Laced In Lies

by Colleen Helme

“That’s a good idea. Call me when you have something set up so I can talk to him, too.”

  “I will. Uh… thanks Shelby.” Kyle didn’t want to admit that he was sorry we got off on the wrong foot, so thanking me was the best he could do.

  “Sure.” I nodded and got in my car.

  I got home at a little after four. Savannah and Josh were already there, so I sat them down and asked if they’d heard about anyone selling pills. Lucky for me, all I got were blank stares and blank thoughts. I explained about the two boys at the junior high school, and that I was helping with the police investigation.

  “If you hear anyone talking about it at school, please let me know, okay?”

  They both assured me that they would. After talking for a few more minutes about school and their homework, I told them I was headed to New York with Miguel in the morning.

  “What?” Savannah asked. “How come you’re going?”

  “Uncle Joey wanted me to go,” I explained. “He’s uh… hoping I can pick up something with my premonitions about how well Miguel does in his audition.”

  “Oh… I get it,” Josh said, thinking that was the connection. I worked for Uncle Joey because of my premonitions. Now it all made sense. So what exactly did he do? “Do you help him out a lot?” He was thinking that if he could get me to tell him what sorts of jobs I did, it would help him know more about Uncle Joey’s business dealings.

  “Now and then,” I hedged. “Anyway, Miguel’s audition is in the afternoon, but we’re staying to see Aladdin, and then we’ll be home early the next day.”

  “You’re seeing the play?” Savannah cried, a surge of jealousy rushing over her. She could hardly believe that I was going with Miguel, like he was my kid or something. Sharing me with Miguel hardly seemed right. What about his own mother? So what if I had premonitions, that didn’t mean I should go with him.

  Yikes! I certainly hadn’t expected that. “Hey, I’m sure if Miguel gets the part, we’ll all go to the play in New York to see him. That’s lots better than seeing whoever they have now, right?”

  “I guess,” she answered. “Do you think he will?”

  “I think he has a good chance.”

  “She’ll know tomorrow,” Josh answered, catching my gaze. “Right, Mom?”

  “I think I’ll have a good idea.”

  He nodded, then glanced at Savannah. “Don’t worry, Savvy, you’ll know soon enough if you get to go to New York. Besides, it’s nice that Mom can help Miguel out, right?”

  Wow, when did he get so grown up? But what was that underlying glint in his eyes for?

  “Yeah. Sure.” She caught my gaze, thinking I had it pretty good, but she was also glad someone in the family would be with Miguel. “So what are you going to wear to the play?”

  “Let me show you,” I said, taking the opportunity to get out from under Josh’s all too correct scrutiny. “And you can tell me what you think.” She followed me upstairs, and we shared some girl time as I showed her the dress.

  “That’s perfect,” she agreed. “You’ll look great. Hey… maybe while you’re there you can pick up something for me?”

  My eyes widened with surprise. Wow, she had great manipulation skills to capitalize on my guilt like that. “I suppose I could. There might be a cute stuffed animal you’d like.”

  “Mom! I’m too old for that.”

  I grinned to let her know I was teasing… sort of. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Yeah, and… maybe Miguel could help you?”

  “Okay,” I said. “I’ll ask him.” How could I say no after hearing her thoughts that I was putting Miguel above her? Another pang of guilt ran through me. Dang, why did she have to think that?

  It wasn’t until I was fixing dinner that something she’d thought hit me between the eyes. Savannah had been thinking that I was going with Miguel because we were family. It wasn’t just a job. This time, it was family, and I knew that no matter what happened next, we’d just passed the point of no return. The Manettos were now considered family. Unease slid down my spine. What had I gotten my kids into?

  Chapter 5

  I got a text from Uncle Joey around eight, telling me Ricky would be there at ten to pick me up. He apologized that it was so late, but it couldn’t be helped. I sighed. On the good side, at least my kids would be in bed, so they wouldn’t need to know, but what should I tell Chris?

  I didn’t want to tell him Ramos’ story, especially since no one was supposed to know… and, you know, it was Ramos. Chris didn’t like to hear me talk about Ramos. So it was probably best to leave him out and tell Chris that Uncle Joey just needed me to eavesdrop on someone at the club. No big deal.

  Still, I waited until the last minute to bring it up, probably because I hated confrontation, and I was a big fat chicken. At nine forty-five, I slipped on my black jeans, boots, and my red, eyelet-laced top. Then I pulled my hair back and pinned it down. Next, I fixed the wig over my head and tugged it into place. I darkened my eyebrows to match and put on my red lipstick.

  Hmm… I studied my reflection in the mirror, adding a bit of dark eyeshadow. I nodded with relief at the results. I hardly looked like me anymore. This could actually work. I slipped on my leather motorcycle jacket and found Chris in the kitchen.

  He glanced at me, and his brows rose up to his hairline. “What the hell?”

  Oops. That wasn’t exactly the response I’d expected. “Uh… what do you think? Do I look like me?”

  He shook his head. “What’s going on?”

  “I have to go to Uncle Joey’s club. He wants me to eavesdrop on someone, so I’m going incognito.” At his widened eyes, I continued, “I don’t even have to sit anywhere near them, so they won’t know I’m there, but I thought, why take a chance I’d be recognized, you know?”

  When he still didn’t respond, I kept talking. “I thought this might be better after the Russians mistook me for the blond who double-crossed them. I mean who’s going to know it’s me with the wig, right?”

  Chris rubbed his face and sighed. “Okay. So when are you going?”

  My phone buzzed with a text. It was Ricky saying he was waiting in my driveway. “Uh… it looks like Ricky’s here to pick me up.”

  “Right now?”

  “Uh-huh. But there’s nothing to worry about, and it shouldn’t take long. I’ll be back before you know it! Love you.” I waved and hurried out the door, eager to put a little distance between us since he wasn’t too happy with me. Plus, I felt guilty enough without hearing all of his frustration, even if I deserved it.

  I picked up Ricky’s shock that I looked totally different after I sat down in the front seat. He snapped his mouth shut without saying a word and backed out of the driveway. But that didn’t stop him from wondering why I was wearing the wig.

  “Uh… Ramos didn’t want me to come tonight, so I thought if I wore the wig he wouldn’t know I was there.”

  “Oh, sure,” he said. He could understand not wanting to get on Ramos’ bad side. So why was I going?

  “Uncle Joey asked me to go,” I explained. “Uh… what could I say?” He nodded, surprised that I’d answered his thoughts, so I continued, “You don’t say no to the big boss, right?”

  “Yeah. That’s true.”

  Since it seemed like I was just digging a deep, dark hole from which I could never escape, I kept my mouth shut after that. Ricky wasn’t one to talk much anyway, and I finally relaxed for the rest of the drive. Ricky pulled into the back and parked in Uncle Joey’s reserved stall. He turned off the ignition and checked his watch, then turned to me.

  “Mr. Manetto told me that Ramos’ friend would be showing up any time now. There’s a corner booth reserved for us where we can sit and observe most of the room. You ready?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  We entered through the same back entrance that I’d come through just that morning. This time, we took a different hallway to a door that led into the club. I followed
Ricky’s lead, slipping through the door as quietly as possible.

  On the other side, we came to the left side of the stage with a curtain shielding it. A band was playing live music, and it was loud and dark, so I could hardly see or hear a thing.

  Ricky pushed the curtain aside and we stepped out onto the crowded dance floor. Ricky took the lead, and I followed him toward the bar and a small corner booth with a reserved sign on the table. The cushioned seat went around the circular table, making it a great place from which to observe both the crowd and the bar.

  Before I sat down, I glanced at the bar and surrounding tables hoping to spot Ramos before he spotted me. Not finding him anywhere, I let out my breath and slid toward the back corner, hoping my luck held and he never found out I was there.

  To my surprise, Ricky didn’t sit with me. He just nodded and moved toward the bar. I picked up that he was letting security know I was there, so they could keep an eye on me like Uncle Joey had instructed. A nice, warm feeling came over me. Uncle Joey really did care. Just then, a waitress stopped by with a drink and scooped up the reserved sign.

  “Diet Coke with lime,” she said with a smile, disappearing almost as quickly as she’d come. Whoa, was I a V.I.P. or what? Getting the royal treatment certainly helped my queasy stomach, since I was basically here to spy on Ramos. Now if I could manage to stay out of his sight for the next little bit, I’d be home free.

  For something to do, I took the paper off the straw and took a swig. Trying to act casual, I glanced at the bar and nearly choked. Ramos leaned casually on one elbow, staring straight at me, his gaze hard and unforgiving. His lips thinned, and one of his brows rose. Caught like a deer in the headlights, I couldn’t take my gaze off him.

  Dressed all in black, with his motorcycle jacket hanging open, he exuded danger from every tantalizing muscle. I couldn’t pick up a thing from his thoughts. Unless… wait… who was I fooling? That wave of frustration and anger could only be coming from him. My eyes widened and I swallowed. But as long as he stayed where he was, I should be okay, right?

  He straightened to his full six-foot-four-inch height, then grabbed his drink and stalked over to my booth. I stiffened with alarm. My heart raced with that fight or flight instinct, but before I could move a muscle, Ramos slid into the booth right next to me, pretty much blocking my only way out.

  “Babe,” he said, his voice a low growl. His gaze swept over my face, pausing for a moment on my red lips before shifting to catch my gaze. “What are you doing here?”

  “Uh…” I swallowed, then shrugged. “Would it help if I said I was looking out for a friend?”

  “No.”

  “Uh… okay, well then, how about if I said Uncle Joey made me do it? Because he totally did, and you can’t say no to a mob-boss.”

  Ramos shook his head. “Then why are you wearing the wig?” This time I picked up a wave of mirth under his act of outrage. Then I caught that he was thinking that the bangs were poking out a little on the side. I automatically smoothed the bangs down and caught a grin that he tried to hide.

  I huffed with indignation. “How did you know it was me so fast? I think I look totally different.”

  He shook his head, wondering how in the hell I thought I could fool him.

  “Hey… maybe in the dark… and from a distance it could work.”

  “There’s not a disguise in the world that would keep me from knowing you, Shelby. You’re one of a kind. But I’ll give you points for trying.”

  I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not. “So are you still mad at me?”

  He snorted with derision. “Hell yes. But since you’re here…” He shrugged, then glanced toward the bar and froze. His jaw clenched at the sight of Dusty. Then he glanced at me thinking play along. He slid his arm around my shoulders and pulled me against his side, leaving plenty of room on the other side of the table.

  The bartender pointed Dusty our way, and a smile broke out on his face. It surprised me that, behind the smile, Dusty was genuinely happy to see Ramos, and some of my worry disappeared.

  “Ace!” he said, using Ramos’ nickname and rushing to our table. “It’s so good to see you, man. It’s been… forever. How are you?” He held out his hand for Ramos to shake. Ramos hesitated for an uncomfortable moment before finally reciprocating.

  Ramos motioned for Dusty to sit down in the booth with us and introduced me. “This is Shelby.”

  “Good to meet you. I’m Dusty McAllister. Ramos and I go way back.” He glanced at Ramos, thinking he hadn’t changed a bit. Still the cold-hearted bastard he knew from before. “How long has it been anyway?”

  “About ten years,” Ramos answered.

  “Almost eleven,” Dusty countered. “Still, it’s hard to believe how much time has passed since those days. I hear you’ve made quite a name for yourself.” He was thinking that Ramos’ name was legendary as a hit-man with ties to organized crime, and a tingle of unease ran down his spine.

  He was thinking that if he knew what was good for him, he wouldn’t mess with a man like Ramos. He was taking a huge risk to come here, but if everything went according to his plans, it was a chance he was willing to take. Now he just had to convince Ramos to play his part, and hope he never found out the real reason until after it was all over.

  As the silence between them increased, Dusty grew uncomfortable. Ramos wasn’t asking about Jodie, and he wondered how he could bring her up without sounding abrupt. She was the only angle he could use that might allow him to pull this off. “Did you hear Jodie’s coming to town?” he finally said.

  “Yeah,” Ramos answered. He wanted to ask about her but wouldn’t give Dusty the satisfaction since it was obvious that was exactly what he was after.

  “You’ve probably heard that she’s done well for herself,” Dusty said, as if Ramos had asked about her. “She’s won a few Grammy Awards. Her first album even went platinum.” Ramos didn’t respond, so Dusty swallowed and continued. “Anyway… she’s the reason I’m here. She heard you lived in the city and wanted to say hello. That’s why I’ve been trying to meet with you. I’ve got a couple of tickets to her show on Friday with a backstage pass. I thought maybe you’d like to come. You can bring Shelby.” He glanced at me. “Would you like to go?”

  “Sure,” I said. “That would be amazing.” I caught Ramos’ gaze. “We should go.” Dusty was lying. Jodie had no idea Ramos was here, so what was Dusty up to?

  Sighing with relief, Dusty pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Ramos, grateful that I was a witness to the transaction, and hoping the person following him was watching.

  Alarmed, I snatched it out of his hand before Ramos could take it. “Sweet! Let me see.” I tore the top open and pulled out the tickets, then held them up with a wave. “This is great! Tickets to the concert! Thanks so much!”

  Ramos sat back, wondering what was going on. Dusty’s eyes bulged a little, then he glanced at the envelope, grateful the packet hadn’t fallen out. But that was close. What the hell was he going to do if I noticed it? It would ruin everything.

  Smiling, I slipped the tickets back inside the envelope, and felt the bottom corner with my fingertips. Yup. Something else was in there, but I couldn’t tell what it was. So what was Dusty up to? Was he trying to frame Ramos? Get him in trouble? Who was the guy following him? Was he close by and watching?

  “What’s the real reason you’re here?” Ramos asked, raising an eyebrow. “And don’t give me any of that crap about Jodie wanting to see me. That’s the last thing she’d want, and we both know it.”

  “That’s not true,” Dusty said. But he knew it sounded hollow, and Ramos wasn’t buying it. He swallowed, and then nodded. “Fine. You’re right. She doesn’t know you’re here, but I know she’d like a chance to see you, even if it’s only to tell you off. You broke her heart, and she never got over it.”

  “She got married, didn’t she?” Ramos shot back.

  Dusty snorted. “Yeah, but it didn’t last. Yo
u know that.” When Ramos didn’t respond, Dusty went in for the kill. “Did you know she has a ten-year-old daughter?” He held Ramos’ gaze, clearly implying this was something Ramos needed to know.

  Ramos didn’t move a muscle, but his heart sped up, and he swore a blue streak in his mind. He hadn’t known anything about that. Then he narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to one side. “Are you implying that she’s mine?”

  Dusty leaned back on the bench. “I don’t think Jodie knows for sure. But she could be yours. Don’t you want to know?” He took a photo from his wallet and set it on the table. “Maybe it’s time you found out.” He pushed the photo of a sweet, smiling, dark-haired girl toward Ramos. “Her name’s Lacie.”

  Ramos held Dusty’s gaze, not wanting to look at the photo and get taken in by the conniving weasel. But the temptation was too great, and his gaze slid to the picture, drinking in her dark hair, happy smile, and large brown eyes. He swallowed. She was a beautiful kid. Did she look like him?

  He let out his breath, trying to remember the photo he’d seen of Jodie and the man she’d been married to. He knew they hooked up right after Ramos left. That guy had even looked Latino like him, but he couldn’t picture his face, so that didn’t help. Dusty was probably up to something, and this was just part of the ruse to get Ramos to take the bait.

  “Just come to the concert,” Dusty said. “You can talk to Jodie and settle things between you.”

  Ramos shook his head, not trusting Dusty for a minute, but his heart said something different. He wanted to see Jodie, if only to tell her he was sorry about the way he’d left all those years ago. And if the girl in the picture was his… no, he couldn’t think like that. It was too much. She would have told him… except… he’d disappeared without a trace.

  Concerned that his reasons weren’t working, Dusty made one last pitch. “Lacie’s on tour with us. Jodie might want you to meet her.”

  Dusty was hiding something, so I jumped into the conversation and asked the first thing that came to mind. “What about her education? Shouldn’t she be in school?”