Finding Romeo

Chapter 11

(Luka's POV)

36 minutes and 52 seconds and counting.

That's how long she has been gone.

How could I have been so stupid in thinking that she would stick around and do the job she was getting paid to do? She was a felon, cold and collected on the outside but on the inside she was just how I had seen her and every other person on the wrong side of the law, a spineless pansy that would run at the first sign of trouble.

I wish I could have turned her into the police and collected the reward for her. At least I would have something to show for all my effort, instead of empty hands and job that would normally take a team of highly trained detectives to accomplish, on my own while a shitload of work piled up on my desk at home.

I'm sure if anyone was to actually read any of the books I had written over the years, they would be asking me why. Why would I even think about taking a job for a billionaire, working with a known felon for a partner, doing things that would make the police slap handcuffs on me?

I would tell them for one simple reason.

Blackmail.

I know, not what anyone would think is it? Everyone would probably say money, and I'm sure they'd be right if my case was normal. I mean, a lot of people would think that a private detective and a bounty hunter would make good money at what they do. They wouldn't need to worry about money amongst other things right?

They would be right in any normal case, just not in mine.

I had tracked down a drug dealer in the outskirts of Detroit last year and it ended up being the Sheriff's daughter. I figured, the sheriff would be disappointed in his daughter, but I was just doing my job. As a officer of the law he would understand that, right? Wrong.

The sheriff took it out on me, claiming that it was all a set up that I had conjured up to cover up the real drug dealer. So, his daughter was set free and I was charged for so many felonies it would make the average Joe felon look like an angel.

I was at the courthouse for the trial and the judge waved all charges and I was thrilled that someone was seeing me for the good guy I was.

But as I walked out of the courthouse, a long black limo pulled up and I got inside, finding myself seated in front of none other than Mr. Vladimir himself.

Needless to say Mr. Vladimir was blackmailing me into helping him. If I had refused or if I failed at this job, he send me back into the clutches of the court system and straight into prison, where I was sure the Sheriff's friends were waiting to get their fists on me.

Mr. Vladimir said he wanted me for my talents and also because I wasn't afraid to break the law. I was a felon now after all.

It pissed me off. Not so much that he was blackmailing me, but that he would think that I was a felon.

I wasn't one of THEM.

Now Talia had ran off to God knows where, leaving me to do the job by myself.

Selfish bitch.

I sighed heavily and gripped the steering wheel hard, driving through traffic and heading to Mr. Vladimir's mansion. I needed to talk to him about getting a new partner, maybe a crew of good men to help me.

But damn, I wished Talia was here.

I had to admit that even with her obnoxious personality that she had been growing on me.

But only a smidgen.

It was hard to find someone who had snappier comebacks then myself, and hers had put me in my place numerous times.