“Okay… sure. I can do that.” I sounded way too cheerful, but I couldn’t help it. A big weight had just lifted off my shoulders, and I could finally breathe again.
“Good. So, now that things are back to normal, I was hoping you could help me out with something.”
I smiled. “Of course. What do you need?”
His grin turned devilish. “First off, I need you and Ramos to take a message to Vinny.” He was thinking that Vinny had messed up and he needed Ramos to remind him of who was in charge. I was mostly going along for the ride, but I might learn something valuable.
I grinned so hard that my bruised cheek started to hurt, but I didn’t mind in the least. “Sounds good to me.”
Uncle Joey put the call through. Ramos said he was just finishing up a job, and he’d meet me downstairs in the parking garage.
I took the elevator with a lighter step and it dawned on me that Uncle Joey wasn’t leaving his life of crime behind after all. I’d been pleased about that, but now I didn’t mind so much. In fact, if it kept me from running the business, I was all for it. I shook my head, hoping that didn’t mean I was a hypocrite.
Exiting the elevator, I heard the approaching roar of Ramos’s motorcycle, and a little thrill went through me. He pulled up next to his car, and I met him there. After popping the trunk, he took out my helmet and handed it over.
He couldn’t help noticing that I wore all black, and I looked sassy as hell. Had I finally accepted my fate and come over to the dark side? Or… did I know I’d be going on a ride with him? His gaze landed on my face, and his brows puckered. “Whoa. Where’d you get the bruise?”
A satisfied smile from his compliment twerked my lips. “Did you mean sassy or sexy?”
He shrugged. “Is there a difference?”
I grinned. It was nice to know he drooled over me once in a while, although… looking sassy, or sexy… wasn’t exactly in the same category as his full-blown and complete hotness, but it was still gratifying.
“Your bruise?”
“Oh, right.” I explained the stairs and the crazy person, watching his face darken with each word. “The dog saved me.”
He shook his head. “I swear, you get into the worst situations.” He blew out a breath. “Just tell me you’re keeping the dog?”
In true dog-like fashion I answered. “Yup.” Snickering to myself, I slipped on the helmet. After climbing on behind Ramos, I clutched his waist and we were off. I didn’t even know where we were going, so it surprised me to pull into the back parking lot of the Tiki Tabu.
I pulled off my helmet. “Is this for real?” I wouldn’t put it past Uncle Joey to rig this.
“What? You think I have ulterior motives?”
“That wasn’t an answer… and yes… always.”
He grinned and motioned with his head. “Come on. We’ve got work to do.”
“So did Uncle Joey tell you I was off the hook?”
He nodded. “If you want to know the truth, you have me to thank for it.” At my widened eyes, he continued. “I may have told him he needed to stay in control of the business, so stupid things like this drug incident wouldn’t happen again.” He was thinking that Manetto had already come to the same conclusion, but it didn’t hurt to tell me he’d also done his part. “So how does it feel?”
“Ah… so… so great.”
Smiling, he pulled the door open, and we entered the dark bar. It took a minute for my eyes to adjust, but, since it was just after noon, there wasn’t the big crowd I was used to. Ramos spotted Vinny at the bar and motioned him to join us at a back booth.
Vinny sat on one side, and Ramos slid into the other next to me, our thighs touching in the small space. I could have scooted further into the corner, so he’d have more room, but why on earth would I do that?
“Here’s the deal,” Ramos began. “Manetto and Shelby have straightened out the mess you made. Shelby used her position as a police consultant to help them find the kid who killed Slasher. She had to explain to the cops that her information came from an informant, in order to keep her association with Manetto under the radar. It put her in a compromising situation. You understand?”
Ramos waited for Vinny to nod before continuing. “So… from now on, you are going to take the role as her informant. Anytime she gets information from me, or Manetto, or whoever… it’s you who gets the credit. That way, if anything ever comes back to her, or she has to give up a name to stay in good with the cops, it’s your name she’ll be using. Is that clear?”
“Uh… yeah… sure.” He didn’t like it much, but it was better than being dead.
“And one more thing… Manetto’s back in the game. Your incompetence proved to him that if he wants to stay out of jail, he’s got to be running things. He also doesn’t want his reputation ruined by some upstart wannabes. Lucky for you, he’s trusting Vic to take care of all the loose ends… which includes you. But this is a warning. Your days are numbered if anything like this ever happens again.”
“So… it’s up to Vic what happens to me?” Vinny thought he was getting off easy if that were the case. At Ramos’s nod, he continued. “And I need to pass information to Shelby if she needs it? But Shelby’s on Manetto’s side, right?”
They both glanced my way, and I quickly nodded. “Yeah… sure.”
“Okay, I’ll do it.” He thought I seemed too nice to turn him in, so he’d take what he could get.
A man stepped beside our table, his large bulk casting a shadow over us. “Hey… you’re back.”
“Oh… hi.” I smiled up at Big Kahuna. “Thanks for the interference the other night.”
“Ah… no problem, but I was disappointed you couldn’t stay and use your cue.”
“I could play now. Would that work?” I glanced at Ramos. “Uh… you don’t need me anymore, right?”
He leaned toward me, his lips tantalizingly close. “Not at the moment.” I froze, unable to move until he smiled and slid out of the booth. Embarrassed, I hurried out behind him, following Big Kahuna to the pool tables.
It had been a couple of months since I’d played, but I knew right where my cue stick was. I took it down and chalked the end while Big Kahuna racked the balls.
He glanced my way. “You wanna break the rack?” He was thinking that I should go first to make it fairer, since I wasn’t as good as him.
I was terrible at breaking the balls, but his reasoning made sense, so I nodded and got in position. He thought I should set the white ball more to the left and not hit the first ball head-on, so I moved slightly and leaned over to line up the ball with my stick.
Hearing nothing from him, I figured it was a good placement and, after moving the cue stick back and forth a few times, I concentrated on hitting the white ball dead center. Ready, I held my breath and hit the ball as hard as I could.
The ball basically went where I wanted, and one of the striped balls hit the corner pocket. Surprised, I grinned and pumped my fist in the air.
“Yay. Guess I’m stripes.” I studied the table, listening closely for what ball he thought I should go for. Following his advice, I lined up the shot and leaned over to take it.
His mind went blank again, which puzzled me, but I took the shot anyway. Unfortunately, I missed and it was his turn. I straightened and glanced his way with a frown. He sent me a smile, thinking that he’d take a couple of shots, but he might have to miss so that I could have another turn.
His thoughtfulness surprised me, since I knew he didn’t like to lose to anyone, but this was my lucky day. I mean… I was off the hook with Uncle Joey, so it could happen.
Ramos and Vinny finished their conversation, and both of them came over to watch the game. They stood behind Big Kahuna, and Ramos leaned casually against one of the unused pool tables. He looked so hot that it was hard to take my gaze away.
I heard Big Kahuna take his shot, and watched the ball miss the pocket, just like he’d planned. Hmm… did that mean if I won, it was rigged and didn’t cou
nt? Maybe… but I’d still take it. Big Kahuna thought about the shot I should take, so I got into position.
Leaning over the table, I lined up the shot. I caught a strangled sigh from someone in front of me, but concentrated hard to block out everyone’s thoughts, and took the shot.
The ball hit the corner pocket and I glanced up with a smile, catching Ramos’s gaze. “See that?”
Swallowing, he nodded, and I calculated my next shot. The best one was on the other side of the table, so I moved into position. Everyone shifted to watch me take the shot, so I listened carefully to Big Kahuna’s mind for advice on how to line up the ball.
Leaning over, I listened again, hoping he’d have more to say, but all I heard was take your time, take your time, which he kept repeating over and over.
After moving my stick back and forth a few times, his mantra was starting to make me nervous. Knowing I’d taken way too much time by this point, I took the shot. The cue ball hit the striped ball, but, instead of going into the pocket, it hit one of Big Kahuna’s balls and sent it into the side pocket. Oops.
“Does that mean I get another shot, even if it was your ball I hit in?” I knew that wasn’t right, but what the heck? Today was my lucky day, so it didn’t hurt to ask.
“Uh… sure. I’ll give it to you.”
“Really? Okay.” It was a shameless move, but I didn’t care. I listened to him for my next shot, and moved around the table to line it up. As I set up the shot, leaning over to size it up, I picked up a thought from Ramos. Only it was more of a groan… in his mind. I’d never heard him groan like that before.
As I leaned over to take the shot, it dawned on me. My scoop-neck tee gaped open, showing a lot more than I wanted, every time I leaned over.
Damn. I hit the ball so hard, it missed the one I aimed for and hit a grouping of balls behind instead, sending one of mine into the pocket by pure luck. With my mouth open, I glanced up at all three men and shook my head.
Holy hell. Big Kahuna wasn’t being nice to take it easy on me. He was being nice because of the view he got every time I leaned over. I gave them my best stare, but not one of them looked a bit sorry.
I narrowed my eyes at Ramos and lifted my brow. Why hadn’t he told me? His lips twitched, but he wasn’t about to apologize. It wasn’t his fault I’d worn that shirt, and I could hardly blame him for enjoying the view.
I rolled my eyes, grateful that I’d worn my black bra… but still.
“It’s still your turn. You gonna take the shot?” Impervious to my stare, Big Kahuna dismissed my antics, and smiled with encouragement. “How about you go for the blue four? It’s in a good place.”
Yeah… a good spot for him. I took a breath. How was I going to finish this game now? I didn’t want to disappoint Big Kahuna. I glanced at Ramos, and he raised his brow in a challenge, thinking your move, Babe.
I stepped to the cue ball, which left me facing all three men… of course. I felt their anticipation and shook my head. Before leaning over, I twisted my arm behind me and pulled the back of my shirt down at the waist, tightening it just enough that the front didn’t gape open so far. Quickly letting go, I got in position and took the shot, totally missing the ball.
I heard their collective sighs that I was on to them. Exhaling with disappointment, Big Kahuna figured he might as well finish the game. He sunk every single shot after that, ending the game with the eight ball in the corner pocket.
He glanced my way. “Wanna play again?” He could always hope.
“Uh… I need to go. But good game. You’re the best.”
That made him smile. “Don’t wait so long to come back next time.”
“I won’t.” I slipped my stick back into its slot, and both Ramos and I said our goodbyes.
Ramos followed me out of the bar, walking by my side to the bike. “It looks like you’ve got a real informant now. It should help your job with the police.”
“Yeah. I didn’t expect that. But it’s a good move.”
He smiled, thinking I’d made some good moves back there too. It was enough to keep him happy for a while. He looked forward to bringing me back to play pool again, as long as I wore that shirt.
“Ha ha. How about this? I’ll wear it as long as you play without one.”
He chuckled. “Babe. You’ve got yourself a deal.” He meant every word.
Oops… me and my big mouth. “Uh… yeah, right. As if…”
He turned to face me, standing close, without any part of our bodies touching. “I don’t make deals I don’t keep.”
“We’ll see.”
“So you’re not taking me up on it?”
“Would you really take your shirt off?”
“I guess you’ll never know.”
“Ugh. I can’t win. Remind me that I shouldn’t play games with you.”
He chuckled. “Now what would be the fun in that?”
I shook my head and smacked him in the arm because he was right. I enjoyed this banter with him way too much, and I wasn’t sure I could stop. No, that wasn’t right. I could probably stop, but did I want to? Nope. Still, I vowed to do better in the future.
That worked until I got on the motorcycle behind him, and all I could think about was playing pool with a bare-chested Ramos. My cheeks flushed just thinking about it. Sure… it was tempting… but, of course, it was never going to happen. Even so… I could still dream about it, right?
The next morning, I left home to take Coco on a walk. But this wasn’t just any walk. We were headed over to Mack Haywood’s house. Today, Misti and Austin were meeting at Mack’s house for the first time, and since they’d both wanted me and Coco there, I was happy to oblige.
They’d decided to meet at Mack’s house because it was common ground, and Austin had asked me to come a little early.
I was excited to be included, but I didn’t plan on staying too long. I had other things to do today, one of which was finally getting that doggy door installed. I’d had to order a whole new pane of glass with the door in it. That meant they had to take the old pane out to make the exchange. But I was excited that Coco wouldn’t have to wait for one of us to let him out whenever he needed to go.
I’d also had a chat with Lance Hobbs about getting the training for the search-and-rescue team. He’d been thrilled, especially when I’d asked if Josh could come with me. I told him I’d solved Mack’s murder, but I was waiting to tell him all the details until our first training session at one this afternoon.
I knew he’d be proud of Coco when he heard that the dog had come to my rescue when I needed it.
As we neared Mack’s house, I told Coco we were going for a visit. “It’s just for a little while, then we’re going home. Okay?”
Yup.
I didn’t know how dogs dealt with death, but Coco seemed like he’d moved on.
I knocked on the door, and Austin pulled it open with a big grin on his face. “Hey there.” He leaned over and ruffled Coco’s fur. “Come on in. Look Coco, I put everything back. See?”
Inside, everything had changed. The furniture was back in place, and pictures hung on the walls. All the boxes were gone, and it looked like someone was living there.
“Do you like it?” Austin asked me. At my nod, he continued. “I decided to move in. I mean… why live in an apartment when you have a house, right? Some of the furniture is mine, but I kept most of my Dad’s stuff.”
“That’s great. What made you change your mind?”
“I think I finally accepted what happened to him… and that he’s gone. He’d want me to be happy and live a good life. I had to let go of the anger. A lot of it is because of you. It made a difference to find out what happened to him and why. Now I have a sister. I just thought she’d want to see this place and the things that made us a family.”
I nodded. “That makes sense.”
Austin stuffed his hands in his pockets, and I picked up an underlying worry. He wanted to ask me something, but he didn’t know how. Glancing at
the dog, he spoke. “Hey Coco… I got your bowls out. Want a drink?”
Coco woofed and ran into the kitchen. He knew right where his bowls were and lapped up the water. Finished, he sniffed around and trotted over to a shaggy dog bed that sat in a special place by the back door. “See your bed? I found that too.”
Coco sniffed it first, then turned around in a circle a few times and plopped down. He rested his head over the edge, like all was right with the world, and closed his eyes. My stomach tightened, and I suddenly knew what Austin wanted.
“Wow,” I said, my heart breaking. “He looks comfy.”
“Yeah. Uh… there’s something I wanted to ask you.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “You have to understand that when I found my dad…” he motioned to the spot where his father had died, “like that, I wasn’t thinking straight. I blamed Coco, and I shouldn’t have. It wasn’t his fault. I took him to the pound, and that was wrong. I shouldn’t have done that to him. He was all I had left, and it was a stupid thing to do.
“I know this isn’t fair for me to ask, and I’ll totally get it if you don’t want to agree… but I was hoping that maybe… just maybe… there was a slight chance you’d let me keep him?”
I couldn’t seem to breathe. “Oh… uh… I don’t know what to say. He’s… uh… a great dog, and we’ve … my family… we’ve all gotten pretty attached to him.”
Austin nodded. “Of course. I just… I just wondered if you’d give me a second chance. But if it’s too much, I understand.”
My heart broke for him. If Mack had died any other way, Austin would have taken Coco and been happy to have him. He was right. His emotions had gotten the best of him, and he’d made a mistake. Did that mean he’d lost his chance? He’d lost his dad. That was huge. Coco would probably help him through his grief. Coco had lost Mack too. Was it right for me to keep them apart?
“How about this,” I said. “Let’s leave it up to Coco. If he wants to stay, I’m not going to fight it. But if he wants to go with me, will you let him leave?”
Dying Wishes: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Shelby Nichols Adventure Book 14) Page 28