The Wild Side: Urban Fantasy with an Erotic Edge Read Online Free PDF Page B

the wireless handset and grabbed her purse, rooting around for her pistol, but also making fast tracks for the front door. No reason to confront trouble if you can avoid it. She kicked off her sexy four-inch-heeled sandals behind the curved reception desk. They would just slow her down if she had to move out in a hurry.
    Stilling her panic breathing, she could hear the argument coming from the back room and tiptoed over to the curtain dividing the spaces.
    “I told you all to back off.” Liz was sure it was Armando, but his voice was oddly low and gravelly. Each word was clipped and terse.
    “Hey, man, we’re just the first wave. You have to get your guys in line, or there’s going to be some very big trouble on your doorstep,” he threatened.
    Liz didn’t want to move the curtain, but she needed to see what was happening. She found a small hole in the drape and plastered her eye to it.
    Armando stood in that alert-relaxed stance she’d seen in movies, the look of someone ready to fight. Shifting, she saw two young punks near the back door. They wore the usual Goth-looking clothes, but their heavily muscled frames belied the wan look of the costume.
    “Well, just tell your leader to stay out of my business. It’s not his territory, it’s mine,” Armando said, raising his voice on the last word as he moved forward, forcing the guys to back up.
    “Get out.”
    “He’s not gonna like this. You know it isn’t over,” the guy on the right said.
    “It’s done for now. Leave, and I won’t run you down the next time I see you,” he said as he opened the door to force them out.
    Liz backed away from the curtain and ran to the front door. She didn’t want Armando to know what she’d seen, so she repeated her warning about calling 911.
    Just as she made it to the door, Armando stuck his head through the dividing curtains. Liz caught a quick glimpse of bloody scratches on his face as he yelled, “No, don’t call. It’s all right.” Liz pulled her empty hand out of her purse, but clutched the phone like a hand grenade.
    She stared hard at Armando. “Are you okay?”
    “Wow, you look stunning,” he replied, taking in the incredible difference in her appearance. “You don’t normally dress in low-cut blouses and short skirts and how I’ve missed it, do you?”
    He was used to her slightly mousy receptionist outfits, and this was anything but. Her simple black dress embraced her curves, emphasizing a small waist, curvy hips, and normally hidden deep, full cleavage, framed by the stark plunging neckline. He had thought her hair was a mousy gray, but with it down and in full bloom, the curls glowed like a sexy silver halo around her face, tendrils framing her eyes.
    “You are one of the keenest observers of people I know, so no, you haven’t had a sudden failure of vision. It’s just that we usually work the opposite shifts, so you never see me when I’m going out for the night. And thank you for the compliment, but are you okay?” Liz was startled and flattered, but more, she was really worried about the amount of blood she could see. Armando still had the curtains clutched in his hands, coyly hiding behind the drapery.
    “Yes, just a few scratches. I really need to be careful back here,” he said. “Now, it’s obvious you have a date, so get out of here. I’ll be fine.” He paused, “You didn’t actually dial 911, did you?”
    “No, I was about to push the last 1 when you spoke. Nice save.”
    “Well, get out of here, and have fun,” he said, reminding her of a parent sending her out for the evening.
    Liz’s natural mom-to-the-world instincts kicked in.
    “No, I want to make sure you’re okay. Let me get the first aid kit and tend to those scratches. You won’t even know what’s bad until it’s cleaned up,” she said as she made her way back to the desk to return the phone and get the kit.
    “No,” he said a bit forcefully, “don’t come back here. I can take care of myself.”
    Liz