“Yep. I can work with it.” Jeremiah looked over at Lily. “Although my partner probably thinks I’m an asshole.”
“Not a total one,” Lily said.
Jeremiah blew out his cheeks. “I know I’m rough around the collar, but I’m not a hard-ass.”
Lily twirled her glass in a circle and smiled. “Are you telling us that you’re a misunderstood detective trying to stay one step ahead of the bad guys?”
“See, you know me already. Two days was all it took.”
And I look forward to learning more.
Alec held up his mixed drink and said, “To being a team of four again.”
Everyone held up their glasses and toasted, except Lily.
It just didn’t feel right to celebrate being a team of four again so soon after Morgan leaving.
Lily touched Evan on the thigh. “I’m beat. Max and I will be staying at Mother’s tonight.”
“Come on, I’ll walk you to your vehicle.”
“Goodnight guys.”
Alec and Jeremiah waved as they left.
Outside, Lily fastened the last of the three buttons on her coat and put on her scarf. “You’re okay with showing affection in public?”
“I figure we’re no longer on the city’s dime. I can spend my time any way I want. And I want it to be with you. If you’ll let me.”
“I’ll let you.”
Evan placed his hand on the small of Lily’s back and guided her over to her truck parked underneath the streetlight. “I was thinking, after this case is over, let’s fly to Vegas and get married.”
Lily looked away. “Just like that? You’re proposing to me at a bar?”
“It’s not the best place, but we’ve already missed a lot of time between us. We’ve also grown a lot since the last time.”
Lily unlocked the truck, climbed up inside and placed her key in the ignition. “I’m comfortable with our relationship the way it is now.”
Evan stepped in between the opened driver side door, leaned in and kissed Lily full on the lips. The taste of syrup from the potato pancakes still lingered on his lips like a sweet invitation for more.
Evan cupped Lily’s chin. “We’ve been through too much to let what we have, go. I need you in my life, Lil.”
She didn’t want the feeling to end. Evan’s touch, his love and how he made her feel wasn’t contrived like she’d experienced in her previous relationship. Evan loved her, and she wanted more. “I want you, Evan. Just let me finish sorting things out before we start talking engagement.”
“You’re so stubborn. You don’t have to do this by yourself.”
“Yes, I am. And yes, I have to make this decision on my own. Please understand, it’s important to me that I’m not influenced by the love I have for you or by Mother’s need to become a grandparent. Don’t make this harder than it already is.” Lily squeezed Evan’s hand as he backed out and shut the door.
Chapter 9
Leash sat at his favorite table along the tip rail enclosing the marble stage and watched as his latest crush shook her sexy, oiled, hourglass figure in front of him. She kneeled down, putting him at eye level with her G-string.
Begging for a tip?
As the music pounded and the lights pulsed around Leash’s fleshy eye candy, he plucked a dollar bill out of his hand and tucked it between the dancer’s sweaty skin and her garter. You’re pretty, but you don’t deserve fives and tens like my other favorite gal. You’ll have to work for it.
The dancer’s body moved with the music as she crawled sexily toward the golden pole. She pulled herself up and hoisted her body up in the air, wrapping her slender legs around the glistening post.
Leash felt pressure below his belt line and shifted in his seat to regain comfort as he thought about the numerous positions he’d like to see the dancing vixen in while she performed in an upcoming private peepshow just for him.
This was his stress reliever. No boss to answer to. No little slut to kill because she had decided to be brave and tell the owners what they knew about him. Just some special time with the girl of his choosing all comped for by the Suraces. It was time to meet Crystal.
Crystal, I think you’ll be my first.
*
Crystal stared out of the window of the small cabin secluded from the club’s main entrance as her date walked into the bathroom. I’ve broken a promise.
The man Crystal had performed a private show for just a few hours ago had asked for an escort, which she accepted. Leash’s request for Crystal to wear skinny jeans and a chemise was a simple one for a night of hanging out at the bar. It even made her feel confident that she was doing her job in entertaining men. But tonight was going to change her life.
After her third vodka drink, Crystal gathered the courage to accept Leash’s proposal and allow the extras—multiple positions with full service. It was time to own up to her side of the agreement.
The bar food and three Vodka Red Bulls stirred in her stomach. Dancing seemed safer than being an escort, but it wouldn’t give Crystal the money she needed. I’ve made it this far, but can I go through with this? What else can I do? I need the money.
If she could make a nice stash of cash easily, every night, she could get an apartment and get her son back from the state. Then move on with her life.
A few minutes later, Leash walked into the room, stark naked. He grabbed Crystal by the wrist, pulled him to her and placed his hand under her chemise. “This is the first time I’ve ever asked for sex. If you show me a good time, you can keep the additional money. I won’t say a word.”
The rank smell of tuna and cottage cheese floated into Crystal’s face. She forced a smile. “Sure.”
Crystal’s flesh crawled as Leash’s cold fingertips fondled her erect nipple.
“No bra. Good. I like a woman who follows directions.”
Just deal with it and fake it. Hopefully, he’ll be done soon. “Anything for you Leash.”
Chapter 10
December 13, 3:10 a.m.
Mikey watched as Quentin locked the doors of the club after the last three customers left. The stage lights faded as the bumping music silenced within the speakers.
It had been three days since he last saw Jasmine—five since he’d learned she was working for VICE. No matter how hard Mikey wanted to give the order to have her killed, he couldn’t. Instead, he had demanded that she be taught a lesson, roughed up a bit.
Mikey’s orders had been disobeyed. Only someone with more power than him could have it changed. His father.
His fists clenched at his sides. He wondered if word had gotten back to his dad about him seeing Jasmine. How else could Pop have found out? He’d made sure that his visits with Jasmine were kept secret. To make certain Mikey had used people outside of the family to stand guard while the two of them spent time together.
Mikey had started to believe in the final words Jasmine had spoken to him. There were very few people that a person could trust in this type of business.
He turned and strutted up the stairs and went into Pop’s office.
“We had a good night,” Pop said, putting a wad of money in the vault.
“Did you give the order to have that undercover cop killed?”
Pop slammed the vault door and turned slowly to face Mikey. “What’s the matter with you? You disrespect me over some girl. Why? Cause she gave you a hard on? Should I ask if you’re the one who brought her in?”
“Scusa, Pop. It was dumb of me.”
“Until you’re boss of this family, don’t ever question me again. Understand?”
“Of course. Forgive me.”
Quentin walked into the room. “Apologies, Pop Surace. I’ll come back.”
“No. You stay. My son was just leaving.”
Mikey hurried out of the room but lingered outside, listening.
“I want you to find out who’s responsible for killing that cop,” Pop said.
“You wanna know who got to her before we did?” Quentin
asked.
“Yeah.”
“What about Mikey’s people? You know, the ones he used when he was seeing her. They’re sniffing around like dogs.”
Mikey bristled. Call his boys dogs, would he? He flexed his hands, imagining what they could do to Quentin’s face.
His phone dinged as a text came through. Two regulars were brawling in the men’s room. His bouncer wanted to know if he could rough them both up. Mikey sidled away from the door, hoping the men inside hadn’t heard him. Still furious with Quentin, he headed toward the john to take care of business.
“Spread some money around.” Pop slid a stack of hundreds toward Quentin. “Make it look like we’re concerned. If anyone knows what’s going on, it’ll be Tommy ‘Ears’ Tedesco. Once he sells out my son for cash, I want you to cut him up and bury his body parts deep in the woods up north.
“One more thing, I need you to act as big brother to Mikey. Help keep him on the straight and narrow. Should he wind up in trouble, be there to guide him to make the right decision. Nothing shall be done without my permission.”
“No disrespect Pop, but I see this as a problem. Your son, he hates me. He’d never listen to me.”
“And you hate him. Do you think I’m too old to see that? All I need from you is your loyalty. If for one minute, I think you’re out for yourself, you’ll be buried up north with Ears.”
Quentin crossed his arms. “I’d never betray the family.”
“Good,” Pop said wagging his wrinkled finger. “Cause every family must have at least one good soldier. I had my reasons for making you executioner for the family and not my son when the position was rightfully his. Thanks to the damn undercovers, the families have become vulnerable. Opening up the doors for rats who’d rather flip on those who put food in their mouths than get pinched and serve their time like faithful soldiers.”
The ceiling fan whirred above as cigar smoke twirled its way toward it like a snake being tamed by the sounds from a charmer.
“God forbid the day I feel that someone in this family is willing to murder my son or me just to be head of this family.”
Quentin nodded.
“And if I die before you’re done serving the family, my one demand is that you’ll be as loyal to Mikey as you’ve been to me.”
“Always, Pop Surace.”
“One more thing. Did Diamond say anything to those detectives?”
“Not a word.”
“Good girl. Good girl.”
As the wheels of the Dodge Ram turned up the Kentshire driveway that Lily had called home for more than four years, its headlights fell upon the construction crew’s tools and machines that had been covered with tarps and put away along the side of the upper garage.
The empty spot where Julius used to park his truck was now occupied by a blue, twenty-yard steel dumpster.
Lily entered the house to the smell of fresh paint lingering in the air. She flipped on the light, illuminating the foyer, turned right and entered the living room. She eyed the plastic covering the black leather sectional where Evan had been held hostage. More plastic draped over the bronze entertainment center Julius had purchased. Through the film, she could make out pictures of her sister, taken just before she was killed. A photo of Lily and Morgan in their uniforms after graduating the academy remained on the stand.
She picked up the blankets she had used to sleep on the floor and tossed them on the coffee table. The only item that had been salvageable in the room was her favorite oil painting of Dorothy Quincy Hancock, which rested above the fireplace. Good old Dorothy.
One of the many women who stayed strong while everything around in her was in turmoil.
The new furniture can’t come soon enough.
She left the living room and made her way over to the flight of stairs that led to the master bedroom. She glanced down at the spot where Julius’s life had ended and was relieved to see the carpet had been removed. The newly exposed warm, rich maple, original to the house, was sprinkled with dust, indicating the workers had started sanding the floors.
Lily ascended the stairs. Each step she took felt as if her feet were dragging small weights, begging her not to visit the room where she’d almost lost her life.
When she reached the landing, she veered to the left, barged into the room and made a beeline for her closet. She snatched up her suitcases and placed them on the bed. In less than seven minutes, Lily had packed her pant suits, several pairs of loafers, jeans, and blouses into her carry-on.
Then she darted into the bathroom, opened the medicine cabinet, pushed the aftershave to the side and retrieved what she wanted to go into her vanity bag. She looked around the room one last time. The next time I come back in here, I’ll be able to make this house my own.
Lily tossed the vanity bag and underclothes from the dresser into her travel tote, zipped up both suitcases and was soon outside, placing the luggage into the cab of the truck.
Out of the corner of her eye, Lily noticed a package sitting by the garage door. She walked over to the box and read the return label. Chef’s Cutlery. Julius’s Christmas gift. She picked up the parcel containing the nineteen-piece set of knives and threw them into the dumpster.
Each passing second felt like lingering minutes as Lily got into her truck, cranked the engine and left. She gripped the steering wheel as she turned onto Kentshire and drove north toward the family home where she would focus on the most important things in her life: the baby and her current case.
Chapter 11
December 13, 7:05 a.m.
Lily woke to a ringing cell phone. She reached for it off the nightstand and looked at the caller I.D. Hauser. “Hello?”
“I’m done with your autopsy report on Ariel Weeks. I’ll start on John Doe after I get some shut-eye. Both should be ready when you stop by.”
Lily looked at the time. She had slept longer than she wanted to. “My shift starts in two hours. I’ll pick it up on my way to the station.”
She clicked off the phone, sat up and listened to holiday music being played outside her bedroom door. In sixteen more days, she would be able to bring in the New Year with Evan and put this dreadful year behind her.
Even the music couldn’t mute the raised voices coming from the front of the house. One of the voices was Deena’s.
Soon, the front door slammed, rattling the knickknacks on the wall.
With phone in hand, dressed in her college sweatshirt and matching pants, Lily made her away across the room and parted the curtain. A woman, average in height slid into a silver car and revved the engine.
The tail lights lit up red and off the car went as if the driver was practicing for the quarter mile at Union Grove. Who’d you piss off now, Mother?
She quickly showered, plucked a three-piece red pantsuit from the closet and slipped her stockinged feet into a pair of embossed leather loafers.
As Lily strolled into the living room, she was delighted to see her favorite berry-scented garland draped over the fireplace mantel, where a roaring fire heated up the vast room. She’d been too tired to admire the decorations when she came in last night, and it was a nice sight to see in the morning.
A sense of contentment enveloped Lily as she stood in the room where their family of four used to gather every year on Christmas morning to open presents. The last time she had stepped foot in the house, she’d reeled from the revelations that the man she’d called Daddy was not her biological father.
Lily walked further into the living room, placing her hand near the marble fireplace, taking in the heat. Mother went all out this year. In the northern corner of the room stood a seven-foot Balsam Fir decorated with white lights and tinsel. She advanced toward the tree and rubbed her finger along the homemade ornaments. I miss you, Sis.
The door to the kitchen swung open. Deena came out carrying a rectangular serving tray, which she placed on the ottoman. “It’s good to see that you’re awake. I’ve made you some breakfast.”
Lily looked down
at the warm pastries and mixed fruit. “I’m not really hungry.”
“Nonsense. You have to keep up your strength.” Deena placed a cinnamon roll on a napkin and handed it to Lily.
“Who was that woman speeding out of the driveway?” Lily bit into the bread.
“An employee. She wanted to take on a new million dollar listing today, and I told her she wasn’t ready yet.” Deena handed her daughter a bottle of water. “I’ve got a surprise for you. I’m hoping it’ll get here before Christmas.”
“Surprise? I haven’t had a chance to get you anything.”
“Don’t be silly. You staying here is more than enough to make me happy.” Deena looked Lily up and down. “You have to work today?”
“I do. This case is consuming a lot of my time.”
“Soon you should be on light duty. How’ve you been feeling? Are you experiencing tenderness in your breasts? If so, I have a remedy for that. You know the first trimester is the blues, but after that, being pregnant will be a piece of cake.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. You’re still in a state of shock after the whole Julius fiasco. But I promise you we’ll get through this together, and your baby will be perfect. Have you thought of names for my grandbaby?”
Crackling from the fire pierced the silence.
“Mother, I have to get to work.”
“Do you want me to talk with Sergeant Owen? It’s not like we’re strangers.”
Lily folded up her empty napkin and tossed it on the tray. “No, you won’t. The last time you had a talk with my sergeant, I was thrown off a case. Stay away from my job, Mother.”
“It was just a suggestion. You don’t have to get so upset.”
My dear mother, you know exactly what you were doing. “I won’t be home for dinner.”
Her Final Watch (A Detective Blanchette Mystery Book 2) Page 8