He’d gotten tired of sitting in the car waiting for her. But she didn’t have a cell phone yet, which meant he couldn’t just call her.

  Then again, getting your life restarted after years in a Fed facility is… I imagine it’d be hard to start up again.

  Doesn’t that make Indali all the more interesting? She went through just as bad, if not worse.

  There was no response at all from the intercom.

  Sighing, Gus pressed a hand over his eyes.

  He shook his head and ran his other
hand down the panel, hitting every single button for every apartment.

  He got responses from several people asking who he was and what he wanted. People telling him to go away as well.

  But there’s usually someone expecting something. That one person without ca—

  The lock buzzed. Gus opened the door and stepped inside the apartment building.

  There’s always one.

  Smirking to himself, Gus went straight to the elevator and tapped the button.

  Lost in his own thoughts, he only shook himself back to the present when he found himself standing in front of Chloe’s door.

  He knocked on it twice, then waited.

  There was no response.

  Giving up, and feeling increasingly annoyed by the second, Gus got down on one knee and pulled out his lockpicks.

  I bet I could just rake it. This isn’t a terrible part of the city, but it isn’t exactly where the rich live.

  Better than Ness’s old apartment, though.

  After pushing in the tension wrench, Gus pulled out a city rake pick and ran it back and forth several times through the keyway.

  The keyway shifted and turned sideways with a pop. Trying the handle, Gus found the door swung inward easily enough. Chloe hadn’t locked the deadbolt.

  After putting his pick and wrench away, Gus walked into Chloe’s apartment and closed the door.

  It’d come furnished, which was one of the reasons he’d put her up here.

  Reaching into his coat, Gus released the catch on his pistol and kept his hand on the handle. He wasn’t expecting trouble, but there was no reason he shouldn’t walk in prepared.

  Chloe was a hardened criminal, after all. She wasn’t misunderstood, hadn’t been framed, didn’t have a heart of gold—she simply was what she was.

  A cold-blooded killer.

  When he walked into the bedroom through the open door, he found her.

  She was buck naked, sprawled out in the middle of her bed, snoring away. The black-out curtains were doing a good job of keeping her from flash frying in the sun.

  Looking away from the very fit, athletic Chloe, Gus walked back out of the bedroom and partially closed the door.

  “Chloe, get your ass up!” he called through the doorway.

  “Wha—huh—what?” Chloe asked suddenly, her voice heavy. “Oh fuck. What… what time is it?”

  “Fifteen minutes after you were supposed to meet me outside,” Gus said.

  “Shit… I… shit. Shit, shit. Sorry,” Chloe said, her voice still very sleepy. “Haven’t slept on something that soft in a long time. Or that easily.”

  The door jerked itself open and Gus found the still very naked Chloe standing in front of him.

  “I mean, usually you have to worry your cellie is going to go apeshit and merc you.” She put a hand on her hip and ran the other through her hair, seemingly unconcerned that Gus was right there. “That or someone bribed the assistant warden and he let them into your cell.”

  “That’s great. Get your clothes on, put on the damn lotion, and let’s get going. We still need to get you a few things before night really falls,” Gus muttered.

  Chloe raised her eyebrows at that and gave him a wicked smile.

  “Come on then, keep me company while I get dressed. We should talk some more,” she said.

  “I’d really just rather wait in the living room. We can talk on the drive.”

  “I’ll be sure to take my time then,” she said. “Or you can keep me company and keep me on task.”

  “Fine. Have it your way. You seem to think you giving me the birthday-suit surprise is a bother. It isn’t. Just trying to do you a courtesy,” Gus said. “Well, go on then, get dressed.”

  Chloe watched him the entire time, her unwavering smile ever present.

  “Oh? Good,” she said. Waving her hand in a “come on” motion, she walked over to her dresser. “Pink or blue?”

  “Blue,” Gus said as he followed her in. “We need to get you a cell phone today. And a damn alarm clock. On top of that, we should get you set up at the local blood bar. Make sure you can get in when you need.”

  Chloe pulled out a pair of lacey blue panties and stepped into them.

  “That’d be good. When do I get a gun?” she asked.

  “It’s in the car,” Gus said immediately. During the drive to the airport, the flight home, the drive from the airport, and then the day spent after that, Gus had been going through her thoughts.

  More often than not, he’d been constantly monitoring them. Though he did dial it down immediately whenever she started throwing up hordes of sexualized fantasies about what she wanted to do to him.

  She seemed to constantly be testing whether he was reading her thoughts.

  Chloe had no intention of betraying him. He truly believed that.

  Though she had every intention of killing every SA member she could if Gus didn’t reign her in hard enough.

  “Wait, really? I’m getting a gun?” she asked, opening another drawer. “Lace or sheer?”

  “Lace,” Gus said. “And yes, of course you’re getting a gun. Simple reality is you’re not going to escape. They put that damn chip in your heart. It isn’t coming back out without help.

  “Even if you killed me, you wouldn’t escape. They’d just execute you. And if you don’t listen to me, I send you back to the frozen north.

  “If I’m going to be working with you, and you me, we need to trust each other. So you’re getting a gun.”

  Even if Mark had a conniption over it.

  Chloe pulled out a lacy blue bra and put it on.

  “Black, brown, red, or green,” she said as she went into her walk-in closet.

  I wonder. Has she become dependent on others telling her what to do?

  She get institutionalized? If so, I’m probably not helping, am I? Telling her what to do.

  “Black, and as sexy as possible,” Gus said, deciding to test that theory.

  “What?” Chloe sounded annoyed.

  Well, that worked.

  Gus decided he wasn’t going to respond. He’d let Melody dictate their working relationship, and he wasn’t about to let Chloe do the same.

  “Alright,” she said after several seconds.

  “Well? I’ve played your game so far,” Gus said. “What’s our first stop for the SA?”

  “Vermilion,” Chloe said immediately. “Of course. They need to see that I’m back. They’ll reach out to me. Well, probably try to kill me.

  “Either way, that’ll give us an in. Whoever they send will be the first one we can take and peel apart for information.”

  Gus thought on that and then nodded.

  It was simple, direct, and would get a reaction. It would give them a trail to follow on top of what they’d already found out from the other interviews.

  “Makes sense. What d’ya think’s going to happen?” Gus asked.

  “Send a few grunts after me. See if I’m weak,” Chloe said. “If I die, they’ll be happy. If I don’t, they’ll send someone to talk with me.

  “I mean, you want me to play this like I’m loose and free, right? Not that I sold myself to you?”

  “Pretty much,” Gus said. “At least for as long as we can. And this was your stupid idea, I’ll remind you.”

  “I know, I know. And it’ll work. We’ve got about a week, by the way. News travels with the laundry as easily as it does with prisoners getting let out,” Chloe said, coming back into the bedroom.

  She was dressed in a very skimpy black dress. It hung on her perfectly. On top of that, it was obvious she’d been forced to ditch her bra to get it on.

  “Sorry, bra had to go. Kept the panties you picked out for me, though.” She touched the dress with her fingertips. “And this is as sexy as I had. Okay?”

  Rolling his eyes, Gus sighed. “Sure. You know I’m married, right? Not interested.”

  “I know. Part of the fun is antagonizing you. It’s not like you’re going to keep me around after
the SA gets put under. Although the minimum-security sounds like it’ll be wonderful comparatively,” Chloe said. “Might as well have what fun I can.

  “Let’s go then. This is as sexy as I can be, given I didn’t have a lot of time to shop last night. I put on that lotion you bought me as well. It smells nice.”

  Nodding his head at that, Gus left the apartment.

  They had work to do, but first she needed the essentials. She wouldn’t be out long, but she’d need them while she was free.

  ***

  “Place hasn’t changed much,” Chloe said, standing at the edge of the parking garage. She was looking out across the way to the Vermilion. “Pretty sure that’s the same damn bouncer. He’d always cop a feel from everyone he could. Never tried it with me though.”

  “Wouldn’t know if it has or hasn’t changed. Never got close to the covens,” Gus said. “Truth be told, this is my first Fed case. Was just PID before this.”

  “Wait, you were?” Chloe asked, looking at him.

  “Yeah. Ninety-ninth,” Gus said. “Don’t think we ever crossed paths.”

  “We didn’t,” Chloe said. “I’d remember.”

  When she looked back at Vermilion, she seemed nervous.

  “For someone who claims to be so old, you look like you need a pep talk,” Gus said. Leaning against the edge of the parking garage, he found himself amused by the situation.

  She was acting like a rookie.

  “I mean… maybe?” Chloe said. “I haven’t been outside in years. I don’t think you know just what it’s like to be in full lockdown in that prison. I was in solitary for a lot of my sentence. Nothing longer than a few months at a time, but it adds up. Especially when I’d only get a day or two in a regular cell before going back to solitary.

  “And I want this. I want to go in there and just… Well, we both know. You read my mind. Whether I catch you at it or not, you do. You know how I feel about all this. That I want to kill them. All of them. But they could just as easily put a gun to my head and pull the trigger as soon as they see me. That’d be it.

  “No matter how old I am. No matter how good I am. That’d… that’d be the end.”