Devil in a Black Suit: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

by Colleen Helme

  Not wasting time, Ramos hopped on the bike, started her up, and continued through the alley to the other side of the street. He heard yelling from somewhere behind him and only slowed a little to make the turn. Coming out on the street in a rush, he masterfully avoided hitting several cars.

  He sped up between lights, then slowed and turned down another road, finally circling out to the main highway and taking the fifty-seven toward San Miguel. Safely on the freeway without a tail, he breathed easier and hoped his bluff had worked on Salazar. If not, he knew he’d be back.

  It took him an hour and a half to get to the small airfield. Manetto had contacted the lone operator of the airstrip, so he was expecting Ramos. The man offered him water and food, along with a place on the couch to close his eyes.

  Ramos gratefully accepted. He reclined on the sofa, and pulled up his shirt to take a look at his ribs. The right side of his chest where Carlos’s shot had hit his vest was black and blue. From the pain, he knew his ribs were probably cracked.

  There wasn’t much he could do about his cracked ribs except take something for the pain. But, since he didn’t know the airstrip operator, he decided to wait until he got on the plane to find some aspirin. He pulled his shirt back down, and took the bottle of water the operator handed him.

  They spoke for a few minutes, then the operator left him to rest. After a night without sleep, it was tempting to close his eyes, but Ramos wasn’t about to leave his life in the hands of a stranger, no matter how well Manetto was paying him.

  Fighting exhaustion, Ramos managed to stay awake, even offering to play chess with the operator, who was more than happy to oblige, especially since Ramos lost every game. The sky began to darken. Just as he thought he couldn’t keep his eyes open a moment longer, he caught sight of the plane coming in for a landing.

  Relief coursed through him. He’d made it. As the plane taxied up to the small building, Ramos stood, swaying a little from exhaustion.

  The door opened, and Ricky rushed out, a big smile on his face. “Hey man. Good to see you. Manetto sent me along in case you needed me.”

  “Thanks for coming.”

  “No problem.”

  Ramos hated leaving the motorcycle behind. Then he had an idea. “Do you think we can get the bike on the plane?”

  “Hell, yeah.”

  In the end, they needed both the pilot and the operator’s help, but they still managed to get the bike onboard. Unfortunately, it didn’t help Ramos’s ribs any. He practically fell onto the leather seat. After pushing the button so that it shifted into a reclining position, he promptly fell asleep.

  Three days later, Ramos sat in the conference room at Thrasher Development. He was the only one there since it was Christmas Eve, and he had to get the bonuses ready. Tonight, Manetto had a nice dinner planned at his club for his most trusted associates.

  As he placed one of the checks in an envelope, he glanced up to find Shelby standing in the doorway. “Hi,” she said, her voice sounding breathless. “How are you?”

  It always cheered him up to find Shelby a little speechless around him. “I’m good.”

  “Jackie told me you ran into some problems with Carlos.”

  “Yes. It was a fiasco, but I made it back in one piece.”

  “What happened?” His mind immediately centered on the explosion, and Shelby gasped. “Holy hell!”

  He chuckled, then sent her a smile. “I don’t think I’ll be going back to Mexico anytime soon.”

  “So did Sloan make it out too?”

  “Yeah.” He shrugged. “I mean, I don’t know for sure, since I left her at the embassy.” He told Shelby the abbreviated version of what happened, but it was easy to see that she picked up the rest from his mind, because her face paled when he mentioned the bounty on his head.

  Shelby’s breath caught. “They were going to behead you? Oh my gosh! Don’t you ever help her again.”

  He smiled, pleased that she was so outraged on his behalf. He also managed to keep the news that the bounty had been rescinded from his mind. He knew it was a devious thing to do, but he liked how concerned she was about him, and he didn’t want her to stop. “I’m not planning on it.”

  “Good.” She took a breath and let it out. “Uh…I came for my bonus check. Uncle Joey asked me to stop by since I’m not going to his big dinner tonight.”

  “Sure. It’s right here.” He picked it up and stepped around the table to hand it to her. Someone had put a sprig of mistletoe above the door, and he hoped that if he got her to take a few steps back…

  Shelby caught her breath, then desire darkened her eyes, and his heart picked up speed. Was she really going to let him kiss her?

  A laugh escaped her lips, and she stepped out of his reach. “No. I’m not. But I did bring you a Christmas present.” She pulled a small box from her purse and held it out to him.

  “Thanks.” The last gift she’d given him was a handmade watch, and he loved it, especially the engraving on the back where she’d called him her “hero.” He liked being her hero…and that she admired him so much.

  “Just open it up and quit teasing me.”

  With a grin, he pulled the ribbon off the box and took off the lid. Inside, he found a circular, black leather key fob with a silver skull inside, and the words, “Harley-Davidson Motorcycles” stamped around the skull. “Babe…this is great. I like the skull.”

  Shelby smiled. “It reminded me of you. The skull, I mean. Because it’s…you know…uh cool…like that guy in the comics.”

  He chuckled. “You mean the one that looks like a devil with his skull-head all in flames?” He laughed some more, thinking that he liked it, and wondered if Shelby realized that it fit with her hero image of him, just like the watch.

  “Hmmm…I guess you have a point, although you have to admit it goes with the Harley, right?” She caught his gaze, and her eyes widened. “Your motorcycle is a Harley, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, babe. You got it right.”

  “Phew. Good. Well…I’d better go. I’m really glad you made it back in one piece.”

  “Me too.” He could tell she was real tempted to give him a hug, so he pulled her into his arms before she could protest. “Thanks, Shelby. Have a Merry Christmas.” He held her close, enjoying this small moment of intimacy.

  After taking a deep breath, she pulled away and backed out of the door. “Uh…bye.”

  He smiled, noting the pink flush on her face. She hurried toward the doors like she was trying to escape a hot blaze that was about to burn her up. At the last minute, he called to her. “Shelby.”

  “Huh?”

  “You forgot something.” He held up the envelope with her Christmas bonus.

  “Oh! Right.” Her eyes widened, and she hurried back to get it.

  Ramos moved forward but stopped right under the mistletoe and worked hard to make sure his thoughts were blocked from her mind. He held the envelope out and waited.

  Just before reaching him, Shelby jerked to a stop and her gaze narrowed, then she shook her head and looked him over from top to bottom. “You really are a devil in a black suit. Hey…isn’t that a real song? If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was written about you.”

  He laughed, then shrugged and handed her the envelope, knowing that every time he looked at his new key fob, he’d think of her. “Bye Shelby.”

  This time she made it all the way out the door, leaving him with a big grin on his face.

  He finished up his task, then gathered up the envelopes and slipped on his coat to head to the club. They always closed the club on Christmas Eve for their special gathering, and Ramos looked forward to the nice spread Manetto provided.

  He also looked forward to spending Christmas day with his neighbor and his family. They always had excellent food, and their kids adored him. He realized just how much he needed a break from his job, along with some time to unwind and be a normal person.

  At the club, he unlocked the door in the back and walke
d down the short hall before entering the main room. Inside, he flipped on the lights and smiled to find the room completely different. Jackie always hired caterers for the food, but she had several of the round tables nicely decorated with tablecloths and candles.

  He shrugged out of his coat, hanging it on a rack, and walked around the room to set the envelopes with the bonuses at the head of the table where Manetto would be sitting.

  A sharp knock sounded at the main door, and he frowned. He knew the closed sign was posted, so who could it be? It came again, so he hurried to the door and pushed the curtain aside to see who it was.

  Sloan stood on the other side. “Let me in,” she said.

  Surprised, he unlocked the door and pulled it open. As she came in, he glanced at the car parked at the curb and noticed that someone sat inside. “Who’s in the car?” he asked, closing the door.

  “My partner.” Sloan rubbed her hands together and smiled up at him. “I can only stay for a minute, but I had to come back to clean out the apartment, and I saw the lights come on, so I took a chance that you’d be here.”

  “You have a partner now?”

  Sloan blew out a breath. “Yeah. My director wasn’t too happy about the way everything went down in Mexico, so I’m not on my own anymore.” He nodded and she continued. “I felt bad that I didn’t get to say goodbye. But I don’t blame you for leaving. It was probably a good thing. I mean…even though we did lose the weapons, and a couple of our guys got shot, I think the message got through.”

  Ramos smiled and nodded. “Yes, I think leaving a crater in the ground would have that effect.”

  “Yeah, so it wasn’t a total failure. And Carlos isn’t a problem anymore. So we did well.” She pulled a card from her jacket and handed it over.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s my card with my number. I told you I’d owe you a favor, so here’s my card in case you need me.”

  “Right.” Ramos put the card in his pocket and held her gaze. “Is that it?”

  “No,” she stammered. “Remember that I told you I had a Christmas present for you?”

  “I remember we made a deal.”

  She nodded. “Yeah, and since it was a success, I’m here to give you your present.”

  He glanced at her expectantly, but she just stood there without a package in sight. “Okay.”

  “It’s not exactly something I can wrap up, but I think it’s something that you’ll be happy to get.”

  He caught a hint of unease from her. “Then why are you so nervous to tell me? Are you sure I’ll like it?”

  She hesitated, but nodded and then shrugged. “Well, yeah. I would want to know.”

  “Know what?” His stomach tightened. What had she done?

  “Remember those papers you found in the apartment? The ones with your name on them?”

  He took a breath, unsure where she was going with this. “Yes.”

  “As you know, I did some digging into your background, and I found out something about your father.”

  His brows rose in surprise. “My father?”

  “Yes. I remember you telling me that he disappeared when you were a kid; right after you came to the U.S. from Cuba. So I did some research. Ramos…I found out that he was taken back to Cuba against his will. He might still be alive.”

  Shock ran over him. All these years, he’d thought his father was dead. Could it be true? “Are you sure you got the name right?”

  “It’s Rafael Ramirez, isn’t it?”

  Ramos nodded, barely hearing her give him his father’s date of birth, and the date they’d entered the U.S. “Yes. That’s right. At least the day we came to the states is right. I barely remember his birth date, but it was in the fall, so that sounds right, too. But why would someone force him back to Cuba?”

  She let out a breath. “You don’t know much about your father, do you?” He raised his brows, and she continued. “He worked for the government, possibly in the military. I don’t know a lot, but I think he was pretty high up in the regime’s ruling members. Maybe there was a falling out and he fled. Or, it could be another reason entirely, but I do know that he was taken back against his will.”

  It took a minute for Ramos to take in what she’d said. His father had worked for the Cuban government? How could that be true? His mother had never mentioned anything like that. If his father had worked for them and left, and they’d taken him back for some political reason, it couldn’t have ended well.

  “Then it would be a miracle if he had survived. Do you have any evidence that he’s still alive?” Ramos knew in his heart that his father would have done everything in his power to come back to his family. That meant something bad had happened to him.

  “Not right now. If they put him in prison, it would be highly unlikely after all these years, but you never know.” She shrugged. “Anyway, I thought it would be nice that you knew he didn’t leave you or your family willingly.”

  He glanced at her and nodded, but he’d always known that his father would never have left them willingly, and knowing he was taken hadn’t changed a thing. “So you did all of this searching just for me?”

  She bit her lip. “Yes. I thought it might be nice for you to have some closure…and I have contacts because of my job.”

  Was that the truth? Or was there something else there as well? “So there’s no way to find out what happened to him?”

  “Maybe…I’m not supposed to talk about this, but there’s a slight chance they might send me to Cuba in the near future. If that ever happens, I promise to look into it for you.”

  Ramos nodded. Even though it was a long shot, he couldn’t help the feeling of hope that rose in his chest. On impulse, he asked, “Could you take me with you?” At her raised brows, he continued. “It would help make up for not getting a dime from Carlos.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, right. You’re lucky I told Wells that blowing everything up was my contingency plan and not yours. Otherwise, he might have thrown you in the clinker.”

  Ramos’s lips turned down. “Is that so?”

  “No…I’m just kidding, but it’s probably a good idea if I don’t mention you for a while. Anyway…just let me do my thing, and I’ll keep in touch. And you can always call me about that favor.”

  “Okay, sure. Thanks Sloan.”

  She huffed out a breath and glanced at him with a frown. “Do you even know my first name?”

  “You mean we’re on a first name basis?” She rolled her eyes, so he continued. “Yes, your first name is Mia. I like it, but I like Sloan, too.” She didn’t respond, and he blew out a breath. “Don’t tell me you want to start calling me Alejandro.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” she said.

  “Good.” He let out an exaggerated breath, then inspiration struck. “I have a Christmas present for you, too.”

  “You do?”

  He nodded. “Merry Christmas, Sloan.” Ramos deliberately used her last name. Then he gathered her in his arms and kissed her soundly. It took her by surprise, but she soon kissed him back with more passion than he expected. It fanned the flames buried deep inside him, and got his blood boiling, letting him know that the old spark hadn’t gone anywhere.

  The honking of a horn brought him back to his senses and he pulled his lips from hers. Desire turned her eyes into dark fathomless pools, and she had trouble catching her breath. He released his hold on her, and she swayed before catching her balance, and stepping back.

  “Till next time,” he said, his gaze full of promise and his lips turned up in a teasing grin.

  Her breath hitched with annoyance. Then she shook her head to clear it, and gave him a scorching look of her own before she turned and rushed out the door.

  Part 2

  Chapter 7

  Ramos polished off the last of his eggs and hurried into the bathroom to finish getting ready for work. He was running a little late, but since he’d been staying at the apartment at Thrasher Development on the twenty-sixth floo
r, he was already there, minus the few steps through the door and down the hall.

  In the last couple of months since Christmas, and his visit to Mexico with Sloan, not much had happened. He was grateful for the reprieve, since it had taken time for his cracked ribs, along with a few other injuries to heal. This morning, he’d made it through a killer workout, which meant he was ready for action.

  Ramos wore his dark jeans with a slate blue shirt, his gun resting in the holster at his side. He shrugged on a navy blazer to complete the look and opened the door to the office. Heading down the hall, he passed the surveillance room and ducked inside.

  As he scanned the monitors, a smile broke over his face to see Shelby in the elevator, looking at her reflection in the shiny metal doors. She put on her lipstick, and checked to see if any had gotten on her teeth. Then she smoothed down her hair and waited until the doors opened. She was wearing the black leather jacket he’d given her, along with black pants and boots.

  He smiled. Just a few months ago, she’d complained about wearing black all the time. Now it seemed like it was second nature for her. It meant she was getting more comfortable working for Manetto, and Ramos wasn’t going to grumble about that. Life before Shelby wasn’t half as interesting as life after. She could get into trouble without even trying. It kept him on his toes, and he wouldn’t want it any other way.

  He left the room and came down the hall just as Shelby entered Thrasher Development. She glanced up at him, and he caught her gaze wandering appreciatively over his manly form. He sent a mental message of I must look pretty good today, and watched her face turn a sweet shade of pink.

  “Um…uh…” She stammered. “Well, yeah…”

  Ramos chuckled. “Thanks Shelby. You look pretty good, too.” Then he thought, and not one bit of lipstick on your teeth, either.

  Her brows drew together. “How did…you saw that?”

  He shrugged and cleared his mind since he didn’t want her to know he’d been spying on her in the elevator. “Just a lucky guess. I must have gotten it right, though.”