Dying Wishes: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Shelby Nichols Adventure Book 14)

by Colleen Helme

  Ramos’s lips quirked up in that sexy smile of his, and I picked up his satisfaction that he’d made me forget why I was even there. With a huff, I pulled up my sleeve and stepped close enough for him to examine it. “I think it’s getting better all the time, see? The bruises are even fading, and it’s not as swollen.”

  Just looking at the damage to my arm made Ramos mad all over again. Satisfaction that he’d killed the bastard calmed him down. “Yeah, you’re right. It does look better.”

  Standing so close, I couldn’t help taking a long whiff of his clean, woodsy scent. His dark, knowing gaze jerked to mine. Chagrined, I stepped away and quickly took a seat in the chair next to his, in front of Uncle Joey’s desk. With a smirk, Ramos sat back down.

  “So, what brought you downtown?” Uncle Joey asked, picking up on our interaction and thinking that Ramos and I would never learn. It was like a game we played. As long as it stayed that way, he wouldn’t interfere, but if Ramos stepped over the line—

  “Oh look,” I said, pointing at a photo framed on Uncle Joey’s desk. “It’s the photo of all of us at Miguel’s opening night in New York.”

  “Yes,” he agreed, not missing my attempt at distraction. “I think it turned out pretty well.”

  “It did.” We were all smiling, and everyone looked great, just like one big happy family. “I’d love a copy.”

  Uncle Joey grinned, happy that I’d finally accepted that we were part of the Manetto clan. “Jackie thought you’d like one, so she had an extra copy made for you. It’s in your office on your desk.”

  “Oh… that’s great. Thanks.”

  “Of course. Now… as I was saying… what brought you downtown?” He was thinking about the task he’d given Chris this morning. Had I been to his office? Had Chris spoken to me?

  What did he mean by that? My husband, Chris, had recently made partner at his law firm, mostly because of Uncle Joey’s influence. He was now Uncle Joey’s lawyer.

  “What’s up? Does Chris need my help?” Since I didn’t want to tell him I’d been to the police department, I focused on his thoughts about Chris. Uncle Joey didn’t like that I helped the police, so the less he knew, the better for me.

  He narrowed his eyes, since I’d picked that up from his mind. Knowing I heard his thoughts was like a two-edged sword. It was useful when he wanted me to know something without actually having to say it, but there were times he didn’t like it.

  But… while it irritated him, he had to remember that it came with the territory, and he shouldn’t get too upset with me. In New York, he’d done a great job of blocking his thoughts, but it wasn’t something he needed to do all the time.

  Ramos had no idea what we were talking about. It didn’t bother him too much, but he was thinking that I should at least try not to blurt out everything I picked up.

  He was right, but I was tired of being so careful all the time. Uncle Joey and Ramos knew my secret, and it was such a relief to let it all out. I glanced at Ramos. “Don’t worry, he’s okay that I listen to his mind.” I glanced at Uncle Joey. “Well, most of the time you are… right?”

  Uncle Joey snorted, then waved it off. “I’m sure I can manage. In fact, now that you’re here…” he glanced at Ramos. “What do you think? You want her to go with you? It might make things easier.”

  “Yeah, it would, but only if she wants to.”

  “I’m right here.”

  Uncle Joey chuckled. “I’ve asked Ramos to run an errand for me. One of my tenants is behind on his payments. His excuses don’t make a lot of sense, so I’m sending Ramos to sort it out. You know how I hate being taken advantage of. So if you go, it would help me out. What do you say?”

  I turned to Ramos. “You taking the Harley?” At his nod, I smiled. “I’m in.” They already knew riding on the back of the motorcycle with Ramos was a deal I couldn’t resist.

  “All right, let’s go.”

  Before I stood to leave, I flashed Uncle Joey a big smile. He just shook his head, but I picked up his underlying satisfaction that his offer to accompany Ramos had made me happy. It was the least he could do after everything I’d been through in New York. Plus, as much as he didn’t like the whole flirty thing going on between us, he wasn’t worried that someone would try to kill me if Ramos was there.

  I caught that last part as I walked into the hallway, and my heart swelled that he cared. Then I had a moment of fear that he’d just jinxed me, and now something bad was going to happen. With a shake of my head, I pushed that worry away. It was probably just a product of the jitters I’d been experiencing lately, and nothing like a premonition. Besides, I didn’t have premonitions.

  While we rode in the elevator to the parking garage, I told Ramos about Coco. “I can’t believe we have a dog now.”

  “I think it’s great, especially if he’s as well-trained as you say. It’s an extra layer of protection for you and your family.”

  “You’re right. I didn’t even think about that.” Not too long ago, an escaped prisoner had come to my house looking for me. He had a gun and had threatened my kids. Wow. The pluses of getting a dog like Coco were really adding up, and some of the constant stress I felt seemed to drift away.

  Ramos opened the trunk of his car and got out my helmet. After slipping it on, I waited until he was on the bike before I climbed on behind him. With anticipation sending butterflies through my stomach, I wrapped my arms around his waist, and off we flew. I wasn’t sure of our destination, but that hardly mattered. I just held on and enjoyed the ride.

  It ended all too soon at the strip mall a few blocks away. I recognized it immediately. There were several shops, including a jewelry store I’d visited quite a few times. It had originally belonged to a man named Hodges, but he’d had the misfortune of trying to double-cross Uncle Joey. Now he was dead, and the new owners were much better tenants. Were we here to talk to them?

  Ramos found an empty parking spot in front of the health-and-nutrition store next door to the jewelers, explaining we were here to talk to the health store manager. After clipping our helmets to the bike, I followed him inside. Three aisles of shelves in the middle of the store were filled with all kinds of vitamins, protein bars and protein supplements, along with products for weight management.

  A man in a tight shirt that showed off his muscles stood at the back counter. He had the look of a body-builder-surfer-dude with his blond hair and tanned skin. He hurried to greet us, then slowed when he recognized Ramos.

  “Hello Aaron,” Ramos said.

  “What are you doing here?” Aaron asked, backing up. “I explained everything to Manetto.”

  Ramos stalked toward him, shaking his head. “That’s the problem. You’re not making a lot of sense, so he sent me to clear things up.” Aaron backed up against the counter and stopped with nowhere to go. Ramos stepped into his personal space and spoke in a low voice. “Manetto’s always been clear about what you owe him, and you’re late.”

  Aaron swallowed. “But I thought—”

  Ramos held up his hand, cutting him off. “Nobody asked what you thought. Do you have the money or not?”

  He was thinking that he had the money, but, after all the risks he took, it just wasn’t fair. Still, having Ramos breathing down his neck took all the bluster out of him. “Fine. It’s in my safe. I’ll have to get it.”

  He thought about the gun in the safe. He could shoot Ramos and take off with the money. He’d get out from under Manetto once and for all. But… he’d most likely end up dead if he went that route, and he wasn’t quite that desperate yet. But he was getting close.

  “I’ll come with you,” Ramos told him.

  “Uh… Ramos,” I said. “You should probably know that he has a gun in the safe… and he might be tempted to use it.”

  Ramos’s brows rose, and he turned back to Aaron. The shock on Aaron’s face quickly turned to fear. “I would never do that.”

  Ramos grunted and grabbed Aaron by the shirt. He shoved him around t
he counter and marched him into the back of the store. As they disappeared through the door, I decided to stay right where I was. Ramos had everything under control, and I had no desire to interfere with that. Besides, someone needed to mind the store.

  I stepped toward one of the shelves and glanced over the supplements. They ranged from body building and weight loss to increasing your sex drive. Another shelf sported women’s ultra-super supplements that included essential wellness oils and antioxidants. Hmmm… if I wanted to be healthy and keep from aging, I should probably get some of those.

  I heard the creak of the door opening, but the bell never jingled over the door. Not too worried, I finished reading about the amazing benefits of Biotin before I stepped into the center aisle to take a look.

  A young man wearing a hoodie nearly mowed me down. He jerked in surprise at the last second and swore under his breath. The kid had a big neck and the broad shoulders of a football player, and he wasn’t happy to see me.

  “Uh… can I help you?” I asked him.

  He’d watched the store manager leave through the back and thought the store was empty, yet there I was complicating things. He glanced back at the entrance, and I caught sight of another guy standing guard in front. I noticed the sign on the door had been turned from open to closed, and a chill of dread ran down my spine.

  Before I could pick up his intent, he shoved me into the shelves and ran to the back counter. I hit the shelves hard, knocking a bunch of plastic pill bottles onto the floor. Off-balance, I grabbed a shelf to keep from falling and knocked several more items onto the ground before I landed on the floor beside them.

  As I climbed to my feet, the guy stepped around the counter and shoved several boxes to the ground, clearly looking for something he wanted. He froze, then grabbed a small shoe-sized box and glanced inside before placing it under his arm like a football.

  He came my way, rushing back down the aisle. Since he didn’t expect it, I tried to stop him. That probably wasn’t the best idea, and he shoved past me. I tumbled to the ground, but managed to grab one of his legs and held on for dear life. I tightened my hold while he dragged me halfway to the door.

  Surprised that I wasn’t letting go, he thought he’d have to kick me in the face. Since I didn’t want that to happen, I let go just as he pulled his leg off the ground to kick me. Without my weight, he tilted back on one foot. Taking advantage of his unsteadiness, I gave his raised foot an extra shove. He crashed into the shelves, knocking the contents to the ground and dropping his precious cargo.

  Seeing my chance, I lunged for the box and picked it up. As I scrambled to my feet, the guy grunted with anger and lunged toward me. With a powerful tug, he wrestled the box out of my arms, causing me to pitch forward. I slipped on some pill bottles and grabbed his shirt so I wouldn’t land on my face.

  He tried to shake me off, but he’d had enough and raised his fist to punch me in the face. I quickly let go of him and fell onto my side. He contemplated hitting me anyway, and raised his fist.

  The back door crashed open, startling him.

  “What the hell?” Ramos rushed toward us with murder in his eyes. The guy took one look at him and took off out the door. Ramos would have followed, but, with me flat on the floor, sudden worry tightened his throat. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah.” I swallowed. “I’m a little rattled, but I’m okay.” My voice shook, and Ramos helped me up. My legs were a little shaky too, so I was grateful for his strong arms.

  Aaron had followed Ramos from the back and stood there with his mouth hanging open. Ramos turned to him. “What the hell is going on here?”

  Aaron shook his head. “Those stupid kids. Did they take the box?”

  “Uh… you mean the shoe-sized box under the counter?” I asked. “Yeah, he did.”

  Aaron’s shoulders slumped, and he rubbed his hands through his hair. “I’m so screwed.” As he took in the condition of his shop, an idea occurred to him. “You have to tell Manetto that it’s not my fault. In fact, I should get compensated for this. He should pay me more, and I shouldn’t have to pay him at all.”

  “What?” Ramos asked. “What are you talking about?”

  Aaron didn’t answer, but I picked it up from his mind. I met Ramos’s gaze. “He sells steroids… and other drugs… mostly to high school kids, but other people too… and he thinks he’s doing it for Uncle Joey.”

  CHAPTER 3

  Ramos’s eyes widened. “What?” He turned his gaze to Aaron. “Is she right?”

  Aaron glanced between us, not sure what was going on. If I already knew what he was doing, how come Ramos didn’t know? “Yeah. But if she knows, why don’t you?” It was hard for him to believe that Manetto had kept something like this from Ramos. Why would he do that? And who was I anyway? Was I Manetto’s niece?

  Oops. I glanced at Ramos and motioned him to lower his head toward mine, so I could whisper in his ear. “Since I read his mind, he’s thinking that I know what’s going on and you don’t, so it’s confusing him.”

  I started to pull away, but Ramos held onto my shoulder and began to whisper into my ear. “I got that. So what should we do about it?”

  His warm breath on my neck sent shivers up my spine. With his face right next to mine, and his lips close enough to kiss, I found it hard to breathe. His scent wafted over me and I froze. “Uh… what?” I couldn’t think straight. What were we whispering about? Oh yeah. “I… I don’t know… wait… are you…” I sucked in a breath and pulled away. His brows rose, but it was hard not to miss that wicked gleam in his eyes.

  “You… ugh.”

  With satisfaction rolling off him, he turned back to Aaron. “I think you’d better tell us what’s going on.” Aaron glanced my way, and Ramos continued. “Pretend she doesn’t know.”

  Aaron shrugged. “Fine. Whatever. Your guy came in a couple of months ago and set it up.”

  When he didn’t continue, Ramos shook his head, clearly losing patience. “Set what up?”

  “I can’t believe this. Why don’t you know about it? She does.”

  I struggled to keep from grimacing. “Aaron. Just explain it to us. Okay? Who came in to see you?”

  “The guy said his name was Slasher, and Manetto sent him. He told me Manetto wanted to set up a delivery system here at the store because it was the perfect front for getting certain drugs to the athletes at the high schools and gyms. You know… since they come in here a lot for protein shakes and whatnot.”

  “Go on,” Ramos said.

  Aaron shrugged. “Slasher supplies the drugs, and the kids come by and pick them up. I don’t know anything else… except that Slasher told me I didn’t have a choice, and he’d break both my legs if I told anyone about it.”

  “Do the kids pay you directly?”

  “Yes, of course they do.” He gestured at the mess. “Except for those kids. I’ve seen them a few times with buying customers. I guess they decided to risk Slasher’s wrath and not pay. Slasher’s gonna throw a fit.”

  Unease crept over him. Could our visit be about Slasher’s deal to give him twenty percent of the profits? He wasn’t sure Manetto knew about that. Maybe that’s what this was all about, and Ramos was shaking him down and playing dumb, so he’d confess.

  Ramos glared at him, and Aaron braced himself for the worst. When Ramos didn’t speak, Aaron got nervous. “What? I didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “That’s not it. Whoever this Slasher person is, he doesn’t work for Manetto.”

  “What the…”He glanced my way, thinking I wouldn’t appreciate his foul mouth, especially if I was the boss’s niece. “What are you talking about? He set it up. It’s Manetto. Who else runs drugs around here?”

  Ramos shook his head, thinking Manetto’s plan to go straight always seemed to backfire. After the fiasco with Dusty McAllister, he’d decided to get out of the illegal drug business. But he just couldn’t catch a break.

  “He is?” I asked, shocked and excited. “That’s amazin
g. I never thought… I mean… He kept saying he’d changed but—”

  “Shelby,” Ramos said, interrupting me. He nodded his head toward Aaron, thinking now was not the time to talk about Manetto’s change of heart.

  “Oh… right.”

  Aaron couldn’t figure out what the heck I was talking about. It didn’t make a lick of sense. Who’d changed? Manetto?

  Before he could ask, Ramos spoke. “Does this Slasher person have a real name?”

  “Not that I know of, but he’s one of Manetto’s guys.”

  Ramos shook his head. “Like I said, Slasher doesn’t work for Manetto.”

  “Son of a bitch.” A string of profanity rushed through his mind, so I tried to block him out.

  Ramos leaned against the counter and folded his muscled arms. “We need to turn the tables on this guy. I have an idea. Why don’t you tell him some kids came in and stole the box? That should get his attention. You can set up a meeting to discuss it with him, and I’ll be happy to back you up. Then I can take him off your hands and figure out what’s going on.”

  Aaron nodded, thinking he’d hate to be Slasher. “Okay. I’ll call him right now.”

  Aaron picked up his phone and placed the call, sounding frantic about the stolen drugs. If nothing else, he was a darn good actor.

  “What should I do?” He listened for a minute, then suggested that Slasher bring more drugs to replace them, since this left him short. “Those items were for tonight. Unless you bring more, I won’t be able to make the deal.”

  Aaron listened to Slasher’s tirade and shook his head. “Fine, whatever man. Just be here by nine-thirty. The kids usually show up at ten. I’ll meet you behind the store.”

  They disconnected, and he slipped his phone into his pocket before glancing at us. “I think he’ll come through for tonight, but he said he’s taking it out of my pay. He even said that Manetto might kill me for this.” Aaron shook his head. “I can’t believe this is happening to me.”