Secrets That Kill: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

by Colleen Helme

  Ramos noticed me coming into the living room and smiled appreciatively. He was thinking Manetto would be proud to call me his niece. I even out-did Kate, which was saying something. “Ha,” I said. “You’re just prejudiced.”

  “True,” Ramos agreed. “But she still doesn’t hold a candle to you.”

  I shook my head at his flattery while my heart flooded with warmth. Nick joined us, mumbling that he needed paper and envelopes for the copies.

  “We’re going to Carson’s club tonight,” Ramos told him. “I’d like you to join us. Maybe after, we can get the supplies you need.”

  “Sure, that sounds great” Nick replied. “But what do you need me for at the club?”

  “It’s simple, I need you inside, but close to the door to keep an eye on things,” he answered. “I don’t expect any trouble, but you never know. You have a gun?”

  “Not with me. I couldn’t exactly bring it on the plane,” Nick replied. “But don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.” He was thinking his martial arts training would come in handy, and he almost hoped he could use it.

  “Where’s the thumb-drive?” Ramos asked.

  “I’ll keep track of it,” Nick said. “Let me get ready and we can go. Nick hurried to his room and returned wearing a nice blazer over a green striped shirt.

  Ramos set the house alarm and locked the door behind us. We settled into the car with Nick taking the back seat. With shades of gray to the west, the black night held a bright full moon overhead. The stifling heat of the day had subsided, and the scent of night blooming jasmine filled the air. It would have been a perfect night if not for the reason we were out.

  As Ramos drove into the downtown area of the city, my stomach fluttered with nerves. I didn’t question how he knew where to go, just as I didn’t want to think too hard about all that could go wrong with this little meeting. Before I was ready, we pulled to a stop in front of a building with a group of people standing outside waiting to get in. A big man guarded the door to the inside, letting people in for a fee.

  Ramos turned to Nick. “Once we get inside, we shouldn’t be long. Remember, Shelby is your first priority. If anything happens, get her to safety.” Ramos wasn’t taking any chances with me, and he wanted to make sure Nick knew that.

  A valet came to park our car, and Ramos stepped out, handing him the keys. Nick got out of the back seat, but I couldn’t bring myself to open my door. Ramos and Nick both had blazers on, so they looked good, but scanning the skimpy dresses and high heels of the women in line gave me a stomachache. I was woefully underdressed, and my confidence deserted me. I couldn’t go in there to face Carson looking like this!

  Ramos opened my door and extended his hand to help me out. I ignored it. “Babe.” His voice prodded me out of my stupor, and I reluctantly took his hand. I stood as tall as I could in my flat sandals, trying to bolster my confidence. Ramos arched his brow at me, wondering what was going on.

  “I’m not exactly dressed for this,” I said, under my breath.

  He glanced at the women in line and squeezed my hand. Turning back to me, he held my gaze with measured confidence. “Don’t let their clothes intimidate you. You look great just as you are. Besides, you have nothing to prove, remember? You’re the niece of a bad-ass mob-boss who’s got more clout than anyone in this puny city.”

  I couldn’t help snickering, but went along with it just the same. “Damn straight!” I agreed. His smile lit up his eyes before he expertly tucked my hand into his elbow and led me to the door.

  The big guy standing there frowned and held up his hand for us to stop. “You on the V.I.P. list?”

  Ramos stared at him before replying. “The name’s Ramos. Carson is expecting us.”

  The man paled, knowing Ramos’ reputation, and dipped his head. He quickly opened the door for us and kept his eyes lowered as we passed him. Wow! That was kind of cool. It bolstered my confidence enough to strut through the door like I owned the place. Who cares if I’m not wearing a sexy dress. I’m with Ramos.

  Inside, we walked down a short hallway to a second set of double doors. Another big man guarded this entrance, but moved to the side and opened the door for us with a polite smile. “Welcome to Club Metropol.”

  He ushered us inside, where we were instantly assaulted by loud music coming from a live band at the opposite end of the room. The place was packed with people, and Ramos turned to Nick. “Wait here,” he shouted.

  At Nick’s nod, Ramos took my hand and pushed his way through the crowd. Without his bulk in front of me, I would have been lost. Bumping against people in the throes of drinking and dancing, with plenty of sexual undertones, turned my stomach, leaving me a little nauseous. This place was insane. Without my mental shields, I would have been a mess.

  We broke through the crowd at the bottom of a set of stairs and I swallowed, sagging with relief. Ramos tightened his grip, giving me a few seconds to recover before we continued up the stairs. At the top, he placed my hand into the crook of his elbow while we took in the floor plan. This was a smaller space with a balcony overlooking the dance floor. A few tables and chairs placed nearby had a great view of the scene below. Here, the music wasn’t as loud, and only a few people lounged in their chairs around the tables.

  An older man sat at the table with the best view, looking over the crowd like a king seated on a throne. He was practically bald, with a long nose and a distinguished salt and pepper goatee that conveniently disguised a double chin. This was Carson. His cold blue eyes zeroed in on us, and the two men sitting beside him stood, bracing their feet in a protective stance.

  As we approached, Carson heaved his bulky frame to a standing position, and a wry smile twisted his lips. He motioned his men to back off while he studied me with undisguised curiosity. His gaze travelled to Ramos, and a stab of discomfort pierced his calm exterior. He hoped Manetto didn’t suspect anything, and that Ramos was only here to talk about their business arrangement.

  The man standing behind Carson jerked his head toward me, and recognition flashed in his eyes. My step faltered. Damn! This was the same guy who had followed me to the airport. The man quickly leaned over to whisper my identity into Carson’s ear.

  My heart started to gallop, and my legs felt like rubber. My instinct to run turned my breathing shallow. Noticing my distress, Ramos patted my hand and kept repeating in his mind that I shouldn’t worry, and that this was part of the plan. I won’t let anything happen to you. Pull yourself together. It’ll be all right.

  Yeah, that was easy for him to say since he couldn’t hear Carson thinking he wanted me to die a slow and painful death. All at once Carson put it together that it must have been Ramos who had killed Cobra. Cobra? The freaking snake guy was called Cobra? Wasn’t that a G.I. Joe character? Did people really name themselves after cartoons? Unbelievable!

  “Shelby,” Ramos whispered into my ear, tugging on my arm. “Come on.”

  I hadn’t realized I’d stopped. I swallowed and took a step closer to my doom. I trusted Ramos, I really did, but this was nuts.

  Carson lost all pretense of friendliness, narrowing his eyes and turning his lips into a vicious scowl. He was seriously pissed off.

  “Mr. Manetto is not real happy with you, Carson,” Ramos said with cool disdain. “It seems you’ve been cheating him out of a lot of money.”

  I watched, fascinated, as all the bluster went out of Carson. “That’s preposterous,” he said. He was thinking that if Manetto knew the truth, he wouldn’t have sent Ramos to talk to him. He’d be here to kill him. It gave him hope that maybe it was all a bluff, and he could work his way out of this.

  “Please, have a seat and let’s get this misunderstanding cleared up. Please, sit down.” Carson motioned to the seats on the other side of the table, and Ramos pulled out my chair, nodding for me to sit. “Would you like a drink?” Carson asked.

  “No,” Ramos said quickly, sitting beside me. “But there is something you can do for us.” He was think
ing, die, and I nearly choked on my spit. Ramos ignored my throat clearing and continued. “Mr. Manetto is a reasonable man. He’s not one to tolerate cheating, but he still values the business arrangement he has with you.”

  “But I haven’t cheated him,” Carson interrupted. “Whatever gave him that idea?” He flicked a disgusted glance my way. “This is because of her, isn’t it? You can’t believe anything she says. I knew the man she was with. Sure, he was trying to bribe me, but he had nothing. He claimed to have some information, but he made it up so I’d pay him. None of it was true. It’s all lies!”

  Ramos’ mouth twitched. He was enjoying this. “You’d better not say any more until I introduce you, since I don’t think you’ve actually met. Carson, this is Shelby Nichols, Manetto’s niece.”

  I narrowed my eyes at Carson, giving him the most venomous look I could think of. Carson’s brows rose, and sweat popped out on his forehead. “I have the thumb-drive,” I said in a low voice. “Warren may have been stupid, but he was an amazing hacker. Uncle Joey suspected you’d been cheating him. Now he has proof. If there’s one thing I know for sure about my Uncle, it’s that he has no patience for double-crossers. Makes you wonder why you’re still alive doesn’t it?”

  Sweat actually ran down the side of Carson’s face. Wow, what a rush. I inhaled through my nose, smelling his fear, and realized I was enjoying this way too much. Now I understood how Ramos felt.

  Carson leaned back in his seat and chuckled to cover his fear. “You think you can just walk out of here?” He held his arms out. “I’ve got my men everywhere.”

  Ramos smiled coldly. “And if anything happened to me or Shelby, do you think any of this would be left once Manetto got through with you?”

  Carson sighed, deflated that Ramos had won this round. Then an idea popped into his head. “How much money are we talking about?”

  “At least five hundred thousand,” Ramos answered.

  Carson swore in his mind, but none of it showed on his face. “That’s a lot,” he said. “Giving you that much money all at once could nearly bankrupt me. But I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll give you all the money up front, if you’ll just let me try and win it back with a friendly game of poker. I’ll spot you five hundred thousand to my five hundred thousand. At the end of the night, we take our winnings and call it good. What do you say? You could end up with a cool million if you take it all.”

  Ramos smiled, and my heart sank. Was he really going to make me play poker with Uncle Joey’s money? What if I lost? I didn’t even know how to play.

  “What do you think, Shelby?” Ramos asked. He was thinking, Go for it…jump on this…be excited…convince him you want to play so you can win all of that money, and that your Uncle will let you do it! This is our big chance. You can’t lose! Come on! Hurry up!

  I smiled brightly, hoping Carson couldn’t tell how much I was faking it. “Wow. You’d put up all that money just for a little game of poker?”

  Carson shrugged his shoulders. “Why not?”

  “And if I win, you’d let me keep it all?”

  “Of course,” he said, just now realizing it was me who’d play. “It would be a pleasure to lose to such a beautiful woman.”

  I smiled coyly. “Then it’s settled.”

  Chapter 9

  “Very good.” Carson was thinking it was obvious I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

  “Can we play Texas Hold’em?” I asked. “That’s the only kind of poker I really know how to play.”

  “Of course,” he agreed. “Whatever you want.” He was thinking this was the best deal he’d ever made. He was good at reading people, and with my face showing every single emotion going through my pretty little head, it would be a cinch to win back all of his money. This was getting better and better. Glee fairly rippled over him, but his face was a mask of stone, showing nothing but a polite smile.

  “Shelby, are you sure your Uncle will be okay with this?” Ramos interrupted, feigning unease.

  I blew out a breath, sending him an annoyed frown. “You’re forgetting that he sent me to take care of this problem, so it’s my decision, not his. And I say we play.”

  Ramos sighed, letting his shoulders sag in pretended defeat, then straightened with purpose and pinned a no-nonsense gaze on Carson. “We’ll want to play on neutral ground,” he said forcefully. “And I’ll be there as Shelby’s bodyguard.”

  “Agreed,” Carson said. “I know of several venues that will let us play a private game for a small fee.” He took a pen and notebook from his jacket pocket and scribbled their names and addresses down. Handing it to Ramos, he continued, “Why don’t you pick the place and let me know?”

  Ramos nodded. “How soon can you get the money together? We’re kind of on a time frame.”

  “Would tomorrow be all right?” Carson asked. “I can have the money and meet you at the venue by five o’clock. We can agree to call the game at midnight…unless one of us is out of money before that. Does that work for you?”

  “Sure,” Ramos said. “I’ll check these places out tonight and let you know where the game will be in the morning. We can meet there and agree to the terms then.”

  “Good.” Carson stood. “I shall look forward to it.” With a gleam in his eyes, he turned his sugary sweet smile to me, and I wanted to gag. He thought he had it in the bag, and was so pleased with himself that he couldn’t help letting his delight show.

  We shook hands, and he held mine a little longer than necessary. He was thinking about bringing my hand to his lips for a kiss, but I quickly pulled it away, smiling demurely so I didn’t offend him.

  “See you tomorrow,” I said. I turned my back, letting the smile fall from my face, and tried not to grumble. I didn’t know how I’d be ready by tomorrow, but I’d give it my best shot. Beating him now became my number one priority, and since it was just going to be the two of us, I wouldn’t have to divide my attention between other players. I couldn’t imagine how I’d keep everyone’s cards straight, but just his? Yeah, I could do that. Now all I had to do was learn how to play. With a name like Ace, Ramos had to be an expert, and with him teaching me, it couldn’t be too hard, right?

  I couldn’t wait to get out of there and started toward the stairs with Ramos at my heels. I slowed at the top of the stairs, and he came beside me, placing my hand in the crook of his arm to escort me out of the club. He was thinking this was working out better than he’d planned, and that Carson was in for a shock when I bested him and won all his money.

  “Are you sure I can do it?” I asked. “That’s a lot of money. What if I mess up?”

  “Trust me, you won’t,” he said.

  How could I argue with that? I sure hoped he was right. We pushed through the crowd again, and I could feel the attention of Carson and his goons looking down on us from above like an itch between my shoulder blades. He was already making plans for the big game, and I caught something about a person he needed to call for a favor. He probably needed help getting all that money. Before I could hear more, we made it to the doors where Nick stood guard and pushed through to the other side and out of the club.

  Nick followed behind, and waited until we were in the car before he spoke. “So, how did it go?”

  “Good,” Ramos said. “He didn’t even ask for the thumb-drive. All he wanted was a chance to win the money back in a poker game.”

  “What?” Nick asked. “That could be bad. I heard that Carson always wins at poker. He’s a professional player. You didn’t take him up on it, did you?”

  “Relax,” Ramos said. “He’s not going to win. He doesn’t know about our secret weapon. Shelby’s going to play against him. He thinks it’s a joke. Is he ever in for a surprise.”

  Nick was more confused than ever. “Shelby’s going to play him?” He turned his attention to me. “Are you that good?”

  “Well, I’m sure once I learn how I’ll be good at it.” I glanced at Nick to find his mouth hanging open and his eyes bulging
with alarm. I burst out laughing. “Sorry, Nick, but you should see your face!”

  “I don’t see what’s so funny, unless you know something I don’t know.” His face darkened in a scowl. “So what is it?”

  That sobered me up in a flash. “I get premonitions,” I answered quickly, before Ramos could say anything. I glanced at him, and he frowned, but kept his mouth shut. “That’s how I help Uncle Joey. I’m sure you’ve wondered about me. Well, now you know. Just keep it to yourself. This isn’t something we want people to know.”

  Nick sat back in his seat, thinking I was nuts. He’d heard about people who thought they were psychics, but how could that help me win at poker? This was crazy. Psychics couldn’t read minds. “What, so did you get a feeling you’d win if you played him or something?”

  I huffed. “Yeah, something like that.” I knew I wasn’t helping, but I didn’t feel like explaining it to Nick. Telling him I had premonitions was hard enough, and I didn’t want him to figure out I really could read minds. That would be lots worse.

  He didn’t buy it and was thinking he’d better call Manetto and let him know something was going on between me and Ramos and we couldn’t be trusted. He hated to be the one to tell him we were double-crossers, especially when it came to Ramos, but someone had to do it.

  “Listen Nick,” I turned in my seat to face him. “It’s a little more complicated than that, but I can’t explain it. You’ll just have to trust us. Go ahead and call Uncle Joey if you want. He’ll tell you it’s true.”

  Nick’s eyes widened. Either I was the best liar ever or there might be something to my story. Still, he wasn’t going to take any chances. He’d call Manetto as soon as he could talk to him in private. “It’s just a lot to take in,” he said. “So what’s next?”