Duplicity (3 page)

Chapter Five

The sound of shattering glass and screams brought Maxx out of his office for the second time this week. However, this time it would appear his bar was on fire. While he grabbed the fire extinguisher to put out the area near the window that was on fire, another window shattered on the other side of the room as a flaming bottle landed and exploded into flames. People were now panicking in the back of the club where the fires had started.

“Those fucking pricks! Jerald! Get everyone out, call 9-1-1, and tell them there may be some fuckers outside who need an ambulance if I get my hands on them!” He looked around and realized Jerald had been tending bar. “Where is Zowie?”

“She was upstairs doing bottle service because we were down waitresses. She’s probably still up there!” Jerald hollered back while ushering people out.

The sprinkler system activated, which started to put out the fires. Maxx ran upstairs and began banging on the VIP room doors. People came out in various states of dress. He told them there was a fire and they needed to get out. Nobody had to be told twice. When he got to the last VIP room on the end, the door was locked. Maxx cursed, as it was his policy that the rooms with bottle service remain unlocked to protect his staff. Bringing his foot back, he kicked the door just under the doorknob hard enough to send it rattling in.

The room was dark. He immediately turned the light on and was greeted by the image of Zowie handcuffed to the sprinkler system pipes, which were actively pouring water on her. She was unconscious from the looks of it as her head was slumped and all of her body weight was pulling on the cuffs.

“Fucking hell!” Maxx ran out of the room and rummaged around in the maintenance closet until he found a large pipe wrench. As he ran back into the room, he pulled the leather table over under Zowie’s limp form and pulled her legs up on it before he climbed onto it and held her up. Looking under the curtain of her wet hair and blinking the still streaming water out of his eyes, he called her name.

A groan emitted from her but nothing else. He noticed there was a large purple spot and swelling directly over her jaw. He frowned and lifted her up more while trying to see if he could slip her wrists out of the handcuffs with his free hand. He cursed when he saw Zowie’s wrists were raw and bloody from hanging for who knows how long.  

Snagging the large pipe wrench from the table, he used his free hand to slam the wrench into the pipe above their heads. The water continued pouring out. However, after three swings against the pipe it finally broke free, dumping even more water on them both. He didn’t have much time to move himself and Zowie out of the way of the free end of the pipe. Sliding her handcuffed arms down off the pipe, he picked her up and carried her out of the room and down the stairs. Not wanting to have to answer questions amongst the police and fire department that were hitting the building with fire hoses, Maxx walked out the side door into the alleyway and went back to where the cars were parked.

Unlocking the rear door to his SUV, he laid Zowie down on the backseat before getting into the front. As he started the car, the glass on the front passenger side window shattered. Maxx cursed before turning the ignition and gunning the car into reverse. He then floored it while in drive onto the street. Wincing, he ignored the fire of pain in his right shoulder as he drove out of Vegas and headed to the place he knew no one would be likely to look for them. Hitting a button on his steering wheel, he placed a call through his car.

“Detective Erickson.” The disembodied voice sounded through the car.

“It’s Maxx. I’m out safe, but I don’t want anyone to know that yet, and I don’t want anyone but the police getting back in that club. I mean it, not even my staff.” He needed to control the flow of information to find out who the snake in the grass really was once and for all.

“You got it. Call me if you have any leads. I’ll do likewise.”

Maxx could tell Erickson was around others by the way the man kept his comments vague. “Will do. Thanks.” Ending the call, he continued driving into the night as though the devil himself was chasing them.

Chapter Six

Zowie came to some version of consciousness with a raging headache and a very foggy feeling. Opening her eyes, she was startled by the deep voice speaking softly into her ear.

“Hey there.” Maxx’s concern was evident in his tone. “How do you feel?” 

Zowie turned her head toward his voice and winced as the sharp pain brought tears to her eyes. “I think I’ve been better. Where are we?”

“One of my places. No one knows where it is, so we should be safe. Then again, no one knows we survived the fire.” Maxx smirked.

“Fire? When was there a fire?” Zowie was having a hard time piecing together the events and could only remember Jerald setting her up with those two thugs and getting punched.

“Oh my God….” She gasped and started to sit up but groaned as the movement was too much and lay back down. She lifted her arms, wondering why her wrists were so sore and saw they were bandaged. “What the fuck actually happened after he hit me?”

“Who hit you? What happened, Zowie? I need to know.” Maxx watched her closely, and she didn’t necessarily like the look in his eyes. When she looked down at the end of the bed, she noticed her left ankle was actually handcuffed to the bed.

“What exactly is going on here? Why the fuck am I handcuffed to a bed? What happened to my wrists?” Even to her own ears her voice didn’t sound right. She recognized the twinge of panic.

Maxx’s expression was unreadable at this point. “I’m not sure if you’re pretending you don’t know or if you’re really innocent. I found you in the VIP room hanging by handcuffs from the sprinkler system. That was after someone lobbed two Molotov cocktails through the Belles’ windows. Then while getting you out of there in my car, someone conveniently shot through my passenger window and nailed me in the shoulder. Though I think they were aiming for my head. So what do you know about this? If you’re working for them unwillingly you can tell me. I can help.”

She looked at his shoulder and realized for the first time he had no shirt on. There was a bandage around his shoulder that wrapped under his arm. She began shaking and suddenly everything was too much. She laughed. “Let me get this straight. You think I allowed myself to be choked almost out cold, then punched, then lord knows what else happened between then and when you found me.”

Maxx frowned and looked in her eyes with a small flashlight he took from the bedside table. She winced reactively as it caused her headache to increase. “I think you might have been drugged as well as hit, but I have no idea. I couldn’t risk taking you to a hospital, so I had a doctor come here.”

“Well, Magnum P.I., did I volunteer for being drugged too or was that ad libbing on their part?” Groaning, she rubbed her head.

“I don’t fucking know, but if you could tell me what happened it might help me figure things out.” Maxx glared at her.

“How do I know
you
aren’t masterminding this nonsense? I get attacked for the first two times in my life in your bar. I end up here handcuffed to your bed. I’d say your motives were more questionable from where I’m lying.” She would tell him what happened, but she wanted her pound of flesh for him questioning her honesty. Looking down again she realized she also was wearing an oversized t-shirt and nothing else. Her embarrassment of how that had to have happened only added fuel to her temper.

Maxx let out a sound close to a growl and grabbed both sides of her face to hold her head still. Then he leaned down until they were nose to nose. “Enough. I get it. I believe you. I’m pissed off that anyone touched you. I will make sure that doesn’t happen again, but you need to stop baiting me. I’m not the most reasonable right now.”

Unwittingly, she moaned at the feel of him half lying across her and his lips so close. Maxx mistook the moan as one of pain and leaned back quickly. “I’m only keeping you here until things are safe again, and this way no one can say you were involved.”

“I don’t know what happened. Jerald was giving me shit and telling me I should just quit and save him the trouble of proving I was involved with that guy. Then he sent me upstairs to do bottle service and not only was the guy who choked me up there but another thug I’ve never met before. I was trying to get out of there, but he hit me before I could. That’s all I remember. Did you change me? Why am I wearing this?” She shuddered and tried to blink away the tears caused by remembering how scared she was at the time.

Maxx kissed her forehead gently and brushed the tears away before standing. “Yes, I gave you a hot shower and changed you. We were both soaked from the sprinklers. No, I didn’t close my eyes. I didn’t touch you, as much as I wanted to. Thank you for telling me what you remember. I’m going to be gone for a few hours. I’ll be back and hopefully this will be done.”

“What do you mean, you’re going? What am I supposed to do here shackled to your bed? I don’t even know where I am!” She couldn’t believe he was going to leave her here alone, handcuffed to his bed.

“The nurse I hired will be here, and my security guard will be here as well, but he will not be coming in here unless he has to. He has the other key though and can get you out of the cuffs for when you need to use the bathroom or take a shower.” Maxx walked into his walk-in closet and came out dressed in black dress pants and a black, collared shirt.

“What are you going to do, Maxx?” She could only imagine what was going through his mind at the best of times. Right now, he was closed off and almost predatory.

“I’m going to take care of things. I probably should have done this sooner, but I had to be sure. Just stay here and rest. If you go back to sleep I’ll probably be back before you wake up.” He offered a smile she was sure should have been reassuring.

“Or you’ll be dead and not come back at all.” She wasn’t sure what drove her to say it, but it had to be said.

“Or that. Don’t worry. I’ve left instructions if I don’t check in. They’ll let you out.” He responded in seriousness. Zowie watched him prepare to leave the bedroom and called out to him. “Maxx!”

He turned and raised an eyebrow silently in response.

“I don’t want you to die. I don’t want to sit here and wait to hear bad news either. Take me with you.” She bit her lip as he smiled at her plea.

“Are you going to be my bodyguard now? While the idea of that is appealing in some contexts, I won’t be bringing you with me, Zowie. Rest. I will be back.” With that, he walked out the door as though she hadn’t begged him.

Chapter Seven

Maxx attempted to reign in his anger as he grabbed his handgun from his desk in the office of his vacation home. He couldn’t believe that Zowie, who had known him less than a week, wanted to help him. That she was concerned about his safety. He certainly had repaid her concern and loyalty by handcuffing her to his bed, doubting her sincerity, and questioning her motives. He couldn’t allow guilt to sway him, though. She was innocent, that much he knew, but she may well be certifiable. That was the only reason he could think of that she wouldn’t back down from anything or anyone even when it was obvious she was on the losing end of the battle.

Walking back to the living room, he gave instructions to the nurse to check on her often and that she was not to be given a cell phone or computer. The nurse accepted the instructions as he had made sure she was very well compensated for her time and skill. Walking over to his security man, he reminded him that should he not come back tonight, he was to let Zowie out of the cuffs but to make sure things were safe before allowing her to go back to Vegas.

“She’s smart. Whatever you do, don’t let her convince you of anything. The only things that stand are what I’ve told you now. No deviation unless her life depends on it.”

His security man, Alec, was relatively new, but he had shown himself to be dependable and good at following directions in the past.

“You got it, boss. I won’t go in there unless I have to.” Alec assured him of his obedience and went back to watching the security video monitoring the outside of the house and the territory it was on.

“I’m counting on that.” Storming out, Maxx got in his car and began driving back to the scene of his near death. Hitting the button on his steering wheel, he used the voice activation to call Jerald.

“Maxx? Is that you? Where the fuck have you been? We didn’t know if you were alive or dead! They won’t even let us back in the club!” Jerald sounded agitated.

“Well, I’m alive, and I’m heading back there now. If you’d like to come in with me, you’re more than welcome to meet me there.”

“Yeah, boss, of course I’ll meet you there. Hey, whatever happened to that bartender?” Jerald asked. “She’s still missing.”

“Not sure. I barely got out myself. I’ll be there in a few hours.”

Maxx cut his usual driving time in half and doubted he drove any less than eighty the entire time. When he pulled up outside the club, he was not surprised to see Jerald’s car. If nothing else, Jerald was always on time.

He walked up to where Jerald was waiting and unlocked the front door, disarming the security alarm.

“According to the insurance company, there was minor damage. The windows are busted, there are some smoke stains on the walls, and the sprinklers did some water damage, but nothing that will take too much to fix.” Jerald sounded excited about the news.

“Well, that’s good news, at least. I mean if you’re going to nearly die, get shot at, and have your club get fire bombed, it’s great if it doesn’t cost too much to repair.” He walked into the club and grimaced at the debris from the windows and the water pooling everywhere. He hadn’t expected to feel worse seeing the club. He hadn’t known it was possible, but there it was making him want to hit something. Or someone.

“Who were the guests in the VIP room Zowie was doing bottle service for?” Maxx asked nonchalantly while heading behind the bar to find the book that kept track of these things. Unsurprisingly, the room she had been in did not have any entries for the night of the fire.

“Um, I’m not sure. I came down and told her to go up, but I wasn’t the one that checked them in. One of the girls told me in passing what they wanted.” Jerald leaned against the bar.

Maxx raised an eyebrow and pointed to the book. “No one checked them in. By the way, I’m fairly certain you know exactly who it was up there, because you sent Zowie up to what could have been her death. You most certainly delivered me to what was meant to be mine.”

Jerald went for his waistband, but Maxx had his gun out before he could complete the motion. “Drop it, asshole. I’m not as stupid as you are. Why’d you do it?”

Jerald had the grace to look frightened. He dropped his gun on the ground and held his hands up. “They got gambling debts on me, Maxx. If I didn’t try to get you to cooperate, and if I didn’t help them get to you that night, they said they would kill me.  She was meant to be a scapegoat to get you to cooperate, but when you wouldn’t, they decided you were both collateral damage.”

“So, you decided your life was worth more than mine or Zowie’s despite the fact that you brought your own problems on. Real classy, Jerald.”

Jerald looked out the front door and smiled suddenly, which caused the hair on the back of Maxx’s neck to rise. “Well, Maxx, I’d say we’re at a draw right about now.”

The door to the club opened and Alec pushed Zowie in ahead of him with a gun to her temple before closing the door behind him. Zowie looked like she had put up a fight and once again had been struck for her troubles. She was still wearing only his shirt and her panties, as well as the pair of high heels she had on the night before.

“Please tell me you didn’t fight him the entire seven hours from the house,” Maxx said while continuing to hold his gun on Jerald.

“I would, but that would be a lie. I told you to take me with you.” She shrugged, but he could tell she was in pain. Whether from the previous injuries or something new, he couldn’t tell. He hated that he could smell not just her fear, but also the scent of the asshole holding a gun on Zowie’s skin. He wished he could pinpoint the smell of lies or subterfuge, since he’d now trusted two people to work for him who were clearly rats.

“Well, I may have to teach you some self-preservation skills someday.” Maxx watched Alec carefully. “Any reason you’re helping this meathead out?” he asked, motioning to Jerald with the gun.

“He paid me, and his boss promised me a ton of cash if I helped get rid of a problem for him. Apparently, you’re the problem, but this bitch is in the way, too.” Alec yanked Zowie’s hair back.

She cried out but at the same time took her heel and stomped on the top of his foot. She then turned to the side and slammed her palm into his nose.

“Christ!” Alec dropped the gun and released Zowie, which gave her enough time to grab the gun and run behind the bar to him. She held the gun on Alec while he continued aiming at Jerald.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Maxx muttered under his breath. He was proud but also horrified that she could have been hurt had that gone any differently.

“Lots of self-defense classes being the only girl in my family.” She grinned but kept her aim on Alec.

They didn’t have to hold them long as the police arrived soon after thanks to Maxx tripping a silent security alarm as they reentered the bar. Zowie was treated by the paramedics and had only superficial damage from Alec and the handcuffs, and the swelling on her jaw from the night before. They gave their statements and then left. Rick and his men would be arrested on warrants based on their statements and the information Jerald and Alec gave once they realized they were facing prison time.