Page 55 of Hell Hath No Fury

She knew she was being naïve, but the prospect of finding—and saving—Nell overpowered her innate fear of walking into a den of jackals. “I’ll call you.” Emma held up her phone, “and leave it on speaker so you can wait outside and listen. If things go sideways, you can bust in and save the day.”

“If things go sideways, it’ll be too late.”

“They don’t like cops around here.”

“I know they don’t, but that’s too damned bad.”

Emma turned to look out the window.

They were parked almost a full block away from the Highlander but still in sight of the front door. There was nothing inviting about the place. The mere idea of Nell being in there turned Emma’s stomach.

Matthias gestured at the dingy block building. “Have you ever been inside?”

“I’m pretty sure you know I haven’t.”

“Then you have no idea of the lay of the land.”

“You don’t either.” Emma realizedshenow sounded like a stubborn pre-teen.

They fell silent, the debate going nowhere.

She forced down the panic that seized her when she’d learned Nell had purchased wine and had been seeking a ride to the Highlander Club. Nell’s words rang inside Emma’s head. “I need an oxy and a drink to wash it down.”

“I’m going in,” she announced and reached for the door latch.

Matthias caught her arm. “Not without me.”

“Fine.” She wrenched free. “Then let’s go.” She stepped out and strode down the uneven sidewalk toward the building, ignoring every survival instinct in her body screaming at her.Turn around! Run!

She sensed more than heard Matthias on her heels. He caught her by the arm again as she reached the ominous steel door.

“I’m going in,” she told him.

“I get that. I’ll let you do the talking, but I’ll be right behind you.”

“Okay.”

“One more thing.” She met his worried gaze as he said, “When we’re in there, if I tell you to do something—like run—you do it.”

“Obey first. Ask questions later.”

“Exactly.”

“Deal.”

He released his grip. She yanked open the door and stepped inside.

The black-painted walls did little to reflect the light of a few bare bulbs lining a room that otherwise might look like any other beer garden. Emma wove her way through eight tables set up in no particular configuration. A tall, beefy man stood behind the bar. Three others leaned on it at one end. Any of the four could pass for a bouncer, and all of them watched her like hawks observing a rabbit. Matthias’s presence behind her appeared to be of little consequence in their opinion.

Standing tall, hoping to mask her fear, Emma stopped in front of the first man, whom she assumed was the bartender.

“You don’t belong here,” he said before she could get a word out. He shot a glance at Matthias before focusing again on her. “He’s a cop. We don’t serve pigs.”

“ButI’mnot,” she said, grateful her voice didn’t reflect her nerves.

“No, I can see you’re not.” He sneered. “Okay, you can stay. He goes.”

“Not happening,” Matthias said, the ground-glass edge back in full force.