I Hear Voices (2 page)

A dark brow shot up incredulously and his mouth tightened. “Some other time, sweetheart.”

I grinned as Sloan beat a hasty retreat. This was going to be fun.

My dapper Uncle Aldo gave me a slight nod as he squired two beaming elderly women around the displays. His ivory cane was a work of art. It contained a super duper spy camera equipped with a scanner that would pick up the frequency range of the museum’s security system. It also had a cool electromagnetic pulse feature that fried all electronic devices. With one press of a button, the alarm systems, cameras, lights and cell phones would be put out of commission, permanently. I loved technology.

I watched the security guards hustle Sloan out of the building and dump him next to a battered

old silver Hummer. Hmmph. The car matched his eyes. Was he that vain?

A feral smile twisting his mouth, Sloan got in his Hummer and drove off. Guess he had done his surveillance, too.

The psychic image of a black clad figure entering the darkened museum flashed across my mind. The sneaky bastard planned on hitting it tonight. The Indiana Jones wannabe was going to be in for a nasty surprise. Hope he had a good lawyer.

A short time later, I adjusted my way too tight borrowed maid’s uniform. Who knew I could still squeeze into a size ? I know I had put on a little weight. Okay, who was I kidding? Twenty or so pounds were a lot but working for Aunt Sophie had driven me to chocolate. I’ll freely admit I’m a chocoholic but it was the only thing that kept me sane.

The downside of my sanity was the ugly brown shirt squashed my breasts and I was afraid if I breathed too deeply the buttons would pop off. But hey, I could actually say I still wore a size .

Kinda.

Pushing the maid’s cart down the hallway to room , I inserted the pass key Uncle Aldo had made me and slipped inside Sloan’s hotel room.

Whoa! The room was fit for royalty. The elegant sitting room had a terrific view of the city and double doors opened onto an enormous balcony

complete with comfy lounge chairs. The opulent bedroom was a playboy’s wet dream with a bed big enough for an orgy. He’d better enjoy it now. The Tomb Raider’s next accommodation would be a six by eight cell with a metal toilet.

Pulling on my latex gloves, I planted schematics of the hotel and museum’s security system in his luggage, stuffed burglary tools under the bed and hid a radio frequency jamming gun in the air duct.

Once Uncle Aldo liberated the million dollar diamond necklace from the penthouse safe, I’d call the police with an anonymous tip about where they could find the stolen loot. Yep, room .

I passed the wet bar and a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies drew me like a magnet. The Hilton did know how to treat its customers. I grabbed one and took a bite. Omigod! Could you have an orgasm from chocolate? I took another bite. Ooooh yeah.

No sense in leaving them. I mean, guys weren’t into chocolate, right? Stuffing the cookie in my mouth, I grabbed the plate, opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

The elevator doors dinged and Sloan strolled out. Holy shit! Talk about bad timing. I sucked in a deep calming breath. It’ll be okay. All he’ll see is an overweight Hispanic looking maid doing her job.

Setting the plate of cookies on the cart, I pushed it calmly down the hallway.

His cocky stride had me gritting my teeth.

Macho creep.

Sloan’s cold silver eyes zeroed in on the plate of cookies as he walked towards me. They were mine and there was no way he was getting his grimy paws on them.

The top button on my shirt suddenly shot off like it had been propelled by a rocket launcher. I watched in horror as it smacked him right between the eyes. Omigod!

Sloan stopped dead and stared at me. “Helping yourself to my cookies, sweetheart?”

His sweetheart sounded more like a cuss word than an endearment.

When I didn’t respond he added, “Do you know you have my chocolate on your mouth?”

His chocolate? I quickly swiped at my lips. “Muy bien, senor.” I winced, my Mexican accent really sucked.

Sloan’s gaze narrowed. “Do I know you?”

“No comprende, senor.”

“Those eyes, I’ve seen them before.”

My pale violet eyes were a bit unique. “No comprende,” I repeated, pushing the cart faster.

Another button rocketed off and whacked him in the nose. Sloan’s gaze settled on my ample cleavage. “What were you doing in my room, Angel?”

Oh shit, I should have never worn that tank top. The angel shaped birthmark on my upper right breast was unforgettable and marked me as a demon slayer. “No hablas Ingles.”

“The hell you don’t.” He grabbed for me.

I shoved the plate of cookies in his face. He wanted them. He got ‘em.

Sloan growled like a rabid pit bull and lunged at me.

I ducked under his outstretched arms, slammed the cart into him and ran for my life.

“You little bitch. You’re after the gold, too!”

“Ya think?” One glance at the chocolate smeared predator on my ass and I went to plan B.

Yanking the fire alarm, I dropped a smoke bomb and hauled ass down the stairs.

I was wheezing like a stranded guppy when I finally made it to the parking lot. Twelve flights of stairs in less than five minutes had to be a record.

Sirens wailing, several fire trucks and cop cars squealed to a stop in the front drive. A large crowd of panicked people poured out of the front doors.

I’d say my diversion was a success.

My calf muscles protesting loudly, I hobbled over to my gold Sonata and climbed in.

The door to the staircase flew open and the enraged Tomb Raider barreled out.

I waved all friendly like at him and started the engine.

He mouthed, I will find you.

Flipping him the bird, I mouthed back, not a chance.

His fists clenched, Sloan sprinted towards me.

Wow! That sucker could really run.

I gunned it and roared out of the parking lot.

Ha! I showed him. A smug look at the rear view

mirror had me groaning. He was writing my license plate number down.

Grabbing my cell phone, I dialed —. The line rang and rang and rang. To my horror an automated voice answered, “You have reached —. All the lines are busy. If you have a life threatening emergency, please stay on the line.”

Good God, — had an answering machine.

Were the budget cuts that bad?

My cell phone snapped, crackled and went dead. Crap. I glanced over at the passenger seat and sure enough, there sat Granny Annabel still decked out like a gypsy.

“You’re messin’ up our plan!”

“Aldo was arrested.”

My stomach clenched in horror. “That’s not possible.”

“Derek recognized Aldo at the museum. He called his detective friend and told him that your uncle was the famous El Gato. They put… What is the word?”

I rubbed my suddenly aching head. “A tail?”

“Si, la Polizia was waiting for him when he left the penthouse.”

“That skunk is so going down.”

“Derek is a clever man, bambina. He will make you a good husband.”

“Husband!? Are you nuts! I’m not his type.”

“I do not like your tone.”

“He’s a predator just like Uncle Dante.”

“Derek knows how to protect his woman.”

“I am not nor will I ever be his woman,” I hissed through gritted teeth.

Granny Annabel gave me the evil eye. “You doubt me?”

“Yes.”

“Then do as you wish but fate will not be denied.” She vanished.

Fate will not be denied? What a bunch of hooey.

My cell phone sprang to life with a wonky ring.

“Hello?”

A sexy, deep timbered voice asked, “Zelda Dragos?”

The hair on the back of my neck literally stood up. “Derek Sloan, how did you get my number?”

He laughed a not very nice kinda laugh. “I have resources.”

“Like your detective friend?”

“Very good. Maybe you do have some psychic abilities.”

The slimy, conniving Tomb Raider had investigated me? “What do you want?”

“A meeting.”

I laughed, genuinely amused. “Not happening.”

There was a steely edge to his voice when he promised, “I will find you.”

“Does your detective friend know you’re planning on robbing the museum tonight?”

His breath hissed out. “Don’t get in my way, sweetheart. You won’t like the consequences.”

“Neither will you.” I disconnected and hit speed dial. As soon as my favorite cousin, Sebastian, answered I quickly filled him in on the situation.

“Don’t worry I’ll have Aldo out in an hour, luv.”

Utter relief filled me. Sebastian could hack any computer and was an expert at making criminal records permanently vanish. His release documents were a work of art. “Thanks, I owe you one. What’s with the English accent?”

“I’m impersonating John Seymour, the Duke of Somerset.”

“Hasn’t he been dead for like two hundred years?”

“My mark doesn’t know that.”

Horns honked and brakes squealed. I shot a worried look at my rear view mirror. A half a block back a silver Hummer weaved in and out of traffic.

I could sense an almost palpable fury emanating from Sloan. His predatory instincts had taken over and he wouldn’t stop until he had caught his prey. Me. Guess he wasn’t used to women running from him.

I swerved around a Lexus and shot down a side street.

The Hummer followed, barely missing a city bus. Betcha he was still pissed about the cookies. I would be.

“I’ll call you back, Sebastian, gotta ditch a moron with a death wish.”

“You need help? I can be there in eight hours.”

Sebastian had a protective streak a mile wide and always treated me like his little sister. “Nah, I can handle him. Just get Uncle Aldo out of the country.”

“Be careful, luv.”

“I always am. Ciao.” I disconnected.

I took a hard right, sped down an alley and squealed into a parking lot of a large shopping mall. Hiding between two oversized trucks, I opened my psychic eye. Well hell. Sloan’s Blackberry had an application used by the CIA to track cell phones. Wonder if I could borrow it?

An image flashed across my mind and a wicked laugh broke from me. My favorite client, Deborah Kline, was at the mall and she owed me a big favor.

I had tracked down her ex-husband and used my special effects computer to scare the living bejeesus out of him. Within two days the slimy bastard had sent her the three hundred thousand dollars he owed in back child support. Digging her business card out of my purse, I called her and asked for her help.

“I would be delighted,” Deborah replied.

“He’s in that silver Hummer heading towards you.”

“Don’t worry I’ll take care of your stalker ex-boyfriend.”

“You’re the best.” Okay, I might have stretched the truth a tiny bit but Sloan had gotten Uncle Aldo arrested.

Deborah’s brand spanking new white Cadillac suddenly shot out from a parking space. She missed the front bumper of the Hummer by a scant inch and crawled slowly down the aisle.

The Tomb Raider honked impatiently at her.

Deborah drove even slower.

Sloan laid on the horn and yelled, “Get the hell out of the way, you old bat.”

The Cadillac came to a complete stop. Deborah stepped out of her car and walked up to the Hummer.

Sloan leaned out the driver’s window. “What the fuck is your problem, Granny?”

Now he had gone and done it. Granny was in disguise and had a bit of temper.

Deborah yanked a can of mace out of her purse and let Sloan have it right in the kisser.

The Tomb Raider yowled and rubbed frantically at his face.

She smiled up at him. “You’ve got a nasty mouth on you, son.” She put the mace back in her purse and calmly walked back to her car.

“That’s tellin’ him,” I giggled. Deborah might look sweet and helpless but she’d been a top homicide detective until she retired and became a bounty hunter. She always got her man.

I pulled out of my parking space, gave Deborah a thumbs up, and headed for the exit.

A loudly cursing Sloan poured a bottle of water over his face. I honked as I drove away and yelled, “Way to go, numb nuts.”

The Tomb Raider yelled back, “Run little girl.

Run as far and fast as you can. The gold is mine.”

“Finders, keepers,” I shouted. Okay, riling him up even more probably wasn’t a good idea.

I pulled up at a stop sign and eyed the landscaping truck next to me. Perfect. They were heading to Nogales. Sometimes being psychic rocked. I rolled the window down and tossed my cell phone in their trailer.

With his burning, watering eyes, it would be difficult for Sloan to even drive and I bet it would take him about an hour to realize he was following the wrong car. By the time he made it back to Phoenix, the medallion would be mine.

Granny’s disembodied voice hissed, “How can you treat your man that way?”

“Sloan’s not my man and it was easy.”

“The fates have chosen him for you. They will not be denied.”

“Omigod! You are so full of it. Sloan dates women who would make that model Twiggy look fat. I’m not his type.”

“Men like large-breasted women.”

“Okay, I’ll agree with that, but my little voice says Sloan prefers bimbos without an original thought in their heads.”

With a blast of arctic air, Granny Annabel appeared in the back seat. “He is built like a stallion and he knows how to fuck.”

My granny was using the F word!?

“You need an experienced man, one who knows how to pleasure a woman.”

The image of his cock popped into my mind.

Damn, that sucker was big! No. No. No. She wouldn’t get to me that easily. “He’s got a big dick, so what? I want a man who will respect me, treat me as an equal and be my best friend.”

“Friends? Bah! You need passion and fire.”

“Like you had with Grandpa Frederic? He broke your heart and took every penny you had. So, I think I’ll pass.”

Granny grabbed her chest dramatically and cried, “You hateful child, I raised you better than that.”

“Uncle Aldo raised me,” I retorted.

The temperature in the car suddenly became sub-arctic and ice formed on the windshield.