Simon Says (36 page)

“No reason to stay,” Barber said, and he looked at Dakota with meaning. “At least, I didn't think there was. Now…” He shrugged.

That set off Simon's temper more. He knew if he walked off on Dakota, Barber would step in.

Would she let him? Would she replace him that easily?

Fed up and frustrated beyond belief, he yelled,
“Son of a bitch,”
but verbal venting didn't help that much.

Because he wasn't a man to lose his temper, everyone stared at him, and into the chaotic mix, his phone rang. All but snarling, Simon turned his back on all of them and snatched up the phone. “What is it?”

“You want to see me, champ?”

Marvin.
Though he'd never spoken to him before, Simon knew it had to be him. Obviously Barnaby hadn't followed his instructions, not that it mattered now. He'd take any chance to meet up with Marvin.

Simon glanced back at Dakota. She stood watching him with her arms crossed and her bare foot tapping.

Furious, but safe. He'd made sure of that.

Taking two more steps away from her, Simon said, “Damn right I do.”

“I'm outside your buddy's gym.”

“The gym?” That didn't make any sense. Not only was it a busy section of town, but a few fighters might still be there.

Surely Marvin knew that.

To get what he wanted, Simon played along as if he believed him. “You're dumber than I thought.”

Marvin didn't take the bait. “You think you want some, then come on. I'm here, and I'm ready.”

Anticipation sizzled through Simon's veins. “Fine. I'll be there in ten minutes.”

“Dakota know you're doing this?”

“No.” Simon looked at her again. “And if you have any smarts at all, you'll keep it to yourself.” He disconnected the call, gave himself two seconds to think, then strode back to her.

At his approach, she straightened. “What's going on? What's at the gym?”

Damn, she had good ears. Slipping an arm around her back, he got her moving. “Come here.”

Trotting alongside him as he led her to her room, Dakota said, “What is it?”

Simon propelled her inside. “You're almost naked.”

Glancing down at herself, she shrugged. “I'm covered.”

“Just barely. It doesn't take much imagination to rid you of that shirt, and trust me, those three in the hall have plenty of imagination.”

She curled her lip. “Gee, and here I thought you didn't care anymore.”

“Stop pushing me, Dakota.” She could be the most infuriating and sexiest woman he knew. “We have a lot to sort through, but right now, I need to go.”

“Why?” More alert, she studied him. “Who are you meeting at the gym?”

Simon hid his evasion behind annoyance. “Stop grilling me. And please, if you're going to play in the hall, put on some jeans.” He rethought that, and added, “A bra would be nice, too.”

He turned to go, and she grabbed at him. “Simon, what are you up to?”

Because he couldn't help himself, Simon cupped the back of her neck and drew her up. “I used to be such a calm, reasonable man, but I swear you're making me crazy.” He kissed her hard and fast. “We'll talk later.”

More than a little confused, she said, “Yeah, right. Where have I heard that before?”

Simon left before he could do anything else stupid. Like apologize. Or declare himself.

One thing at a time, he decided. His explosive relationship with Dakota would wait. Right now, he needed to focus on Marvin Dream and his plans to get him permanently removed from Dakota's life.

W
ITHIN
seconds, Dakota pulled on her flannel pants, grabbed her car keys and room card, and shot out the door. Halfway down the hall, someone caught her by the arm. She swung around in surprise.

Barber released her and quickly backed out of range. “Whoa. Take it easy, slugger. I just wanted to know where you're rushing off to.”

“Damn it, Barber, you startled me.” Rather than go barefoot through the lobby, she went down the hall to the side door. “I have to get to the gym.” She was aware of not only Barber following, but Michael and Harley, too.

“Why?”

“Because Simon's up to something.”

“Like?”

Crushed gravel bruised her feet and hobbled her headlong dash to her truck. A cold evening wind made her hands shake as she tried to get her key in the door lock. If Michael and Harley listened in, it didn't matter. She didn't have time to worry about that.

“Simon went to see Barnaby, today. Then he gets a call and shoots out of here.” She bit her lip. “I heard him mention the gym.”

“So?”

“I think he's going to meet Marvin there.”

Floodlights showed Barber's surprise. “Hell.”

“I have to go.” Though shivers racked her body, the key finally went in and Dakota unlocked the door.

Barber again pulled her back. “Don't be a doofus, Dakota. You're not dressed and you don't even have shoes or a coat.”

“I don't care.”

He halted her climb into the truck. “I'll go. I'll take Mallet with me.” He turned to Harley. “You in?”

Harley's piercing gaze went to Dakota, and he shrugged. “Why not?”

Dakota felt the panic setting in. “I'm not going to wait here, Barber, so forget it.”

“I figured as much. Remember, Dakota, I know you.” He took her keys and handed them to Harley. “Get dressed, and then you can ride over with Harley.”

Michael scowled at that plan. “I'll wait with Dakota.”

“No, you're coming with me. Simon and Harley have a fight coming up. If we do find Marvin up to no good, they can't chance bruised knuckles.”

Michael's brows shot up. “Meaning if Marvin is there, I get to kill him?”

“You can help me kill him.”

“Well, why didn't you say so?” He rubbed his hands together. “Let's go.”

Dakota fretted, and damn it, she was not a fretting type of woman. She snapped at the men, saying, “Neither of you gets to kill Marvin. That would just get you in trouble, too.” On impulse, she hugged Michael. “He's a dirty fighter. He carries a knife. Please don't let him pull a fast one on Simon.”

Michael patted her back. “Sublime will be fine, I promise.”

Barber pulled Dakota from Michael and into his arms. “We'll be careful, so don't worry.” He turned to Harley. “Don't take any chances.”

“Wouldn't dream of it.”

A few seconds later, Dakota watched their taillights disappear down the road. As she stepped past Harley, she said, “I appreciate your help.”

“Not a problem.” He kept pace with her toward the motel. Though he, too, only wore a T-shirt, he didn't look the least bit cold.

He reached the door before her and pulled it open. Just as Dakota started in, running footsteps sounded behind them and someone kicked the door. It shut hard and fast, yanking Harley forward and causing Dakota to stumble back. Harley let out a curse, but he turned so fast he was a blur.

Three men had their faces hidden behind ski masks. Dakota knew one of them was Marvin, and her heart dropped to her knees. As Harley attacked, she backed up a step, so scared that her vision blurred. Pandemonium exploded.

One man stood to the side while the other two fought. Harley threw kicks and took some punches. Dakota noticed that his right arm hung funny and that he wasn't using it for much. Dear God, had he gotten hurt when the door slammed?

She couldn't tell by Harley's manner because he smiled as he kicked out, catching one of the men in the chin and sending him flat to his back. With a fast left jab, he staggered the other man.

And suddenly, Gregor stepped out of the shadows. “Howdy, folks.”

The two men tried to scatter, but they didn't get far. One fell beneath Gregor's enormous fist, and the other took Harley's knee to his solar plexus. Slumped on the ground, neither of them looked capable of much movement.

The third man looked back and forth between them before staring at Dakota with palpable rage. Gregor pointed a finger at him. “Don't even think about movin'. I'll be pissed if I have to chase you down.” He bent to the first man and yanked off his mask. “That him, Dakota?”

Shocked, Dakota stared at the man. She'd never seen him before.

“Dakota,” Gregor said again. “Is that him?”

Marvin? She shook her head.

“Huh.” Gregor reached for the other man's mask and dragged it off, too. “This one?”

“No.” Both men were scruffy, already bruised up, and unrecognizable to her. “I don't know them.”

Gregor straightened to his full impressive height and crossed his arms over his chest.

“You know what that means, darlin'?” Gregor nodded his head toward the last man. “This one here has to be the burr in your backside. Now, if it was up to me, I'd let Harley hold him while I broke all his joints. But Simon has other ideas.”

“Simon?” She had no idea what Gregor meant. In fact, she had no idea why Gregor was here. “What—”

Knowing he didn't stand a chance against Harley and Gregor, the last man let out a roar and surged toward Dakota. Taken off guard, she tried to stumble back, but fell.

He wrapped an arm around her neck and yanked her back to her feet. Fear immobilized her. It was Marvin. She felt it.

Harley moved to the side. Gregor did the same. What were they doing? She clutched at the arm restraining her, gasping for breath, until she heard someone say, “Easy now.”

That voice sank through her fear and she whispered, “Simon?”

“Right here, honey.” Simon stepped forward. “Marvin's not going to hurt you. You won't let him.”

With his free arm, Marvin jerked off his mask. “The hell I'm not. Back off, all of you.”

“Ain't happenin',” Gregor said.

“Not on your life,” Harley agreed.

And then Barber and Michael were there, too, all of them surrounding Marvin and ensuring her safety.

Marvin brought up his arm, and Dakota saw the flash of his knife. “You think I'm afraid to cut her?” He laughed. “Keep pushing me and you'll be sorry.”

He began dragging Dakota backward, and though the men all kept pace, she knew she had to do something.

They all expected her to.

Besides, with Simon close, the fear wasn't as bad as she had imagined it might be. Seeing Marvin again, comparing him to the men all standing in front of her, made him seem small and weak, not quite a man, much less a monster.

“Dakota,” Simon said, “listen to me. He's nothing. You can kick his ass, baby. I know it. I've seen you in action.”

That really got Marvin chuckling—and just that easy, the moves she'd learned came to her. For courage, Dakota looked at Simon, then acted.

Instead of struggling, she dropped her weight, throwing Marvin off balance. That was all the advantage she needed. With every ounce of strength she had, she brought her elbow back for a liver shot and at the same time, ducked away from the knife. She didn't have the power that the fighters had, but she had enough for Marvin.

Now that she was free of his hold, she faced him. “Did you hear him, Marvin? Simon says I can take you.”

Marvin caught his breath and straightened, the knife clutched in his hand. “You're fucking with me, aren't you?”

“No. You took me by surprise, but not again.”

She heard Simon say, “That's my girl.”

Marvin laughed. “This has to be a joke.”

Dakota circled him, and when he started to laugh again, she kicked away his knife. Marvin grabbed his wrist in pain. The knife flew to the side and Barber picked it up.

“I'm actually dead serious, Marvin.” She kicked again, landing her foot on his temple.

He fell on his ass with a grunt. Glaring at her with hatred, he said, “You're going to regret that.”

“Stand up, Marvin.”

“Bitch.”
He shot to his feet, lunging for her. Using his momentum against him, Dakota drove her knee into his groin. When he doubled over in pain, she caught the back of his head and brought her knee up again, this time into his chin, once, twice, a third time. When she released him, he fell to the side.

She could hear the smile in Simon's tone when he asked, “Dakota, you done, honey?”

“No.”

“Take your time.”

Since Marvin wasn't moving much, she spared a glance at Simon and saw his small, proud smile. For some reason, tears suddenly burned her eyes. “Thank you, Simon.”

“Anytime, sweetheart.”

Dakota walked a circle around Marvin. “You think you're so big and bad. Get up and prove it.”

He curled into a ball and groaned.

“Get up, or I'll kick in your ribs with you lying there.”

Slowly, Marvin struggled to his feet. Blood trickled from his grotesquely swollen nose and the side of his mouth. He bent forward like an old man, one hand still cupped over his jewels. “You're insane.”

“No, I'm mad. There's a difference.” For the first time in years, she felt truly free. As independent as she'd always tried to be. “Can you defend yourself at all, Marvin?”

“If I had my knife—”

“I'd take it from you and break it off in your kneecap.”

Simon winced.

Mallet laughed. “Jesus, I love it.”

Barber said, “I've got your knife, Marv. Want me to give it to her?”

Dropping back to his knees, Marvin said,
“No,”
and everyone laughed.

It struck her; to them, Marvin was a joke. A coward and a wimp and now, to her, he was the same. More tears burned her eyes as she stared at him, slumped on the ground in the dirt, sniveling and afraid. He was so much less than a man that he was nothing at all.

Not to her. Not anymore.

She didn't realize she was truly crying until Simon tucked her hair behind her ear and used gentle fingertips to wipe her cheeks. “You are remarkable.”

Sniffing, Dakota turned to him. “I thought you were at the gym.”

“Marvin thought so, too. But remember, I asked if you'd be okay with someone watching your back?”

“While you were in Vegas.”

He shrugged, still tenderly wiping her cheeks. “I figured a few more days couldn't hurt. Especially after meeting Barnaby.”

“So when you left—”

“I knew Gregor was here, keeping an eye on things. He called me as soon as the three stooges showed up.”

Dakota tipped back her head and stared up at him. “I thought you were too mad to care.”

“Never that.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I was pissed, but I think it's because I was hurt—though I won't admit that to anyone else.”

Laughing, Dakota hugged him. “I'm sorry I hurt you.”

Gregor cast a big shadow over them when he approached, and they both fell silent.

“For a badass Amazon lady, you sure are a wuss 'bout the cold.” Gregor laid an enormous jacket around her shoulders, and it was only then that Dakota realized how badly she trembled.

“Thank you.”

Gregor thwacked her on the shoulder, almost knocking her over. “I owe ya for the great show.”

Harley was the next to approach. “For a woman, you do good work.”

His arm still hung at his side, filling Dakota with dread. “Harley, I'm so sorry.”

“For what?”

Simon nodded at his arm. “Is it broke?”

Brows drawn, Harley looked down at his arm. As if just noticing the injury, disgust twisted his mouth. “Well, hell.”

Simon released Dakota to check on him. After gingerly testing his elbow, he sighed. “I hate to tell you, but your elbow is dislocated.”

“Damn. Must've happened when I was holding on to the door and that bastard kicked it shut.” He glared at Marvin. “Guess I should have let go sooner.”

Covering her mouth, Dakota said, “How could you not have known it was dislocated?”

He winced. “I don't know. It's suddenly hurting like a son of a bitch.”

Barber and Mallet watched over the men, making sure they didn't try to get away, until the police arrived with earsplitting sirens full blast. Simon called Gregor over, and he took Harley to the side. As soon as the police finished talking to him, Gregor would drive Harley to the emergency room.