by Oliver, Tess
Buck’s beard twitched. He purposely averted his eyes, pretending suddenly to have a profound interest in the snake. “You’ve been getting plenty of rats, I hear, Rusty.”
“Buck? Why does that awful man think I will date him?”
“Would it hurt you to be a little more friendly to Griggs? He’s my business partner, after all.”
Rage heated my face. Rusty shifted on my shoulders. Like most animals, the snake was extremely sensitive to mood changes. “You mean he’s your illegal bookmaker. Your gambling debt is your business, Buck. I want no part of it.”
His eyes flickered with anger. “Well, missie, if it affects this carnival, then it becomes everyone’s business.”
I stared hard at him, warning myself not to cry in front of him.
His expression softened when he realized that approach would not get him anywhere with me. “Look, Charli, so you gussy yourself up and step out with the man once or twice. No big deal. Now tell me, is Rose still seeing that bootlegger, Jarrett?”
“You can ask her that question yourself. Why are you taking an interest in Rose’s social life?”
“I don’t give a damn about Rose’s social life.” His shoulders were extra bunched as he turned and walked away.
Jackson had been right. He’d been right about everything, and I’d gotten so angry at him for suggesting it.
Chapter 17
Jackson
The last thing I needed in my dark mood was another cozy chat with Griggs, but almost the second I walked in for my order list, I was being ushered down the hall to his office. Only this time, the weasel wanted to see Gideon too. One thing about my brother that I always admired was that, just like our pa, nothing ever made him uptight. He walked into the office as if he was walking into Mabel’s to get a pack of smokes.
He leaned up against the wall of the office, looking bigger and tougher than any of the pin-striped lackeys standing around the boss. His massive frame inside the wood-paneled office even seemed to make Griggs uneasy.
“Please, Mr. Jarrett, you and your bother have a seat.” His stubby fingers waved at the two leather chairs in front of his desk.
“I’ll stand if you don’t mind,” Gideon said.
I remained standing too. “Is this about today’s job?” I asked, wanting a quick end to the meeting. Every time I walked into his office, I wondered if I would leave it standing up.
He shot a scowl my direction, and something told me the angry look had nothing to do with my question. He moved his focus to Gideon.
“I have a job for you, Jarrett, and since you’re working for me, you really have no choice except to do it.”
My muscles tensed, but Gideon still leaned casually against the wall. He pulled out his cigarettes and tapped one out. “Something tells me this has nothing to do with running moonshine.”
Griggs leaned back, and the leather on his chair squeaked. “Very perceptive. There was a little scuffle in this joint the other night. I watched you feed three bellbottoms their hats.”
Gideon puffed his cigarette. “Yeah, I guess I did.”
I knew where this was going. I’d been right about the planned fight. Griggs had wanted to see for himself if Gideon was as tough as rumor had him.
Griggs leaned forward and reached for a cigar. “Now, I’m sure you know this because you’ve been fucking that little burlesque dancer at the carnival.”
Gideon straightened, causing the silent wall of thugs around the room to stand at attention. Griggs’s comment had knocked the laid-back attitude right out of my brother, and it was never good to light his fuse.
“Relax, Gid,” I muttered under my breath. Gideon definitely had the strongest fist this side of the mountains, but even his torpedo right hook was no match for half a dozen revolvers.
Griggs smiled, pleased that he’d woken the sleepy giant. “By the expression on your face, I can see that I hit a nerve. Good. As you know, we’ve been taking bets for the fighting ring over at Starfield’s. His strongman has rightfully earned a reputation as indestructible. That’s where you come in. We need you to step in the ring with him. You’ll be the long shot. You’ll win. I’ll see to that. Then Starfield and I sweep up. Or I should say, I’ll sweep up. The old fool owes me a damn fortune. He has no self-control when it comes to the gaming tables. I just about own his whole fucking operation already.” His deep-set eyes flashed my direction. “Pretty stunt riders included.”
It was my turn to straighten. My hands clenched into fists at my sides.
“I’ll do it,” Gideon said, obviously sensing that this meeting was getting ugly fast. “When?”
Griggs’s black eyes glittered with dollar signs. “Just need a day to spread the word and collect wages. Something tells me a fight like this is going to draw a crowd big enough to fill the tent.”
“Are we done here?” I asked. “Need to get on the road to do your bidding, remember?”
Griggs waved at the man to his left to hand us our list for the day. I released the breath I’d been holding as we opened the door to leave.
“I’ll see to it that Hector takes a dive,” Griggs said as we walked out.
“No need. He’s not going to win.” Gideon took another draw on his cigarette as he walked away.
***
Gideon was mostly silent as we made our runs. None of this was good. It seemed that Buck Starfield had foolishly gotten himself in much deeper with Griggs than he should have. Buying some crates of whiskey from the man was one thing, but owing a cutthroat like Griggs money was a whole other deal. None of that would have mattered to Gideon and me if we hadn’t both gotten involved with two women whose lives depended on Buck Starfield’s decisions.
Bodhi and Noah were sitting on the front steps as Gideon and I pulled up to the house. “So, is it true?” Bodhi asked. “Is Giddy going to fight the carnival strongman? Gid will make him into sausage,” he continued enthusiastically without waiting for an answer.
I glanced back at Gideon as I pushed open the screen door. “News travels fast.”
“It’s not just news,” Noah said. “There are handbills tacked up all over town. Hector the Strongman vs. Gideon the Crusher.”
“Giddy’s going to knock that giant right on his big fat ass,” Bodhi laughed.
I swung the screen door shut and headed to my bedroom. I stretched out on my bed and my mind drifted to the night before when Charli had been stretched out naked beneath me. She was so damn mad at me when she slammed out of the car. There was no way to erase what I’d said. Even though it was clear now that I’d been right, it wouldn’t repair the rift between us. Buck was her family, and I was just some passing fancy on the long road of her life. I was stupid for letting myself get so wrapped up in the thought of her. I’d learned my lesson after losing Ella. I’d stuck to my guns, never giving my heart to anyone since. But my willpower had crumbled once I met Charli.
A stuttering motor that sounded something like a swarm of angry hornets vibrated my bedroom window.
“Enchantress!” Bodhi called from the porch.
I got up, walked to the screen door and looked out. Charli backed off the throttle, and the bike sputtered out. She pulled off her helmet and goggles and climbed off the motorcycle. She was wearing strange looking pants and black boots, like something wealthy women wore while riding their expensive horses. She glimpsed me behind the screen. A smile brightened her face, and I was quickly reminded why my willpower had crumbled so easily.
I stepped onto the porch. “Bodhi, Noah, go on. Get out of here.”
“Christ almighty, Jacks, if we’re inside you tell us to go out, and if we’re outside, you tell us to go in.”
“I don’t care which direction you go, just get the hell off this porch.”
With grunting protests, they got up and walked inside.
I shook my head. “No need. I deserved it. It was none of my business.”
She stepped closer. All I could think about was pulling her into my arms.
“I’m glad you were making it your business. You were worried about me. I guess I’m not used to that. No one has really worried about me since my mother died.” She stared down at the ground and kicked at a small rock with her black boot. “You were right,” she said so quietly the sound was nearly lost by the leaves rustling in the trees. She lifted her face to me. The concern in her expression assured me she knew what was going on. “Buck’s got himself in a real mess.” She drew in a breath as if she was holding back a sob. “Emma’s missing. We can’t find her anywhere.” Tears pooled in her eyes. “I think Buck knows something but he’s not saying.”
I walked down the steps and stopped in front of her.
“I think everything, Emma’s fate and the entire fate of the carnival is on the edge of a steep cliff,” she sobbed.
I pulled her into my arms. She pressed her face against my shirt.
“Everything will be fine,” I said confidently, even though I wasn’t sure if anything would turn out well. “Gideon will fight Hector, and Buck will get the money he needs to pay off Griggs.”
She wiped at her tears and took a steadying breath. “I’m sorry I crumpled. It’s just been such an awful day, what with Emma missing and having to fend off Griggs.”
I took hold of her shoulders. “What do you mean fend off Griggs?” Blood pounded in my ears. “Did he come after you? Did he touch—”
“No, it’s fine. Griggs didn’t get near me. My long, scaly friend saw to that. He was conveniently draped around my shoulders when Griggs found me. But what you said was true. I can’t believe that Buck would have used me as collateral in his gambling debt. Stepfather or not, I will never forgive him.”
Chapter 18
Charli
With Emma still missing, Rose had been far too distraught to perform. The burlesque show had been cancelled, causing an almost irate tantrum with some of the carnival attendees. But the promise of a well-matched fight between two iron-fisted giants helped smooth their anger.
One thing I was certain of— Buck knew something about Emma’s disappearance. My theory was that Griggs was holding Emma as collateral, a ransom of sorts. She was his until Buck paid off his debt. The sad thing about it was, Buck could probably have cared less. Money was far more important to him than any one of his many performers. Even me. Once realized, that hideous truth had made me sick to my stomach. All this time, I’d been telling myself that Buck occasionally made unpopular decisions, but that they were all for the good of the carnival. He wanted to keep us all with tents over our heads and food in our bellies. But it hadn’t been about his carnival troupe at all. He didn’t care about the Starfield Traveling Show. He cared about filling his pockets and his oversized gut. The only real concern in his circle of greed was satisfying his own needs.
“Are you ready?” I called in between the tent flaps. “If we don’t go now, we won’t be able to get inside. The line is around the tent and halfway up the midway.” I stepped into the tent. Rose was sitting on her cot looking nearly sick with worry. All morning, she had wavered between wanting to see the fight and not wanting to even hear the sounds coming from inside.
“Maybe you shouldn’t go, Rose. You look awful.”
She shook her head. “Nope, I’ll be fine. I want to be there for Gideon. And poor Emma.” She covered her face. I sat next to her and put my arm around her shoulder. Rose and Emma spent a good portion of the day arguing about things, but they loved each other like sisters.
“Rose, I’m sure she’s fine.” I gave a short laugh. “We both know Emma was sweet on one of those stern looking men who are always standing around Griggs. She’s probably having way more fun than us right now.” My words and tone weren’t the least bit convincing. Even though men were Emma’s top priority, something deep down, a cold feeling of dread, kept taking hold of me when I thought about what might be happening to her.
The sky above was a crisp blue, but at the moment, it felt like black clouds had drifted in and cast a cold shadow over the carnival. Nothing felt right. Even the calliope sounded out of tune. My own performance was a good three hours away. I didn’t look forward to it. With everything that was going on, the notion of putting on a thrilling stunt show was daunting.
Rose and I slid past the long line of spectators waiting to get into the tent. The workers had opened the flaps, and people, mostly men, streamed inside, hurrying to get the best seats on the risers. The way the fight ring was positioned, the best views were along the bottom row of seats, situated directly around the ring, and the very top row of risers, where if you were tall enough you could see over the heads. Of course, if the fight was exciting enough, everyone would eventually be on their feet. Then visibility was impossible unless you were over six feet tall. I glanced quickly around for my six foot plus friend but didn’t see him. I could only assume he was in the back helping his brother get ready.
Rose and I knew the spot where we had the best chance of a view and the least chance of getting trampled or crushed if things got wild. With this fight, and with all the money attached to it, we could easily expect things to get out of control. She held tightly to my hand like a small child not wanting to get swept away by the crowd. I held just as tightly to hers. Rose and I were completely out of place amongst the loud, somewhat smelly, crush of spectators. Everyone seemed to be lit on moonshine and excited about the prospect of winning money. The words strongman and crusher were being smacked back and forth like the ball at a tennis match. Sloppy slaps on shoulders and plenty of cuss words made their way around the ring. People were asked to extinguish smokes outside because of fire hazard, but tobacco still lingered in the air, whether it wafted off clothing or from secret puffs on cigarettes, it made the air that much more stifling.
The long benches wobbled and rattled as heavy work boots and big bellied men climbed to the top to get a good view.
“Do you know who people are betting on?” I asked as Rose and I squished close enough to take up only one space on the riser.
Rose wrapped her arm around mine and rested her head against my shoulder. “I hear the bets are leaning toward Hector. He’s undefeated, after all. I know Buck expects Gideon to win, so that must be where his money is.” She made a sound that was halfway between a sigh and a groan. “My stomach is swirling like butter in a churn. It would be different if this was something Gideon had chosen to do. Oh, Charli, what will happen to Emma if Gideon loses? What will happen to all of us? I will never talk to Buck again. Never. If he gets an unfriendly grunt from me on pay day then that will be too much.” She lifted her head. “If something happens to Gideon—”
I patted her leg. “Don’t worry about that. You’ve seen the man fight. Besides, poor Hector is tired. He’s been fighting for days. I just hope Gideon goes easy on him.”
Joey, our tent builder, had also become the referee for the fights. He looked tense with his mouth drawn tight beneath his golden moustache as he climbed into the ring. Just like the rest of the carnival workers, Joey knew that this was no ordinary fight. News, especially bad news, traveled fast in a close community where we all traveled together, slept in neighboring tents and met for dinner under the stars. Word, and dark moods, had spread quickly that Buck had gambled himself into a hole . . . again. It wasn’t the first time, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. But this time he owed someone who seemed to have no conscience when it came to collecting debt. Emma’s abrupt disappearance was proof of that. The problem was none of us knew exactly how ruthless Griggs really was. In our hearts, we hoped that all this would end, the man would collect what Buck owed him and sweet, dreamy-minded Emma w
ould be delivered back to us, unharmed and hopefully not heartbroken over a gangster.
On the opposite side of the tent, Jackson’s head emerged from behind the canvas. My heart immediately skipped ahead of its usual pace. His blue eyes scanned the crowd and landed on me. I lifted a hand and gave a short wave. He temporarily erased my grim mood with that perfect crooked smile, then he disappeared again.
I sighed and tightened my hold on Rose. “Do you ever think about what it would be like to plant your feet solidly in one place again? You know, have a home with a husband.” As soon as the word husband left my mouth, I wanted to pull it back in. Rose sensed it.
“It’s all right, Charli. You can stop tiptoeing around the subject. It hasn’t been easy, and my heart still has a lot of mending to do. Paul will always be a part of me. But I’m still alive. And he’s not. I need to think about a future. That’s my long answer to your question. I think about it every day, Charli. Every darn day.” She lifted her neck and looked over the bobbing heads. “That cream is turning to butter again. There’s that gangster and his men. It must be time for the fight to start.”
Buck’s round face appeared in the crowd. Spectators parted to let the big man through. He looked somehow older than he had just the morning before, as if the stress of this had aged him overnight. With some difficulty, he climbed between the ropes of the ring. He took a stumbling step toward the center.
“My god, the man is pickled,” Rose said. “How dare he walk into that ring bleary-eyed and with so much at stake.”
Rose’s words circled round my head as I stared at the man who had been my only parent since my mother’s death. There was no question he was drunk, but beneath the liquor-coated veneer, I saw a crestfallen man. He’d gone too far this time. His lust for the gaming tables had pushed him to the cliff’s edge, and he was hanging on by just his fingertips.