“Yeah.”
We followed behind Dad’s car, then scooted along the four-lane roadway, after my father turned toward Cranston. We hit the Johnston town line in no time. Within a few seconds, we pulled into the car dealership and stopped at the front door.
The salesmen were inside, gawking through the windowpanes. Ah, look, potential customers, their hungry faces said. I bet their pulse rate hiked to abnormal proportions and they salivated. Car dealers are a bunch of sharks circling any poor slob stupid enough to come in off the street. Their craft is known as the art of the hustle.
Three reps approached us as we entered the building. Circling, bobbing, and ogling us, as though we were aliens from another planet, they smiled. God help me, I thought and turned toward the salesman I’d beaten down the last time.
His face held a resigned look as I approached him with a wide smile. Rising from the desk, he left the safety of his glass cubicle. A hand outstretched, he shook mine and we turned toward the rows upon rows of gleaming cars outside.
The suit he wore was in better condition than the last one I saw him wear. It had also seen better days. His shoes were scuffed, a frayed necktie lay knotted around his collar, and the shirt had a green booger attached to it. Wait, that wasn’t a booger but was dried up hamburger relish. Ugh!
“I wondered if I’d see you again,” he said. “How’s the Taurus running?”
Apparently he hadn’t heard or seen the news. I remembered to be thankful for the little things in life. Unable to relate the story one more time, I smiled and said, “Fine, but I’d like to purchase something newer.”
“We could take the Taurus in trade, you know,” he offered.
“No, that’s okay. The book value is probably too low. So, what do you have that’s good on gas, relatively inexpensive, and fairly new?” If he ever saw the condition of the Taurus, I’d get about a dollar ninety-eight, and a smirk, as a trade in value.
We’d entered the danger zone now. The salesman’s smile faltered as we ambled down the rows of overwhelming car confusion. I’m not a car shopper, and my eyes glaze over quickly with too many offerings to choose from.
“This Altima’s a great car, economical, and sporty. This model might fit your needs. Step over here, Ms. Esposito.” His eyes took on a gleam, and I knew the price would choke a horse.
The pale blue sedan glistened beneath the overhead lamps. These lights could illuminate New York City with no problem. The car lot was brilliant, and even though it wasn’t real dark, the lighting allowed for no guessing as to condition, on the part of a potential customer.
I stared at the smart-looking vehicle. Love at first sight, you might say, until I glanced at the list price. Way over my budget. Well, maybe not way over if I could schmooze the salesman. I looked around for Lola and saw her step quickly toward us.
The booger-shirted salesman glanced at me and then at Lola. He must have experienced de’ja vue, because his smile dimmed and a look of dismay replaced his previous expression. A fleeting pang of guilt hit me, but it only lasted a second. Hey, business is business after all.
“I’ll take her for a spin, if you’ll get the keys,” I said with a wide, enthusiastic grin.
Lola’s smile matched mine, and we hung around until the man showed up with keys and a dealer license plate. He slapped the plate on the car, and we took off at warp speed. There were things on the dashboard that glowed in neon colors. A speedometer, odometer, and lots of other inconsequential stuff glared brightly inside the dark interior. The new car smelled delicious, and the leather seat molded, soft and pliable, under my body.
We cruised along at a breakneck pace until flashing lights caught my attention. Dang. Where did those come from? I was about to receive a speeding ticket on a car that wasn’t even mine.
Disgusted, I eased the car into the break down lane, stopped beneath an overhead highway lamp, and waited as I slid the window down. Lola chuckled and I sighed, resigned to the fact that this was a crappy way to end an already lousy day.
“Ma’am, do you realize you were driving in excess of eighty miles per hour?” the trooper said in a familiar voice as he shined the flashlight into the car.
I glanced up to see Marcus Richmond staring down at me. His eyes opened wide. He reached for the car door.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Lavinia?” he yelled. “Out, now.” He yanked the car door wide open and motioned for me to step out of the car.
“I’m not getting out of the car, Marcus. Just give me the damned ticket.”
“You nearly got killed this week and you’re tempting fate again, so soon? Are you nuts?” He leaned down to look inside the car, his eyes rested on Lola. “And you’ve dragged Lola into this?”
“Marcus, I can explain—” I began, but he wouldn’t let me finish.
“For God’s sake, go home. You said you’d get some rest.” His tone sounded exasperated, his temper volatile as if he barely controlled it. “Lola can drive since you can’t keep your shit together for five minutes. This could have waited a few more days, you know.”
“I’m fine and I’m not going home. Since I need a car to get to work, I may as well get one now.”
His anger high, I figured he was beyond reason. I knew this from prior experience. Maybe Lola should drive. It would get him off my case, I thought. I turned and mumbled to Lola, who nodded.
I stepped out onto the pavement as Lola left her seat and scooted over to mine. I glared at Richmond and marched around to the passenger side of the car while trying to figure a way to get past this encounter.
Marcus held the passenger door open as I turned to enter the car. His hand snuck onto my arm and tightened. I glanced at him and waited.
“This wasn’t a good idea. You were speeding, Vin. Don’t let it happen again.” He bit the words out.
“I know, Marcus, I know.” Meek and mild has never been my strong suit. However, I know how to play cards. This was one time I needed to fold, especially if it kept my butt out of jail.
His eyes gleamed and narrowed. Yeah, like he believed my act for one second. The campaign hat dipped when he nodded, and I could have sworn he hid a smirk. When Marcus glanced up at me again it was with a straight face, so maybe I just imagined it.
“Is this your new car?”
“It will be if I can beat the salesman down on the price,” I said with a smirk.
“Poor bastard.”
“Yeah, but business is business, ya know?”
He glanced inside the car and said to Lola, “Go straight back to the dealership and keep it to the speed limit. Understand?”
“Sure thing, Marcus.” She smiled the Julia smile, and Marcus got that stupid look on his face – the one most men get when Lola flashes those pearly whites.
With a nod, he closed the car door and headed back to the cruiser. Lola and I glanced at each other with a shrug and a chuckle before she zipped into traffic. The nearest exit was a mile up the road. We turned off, swung back toward the highway, and headed to the car lot. Marcus followed us until we hit the Johnston Town Line before he disappeared.
The Altima handled like a charm, rode smooth as a dream, and felt perfect. This car fits me, I thought. Even if the salesman wouldn’t give much on the price, I was determined to have the car.
Our return to the dealership was met with hungry anticipation. The man knew I liked the car and he’d made a sale. We haggled over the price, and though I didn’t get exactly what I wanted, it came darn close. He pulled my previous file and set the paperwork in motion. The car would be ready for pick up in the morning.
After the hour-long wrangling, Lola and I headed to the donut shop for coffee. My body had wound down and I knew I’d pay for all this activity. Why is it that muscles don’t react immediately but wait a while and then become stiff? The accident happened two days ago. Things should be fine now.
With coffee in hand, we turned toward Scituate and chocolate cake smothered in white frosting. I sipped my latte and l
eaned back against the seat.
“Marcus is worried about you, huh? Man, he got hot under the collar,” Lola said with a smirk.
“Yeah, he forgets that I’m inclined to action, rather than inaction. It causes him some anxiety when he can’t control me, I think.” My chuckle matched her laughter as we buzzed along the highway toward home. “I mean, did he really think I’d be able to lay around day after day with nothing to do? Get real.”
“Exactly. Men just don’t realize women are stronger than we’re given credit for.”
The car slowed and we shot across the road into the driveway. Lola pulled up beside Aaron’s SUV and cut the engine. Her eyes strayed upward toward the lights emanating from the second floor. She glanced at me and smiled.
“Why don’t you throw on a pot of coffee and I’ll invite Aaron to join us for cake?” Her eyebrows waggled up and down.
“You just want a piece of him, never mind the cake.” I laughed.
“Mm, hmm. Be right back.”
I strode into the apartment as she ran up the stairs. I heard her knock on the door and Aaron’s greeting. Two sets of feet trampled down the steps, and the couple tumbled into the kitchen. Coffee perked and I turned with a smile.
“My mother made a chocolate cake. We figured you might be in need of a snack.”
“Glad you asked. By the way, did I hear something about you getting a new car?” Aaron’s dark eyes roved my face.
“Yeah, we just went out for a test drive. Car runs nice.”
“Really? That’s not quite the story I heard, but if you insist.” Aaron’s face registered what I thought might be skepticism. I wondered what he’d heard, and from whom.
Lola reached over and uncovered the cake. She spread the plates out, along with flatware. I watched her efficiency and tried to ignore Aaron’s continued stare.
It would seem that Marcus had been on the phone to Aaron. This meant he’d question me later. There was no doubt in my mind. Another person who figured I needed to be controlled, I thought. Huh, pain in the butt men.
We munched cake while Lola explained my shopping trip for a new car. She kindly left out Marcus and the speeding incident, though her eyes sparkled with mischief when she glanced at me.
“Vinnie beat the guy down on the price. It’ll be ready tomorrow. I won’t be around since I’m meeting with an editor and that lasts most of the day. Can you give her a ride in the morning, Aaron?”
Eyebrows hiked as he glanced toward me and nodded. “Sure, I can do that. How are your muscles reacting after the accident?” A tiny curl at the corners of his lips brought a smile to my own.
“My shoulder is sore and my body protests a bit. Other than that, I’m good.”
A short while later, I found myself alone and ready to call it a day. The MINI Cooper had zipped eastward toward the Salt & Pepper Deli after Aaron returned to the upstairs unit. Quiet encompassed the apartment and I yawned. Time to hunker down for the night.
Changing into sweatpants and a t-shirt, my cool-weather sleepwear, I padded barefoot into the living room. I turned on the lamp and slid down into the sofa. The lightweight, hand-woven designer blanket slid over me as I tugged it from the sofa ridge. The only thing on television – other than commercials enticing viewers to thin down using drugs, or to enjoy their sex life more with drugs – was violence. Either way, it was all about drugs, so I flicked the tuner to the stereo and listened to music.
Chapter 11
Fists pounded on my door, and the incessant rattling of the doorknob woke me. In a sleepy state of mind I shifted beneath the blanket. Someone stood outside in the front entry and wanted in. What time was it? Bleary-eyed, I glanced at the clock on the end table and sighed. Midnight. I’d only been asleep for a couple hours or so.
“Who’s there?” I called. Stiff-legged, I rolled over the edge of the sofa. Were these my legs, the same ones that carried me running for miles? Muscles cramped when I tried to rise.
“It’s Marcus and Aaron. Get up Vinnie. Now!”
The pounding resumed.
“All right, all right, I’ll be right there. Geez. What’s the hurry?”
I slid the bolt back and turned the door handle. When the door started to open, it pushed inward with force. I stumbled back, caught my foot on a pair of sneakers and lost my balance. My arms flailed in the air as I went down like the Titanic. A resounding thud accompanied a loud woof from my lungs when I hit the floor.
The two men struggled to enter the room at the same time. Well, that didn’t work – they were just too wide-shouldered. I lay sprawled on the floor, gaping at the two hulks towering above me.
“What’s up, guys?” I asked with raised brows and raging muscles. It seemed that as my body relaxed, muscle pain set in. Dang, that’s inconvenient.
The two men got through the door and hauled me off the floor. I moaned and groaned over the effort and tried to figure out their motive for waking me in the middle of the night.
“I asked you, What’s up?” My annoyed voice was a tad louder this time.
“We need to get you outside. Come on.” Marcus dragged me toward him and through the hallway with his hands under my armpits.
“Why?” I asked, as he hauled me through the outer door, with Aaron following.
The street was filled with flashing lights, fire truck tankers, and neighborhood people who milled around on the sidewalk. Smoke filled the air. I sniffed and glanced around, curious to see the origin. An eerie orange glow filled the sky above the house. With a sudden movement, I disengaged Marcus’ hold on my body.
“Marcus, what the hell happened?” Scared, I yelled at him and turned toward Aaron. My eyes popped wide open when I caught sight of the flickering light behind the house. Smoke billowed into the dark sky from my backyard.
“Damn it.” I headed toward the driveway but Aaron caught me by the waist and lifted me off my bare feet.
Together, the two men dragged me further along the post office parking lot. I struggled against their strength. Aaron held on tight and spoke some words that I didn’t comprehend until we reached the end of the parking lot.
“Stop, Vinnie. You can’t go back there. The garage is on fire and the firefighters are doing their job. There’s no place for you over there.” The Hulk-sized body barred my retreat on one side, as Marcus blocked the way on the other side.
“I didn’t hear the sirens.”
Aaron shook his head. “We told them not to use any. I was working late and went outside to get some papers from the truck. It was then that I smelled the smoke and saw flames coming from the garage. I’m sorry, Vinnie, but at least it didn’t reach the house.” His hands rubbed my arms. I glanced into the handsome face above me and nodded numbly.
In disbelief, I turned to Marcus. He stepped forward, threw an arm around my shoulders, and pulled me close. His lips pressed my temple and I leaned into his hard body while I stared across the street. What happened? Who set fire to the garage?
A few possibilities crossed my mind while I watched firefighters move back and forth from the tanker to the back building. Maybe Tony wanted to make a statement. A reminder of what he thought I deserved. But why hadn’t he torched the house instead of the garage?
There was always the mob to consider. They might be sending me a message about Antonio? Nah, they’d just get in my face instead of burning down my building.
God’s wrath was another consideration, but I hadn’t done anything outrageous, so I dismissed that idea completely. Why was I always a target? A disaster magnet, that’s what Marcus called me. My shoulders slumped and despair hummed along my nerves. Aunt Livvy, God rest her soul, must be watching from above, shaking her head.
“Would someone explain what happened here? I’m still confused.”
Aaron’s warm brown eyes appeared black in the shadowed light as he faced me. He said, “After I saw the flames, I reported the fire and asked that no sirens be used. I didn’t want the whole town awake, but by the look of the crowd, that consi
deration was useless.”
Aaron’s glance traveled the groups of bystanders, gawking at the show. “I ran down the back stairs and tried to wake you, but you didn’t hear me and then I heard Marcus pull to the curb.
Marcus picked up where Aaron left off. “We stormed the front door and woke you. I figured you might be in the living room on the sofa when Aaron said he couldn’t wake you.”
“Thanks for that. I was so beat I never heard a thing. How did the fire start? Any idea?”
“No, MacNert is handling the scene and will have information for us later. The fire marshal has to look the scene over, too. Right now we should get you out of here. Why don’t you go to headquarters and wait for me?” Marcus asked.
“Good idea, Vinnie,” Aaron said. “It makes no sense to stand out here in the cold. You’re barefoot and aren’t even wearing a jacket. I’ll catch up with you in the morning. The fire chief won’t let us into the house until everything is clear.”
“I think I’d rather go to Lola’s house, if you don’t mind. She lives close to the barracks.” I’d started to shake and knew it was imperative that I get my act together. No sense in falling apart in front of these two macho men. It was bad for my independent image.
Marcus gazed at me and nodded to Aaron. “Take her, would you? I’ll stay here until things are under control.”
Several troopers and local cops stood in the street. Traffic was nil at this late hour. Anyone who tried to get through the village was redirected to an alternate route at the corner traffic light.
Trooper Jonah Franklin stood several feet away and gave me a nod. His eyes turned toward Marcus. A silent signal sent Marcus toward the man. Their conversation was so quiet I wondered if they used some type of Boy Scout code. In my mind, troopers are similar to a secret society. They have little to say about many things and ask a ton of questions all the time. A secret club, where few women were allowed. It piqued my curiosity, and we know that curiosity leads to trouble.
With a hand on my elbow, Aaron guided me toward the SUV parked at the nearby corner. He held the door as I climbed in, my muscles groaning with the effort. Before he could close the door, Marcus stepped into view.
Dirty Trouble Page 9
