| "Liz?" Max said her name with uncertainty. Maria watched as Liz looked at him and she could see it written all over her face that she was considering Maria's offer. Seriously considering her offer. "Liz?" Maria chimed in and ignored the sullen glare from Max Evans. "C'mon Liz, whatcha got to lose?" Liz Parker with her brunette features and red hair shook her head. Without a glance at Max or Maria, she stood up, wiped her hands on her pants and ran from the apartment, the front door flung back and hit the wall with a loud clack. "Liz!" Max yelled and stood up, his eyes wide. "Let me go!" Maria jumped up and jangled the cuffs behind her back. "Damn it Max!" "Liz!" Max yelled her name again and glanced at Maria. He dug in his pocket and produced a small silver key. "Come on!" Maria urged and wondered how well she was going to run in heels. With an emotion lying somewhere in-between desperation and disappointment prominent on his face, Max Evans unlocked one cuff, but before he could get to the second one, Maria's free fist was connecting with the side of his head. "Stupid," she muttered as she watched Max fall to the ground on one knee. "See what happens when you help criminals?" Max kept his head down. * * * "That's it." Isabel stated as Michael slowed her car down in front of the brick apartment building. "Right?" Michael coasted into a small parking lot and immediately spotted a very shiny silver car. A very shiny silver car that belonged to his friend, Max Evans. He pointed and blocked the car in its spot with Isabel's. Michael's hand was on the door handle before he pulled the keys out of the ignition. "Michael," Isabel touched his arm. "Wait." "For what?" He snapped, his aggravation and upset etched in his words. "Okay," Isabel let out a breath slowly. Very slowly. "What are you going to do?" "Find Maria and kick Max's ass." He shrugged obviously not understanding the depth of Isabel's question. "Okay," she smiled at her partner. Although she knew Maria DeLuca wasn't in any real danger with her brother, it made her warm to know that Michael Guerin was capable of caring about someone beside himself. "Let's get out of the car and think strategy." Michael listened to his partner's words and focussed on her coolness. Isabel was right. Isabel was usually right about everything. He nodded once for agreement and then again for clarification. The two bounty hunters met outside the car and looked towards the building. "They've got to be in there somewhere," Isabel shaded her eyes against a dark night. "But what they're doing? I have no idea." Michael didn't respond with words. He kicked at the gravel underneath them trying to control his racing heart. Maria DeLuca, he thought, How in the hell did this woman make me fall for her so damn fast? How did she invade a part of me that was built to ward off invasions? How could I have not fallen for someone who would understand me? Someone who is just like me. Isabel saw something, someone, but she couldn't get the words out fast enough to alert Michael before a small, redheaded female slammed into him knocking him to the ground. "Fuck!" Michael shouted as the feminine figure whipped around the car and into the darkness outside the perimeter of the lot. "What the hell was that?" Isabel reached down for Michael's hand and pulled him to his feet. "I think it was a woman." "A woman?" Michael brushed off his ass and looked into the darkness. "What the hell was she doing?" Isabel shook her head as a realization dawned on her. The same realization hit Michael at the same time. In unison, they said one word, a name. "Liz." "Fuck me!" Michael slapped the hood of Isabel's car and avoided the glare he knew she was giving him. "That was Liz." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. "That was fucking Liz Parker." Isabel nodded and positioned herself in-between her car and Michael. "I think so. She had red hair." "This is un-fucking-believable," he pointed to where Liz Parker had run to. "Go try to find her, I'm going inside to�" He trailed off and took a step towards the building. "Go get her Michael," Isabel grinned. * * * Maria pulled up the straps of her dress as she walked from the apartment. Taking a deep breath in the hallway, she looked from end to end. No Liz Parker. She damned Max Evans for making her drop her bag at the hotel; she didn't have Michael or Isabel's phone number with her and she needed help. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Maria DeLuca needed some help. She bypassed the elevators and headed through the door marked exit and down the steps, her heels clicking louder than she thought possible. There would be no sneaking up on Liz Parker in these heels. She caught her breath and took the shoes off, carrying them by a strap, and made her way down the rest of the stairs. She walked the expanse of the first floor and tried to get her bearings. It was doubtful that Liz was still in the building, but based on earlier actions, Liz Parker? Not the brightest. The fact that Liz wasn't so smart compounded with the fact that she had now successfully gotten away from Maria twice, was enough for Maria to want blood. "I will get you, Liz," she said to an empty hallway as she made her way towards she thought was the main entrance. "You can't run and hide forever because I will always be right behind you. No matter where you go or what you do, Maria DeLuca will be on your ass." She pushed open the front door and stepped out into the hot air. The heat assaulted her instantly as she stood still, dangling her shoes from one hand and the handcuffs from the other. She looked the span of the lot and her eyes became trained on a figure stalking towards her. It was too tall to be Liz, too manly. As the figure became closer she felt the heat rise up inside of her, filling her. She stepped closer and saw the chiseled features of someone she knew she shouldn't fall for. Someone she knew she shouldn't care anything about. Someone she was on fire to see. "Maria," Michael said her name and raced to her. He embraced her as she stepped into the parking lot. He felt her wrap her arms around his neck and he inhaled her. "Are you okay?" "I'm good," she smiled and realized how much he meant to her. She forgot about the anger and the blame of getting into the kidnapping situation and met his lips with hers. "Michael?" The voice came from behind them. Max Evans. Michael looked away from Maria and faced his friend. He took one step in his direction before his fist came out of nowhere and clipped Max's face, his nose to be exact. Max let out a surprised yelp and grabbed his nose before sinking to the ground in a puddle of weakness. TBC |
| Part 26 |
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