The Shoes Come First: A Jennifer Cloud Novel

by Janet Leigh

  ~

  Marco took us up a flight of stairs to the rooftop. There were four walls surrounding what resembled a very large garage. It ran the width of the entire building and could easily hold a fleet of cars. The only thing in the garage was Marco’s race car. It was spectacular—red with the Ferrari emblem on each side of the body. Across the hood various sponsors were displayed. The race car sat low to the ground with wings that spread out in front and a big spoiler on the back plastered with the Mafuso Motors insignia.

  We helped Ace across the garage to an empty space.

  “Call your vessel,” Marco ordered. Ace whispered a word I couldn’t comprehend, and his photo booth magically appeared. He looked at me, and I shrugged. “I can’t go back until I find Gertie.”

  Ace grabbed his back in pain, then lunged into his vessel, and he was gone with a flash.

  Marco and I stood staring at each other. “You should have gone with him. They are going to come here.”

  “Maybe not. How do they know where I am?” I shrugged. “I don’t have my key, so they can’t summon me, and I’m not in my vessel, so they can’t locate me.”

  “Maybe,” Marco said, but he didn’t look convinced.

  “So, is this your vessel?” I asked, running my finger along the rear spoiler of the race car.

  “You know it is,” he replied.

  “It’s nice, way cooler than mine. But I would still like to have the use of mine back.”

  “So this is not all about saving Gertie. It’s about getting your key back.”

  “Look, Marco,” I said, moving closer to him. “I know you still use your key, maybe only to drive in your races, but I have seen it in photos.”

  He sighed. “I’m not going to deny anything, but I am not going back to time travel.” He took a step toward me and ran his hand along the side of his car like he was caressing a baby. “We probably only have about ten minutes before we are invaded by the WTF assholes. I can help you get into the wedding tonight, but that’s it. I can’t help you get your key.”

  “Marco, what happened to you?” I asked.

  His eyes clouded over, and he started to turn away from me. I reached out to grab his arm, and as soon as I made contact, a sharp bolt of heat ran up my arm. He turned to me and slid his other hand around the back of my neck. The heat consumed me like a fire bursting from within the core of my body. Marco brought his lips down on mine, and there was a loud drumming in my head as if I were underwater. I didn’t pull back this time but responded with all the pent-up frustration I had been reserving for Caiyan. He slid his hand down my back and pulled me in tighter. His tongue ran over mine, and I just knew sparks were leaping out at each touch. I felt the ground shake, and then I thought I heard a crack of thunder. Everything in my body was humming like a finely tuned aircraft.

  Caiyan’s voice interrupted the drumming. “Um, that would definitely make me want to come to work every mornin’, yeah?”

  Marco and I broke apart. Caiyan stood staring at us with his arms crossed. Guilt washed over my face, followed by anger that I was feeling guilty when the man standing in front of me had a reputation as being a loosey-goosey.

  “Marco and I are old friends,” I said, wiping the kiss from my mouth with the back of my hand.

  “Apparently so,” said Caiyan with a slight grimace.

  Marco looked at me and then at Caiyan. “Oh, Jen, you didn’t hook up with him, did you?” He ran his hands through his hair. “Don’t you know—”

  “Yes, I know.” I stopped Marco in midsentence. Just as Caiyan was about to make some witty remark, there was a flash and a gurgle. Jake jumped out of the photo booth and ran to grab me in a bear hug.

  “Are you all right? When you didn’t show this morning, I was worried about you.”

  “I’m fine,” I answered, avoiding the raised eyebrows from Caiyan and Marco. Ace followed behind Jake. And just to make it really crowded, Brodie’s bathtub appeared, gurgling in the middle of it all. Jake stepped back and tried to compose himself.

  “Woo,” Ace said, fanning himself. “The testosterone in here is off the charts. You know, hon, they won’t buy the cow if you give the milk for free.”

  “Did you just call me a cow?” I frowned at Ace.

  “Figuratively speaking, my dear.” He came and slung an arm around my neck.

  “Are you all right?” I asked him.

  “Fine now, darling,” Ace said, glaring at Caiyan, who shrugged his shoulders. “I’m sorry to give away your location, but I wasn’t given a choice.”

  “No worries,” I told Ace while giving Caiyan the evil eye.

  Caiyan dropped his head like a misbehaved schoolboy.

  Ace made introductions. “Marco, this is Agent McCoy, the new pit boss and past romancer of our good friend Jennifer Cloud.” I rolled my eyes.

  Caiyan’s head shot up at the last remark, and a wily smile creased his face.

  Jake put forth a hand, but Marco refused to shake it. Instead he kept his arms folded across his chest.

  “I told Jen I would help her get into the Mafuso mansion tonight, but that’s all I have to offer,” Marco said.

  “Well that’s aboot as good a place to start as any,” Caiyan said. “Let’s go inside and make a plan.”