I waited in my car to see if she would leave and where she would go, she did not disappoint. Minutes after I left her Annie was hoofing it down the avenue. She seemed distracted and I wasn't surprised. I had must left her dizzy with my mood changes, leaving her on shaky ground, but when Annie O'Cappella said she went into NoLuk Territory, I saw red.

I should have known she would be the same thrill seeker that her brother Neil always was. Neil and I had become good friends during my stint in the McGinty gang.

When he discovered that I was a cop he kept my secret. He was good man and when he found out they were going to kill me, he went right to Lulu with the problem.

She got me out, but I had to leave Neil behind. It was a decision I always regretted. A week later I read about Neil's death. I felt ill. It never sat well me that it was an unfortunate blow to the head during a fight. He was fighting a NoLuk. They know what's lethal and what's not. They are all very highly skilled fighters. Not just a bunch of brawlers putting up their Dukes hoping for the best.

Neil had some skill in the ring. He was good at coming out on top unless Shamus wanted him to take a fall. He always hated when he had to do that. I still couldn't believe that the dame Lulu tells me to save, the very same dingy doll at the murder scene was Neil's sister. What are the odds...

Neil use to complain about the guys hanging out with his sister. Yet he figured it was better than her hanging out at the fights. He didn't want her to worry or be concerned about him. I doubt she even realized the risks he took each night with his life.

I see her take a turn and I nearly lost her waiting on a traffic light, but thankfully I caught sight of her again. She seemed to be headed right back to NoLuk Territory. I knew Neil use to have an apartment around there somewhere. Perhaps that was where she was headed, but couldn't imagine her keeping up the rent of that place and her own.

I rubbed the back of my neck. The tension was causing a headache to spring on. It didn't help I kept thinking of that honey cooler she planted on me earlier. I didn't expect that. I was bluffing, well no that wasn't true either. I did want to earn her affections... just didn't realize I already had.

When she mentioned the L word I knew she was in deep and it was time to pull out because she'd only get hurt, well worse then she already was, but knowing I couldn't save Neil, I refused to let her face the same fate.

As I turned out my lights and watched from a distance, I'd seen she was suddenly approached by several of the NoLuk gang and realized fate might be intervening sooner than I anticipated. When they nabbed her and started pulling her away, my heart leapt from my chest. 

 I drove around to block to the other end of the alley they started to move down. I used my car to stop their escape, got out of my vehicle and lit up a ciggy. "Well, Ring a Ding, Ding, you all look like you're about to have some fun. Is this a private party or can anyone join in?"

The obvious leader of this crew stepped forward. "What you doing here copper?"

"You've got something that belongs to me Xiao and I want it back."

Annie's peepers popped when she realized I was speaking of her, and Xiao looked annoyed. "You can have her when were done with her."

"You see that doesn't work with my time line. That dame there is a wanted woman. She's believed to have killed a man by stabbing him in the eye with a lead pencil. The only question is if it was premeditated or not. So, she's coming with me."

I flashed them my buzzer, "And I am planning on taking her with me one way or another. So, you can hand her over... all nice like or we'll get to see just how many of you end up leaving here by meat wagon... the choice is yours."

Xiao lit up a cigarette of his own and his smile was most sinister when his eyes met mine. "You think you can take all of us on copper?"

"Nope, but I don't have too." They all looked surprised to see my gat suddenly in my hand. "I'm certain Madame Yu would love to know what her right hand has been up to."

Xiao's face changed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"That seems highly unlikely but even if you are willing to gamble are they?" I ask pointing to rest of the gang with a wave of my gun. I didn't miss their shuttered looks at the mention of Madame Yu.

"Xiao," they urged, "she said, her brother was dead. We got what you asked for."

That response confused me but I'd get the goods from Annie once I had her safe inside my car. They pushed her forward and she stumbled. I caught her just in time.

They took the distraction to high tail it out of there, all except Xiao who flicked some ash from his cigarette and exhaled a long chain of smoke. "This ain't over, McCarty. Not by a long shot."

I pushed Annie behind me. "Forgive me for disagreeing with you again, but I see you or any of your goons within 10 feet of her and I'll be shooting first and jotting down names for the morgue later."

"You're nothing without that heater," Xiao tells me.

As quick as a flash, I let a bullet fly and it flicks the ciggy from his mouth.

"You may be right but I think I'll take my chances"

I lean back and tell Annie, "Get in the car, it's time to make tracks Doll."

She opened the door and slid across to the passenger's side, and I followed. Xiao didn't take his eyes off of us. I could still see his intense gaze from the rear view mirror.

Annie just stared. It was starting to unnerve me.

"What?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you come here?"

"Really Annie, you want to do this now?" I ask driving to put as much distance between us and the NoLuks as possible.

"Yes, damn you. You tell me your leaving, yet you followed me here, you possibly saved my life and so yes ... I WANT to know why?"

"You want to know why! You want to know why?!" I pull the car over and in one sweeping movement I pull her over to me and kiss her... not the chaste kiss she planted on me earlier but on that would leave her with no doubt about how I feel.

When I pulled away she looked a little dazed, "That's why, you dizzy dame."