“You can hide me in the trunk of your vehicle and we can—”
“I can’t enter the lot.”
“Hm?”
“I park in the outer lot and then walk through security.”
Rune’s lips pinched. “Could you request a pass?”
“No. Only the really high-ups get to park inside.”
“Even after I took care of your rival? You’re not powerful enough?”
Maddie scowled. “No. It didn’t really change my standing at all. I just don’t have to share the limelight.”
“Hm. Maybe you could pretend I was your father?”
Maddie’s lip curled. “But you’re not. You don’t look anything like him or me.”
“Ah, but they don’t know that.”
“They’ll ask to see your I.D. Do you have I.D. with my Dad’s name on it?”
Rune felt his mood darken. Perhaps Maddie wasn’t as useful as he thought she would be. She certainly wasn’t very bright.
“Who are you?” she asked, fidgeting in the silence between them.
His attention snapped to her. “I don’t kill you for five minutes and you think you can ask me that?”
She stood. “I’m sorry—”
“I’m kidding. Sit down.”
She raised her hand to her mouth to cover a nervous giggle.
Rune smiled. Now I’m funny too. Not only clever, but funny.
Maddie sat. “I—”
“Shh. I’m thinking.” Rune put his hands on either side of his head and rested his elbows on his knees. There had to be something she could do. He needed to walk onto the lot, unmolested, free to do what he needed to do.
Maybe she could help him find the people he needed to kill outside the lot?
“Do you know about a large Moor working there?”
“A Moor?”
“A Moor. A man of dark complexion.”
“A black man?”
“Yes. Though very dark brown would be a more accurate representation.”
Maddie frowned. “Could you narrow it down? I mean, there are a lot of black men at Parasol.”
“He works with Ryft and his dreadful son.”
“Ryft?”
Rune huffed. “I’m sorry, I’m making a mess of this. My thoughts are sometimes here and sometimes long ago. Sean. He goes by Sean in this time.”
Maddie’s lips pressed tight, her features scrunching into a ball in the center of her face. “Sean who? Do you have a last name?”
“He’s the guard of the studio. Very good with a sword, both broad and rapier, judging by his style. He works with a large Moor and drives a green car, smaller than most—”
“Oh Sean. You mean Sean and Luther. They run Parasol’s security.”
“Yes! Is Luther his son’s name?”
“Luther is the black man. Big.”
“Right. That’s the one. So you know who I mean.”
“I do now, yes.”
“Do you know where Luther lives?”
“No.” Maddie glanced behind her. “But I could probably find out. I could Google him.”
Rune stared at her, unsure if Google was a good thing. “Would that alert him to our quest to find him?”
“Googling? No. He wouldn’t know.”
“Okay. Do that.”
Maddie stood and went to a small black box sitting on her dining room table. She lifted the lid and it glowed as she tapped on the bottom half of it.
Computer. Laptop.
The words bounced though his brain and he nodded, happy to see them.
With her right hand she moved something around the top of the table and he saw the lit portion of the computer jumping to display different images and text. Finally, she grabbed a writing utensil and wrote something on the back of an envelope.
“Here,” she handed him the envelope. “This is where he lives.”
Rune read the address. “Can that computer tell you where everyone lives?”
“It depends.”
“On what?”
“I need information. First and last name at least, some idea of where they live. And even then, not everyone.”
“Excellent.” Rune stood. “I’m going to take care of something. Sean will be next if you can find where he lives for me while I’m gone?”
Maddie frowned. “So now I’m your secretary?”
Rune shrugged. “If you like.”
“I don’t like—”
He glared and her agitated tone softened. “Sure. I’ll find out where Sean lives. Do I get another favor then?”
Rune blinked. “Maybe. What do you want?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Well, you think on that. I’ll be back.”
As he reached for the door Maddie called out.
“Are you going to kill Luther?”
He paused and glanced over his shoulder. “Yes. Does that bother you?”
Maddie shrugged. “No. It doesn’t do anything for me either way. I don’t really know him.”
“Everything in your head is about you.” Rune grinned. “I approve.”
Chapter Eleven
Broch took half a step toward the gunmen and felt Catriona touch his arm.
“Don’t,” she murmured.
“We’re going to spend a little time together tonight,” shouted the larger of the two armed men over the din of the confused crowd.
Broch put out a hand to touch Catriona’s hip. “Fall back in tae the crowd.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
She scowled and he knew immediately he’d said the wrong thing.
Everythin’ is a negotiation with this wifie o’ mine.
“Ah dinnae want ye getting hurt.”
Catriona’s voice lowered to a hiss. “I was doing this job before you were even in this century.”
Broch couldn’t help but smirk. He loved Cat’s fire, though her presence did complicate how he was going to stop the armed men at the door.
“Hey,” one of the men snapped, waving a gun at them. “You two, shut up.”
“Oh you,” Catriona waved a dismissive hand at the intruder. “I don’t need to hear it from you, too.”
The man’s face twitched, his shock at her reaction to his threats rendering him dumb.
His partner’s attention shot to Catriona. “Lady, he’s serious—”
Catriona kicked off her heels. “If you think I’m going to stand here and let another man boss me around—”
“Hey! Are you hearing us?” The first man took a step toward them.
“She’s drunk,” said the second.
Catriona
