Lacey Luzzi Box Set

by Gina LaManna

  I stared in disbelief at him. “You are something else.”

  Marvin gave a sheepish smile. “This is included under the whole letting things go clause, right?”

  I sighed. “Fine. But leave the key under the mat. I’ll probably have a cleaning crew swing by or something – and unlike everyone else in the world, I can’t ‘magic’ my way through locked doors.”

  “Technically we didn’t steal any key. We borrowed it and had a duplicate made. We’re not animals.”

  I frowned.

  “But I can leave the duplicate with my business card and some money for the maid service,” Marvin said quickly. “I meant it, we’re not trying to make waves.” He groaned. “Luke, stop that.”

  I glanced over Marvin’s shoulder and saw Luke teasing Meg’s strap off her shoulder. “All right, you two, break it up and exchange digits. Meg, your karaoke spot is edging closer and closer, so we should get a move on before you miss it entirely.”

  “Bye, sugar bucket,” Meg purred, “you heap of sweetness.”

  It was my turn to groan as I led the way up the stairs. When I realized Meg wasn’t following me, I turned back. “Nice to meet you guys, I guess. I hope we can figure this out.”

  “We’ll do what we can to work with you.” Marvin gave a salute. “After all, we’re not enemies. We just have to figure out who is after who. If I’m being honest, I’m glad we’re not after each other. I mean, you look great in those boots, it’d be a shame to be enemies.”

  “I told you!” Meg said with a whistle aimed in my direction. “You look great!”

  “She does,” Marvin agreed, his blush matching the Maraschino cherries behind the bar.

  “I have a boyfriend!” I crossed my arms, but despite my faux-annoyed reaction, I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the compliment, at least a little bit. It was nice to be reassured about my looks after a blonde bombshell had gotten a bit handsy with my boyfriend.

  “Call me if anything changes,” Marv said, his gaze downcast. “Like I said, I’ll leave my digits with the illegal house key.”

  “Just make sure to be gone when we come back,” I said. “Or else Carlos might hear about this. He won’t like rent-free visitors staying on his boat.”

  “You got it, captain.” Marvin said. “Luke, say your goodbyes.”

  One sloppy smooch later, Meg joined me on the stairs. Together we climbed onto the deck. The moonlight washed over us as the boat rocked gently against the dock. All was calm on the lake, and for a moment I considered just relaxing on deck for the rest of the evening. Meg and I could lay out and count the constellations – something nearly impossible to do in the city. Maybe we’d even see a shooting star.

  “You know, for a double kidnapping, that wasn’t all bad,” Meg said, preening under the moonlight. “I’m tempted to flop down right here and skip karaoke. We can tell Carlos that we were kidnapped for a lot longer, which is why we stayed on his boat all night.”

  “Then you’re in luck.” A voice spoke from above us. It sent chills down my spine, hearing the familiar menacing voice, the iciness in his tone. “Because the night is just beginning. Turn around, and march right downstairs. And don’t say a word, or the big one’s dead.”

  “Stop calling Lacey fat,” Meg muttered. “Everyone puts on weight when they get into a new relationship.”

  “It’s been less than a week!” I said, looking down and trying to see if my stomach had gained a squishy factor. It was averagely soft, as far as I could tell.

  “Not the time for games,” the man said, swinging down from his perch above us. He landed behind Meg and me, poking a gun to my back. “It’s time to get below deck. Now, march.”

  Chapter 35

  “THAT WAS SO FAST,” Marvin said, sitting guiltily at the bar. “I promise, we were just going to clean up after this one last drink.”

  I could see that neither Marvin nor Luke had made a move towards evacuating the boat. Marvin had poured himself what looked like a Cosmo, complete with a lemon twist, while Beefcake lounged on the couch sipping a brilliant blue drink. I gave a weak smile as I stepped off the bottom stair.

  “We’re not back voluntarily.”

  Meg bumped into me a second later, and soon after appeared the man who’d surprised us on deck. A man I’d had the unfortunate pleasure of dealing with during a past assignment.

  A man now holding us at gunpoint on the water.

  A man who was called, very fittingly, The Fish.

  “I wouldn’t move, if I were you.” The Fish pointed the gun over our shoulders at the two men before him. “I’m not afraid to use this.”

  When I’d first caught sight of him on deck, those chilling blue eyes, the dark black hair, the crisp, clean way in which he spoke, had frozen my blood to the core. If anything, the cover of night made him more intimidating, an icier version of the man who’d ruined my surprise birthday party. From experience, I knew he was ruthless. I knew he would shoot. And I knew he wouldn’t miss.

  Luke’s eyes darted towards Meg, as if worried about his former captive’s safety. Maybe their first kiss had meant something real to him, something deep. I inhaled, thinking I should tell him not to move.

  But his love must’ve been too strong, since he moved before I could speak. Ignoring The Fish’s warning, Luke let his drink crash to the ground, the blue liquid spilling all over the carpet. He lunged towards Meg with an animalistic cry.

  But he didn’t make it.

  A gunshot rang out and Luke fell backwards, collapsing onto the floor. A red patch bloomed through his shirt and leaked onto the carpet. Blood mixed with the colorful blue cocktail to form a Fourth of July display gone very, very wrong.

  “You shot my boyfriend!” Meg cried.

  Luke glanced up, his face pale. “Boyfriend?”

  “No, not really, but it was a nice kiss,” Meg said. “But I haven’t forgotten you kidnapped me. I need some time to get over that before we talk about promoting you to boyfriend status.”

  Luke looked a bit crestfallen. I thought Meg might have been a bit harsh just then, since the man had taken a bullet for her, but who was I to judge? I wasn’t the queen of relationships, either.

  “I told you I’d shoot,” The Fish said, nonchalantly. “Does anyone else want to test my word?”

  “Not me,” Meg chirped. “But I do have something to say. Luke-baby, I hate to be crass, but do you mind bleeding on the hardwood floor? It’ll be a nightmare to get out of the carpet otherwise. Carlos won’t be happy, and frankly I don’t think you can handle another bullet wound at the moment, for ruining his boat.”

  Luke rolled over onto the hardwood floor, impressing me with his level of dedication to doing as Meg asked.

  “Thanks, honeybee,” Meg said. “Guess what, sugar plum? Now we match. I got a bullet wound on my butt during my last job. In case anyone’s wondering, my butt-scratch is still healing.”

  “I’m sure we were all wondering,” The Fish said dryly.

  “You want to know what I’m wondering?” I chanced a glance over my shoulder at the man who’d threatened my family. I looked forward once I realized the gun was still uncomfortably close to my nostril.

  “What’s that?” The Fish was so close, his breath raised the hairs on the back of my neck.

  Trying not to let my fear show through on my face, I swallowed and spoke evenly. “The reason you’re here. Why? Why here?”

  “Why are you surprised to see me, Lacey?” The Fish’s breath smelled sharp – cinnamon mixed with a strong, expensive cologne that twisted my insides. “I told you I’d be back. I also told you to have better manners by the time I came around, but I see that hasn’t happened.”

  “Is that job opportunity you mentioned still open?” Meg nudged me with her elbow. “If you let Lacey go, I’ll consider being your assistant like you asked on the car ride from Anastasia’s house.”

  “Tempting, but it sounds like you’re already...attached.” The Fish’s eyes scanned the floor, to whe
re Luke grew paler by the second. “I liked your independence before. But I don’t like attachments. They’re weaknesses.”

  “No.” My voice was firm. “That is false. Meg is the best attachment you could ever hope to have, not that you deserve her.”

  “Really?” The Fish took a few steps to the side, his gun still trained in my general direction. Nobody dared move as The Fish gestured for me to continue. “Do go on...I’m curious.”

  “It takes more bravery to have a relationship – an attachment, as you say – than it does to work alone. Meg just offered to work for you if you agree to let me go. Who’s offering anything for you?” I asked, raising my hands. “Who’s got your back? What Meg did takes more, excuse my French, gonads than you’ll ever have.”

  “I do have ginormous, excuse my French, gonads,” Meg said proudly.

  Glancing towards a horrified-looking Luke, who had now turned a shade of green with a side of pale, she shook her head. “We’re talking figurative, Luke. Not literal. I’m two hundred and fifty percent female, trust me.”

  “We have no doubt,” The Fish said. “But Lacey...you seem to feel quite strongly about this. So tell me now, where are the rest of your attachments? These relationships you speak of? Anthony – if I remember correctly – shouldn’t he be here?”

  Without knowing it, The Fish had delivered a sucker punch to my gut. I fell silent, unable to come up with a response. I’d been focused solely on Meg’s loyalty, her selflessness. I hadn’t considered that The Fish would recall mine and Anthony’s relationship.

  “Trouble in paradise?” The Fish asked.

  “Shut up,” Meg said. “Shut up, or I’ll...I’ll figure something out once you set that gun down.”

  “Sore subject. I’m sorry to hear that, Lacey.” The Fish moved closer, his eyes so pale they were almost translucent, his hair dark as tar. The combination was jarring. “Trust me on this, you’re better off alone.”

  I shook my head.

  “I’m not here to argue with you, Lacey—” he started.

  I cut him off. “Then why are you here? You never answered.”

  “I told you I’d be back, so here I am. I’m ready to make good on the favor you owe me.” He cast a sharp eye over to where Marvin had begun to inch off his bar stool. “I wouldn’t move if I were you, Twiggy. Unless you want to end up like your friend.”

  Marvin paled, glancing at Luke who was doing an excellent job of putting on a brave face. But I could see his resolve fading. Luke would probably live if he received medical attention. But if not...

  “I don’t owe you any favors,” I said. “I still don’t know why you brought me to Carlos’s. Why you hate us so much.”

  “Ah, yes. Well, that’s not your fault, and for that I do apologize. But a man must pay for his mistakes, and I warned Carlos to stop bothering me. I told him if he didn’t let up, I’d have to take measures to stop him. Unfortunately, that comes in the form of using you to help.”

  “I don’t understand. What is Carlos doing?” My voice faltered. For a brief moment, I wondered if maybe Carlos was in the wrong. If he’d done something that might provoke retribution from a man as clever and sharp as The Fish.

  Just as quickly, I disliked myself for doubting my Family. I should’ve asked Carlos for details when The Fish appeared the first time, but I assumed the issue had been taken care of; it wasn’t as if Carlos included me on any matters of deep, essential importance to the family. He just gave me ad hoc tasks that didn’t require knowledge of sensitive material.

  “I’ll show you.” The Fish smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “But you’ll have to come with me.”

  Horror immediately filled my veins and I wanted to lash out, tell him that I’d never in a million years go with him. But it only took a moment for common sense to sink in, and with a note of resignation in my voice, I bowed my head. “Only if you leave everyone else here alone. Then I’ll go with you.”

  “You’re not going alone,” Meg said, her voice firm.

  “You’re taking me alone,” I said, my eyes still locked on The Fish. “That’s the deal.”

  “I have no problem with that.” He scanned the room, taking in the mismatched gang of people sprawled across the furniture. “No sense wasting any more time here. If you get that man medical attention within the next twenty minutes, he’ll be fine. However, if you try to stop Lacey and me from leaving, you won’t need to be calling an ambulance, if you catch my drift. He’ll end up just like Lacey’s trunk buddy.”

  Suddenly things began to fall into place. “It was you...you killed Facelli.”

  The Fish turned to face me, and I could read the message in his eyes, loud and clear. He didn’t show the slightest hint of surprise at the name, as if he knew exactly who Facelli was, and exactly how he’d ended up in my trunk.

  I stepped closer. “But why? Why me? What does Facelli have to do with anything?”

  “He was a warning,” The Fish said, his tone bored. “I bet none of you bozos have discovered the reason Facelli got in trouble with the Chicago crowd, have you?”

  I remained silent, as did everyone else.

  “He got in trouble because of me. He double crossed his bosses there and came to work for me.” The Fish smiled, and this time it lit up his face. “I have a way of getting things I want from people, regardless of who they work for. Regardless of the consequences. Regardless of their loyalties.”

  “So you bribed Facelli to double cross Chicago. He turned on them.” I paused, the wheels turning in my brain. “So they exiled him and kicked him out of the city, and he came up this way.”

  “Very good,” The Fish said. “You really are Sherlock-ette Holmes, my dear.” The words oozed with sarcasm.

  “But then he must have had second thoughts,” I puzzled aloud. “He hatched a plan to get back in Chicago’s good graces. Something about the diamond business...something to do with Luke and Marvin.”

  The Fish yawned. “You’re running out of time to figure this out. You know, Lacey, we’ll have plenty of time to talk in the car.”

  Another thought crossed my mind then. “Marvin, Luke...do either of you know this man?” They both shook their heads.

  “Strike two,” The Fish said.

  “Hey, I can count, buddy,” Meg burst out. “What the heck happened to strike one?”

  “I felt like skipping it,” The Fish said, his voice slithering coolly. “And never forget, the guy with the gun makes all of the rules.”

  With perspiration beginning to bead on my forehead, I tried again. “Well, he did something to make you mad. Otherwise, why would you have killed him?” I stubbed my toe against the floor, stalling for time. “Did he double cross you back in Chicago?”

  The Fish’s expression flatlined. I was onto something.

  “I know what it is...” I shook my head. “You thought Facelli was working for you. But he decided he didn’t like working for you. So he offered to double cross you to get back in Chicago’s good graces. The diamonds were supposed to be delivered to your hands, but he gave them to Chicago. Am I right?”

  “Bingo.” The Fish’s tone of voice was nonchalant, but his posture remained tense, his eyes burning. “You’re just missing one key part.”

  “What’s that?” Meg asked. “I thought Lacey did a fine job solving that little brain teaser.”

  “Nobody double crosses me.” The Fish took a few steps towards the staircase, raking the room with the tip of his gun. “You’d all do well to remember that.”

  “But why my trunk—”

  “A warning, Lacey, to you and your Family. I asked Carlos for a favor – stop messing with my business. He didn’t listen. I don’t like when people don’t listen to me. I asked Carlos for a simple favor, just like I asked Facelli for a simple favor. Unfortunately, you didn’t feel the need to tell Carlos about the body in your trunk, so my warning wasn’t delivered.”

  I took long, deep breaths. So this whole thing had been a warning for Carlos, and I
was just the go-between. I didn’t much like this game of telephone.

  “Why didn’t you tell him about this?” The Fish gave a one-shoulder shrug. “It seems you tell him everything else.”

  “Not true,” Meg cut in. “She hasn’t told him about her and Anthony yet.”

  I rolled my eyes towards the ceiling.

  “Whoops. Probably shouldn’t have said that. Bad, Meg.” She raised her eyebrows, looking sheepish.

  Ignoring the exchange, he continued. “Carlos would have recognized it for the warning it was, but only because we have a history...a history that goes far beyond anything you’ve ever known in your short life, Lacey.” The Fish seemed to be lost in memories I’d never know or understand. A moment later, he snapped out of it, and a calm, collected look passed over his face as The Fish resumed his clipped, clean dictation.

  “Let’s go.”

  With a helpless glimpse at Meg and a worried look at Luke, I understood that now was not the time to argue. Luke needed medical attention, and the longer I stayed here, the more likely something bad would happen to my friend. I couldn’t risk Meg getting injured on my account, not again. After all, her rear end was still healing from the last guy we’d encountered on an assignment.

  “Get him help,” I instructed Meg, forcing my voice not to crack, “I’ll be fine.”

  “We’ll save you, Lacey. I promise you that,” Meg said. “I’m your attachment for life.”

  With a small, brave smile, Meg nodded reassuringly in my direction. I returned the best smile I could muster, which was a pretty pathetic showing, before I followed The Fish up the yacht’s stairs.

  I made it halfway before the entire ship went dark.

  Chapter 36

  THE ONLY GLIMMER OF light came from the stars. Complete silence descended on the yacht.

  I held my breath, waiting in the calm before the...smoke storm?

  All at once, a few small, circular devices bounced down the staircase and into the cabin where Meg and the diamond runners were still captive. Meg yelled a few unintelligible words, bodies thunked, and I did my best to hold my breath. I opened my mouth to call out, but at the last second stopped myself. If I screamed, he’d be able to find me. If I remained quiet, maybe I could disappear into the smoke.