Devil's Deal

by Terri Lynn Coop

  I nodded toward the bar and with Ethan’s hand firmly at the small of my back, headed in that direction. The place wasn’t as empty as Mikey had predicted, but the level of drunkenness made up for it. The patrons sized us up, but when they met Ethan’s glower, they quickly found something more interesting to talk about. The bartender raised the moldy rag he’d been sloshing across the bar and pointed us to a table in the corner. It was Mike’s lair.

  “Julie! Damn, how do you get better-looking every time I see you?”

  Ethan’s only reaction to Mike’s appearance was a slight tightening of his hand on my back. Mike didn’t stand. His prosthetic leg jutted awkwardly from under the table, the metal ankle visible above an old sneaker. A smile crinkled the scar tissue on his face.

  “Sit the hell down and tell lover boy there to lighten up, he’s ruining this fine establishment’s ambiance.” Mike gestured to the vacant chairs.

  I shot him a flirty glance and took the seat next to Mike, making sure I showed plenty of leg and cleavage while I did it. Ethan stayed close to me.

  “What are you two drinking? Julie, you want the usual?”

  “No, I’ll have whatever you’ve got on tap. Ethan?”

  He nodded. He still hadn’t said anything.

  Mike gave a sharp whistle, held up three fingers, and made a hand signal which I assumed meant “whatever crap is left in the kegs.”

  With more speed than I thought capable in this dive, the bartender appeared with three glasses on a tray. A quick swipe of the table with a much cleaner cloth, and we were alone again.

  “Julie, you going to make the introductions?”

  “Mike, this is Ethan Price. He’s interested in helping me with my problem.”

  “I’ll bet he is. Oh, and Mr. Price, congratulations on breaching the gate. We all thought she had it welded shut. That alone shows you’re capable of solving problems and handling yourself in hopeless circumstances. I’m already impressed.” Mike raised his glass in a toast.

  That earned a smile from Ethan, who returned the gesture. Suppressing an eye roll, I sat there quietly. These two were circling dogs, and for the moment, I was the bone.

  “Julie says you’re in transport. This isn’t pizza delivery we’re talking about.”

  Ethan didn’t take the bait. Without taking his eyes off Mike, he tilted his chair back on two legs. After a minute, he snapped forward and clamped his hand firmly on the inside of my thigh, slipping his fingers under the edge of my shorts.

  “Mike, as you observed, I have a knack of getting in and out of tight situations, no matter how hot it gets.”

  Stunned, it took everything I had to casually sip my beer. Mike didn’t fare as well. The muscle under his good eye twitched and his clenched jaw muscles stood out in hard knots.

  Another whistle and hand signal from Mike brought a fresh round of drinks.

  “Okay, Price, point taken. What do you two want from me?”

  It was my turn and I had to sell this. “The Feds picked me almost clean, and I need a stake so I can blow the country. If prices are still stable, I estimate we can float up to a thousand kilos of merchandise and get it to our mutual friends into Yemen. We’re also down with carrying gold if Rockhound can arrange it. We need him to give the go-ahead on a meeting with Preacher Joe. I’d like to hear it from him straight. Once we set it up, we’re out of here.”

  I took a chance here. I had zero knowledge of this new delivery link, but tried to make it sound like I was in the know. If his questions got specific, I was jacked.

  “What about your old man?”

  “Mike, I love Dad, but he screwed the pooch on this one. He has a lawyer and his own fate. As to the state charges, I’m not willing to do time because of some dead skank. I have a lot more entertaining and enjoyable things to do.” With that, I traced a pattern on the back of Ethan’s hand before clasping it. It pleased me that his pulse rate jumped, even while he kept his face impassive.

  Mike squirmed. We were getting to him. He drained his beer. To my surprise, he pulled out a pen and notebook.

  “Price, you know the drill. Give me the info I need: full name, service number, social, out date, unit, etc. Give me your phone number as well.”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but caught Ethan’s squeeze on my leg before he removed his hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his subtle head shake and stayed quiet. He took the pen and scribbled down half a page of information. He added the number of the burner phone I’d given him.

  “Okay, kiddies, I’ll take it from here. If this is a go, you should hear from me by eight. If you don’t hear from me by nine, I highly recommend getting the fuck out of town, if you catch my drift.”

  “Eight? That shows some impressive resources.” Ethan handed the notebook back to Mike.

  “Well, the IED may have taken me out of the field, but like you, I keep my finger in a pie or two.”

  It’s going to take an hour to wash off the pee.

  Mike continued despite Ethan’s glare. “One way or the other, Julie, I guess this is it. Take care. Your dad’s a prick, but I always had a soft spot for you. You played tough, but square. Price, you’re a lucky man. Is there anything else?”

  I caught the cue. “Mike, I’m touched. We have something for you, a small token of our appreciation.”

  You bastard.

  I grabbed the duffel and handed it under the table to Mike. He unzipped the bag and pleasure spread across his ruined face.

  “You going into competition with me? You don’t see many of these anymore.”

  “It’s just something that came into my possession. I don’t need it and it’s not my style. Enjoy.”

  “Will do. Now, get out of here. It’s time to turn up the lights and clean this joint out. I’ll talk to you at eight.”

  We stood and Ethan put out his hand. Mike hesitated, and then shook with a hand missing a chunk of the fourth and fifth fingers. With a proprietary arm around my shoulder, Ethan guided me out the door to the car.

  Neither of us said a word until the engine was running and music poured through the speakers in the Challenger’s doors.

  Ethan turned to me and said, “Okay, baby, how’d that go?”

  “Other than the fact I want to wash? I think it went good. Usually I arrange guns with him, not rocks, but it felt smooth. By the way, don’t even ask. I’m not going to discuss it. He was a lot blunter than usual, but I’ll put that down to the sausage-fest. What’s he going to find when he runs your records?”

  “Not a thing out of line. He’ll find my real military file. I got an honorable discharge, some commendations, along with some disciplinary write-ups. I was no choirboy, but nothing too serious. My savant language skills are documented. If they wake up my old commander, he’d say I was a smart talented jackass that wasted my God-given talents.”

  I couldn’t help laughing.

  “I know. Story of my life.”

  Ethan was about to throw the Challenger into gear when his eyes narrowed.

  “Jewel, get over here and kiss me.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t argue. Lay it on me.”

  I scooted over the console and put my arms around his neck. Instead of the gentleness of earlier, he grabbed my neck in one hand and a breast in the other while kissed me with very little warmth. I struggled a bit, but he held me firm. After he broke away, he whispered in my ear, “I’m sorry, baby, but we’re being watched. One more and disappear into my lap. You okay with that?”

  I’m glad it was dark because I’m sure my blush registered on every nearby satellite. Ethan’s eyes twinkled at my discomfort. I took the challenge. Draping myself across him, I tossed my hair over one shoulder, took his face in my hands, and kissed him like I meant it. Knowing Mike was watching sent a thrill down my back. Ethan leaned back against the headrest and let me melt into him. His hands roamed freely over me. He wasn’t faking this time, either.

  “Okay, it’s time.”

  With a wink,
I disappeared below the dashboard, leaving my hair clinging to his shirt.

  “He’s still there. Stay out of sight.”

  I rested my head on his thigh, trying to ignore the heat radiating from him. Instead I concentrated on the hilarity of the situation. Pretty soon I was laughing. Ethan joined in. All too soon, the car bumped to a halt.

  “Honey, we’re home.” He stroked my arm, still smiling.

  “Well, that was quick.” I sat up and shoveled my hair out of my face.

  “Hey, there was a lot of pressure.”

  Our laughter carried away the stress and let us both get our balance back on the tightrope.

  The door lock was stubborn despite Ethan’s best efforts. I felt exposed standing in the harsh light bathing the parking lot. The street was alive with post-bar traffic.

  “Jiggle it.”

  “Gee, Martin, I wouldn’t have thought of that. You’re welcome to give it a try.”

  I was about to take over when the lock finally clicked and he opened the door. Our room was cool and quiet, an oasis compared to the street.

  “Now we wait.”

  “I know. I can’t believe this crazy ass mission started only”—he checked his watch—”twenty hours ago.”

  We both fell silent, not sure what to say next. Everything depended on that phone call. If it didn’t come, I was fresh out of ideas. I’d double-downed on this plan.

  “We gave it everything we have. He either believed us, or he didn’t.”

  With that, a wave of exhaustion broke over me. I hadn’t slept well the night before. Throw in the long drive, my discoveries about Ethan, and the meeting with Mike, and my tanks were empty.

  “Price, I’m going to jump in the shower and wash The Outhouse off of me.”

  “Oh, that one is too easy.” He walked by me and plopped on the empty bed. I sat in one of the chrome chairs and tried to untie my boots. Instead, I got the laces snarled into knots. I was tugging at them again when a pair of strong hands pried my fingers away. Ethan removed my boots and rubbed my feet.

  “Jewel, are you okay?”

  “Just tired. I can’t keep my eyes open.”

  “You’re crashing from the beer and adrenaline. Come on and lay down. The shower will still be there in the morning.”

  I didn’t argue. Ethan pulled back the bedspread. I expected him to help me to my feet. Instead, he scooped me up in one smooth motion and laid me on cool rough sheets that smelled faintly of bleach.

  “Stay with me.”

  Ethan didn’t say anything. His tilted head and his thoughtful expression barely pierced my gathering fog. The thump of his boots, the swish of the t-shirt over his head, and the rustle of sheets was all I heard. The light went out and his arms encircled me in strength and warmth.

  “Thank you” was all I heard. And lulled by the beat of his heart, I slept.

  CHAPTER 57

  The Lucky Star had one thing going for it—a hot water supply that put a lot of five-star hotels to shame. I knew this because I was pushing it to its limits this morning. After a long hard scrub, I washed my hair twice because I was still sure I smelled the greasy funk that had clung to every surface of the bar.

  I finally gave it up, stepped out, and went to work with the thin towels. My phone told me it was barely seven. More waiting. I’d woken up alone, wondering if it had been a dream. One look around confirmed it hadn’t been. The sheets were folded back on the other side of the bed and the pillows were tumbled. Ethan’s bad-boy clothes were draped across a chair and his holster propped up a note: Be right back.

  I didn’t feel like messing with my hair today, so I combed it back and wove it into a tight braid. Dressing in another version of last night’s outfit, I laced my boots, remembering gentle hands easing them off my feet only a few hours ago.

  Entanglement.

  That’s one thing Dad had always warned me against. I could still hear his voice, Sweetheart, never shit where you eat. Clients and other lawyers at the firm were off-limits. Of course, he violated that rule regularly, but he always kept his heart out of it. I also tried to stay away from cops and other lawyers. Now here I was playing house with a married FBI agent.

  Even better, he’s an FBI agent on the cusp of a divorce bloodbath. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I was entangled. I needed to focus on the short-term, as in staying alive for the new few days. Then I could let the long-term take care of itself.

  The lock rattled and it became apparent that the two-jiggle rule no longer applied. I gave a quick check through the curtains and opened it from the inside. Ethan came in, balancing bags in one hand and steaming cups in the other.

  “It’s not La Hacienda, but what I saw coming out of the kitchen looked pretty tasty.”

  I blew on the tea to reduce the temperature from plasma to molten while he laid out breakfast. He was right. The biscuits and gravy did look good.

  “Should I ask?”

  Ethan looked up from buttering a biscuit and said, “No, my phone hasn’t rung yet. It’s still a good half-hour from the first deadline.”

  I made a face and turned my attention to my food. We chatted about inconsequential things, waiting for the time to pass.

  “Martin, can I ask you something? You can tell me to screw off if you don’t want to answer.”

  “Ask away.”

  “How come you’ve never been married? You’re gorgeous, wealthy, funny, smart, the whole package.”

  His question took me aback. It certainly wasn’t the first time I’ve heard it. I wasn’t going to tell him none of his business. To buy some time, I dumped more sausage gravy on my plate.

  “Well, I didn’t have much in the way of parental models. I always thought if all marriages were like theirs, I didn’t want any part of it. But honestly, I got caught up in the ride. In the hustle.”

  “I can see that. Some old-time agents are that way. Been close?”

  That made me smile, even though I wasn’t sure how to answer him.

  “Did I go too far out of bounds? Should I screw off now?”

  “No, you’re not out of bounds. It’s just hard to think of a good response. The longest relationship I’ve had since law school was a two-year slo-mo with a fire captain. Mix two adrenaline junkies with stupid schedules and no one has to commit. We had fun, but it became real clear that neither of us was willing to budge an inch. No great surprise, we drifted apart. But man, he could rip up a pair of turnouts.”

  It was hard not to laugh at the flash of jealousy that crossed Ethan’s face. He deserved it.

  “The bottom line is that I never made time for it. The game was all-encompassing.”

  “And now the game is over.”

  “Not quite. But, yeah.”

  Not sure why, but I didn’t like where this conversation was heading. I was trying to come up with an out when Ethan’s phone rang.

  Ours eyes met and he flipped it open.

  “This is Price.”

  Ethan listened for a minute and handed me the phone.

  “It’s a go. He wants to talk to you.”

  I pushed a button.

  “Mike, I’ve got you on speaker. Ethan tells me it’s time to do this thing.”

  Sounding tinny, Mike said, “Julie, you’ve got permission to call Rockhound. He’ll give you the 411 on your meeting with Preacher Joe. Call him at his ranch in twenty minutes. I hope this works for you. Be careful.”

  “Thanks for your help Mike. Have fun with your present. Later.”

  I closed the phone.

  “Well, Price, your cover held and passed. Welcome to the world of conflict minerals. Are you ready to talk to Rockhound?”

  “Bring it on.”

  The twenty minutes passed fast. Ethan changed while I packed our stuff and double-checked the weapon bags. There was no guarantee we were coming back here, so everything was going. I kept an eye on the time. When Rockhound said twenty minutes, he meant it. Nineteen or twenty-one might mean the call wasn’t answered. He was a d
ick that way.

  At the appointed time, I dialed the number. On the third ring came a smooth voice I never thought I would hear again.

  “Hello, Juliana.”

  “Rockhound. I have you on speaker.”

  “Very good. Mr. Price, I’m pleased to meet you. You impressed Mike and that’s not easy to do. It seems you are a man of many talents.”

  Ethan shrugged and leaned into the phone.

  “Thank you. Given what Jewel has told me about you, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “You should. Your language skills alone make you valuable. I could use a man with your untapped potential in my organization.”

  Ethan was silent. I didn’t like his expression. When he spoke, his voice was even, but his knuckles were white.

  “Help us on this and maybe we can talk.”

  “Ah yes, the business at hand. Are you sure you want to do this, Juliana? This isn’t delivering briefcases.”

  “Rockhound, like I told Mike, I’ve been to the mining camps. I know what this is. I also know that Price and I can deliver the package. After that, we have a date with a beach.”

  “That’s fair enough. I wouldn’t have talked to anybody else, but Juliana has done good work for me in the past. I could use her as well. You two pull this off, there’s a place for you.”

  “Does this mean we can meet with Preacher Joe?”

  In typical fashion, he ignored my question.

  “Mr. Price, there is a large African market, indoor and outdoor.”

  “I’m familiar with it.”

  “Good. About two blocks south is an open-air café. The man you want holds court there in the mornings. I can’t give you a specific time. He doesn’t have the same sense of punctuality that I do. However, he knows you’re coming. After that, you are on your own. I vouched for you, Juliana. Don’t fuck this up.”

  Before I could say anything, the phone went dead. This time, Ethan took the phone and contemplated it before closing it and putting it in his back pocket.

  “Ethan, what’s bugging you?”