Fast Money: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

by Colleen Helme

  “Okay,” I said, deciding to agree for now. I put my arms around him. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. It scared the crap out of me too. These last few days have been…” I couldn’t think of a word that could adequately describe the horror I’d felt.

  “Worse than awful?” Chris filled in. “Worse than your worst nightmare?”

  “Well, maybe not…but pretty close. At least, I don’t think it can get any worse. Once we give the money back, things will get better.” I leaned my head against his chest. “I think I need a vacation.”

  He chuckled. “I agree, just the two of us. We could take a cruise or something.”

  I smiled up at him. “Sounds good to me.”

  “Okay, I’m glad that’s settled.” He was thinking he was relieved that I had agreed not to work for Dimples anymore. But knowing me, it was probably only a matter of time before I changed my mind.

  “Oh no,” I said, wanting to stop him thinking about my duplicity. “What time is it?”

  He checked his watch. “Nearly eight. Are we supposed to be there at eight-thirty?”

  “No! Eight o’clock.” My heart skipped a beat, and panic clenched my stomach. “I’m not sure I’m ready for this.”

  He grimaced. “I’ll get the gun. You get your stunner. We’ll talk about a plan on the way.”

  “Maybe I should call and cancel. I really don’t feel good about this.”

  He paused. “It’s just nerves. You’ll feel better when it’s over. We need to get this taken care of. I’m sick of what it’s done to us.”

  “Yeah, but…Ramos never called me back. Maybe I should call him first.”

  Chris sighed and his shoulders sagged. “All right. But it will make us late.”

  “I know, just give me a minute.” I couldn’t stop the foreboding that seeped up my spine. If this was the right thing to do, it only made sense that Ramos would know about it. He knew everything Uncle Joey did.

  He answered on the fifth ring. “Hi Ramos, it’s Shelby. Are you feeling any better?”

  “Yeah,” his voice was low and rusty. “Sorry I didn’t call you back.”

  “That’s okay. Do you need anything?” Chris shook his head, wishing I would get right to the point. Ramos could take care of himself.

  “No, I’m good. But thanks. What’s up?”

  “I called Jackie to set up a meeting with Uncle Joey so I could give the money back to him. She set it up for eight-thirty tonight. I was hoping you could tell me if that was a good idea or not.”

  “What?” Ramos sputtered. “She said to come tonight?”

  “Yeah,” I answered.

  “That doesn’t make any sense. He won’t even be here tonight. Mr. Manetto is flying in tomorrow.”

  My breath caught. “Then why did she say that?”

  “I don’t know.” He was silent for a moment, then added, “Just sit tight tonight. I’ll see if I can figure out what’s going on.”

  “Okay, thanks. Let me know what you find out.”

  “Yeah,” he said and disconnected.

  “What did he say?” Chris asked, anxiously.

  “He said Uncle Joey is flying in tomorrow. He’s not even here, and Jackie set up this meeting anyway.”

  “Whoa. It’s a good thing you called,” Chris said.

  “I know. He said to sit tight and he’d see if he could figure out what’s happening. Hopefully, he’ll call me back and let me know.”

  Chris narrowed his eyes. “This is Jackie’s doing. What’s up with her? Do you think she wants the money?”

  “That’s the only thing I can think of. But why would she take Uncle Joey’s money? I mean…she works for him, he’d know it was her.”

  “Good question.” Chris couldn’t figure it out. Who in their right mind would take Manetto’s money? He was bound to come after them. It didn’t make any sense. “Maybe she has some bills she needs to pay.”

  “Hmm…” I said. “Maybe she’ll call when we don’t show up and we can ask.”

  Chris shook his head. “Who knows? I guess the plan now is to wait and see.”

  “True,” I agreed. “But we’re not doing anything until we hear from Ramos.”

  “Sounds like a good plan to me,” Chris agreed.

  We spent the rest of the night waiting for a phone call that never came. Around eleven-thirty, we finally went to bed. I was hopeful that Ramos had taken care of the problem. Still, it was a long time before I could fall asleep.

  ***

  Chris left early the next morning for work. It was his day in court for the divorce case, and he couldn’t miss it. I promised I would call him if I heard anything. After the kids left for school, I thought about going to the gym, but the last few days had taken their toll, and all I wanted to do was sit around in my pajamas. Maybe I’d watch an old movie or two and eat a lot of popcorn.

  I worried that I hadn’t heard back from Ramos, but I didn’t want to be a pest and keep calling him. There was also the matter of Uncle Joey. When was he due to arrive? It was only a matter of time before I had to face him. I wished there was something I had on him that I could bargain with.

  There was the money, and the fact that I wanted some of it for compensation was probably not too smart. But giving it all back for nothing was harder than I thought. After all the trouble it had caused, I shouldn’t have a problem giving it back. So, did wanting to keep some make me a bad person? I figured I could play it by ear. As long as he didn’t find out about my mind-reading ability it could work out.

  I was just popping some popcorn when the phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, but thought I should answer it anyway. “Hello?”

  “Shelby.”

  My heart raced. It was the only person that could strike fear into my heart by just saying my name. “Uh…Uncle Joey?”

  “Yes, it’s me.” When I didn’t say anything, he continued. “I think you know why I’m calling. You have something of mine that I need back.”

  The way he said it raised my hackles. “Hey, you’re the one who put it in my account. I didn’t take it from you.” There was silence on the other end so I kept going. “And you know what? I’ve nearly been killed a few times because of it. I’m not very happy about that.”

  He sighed. “Yes, that is regrettable. I’m back now though, so I can take it off your hands.” Before I could say anything, he continued. “My driver should be there in about ten minutes.” He disconnected.

  “Wait…damn!” It didn’t sound like bargaining was going to be an option. Then I realized I was still in my pajamas without a hint of make-up, and only ten minutes to get ready.

  “Damn!” I rushed into my bedroom and threw on some black slacks and a black top. It hit me that I was wearing all black. Just the way he liked it. How had that happened?

  With no time to change, I put on some eye shadow and mascara, wondering why I cared. But I did. Looking good was important when I faced Uncle Joey. Why was that? It was like he had some kind of strange power over me, making me do his bidding. What could it be? Fear. Plain and simple. I was terrified.

  There was one more thing I had to do before leaving, and that was call Chris. I checked the clock and groaned, knowing he was in court and probably wouldn’t answer. The call went straight to voice mail, confirming my fears.

  Uncle Joey’s driver pulled up and began walking to my door. After the beep for voice mail, I quickly explained to Chris what had happened and slipped the phone into my purse. I was just about to answer the doorbell when I remembered my stun flashlight and ran back to my room to get it.

  The doorbell rang again, but I ignored it and pulled the flashlight out of the charger. As I slipped it into my purse, the knocking started. Totally rattled, I took a deep breath, funneling my nervous energy into indignation. Taking my time, I walked to the door and yanked it open.

  “I’m coming, you don’t have to…” I flinched back with shock. Mercer stood there with a gun in his hand. I nearly wet my pants, and my heart pounded so h
ard I thought it was going to burst. “What…”

  He grabbed my arm, pulling me effortlessly out of my house. “Come along, we have an appointment to keep.”

  “But you…”

  “Don’t worry Shelby. I’m not here to kill you.” He smirked, thinking that the look on my face was priceless. Something he would cherish for years to come. It made everything he’d gone through worth it.

  Bile rose in my throat. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

  “Oh no you don’t,” he said, jerking my arm so I faced him. “I told you I’m not going to kill you. I’m just doing a job for Mr. Manetto. He doesn’t want you dead. All right? You don’t have to worry.”

  I was still having trouble breathing, but his words finally began to penetrate my shocked sensibilities. “You’re not?”

  “Nope,” he said. “Now pull yourself together. Mr. Manetto doesn’t like it when people fall apart.”

  “How do you know?” I asked before I thought.

  He smiled. “It’s part of what makes me good at what I do.” He opened the back passenger door to the limousine and ushered me inside. “Make yourself at home. There’s a drink in the cooler if it will help settle your nerves.”

  I sat back in plush opulence, unable to enjoy the luxury that surrounded me. On impulse, I jerked open the cooler, finding mini-bottles of all kinds. With a huff, I slammed the lid, not giving in to the temptation. This was not the time to indulge. I needed my wits about me. Besides, drinking would probably interfere with my mind-reading abilities, and I needed all the help I could get.

  Feeling a little better, I sat back and took stock. I had my stun-flashlight. I had my mind-reading. I had my phone. I had Uncle Joey’s five million dollars. Chris knew where I was…unless we weren’t going to Thrasher Development. Panic kicked in, but I pushed it down. He still knew I was with Uncle Joey. Things weren’t so bad. I was pretty sure I could get through this without getting killed.

  Ramos was on my side, right? So where was he? How come Mercer was driving? Did Uncle Joey even know that Mercer the assassin was his driver? Had Mercer killed Uncle Joey’s driver and taken his place? No…Mercer had to be working for Uncle Joey. He had killed the Mexicans for him and saved me. Whatever the reason, Uncle Joey was behind it all, and soon, I would find out what was going on. Hopefully that knowledge wouldn’t make me a liability.

  I could always bargain for my life again by disclosing my mind- reading, but that was the last thing I wanted to do. There had to be a way out of this mess. If only I could figure out what it was.

  Relief turned my insides to jelly when Mercer maneuvered the limo into the parking garage of Thrasher Development. At least that was one thing I didn’t have to worry about.

  He pulled up to the elevator doors and stopped, then hopped out and opened my door. I thought about stunning him right then and there, but decided it was too early to use it, especially when I might need it later. He stood at attention like a real limo driver, and offered his hand when I emerged. I ignored it and stepped out.

  “Go on up,” Mercer said. “Mr. Manetto is waiting for you.” He closed the door behind me, got back into the limo, put it in gear and drove off to park the car. That was weird.

  Not wanting to be there when he came back, I hurried to the elevators and pushed the call button. As I entered, I pushed the twenty-sixth floor and popped open my phone to leave another message for Chris. My heart sank to find there was no reception in the elevator shaft. Almost there, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, and my mind went totally blank. This was insane. What was I going to do? I envisioned myself emerging from the elevator screaming like a crazy person. Everyone would probably run for their lives. For some reason that calmed me down.

  When the elevator doors whooshed open, I couldn’t hold back a chuckle. I stepped out and my laughter got bigger, in fact, the more I tried not to laugh, the worse I laughed. The doors to Thrasher Development stood open and I stepped toward them with pursed lips to hold in the laughter. This was serious. Get a grip.

  Jackie stood inside the doors at her desk. One look at her was enough to curb my insane laughter. She was not a happy camper. I probed her thoughts and she was thinking that it was a good thing I was there. Now maybe she could straighten out this mess. She could have done it last night if I would have just showed up. Oh well, today would work just as well. Maybe even better.

  What did that mean? What the heck was she planning?

  “Mr. Manetto is waiting for you in his office,” she said icily. I just nodded and turned down the hall. My spine tingled as she followed close behind. What was she up to? I raised my hand to knock, but she quickly opened the door.

  “Shelby’s here,” she announced and ushered me inside.

  Uncle Joey sat behind his desk, but it was the person leaning against it that caught my attention. Tall and thin, with shoulder-length curly dark hair, she had to be somewhere in her fifties, but it was hard to determine because she was in such great shape. She straightened when I came in, sizing me up, and wondering why Joey had given all that money to me when it was rightfully hers. What was that supposed to mean?

  “Thanks for joining us Shelby. This is Carlotta…and this is Miguel.” He motioned to the young man sitting at the table, glued to his computer.

  “Nice to meet you,” Carlotta said in a low, stiff voice.

  Miguel tore his gaze from the computer and stood, a bright smile on his face. He made his way around the table and shook my hand warmly. “It is so good to meet you, Senora. My father has told me many great things about you.” He released my hand and glanced at Uncle Joey to see if he’d done it right. Uncle Joey gave him a slight nod of approval and Miguel beamed.

  In that moment I realized several things. Miguel idolized Uncle Joey and would do anything to please him. Uncle Joey had not only saved Miguel from a horrible death, but also killed all the men who had kidnapped him. That act alone earned his unfaltering loyalty. Plus deep down, he knew what had happened to him was his mother’s fault. He loved his mother, but it was nice to have a father too…if he really was his father.

  Carlotta had just learned I had the money, and this grated on her. That money rightfully belonged to her after everything she’d gone through, and she was determined to get it back. Guilt that Miguel would be dead if not for Uncle Joey’s help wouldn’t keep her from taking it from him. It was her money, and she would persuade Uncle Joey of that fact. Then she would leave him. He wouldn’t dare harm her. Not as long as he believed she was the mother of his son.

  Jackie hated Carlotta. Jackie was the woman who loved Uncle Joey. It was she who had taken care of him all these years. If Uncle Joey was blind to this floozy’s real intentions, Jackie wasn’t about to leave without some compensation. She’d take the money for herself, and let him stew over that. It served him right.

  I pulled away from these thoughts with a physical step back. Whew. Was Uncle Joey ever in trouble. I could understand Carlotta’s strategy to get the money, but how did Jackie plan on getting it?

  A knock sounded on the door and Jackie immediately pulled it open. Mercer came in toting a gun, and my question was answered. Jackie had hired Mercer. “Which one should I kill first?” he asked her.

  Chapter 12

  I glanced at Uncle Joey. He caught my gaze and was thinking that I shouldn’t worry because he had everything under control. I nodded before I caught myself, but it was too late. His eyes lit with victory. Damn!

  Without pause, he focused on Jackie. “What’s this all about?”

  “I want the money in Shelby’s account,” Jackie said. “Or Carlotta dies.” Jackie had told Mercer it was me she was going to threaten since I had the money, but things had changed now that Carlotta was here. If Uncle Joey wanted Carlotta, he’d have to pay for it in money or blood, and she didn’t much care which.

  Carlotta gasped and leaned back against Uncle Joey’s desk, pulling Miguel to her side. For a moment I thought she was going to put Miguel in front of her,
but thankfully, she didn’t.

  “All right,” Uncle Joey said. “You can have the money. But first tell me why.”

  “After everything I’ve done for you? You have to ask me that?” Jackie was furious. “Can’t you see that all she wants from you is your money? If you pick her over me, then the least you can do is give me the money.”

  Uncle Joey frowned. “This isn’t about picking one or the other of you,” he said.

  “Well, you can’t have us both,” Jackie shouted.

  “Of course not,” Uncle Joey said, his voice placating. “There’s only one of you that I want.”

  The tension in the room increased, and everyone focused on Uncle Joey. “I can think of only one way to settle this,” he continued. “We’ll start with Mercer. I don’t know how much Jackie is paying you to kill Carlotta, but I’ll double it if you won’t.”

  Mercer glanced at Jackie, then back to Uncle Joey. “Fifty grand. So that will be a hundred and fifty to you.”

  Uncle Joey narrowed his eyes. “I said double it. What part of that didn’t you understand?”

  “Oh I understand all right, but I’m the one with the gun, and I say a hundred and fifty, or someone dies. I don’t much care which one.” He glanced at me and smirked, swiveling his gun to point at me, then Carlotta and last at Miguel.

  Uncle Joey tamped down his anger, which kind of surprised me. “All right,” he said. “I’ll pay your price.”

  “But…” Jackie turned to Mercer, fuming. “You can’t do this. I hired you first.”

  “Sorry,” Mercer said. “But it’s nothing personal.” He handed her his card before pointing the gun in her direction. “Give that to Mr. Manetto.” With a sigh of frustration, she did as he told her. “That’s my account,” he continued. “I’ll wait while you transfer the money.”

  I couldn’t believe how calmly Uncle Joey was taking this. He sat in front of his computer and completed the transaction. “It’s done,” he said.