“We were able to secure a better offer,” the voice on the phone told me.
A better offer? What sort of idiot would bid against my father?
The tracker on my Hummer had belonged to the Pelino family. They had to be behind this, which meant heads were going to roll. “You’re making a big mistake.” I replied.
“We are aware our decision might strain our relationship with your family, but we are first and foremost businessmen. I’m certain your father will understand our position.”
They sure as hell didn’t know my old man. “If you say so.”
“We do look forward to the prospect of dealing with your family on future ventures. Please give my regards to your father.”
The call disconnected. I stared at my phone, knowing what my next move should be. The old man would want to know immediately. But the minute I reached out to him, he’d expect my ass back on the road, headed home. We couldn’t leave yet. There was only one more stop on the agenda, and it wouldn’t take too long. I’d call Father as soon as we were finished. He’d never even know I’d held out.
With time pressing against me, I returned to the table. Markie went to the restroom, which gave me time to fill Bones in on the call.
“You need to call the boss,” Bones informed me when I was finished.
“I will. We have just one more thing… won’t even take long. Then I’ll call him and we’ll head out.”
“Angel, I got a bad feeling about this. You should call him now.”
“I know I should, but I need this. Just a couple more hours, and then we’ll get back to reality.” The thought of heading back to Las Vegas filled my stomach with lead. I didn’t want to go back.
“Then what?” Bones asked. He glanced in the direction of the restrooms. “What happens with her?”
“I don’t know. The plan was to let her go, but to be honest, I don’t think I can.”
“Well you better figure it out, because we both know the old man will lose his shit when he finds out some stranger came sniffing around and you let her in. Especially right now, with the families at each other’s throats.” He shook his head and handed me his phone. “That picture on her phone. It’s the first one that pops up when you google “African children”.”
It did look similar, but then again, most of the pictures on his screen did. “Maybe she uploaded it?” I suggested. “Probably put it on social media or something. Who knows?”
“She’s hiding something,” Bones insisted. “I don’t know what it is, but you know the boss will find out.”
We all had our secrets, and I’d be a fool to believe Markie was the exception. All along I’d been waiting for that too-sweet filling and soggy crust. “I know. Please, Bones, one last stop, then I promise I’ll fill the old man in and we’ll head back.”
My friend looked as convicted as I felt, but he gave me a barely perceptible nod as Markie returned.
I parked the Hummer in the boat launch lot and herded Markie and Bones toward the restroom to change.
“What are we doing?” Bones asked as soon as we were alone.
“It’s a cross between snorkeling and scuba diving. You only go about twenty feet down, so you don’t need to take any classes first.” I unzipped my bag and pulled out my trunks, stepping into a stall.
“Did you check out the instructors?” Bones asked.
“Yep, did my homework. It’s a legitimate business.” I’d also overheard a couple of distant relatives talking about the company at a Sunday dinner. “The family has used them before.”
“You sure they’re clean?” Bones asked, ever paranoid. “They could take us out to the middle of the ocean, pop us each in the back of the head, and we’re sleepin’ with the fishes. Literally.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s actually figuratively. We’d literally be dead with the fishes, not sleeping.”
“You know what I mean. Let’s just hurry and get this over with so we can handle business.”
There would be no hurrying and no getting anything over with. I intended to enjoy every last minute I got to spend with Markie. As if I needed more incentive, I stepped out of the restroom, and my breath was stolen by what I saw.
Growing up in Vegas, I’d been surrounded by beautiful women. What nature didn’t perfect, doctors could, and the city fed almost as many plastic surgeons as it did casinos. Father had started taking me around town when I was seven. I’d danced with showgirls, flirted with bikini baristas, partied with pole dancers, and even dated strippers. My suits, made of the best Italian silk and tailored to fit me perfectly; my apartment, custom built with every luxury and overlooking the lights of the city; my car, designed to be the ultimate in safety and comfort… it was all shit compared to Markie. She wore a basic two-piece swimsuit—camouflage boy shorts and a black bikini top with matching camouflage lace—but it looked designed for her. Her suntanned skin complemented the print, and the innocent and conservative design managed to attract every atom in my body.
I gawked openly at her. She looked up and our eyes met. She chewed on her bottom lip, and her gaze held a note of uncertainty, making me want to reassure her. It loosened my lips and reminded me to breathe.
“Wow,” I said, my voice sounding strange, matching the way I felt. “You look amazing.”
“Thanks.” She blushed and looked down, crossing her arms in front of her flat stomach. “You didn’t specify which suit and I thought because we’re at a boat launch that we’d probably be going for a ride and a chance for some sun.”
Humble, rambling, gorgeous, I wondered if she had any idea what she was doing to my pulse. Certain she could hear my heart pounding, I fought the urge to scoop her in my arms and carry her off to a blanket on the sand. She would be my sun and I would soak up the rays of her presence. Stupid, crazy stanzas from long-dead poets churned in my mind, begging to be muttered. I swallowed them back before they burst through my mouth and made me sound like an idiot.
“Perfect suit,” I replied, stepping past her on legs that felt strangely wobbly. “Bones, let’s go see if they need help getting the boat in the water.”
Bones followed, and I could feel his sideways glances. I wondered if he was looking at me, and seeing One Nut Brizio.
Two instructors, Tom and John, stood on the dock, waiting in front of their twenty-foot boat. A back compartment secured oxygen tanks and other equipment, and I knew as soon as Markie saw it, the jig would be up. And, it was. As we drew near the boat, she gasped behind me.
“We’re going scuba diving?” she asked.
“Not quite. Scuba diving requires a class and a bunch more equipment. This is kind of a cross between snorkeling and scuba diving. It’s safer and—”
“But we’re going under the water to swim with the fish?” she asked.
It sounded immensely better than sleeping with the fishes, so I nodded. “Sure are.”
She wrapped her arms around my neck and practically knocked me off my feet. I stumbled backward a few steps before catching my balance. Then I realized how much of her bare skin was touching mine. Before I could think too much about that, Markie released me and hugged Bones.
“We’re going diving! Can you believe it? Have you ever been?”
Bones shrugged, cracking a smile. Even he couldn’t resist Markie’s contagious excitement. “Nope. Never been.”
“Why aren’t you as stoked as I am? This is amazing!” Then she turned her attention on the two men standing in front of the boat, offering them her hand. “Hello, I’m Markie.”
They introduced themselves while Bones dropped a few names and a thinly veiled threat that if we didn’t come back safe and sound, people would come looking for us. The confused instructors nodded and assured Bones they took dozens of divers out every week, all of whom returned unharmed. Then they handed us wetsuits, which we struggled into before climbing aboard. John pushed off the dock and we drifted for a few seconds before the engine purred to life. Bones and I sat in the center bench seat with Marki
e between us. She leaned her head against the back of the seat and closed her eyes. The engine revved and the boat picked up speed. A smile spread across her face, and her hair whipped back in the wind. She laughed.
“What’s so funny?” I yelled over the sound of the motor.
“The salty air. It feels like a million angel kisses on my face. I love it!”
I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her. She squeezed my hand but didn’t open her eyes. The boat slowed and came to a stop beside a marker in the water. Tom killed the engine and John stood.
John gave us a quick lesson on the equipment, and then John, Bones, Markie, and I splashed into the water. We followed John down to a world of kelp and coral, surrounded by brightly colored fish, where neither my father nor the Pelinos mattered. Markie’s eyes were bright and big in her mask as she reached out to touch a passing fish. Sea lions appeared. One nipped at the tip of Markie’s flipper before swimming away. She pointed to it and gave me a dramatic thumbs up.
Even Bones had a good time. Head on a swivel, he looked determined to see everything. We watched fish and sea lions for a while and even managed to see a couple of rays before John motioned for us to head up. By the time I breached the surface, Bones was already climbing back into the boat. The sun was still high over the city, its reflection dancing across the waves.
I waited for Markie and John to pop up, but they didn’t. Bones had removed his mask and was scanning the water from the boat. Worried something had happened, I dove back down to search for them. Finally, I spotted John holding Markie by the arm and slowly bringing her to the surface. Markie had both hands on her head. My heart lurched in my chest as they drew closer.
As soon as we surfaced I pulled the regulator out of my mouth and asked what happened.
Markie freed her mouth and said, “Headache.”
John and I helped her into the back of the boat. Then she leaned over the side of the boat and got sick. Multiple times. I didn’t know if I should look away and give her privacy or hold her hair. In the end, I patted her back.
When she was done, Markie apologized and slid down to the seat, hands still on her head. Her face was pale. Eerily pale.
“Nothing to be sorry about. What’s going on? Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Just a migraine. I get them, sometimes. Will you please hand me my purse?” She pointed in the direction of her bag.
I passed it to her and she reached in and pulled out a prescription pill bottle. She popped a pill into her mouth and Tom handed her a bottle of water and Bones offered her a mint.
She accepted both before leaning against me and closing her eyes. “It’s not a big deal. It will pass soon. I just need a minute. The change of pressure must have just been too much.”
Bones and John shed their gear and wet suits, while I draped my arm over Markie’s shoulders and pulled her closer. Tom started up the boat and took us back to shore. I could tell he was trying to be careful, but every time the boat hit a wave, Markie tensed.
Markie and I climbed into the backseat of the Hummer, and Bones got behind the wheel. We were almost to the hotel when my phone buzzed. Father was calling to find out about the deal.
With Markie leaning against me, and my decision to wait to call him weighing on my mind, I felt like I was navigating through a minefield. I needed to tread carefully. “I was just opening my phone to call you,” I told the old man. “Deal’s off. They got a better offer.”
“A better offer?” Father swore. “The Pelinos?”
“He didn’t say, but after what we found on my car...”
“I trust that you and Bones are on your way home?” Father asked.
“Almost. We’re stopping by the hotel to grab our stuff. We’ll be on the road in ten, maybe fifteen minutes max.”
“Adamo’s a weasel. This was a bold move for him. He must be ready to show his cards. I don’t know what they’re up to, but I want you here when it goes down. Hurry up and get back.” He disconnected the call.
I pocketed my phone and squeezed Markie a little closer, knowing our precious moments together were slipping away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Angel
WE MADE IT back to the suite. Since Markie was already ready to go, she lay on the sofa with a pillow over her head while Bones and I packed our things. My phone rang again, this time with an unknown number. I closed the door to my room and turned on the television before answering.
“Hey, Angel. This is Bruno.”
Bruno was the eldest son of Adamo, my father’s sworn enemy and the boss of the Pelino family. We’d never exchanged phone numbers. In fact, I could have happily gone through life without ever hearing his voice. If Bruno was reaching out to me, shit was about to get serious.
“How’d you get my number?” I asked. I’d gone through a lot of work to make sure the only people who called me were those I wanted to hear from.
Bruno snickered. “We got a new tech guy. Might even be better than you.”
It was a compliment, kind of. “What do you want?” I asked.
“You enjoying your little vacay with that pretty little blonde?” Bruno asked.
Of course he knew about Markie, because my day needed one more issue. “She’s a nice girl, but just a friend. An innocent.”
“Oh? Did she like my present?”
It took my brain a second to figure out what the hell he was talking about. The roses. They had to be from Bruno. The bastard had someone break into her room to leave her flowers. A warning. My blood ran cold at the thought.
“I left her alive and untouched, Angel. Remember that.”
I had no reply, so I glanced at my phone. The built-in tracer was already busy tracking Bruno’s location. I needed to keep him talking, but preferably not about Markie. Not unless I wanted to stroke out right there in the hotel room. “All right, Bruno, cut the bullshit and tell me why you’re following me.”
He chuckled again. “Following you? That’s a little presumptuous, don’t you think? San Diego’s a beautiful city. Bountiful, too. Lots of establishments in need of representation.”
“May your endeavors be ever prosperous,” I replied.
“Heh. You’re a respectful guy, Angel. I like you.”
Another compliment. Why? What’s your game, Bruno?
“You seem to know how to keep your mouth shut and stay in the shadows,” Bruno said.
I shrugged. “I create useful things. No talking, no spotlight.”
“So I hear. I also hear you and the old man aren’t exactly close, am I right?”
Anyone who spent five minutes with me and the old man would realize we didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye, but Bruno made it sound like he had eyes on the inside. My feathers effectively ruffled, I replied, “Everyone has daddy issues these days.” It was no secret that Bruno and Adamo butted heads like mountain goats.
“Yeah, I like you, Angel. You’re smart. Got your ear to the ground. Bet you already know there’s a few people on the spot. I hear that if you keep your head down, you’ll make it through this just fine.”
There were hits being made and Bruno was going out of his way to warn me. Why?
“You should have my location by now. Don’t worry, I left you a present, too. You’re welcome.” Bruno disconnected the call.
I glanced at my phone as the software I’d customized zeroed in on the exact location the call was made from. I sucked in a breath as the dot materialized. He’d made the call from right outside the hotel.
By the time I returned to the living room area, Markie was passed out on the couch. I went into Bones’s room and gave him the rundown on my conversation with Bruno.
“Gift?” Bones asked. “What gift?”
I didn’t know, but I had a hunch. “We need to scan the Hummer before we leave.”
We left Markie asleep in the suite and carried the luggage to the parking garage. Easing toward the vehicle, I pulled out the device scanner and went to work. The scanner picked up a small, unknown device
under the engine.
“Want me to get it?” Bones asked.
As my bodyguard, it was his duty. But we both knew I had a better chance of keeping the thing from exploding.
“No, man, I got this.”
I handed him the scanner, got on my back, and slid under the front of the car. Sure enough, a bomb was attached to the undercarriage. It wasn’t even a good bomb. In fact, I’d bet money the cheap piece of shit I stared up at had been sold by the wiseguys Bones and I had picked up from the airport. Since I’d seen the specs, I knew the bomb had sensors connected to the doors. I’d also seen how to disarm it. The Pelinos had to know I had this information. Did they think I was stupid? And why the hell would Bruno warn me?
“Sloppy piece of shit,” I muttered, cursing the bomb, its makers, and the whole Pelino family for that matter.
“Can you get it?” Bones asked.
“Yeah. This is… this is bullshit.” My tools were in the Hummer. Since I couldn’t open any of the doors without exploding the vehicle, I whipped out the pocket knife I kept strapped around my ankle and cut the sensor wire. Then I severed the rest of the connections and pried the piece of shit from my engine. I climbed out from under the Hummer, gently handing the bomb to Bones.
Bones held it as far away from his body as possible. I climbed into the back of the Hummer and he handed it back to me. I disassembled the rest of it while Bones loaded up the luggage. Then we stashed the bomb in my bag.
Bones stayed with the vehicle while I went back for Markie. She was out cold, making me wonder what was in the drugs she’d taken. I half carried her back to the Hummer, belted her into the passenger’s seat so I could keep an eye on her, and then we got the hell out of there. I don’t think I breathed until the lights of San Diego faded from my rearview mirror.
Making Angel (Mariani Crime Family #1) Page 17
