by Stacy-Deanne
Leo grinned.
* * * *
“That’s not true, Grant.” Base faked a grin. “This is me you’re talking to here.”
Grant sipped. “Yeah, and?”
“Come on. I know you’ve done at least one bad thing. I helped you with it, remember?”
“Oh I see.” Grant walked from around the bar. “You came here to bring that up?”
“I helped you and I think I deserve to know why.”
“Really?” Grant lifted his head, flashing a smirk that sent chills down Base’s spine. “You deserve?”
* * * *
“Fuck.” Leo chewed on the candy bar. “Grant sounds like he’s on to him. I hope Base doesn’t blow it.”
“He won’t.” Alexis prayed to herself.
He better not.
* * * *
“I put my life on the line for you, Grant.”
He laughed. “No you didn’t. You did a job and I paid you.” He walked to the couch. “I also told you it was over and done with, so why are we speaking about it now?” He sat down.
“Because I can’t get what I’ve done out of my head.” Base touched his forehead. “I’m no saint, but what I did for you was probably the worst thing I’ve ever done. Leo Pacheco is a good person. He didn’t deserve to lose his job the way he did.”
Grant ran his finger around the rim of his glass. “Well, he should’ve minded his own business.”
* * * *
“Shit.” Alexis hit Leo’s arm. “He’s almost admitting to it.” She clenched the phone. “Come on, Grant. Admit you set Leo up, you son of a bitch. Come on.”
* * * *
“Leo Pacheco was trying to damage my reputation,” Grant said. “The reputation I’ve spent decades building. People look up to me around here. I own this fuckin’ town, and he tried to accuse me of murder?” He scowled. “Murder of Nolan Armstrong, one of my closest and dearest friends, then he got caught with meth?” He shrugged. “What goes around comes around.”
“Yeah.” Base nodded. “Especially when the meth is planted, right?”
Grant tapped his foot. “You did what you did on your own. It had nothing to do with me.”
“Bullshit it didn’t.” Base charged him. “You made me set Leo up so he’d lose his job. Admit it!”
Grant grinned. “Base—”
“Admit it, Grant.” He held out his arms. “It’s just us.”
“Admit what?”
“Admit what you had me do!”
* * * *
“Shit, calm down, Base,” Alexis said.
Leo stroked his thighs. “I’m telling you he’s gonna blow it.”
* * * *
“Admit that you found Leo a threat.” Base pointed to Grant. “That’s why you paid me to put the meth in his house. Now why would you want me to do that if you hadn’t killed Nolan?”
“Oh I see.” Grant poked his lips out, nodding. “You came here to find out why I killed Nolan.”
* * * *
“Oh God.” Alexis held her breath. “Leo.”
Leo sat up with his mouth open.
* * * *
“You wasted a trip because I didn’t kill him.” Grant smiled. “That’s another nasty rumor going around thanks to Alexis Adams.”
* * * *
“Shit!” She hit the dashboard. “I was that close.”
“Sh.” Leo waved his hand. “He might still admit to paying Base to set me up.”
* * * *
“If you didn’t have someone tamper with Nolan’s brake lines, then who did?” Base asked. “Who would want him dead?”
“I don’t know who’d want him dead. I think about who’d do such a thing all the time.”
“You’re the most powerful man in this town, Grant. You would literally get away with murder even if you did do it.”
“When you asked me how I felt about doing bad things…” Grant looked away. “I don’t always feel good about doing them. Sometimes it’s like something takes me over.”
Base inched up to him. “I can tell that something is weighing heavy on you.” He sat on the coffee table beside the couch. “I’m nobody in this town. I’m probably the only person you can tell your deepest secrets to, because who would believe me?”
Grant looked at him.
“Did Nolan know something about you?”
Grant set his glass on the table.
“I know you wanna get what happened off your chest.” Base leaned closer to him.
“You know you can trust me, Grant. Look what I did for you and I never told a soul.”
* * * *
“Wait a damn minute.” Alexis almost jumped out of her skin. “Is he really falling for this or is this too good to be true?”
“He knows Base is the safest person to confess to if he wants to get things off his chest,” Leo said. “Like Base said…who would listen to what he says about Grant?”
“God.” Alexis rocked with her fingers crossed. “Come on, Grant. Say you did it. Just move your fuckin’ lips and say it.”
* * * *
“You remember what you said to me?” Base smiled. “You said I reminded you of yourself.”
“You do.” Grant leaned up. “You’re smart. From the first time we met, it’s like you understood things before I even had to explain. I’m too complicated for a lot of people to get to know like that.”
“I know the real you, Grant. We’ve bonded, and we both got dirty laundry we wanna keep hidden. I know you want to let it out.” Base touched his leg. “You can tell me what you did. I probably understand you more than anyone will.”
“I know you do.” Grant shook Base’s hand.
* * * *
Alexis held her breath.
* * * *
“Come on, Grant,” Base said. “Tell me.”
Grant exhaled. “I…”
The doorbell rang.
* * * *
“What the hell?” Alexis jiggled in the seat. “Someone’s at the fuckin’ door. Are you kidding me?”
Leo leaned his head back. “Jesus.”
Alexis hit the dashboard. “I don’t believe this.”
* * * *
“Good evening, Mr. Reed.” The doorman allowed Kevin inside. “Mr. Copeland is in the living room.”
* * * *
“Shit!” Alexis hit her forehead. “It’s Kevin.”
Leo scowled. “What the fuck is he doing there?”
“No telling, but he’s probably suspicious of Base being there. Shit!”
* * * *
Kevin made it to the living room. “Uh…”
Grant and Base stood up.
“Am I interrupting something?” Kevin stared at Base.
“I didn’t expect you,” Grant said. “Is something wrong?”
“I came to talk about the merger…” He kept his gaze on Base. “But if this is a bad time it can wait.”
* * * *
“Damn it,” Alexis whispered.
* * * *
“No it’s not a bad time.” Grant turned to Base. “Will you excuse us, Base?”
“Uh, yeah.” He smiled at Kevin when he passed him. “Goodnight.”
* * * *
“I don’t believe this.” Alexis sighed. “I was this close, Leo. He was gonna confess.”
“We don’t know that. I think Grant was playing him.”
“I’ll probably never get another chance to catch Grant.” She stroked her forehead. “I love Kevin, but his timing’s fucked up.”
Leo raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t tell him you were doing this?”
“No.”
“Why? Is it because you don’t think you can trust him?”
“I need to keep some things a secret for both our benefits.”
“I haven’t been in a relationship in a while.” Leo put his hand on the steering wheel. “But one thing I know is that nothing kills relationships like a lack of trust.”
“I trust Kevin.” She laid the phone down.
; “Then tell him the truth.”
Chapter Fifteen
Leo, Alexis, and Base waited twenty minutes until Kevin’s car drove toward them. Leo blew the horn and waved out the window.
Kevin drove through the intersection. He looked straight at Alexis with a shocked yet annoyed expression.
“Shit,” she whispered.
Kevin drove to the back of Leo’s car and came up beside Alexis. “Wow.” He shook his head, chuckling. “I can’t wait to hear this.”
She leaned out of the passenger’s window. “I know this looks bad.” She glanced at Base in the backseat. “But what did you expect me to do?”
“What did you do?” Kevin hung his arm out the window. “Did you bug Base or something and sent him in there to set up Grant?”
She flinched. “Kind of.”
“Lexi? How could you do something so stupid?”
“It didn’t sound stupid to me. In fact, it probably would’ve worked before you showed up and ruined it.”
“Bullshit it would’ve worked.” Kevin’s face twisted. “You think Grant’s an idiot? How much you wanna bet he knew exactly what was going on?”
“No, he didn’t.” She looked at Base. “He was going to tell you, right?”
He nodded. “He sounded like it.”
Kevin said, “You’re so obsessed with this that you’re willing to put your job in jeopardy?”
“Damn straight.” Alexis gestured to Leo. “And I’m starting to realize who I can really depend on.”
“Oh really?” Kevin leaned back. “That crack can’t be for me because you don’t give me a chance to be there for you. Once again you hid this because you don’t trust me.”
She hit the side of the door. “I do trust you, but I knew you’d think it was silly and not help me.”
He faced ahead then looked at her. “I love you. I’d have done what Base did if you’d only asked.”
“I’m sorry.” She held her hand out the window. “I promise I’ll let you in on everything from now on.”
“You said that the last time.” He moved his hand down the steering wheel. “Yet here we are.”
“Uh…I don’t mean to interrupt,” Base said. “But I need to get on.”
Leo turned and looked at him. “And where do you have to be?”
“Let me make it up to you, Kevin.” Alexis got out of the car. “Give me a ride home so we can talk.”
He gestured with his head for her to get in. “We’re going to my place.”
Ooh, maybe he wants to punish me for being bad.
She grinned and went to the passenger side of the Porsche.
When she got inside he stared at her as if she’d just run over his foot.
On the other hand, maybe hot lovemaking is the last thing on his mind.
“Uh, Alexis?” Base hung out of Leo’s back window. “You forget something?” He rubbed his fingers together. “My money?”
“Money? He didn’t tell you shit.”
“That’s not my problem. I held up my end of the deal. I can’t help it if lover boy here fucked things up.”
Kevin glared at him.
“Anyway, you promised.” Base pointed at her.
She sighed and got out her billfold. “Here.” She slapped a fifty in Kevin’s hand.
He handed it to Base.
Base looked at it with his nose in the air. “Fifty for what I just did?”
“You better be glad you got that.” She put her wallet up. “I’m still back where I started.”
“Women.” Base stuck the bill in his shirt and hit the back of the driver’s seat. “Let’s go.”
“Excuse me?” Leo turned around. “Do I look like a chauffeur to you? Besides, I should kick your ass for setting me up in the first place.” He waved to Alexis. “I’ll see you, okay?” he yelled out of the window.
“Okay.” She smiled.
Kevin looked at her from the corner of his eye.
“Come on.” Base hit the seat again. “I gotta go.”
“Hell, I don’t even know where to take you.” Leo drove off.
Alexis exhaled, trying to figure out what Kevin might’ve been thinking.
“You and Leo look like fast friends,” he said. “Sad that you felt you could trust someone you just met over me.”
“I thought you’d be upset about this like Penelope was.” She took his hand. “It wasn’t about you, Kevin. A part of me wants to tell you everything and I do trust you, but I want to look after you, too. I guess I feel like it’s unsafe if you know too much.”
“I just can’t believe you’d do something so careless, and if you think you fooled Grant you’re wrong.”
“He was gonna tell Base before you showed up. I could tell.”
“Lexi…”
Her ring tone went off.
She grabbed the phone from her pocket and checked the ID. “It’s Grant.”
“Speak of the devil.” Kevin laid his head back.
“What do you want?” Alexis asked into the phone.
“I want to say bravo. I give you an A for effort,” Grant said.
She put him on speaker. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about you trying to set me up. Sending Base to my place to get me to confess to a murder I didn’t do.” He laughed. “Pretty slick, Firecracker.”
“Shit,” she whispered.
“Do I wait now or later to tell you, ‘I told you so’?” Kevin whispered.
“I guess you think you’ve still got the upper hand now, huh?” she asked Grant. “Next time I’ll get you.”
“Ooh, I hope so.” He made a sucking sound. “Though I must admit I was a bit disappointed. I expected something more creative coming from you.”
“Don’t worry.” She smirked. “I have more tricks up my sleeve, just you wait.”
“This town had become so mundane before you got here. I’m willing to tell you anything you want to know about me if you’d just give in.”
“I’m not going to dinner with you, Grant.”
“But I thought you wanted to find out everything about me?” He cackled. “Who knows? If you get me drunk enough I might tell you all my dirty secrets.”
She clicked off. “Shit.”
“Boy.” Kevin started the car. “I can’t wait to find out your next brilliant idea.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Hey.”
The next day, Mercy turned around on the park bench to see Blake standing behind her. “Hey,” she whispered back.
Blake sat beside her. “I’m here.” She crossed her legs at the ankles. “What did you wanna talk to me about?”
A couple cuddled on the bench across from them while a woman pushed a baby stroller down the sidewalk.
Mercy sobbed, grabbing her head. “Everything’s so fucked up.”
“This is about Alicia, isn’t it?” Blake closed her eyes. “Please don’t tell me you had something to do with her death. I wouldn’t be able to live knowing that.”
An elderly man shooed pigeons away while reading the newspaper at one of the picnic tables.
“No.” Tears covered Mercy’s face. “I loved Alicia like a sister. You know that.” She balled a fist. “You’re the only one I can depend on now. Please. Please don’t hate me.”
“Sh.” Blake put her arms around her. “I don’t hate you, but I’m afraid of what you’re gonna tell me. It’s obviously bad.”
Mercy sat up, wiping her eyes. “I’ve been hiding something from you and the police.”
Blake took Mercy’s large, trembling hand. “You can tell me.”
“Alicia, Nadine, and I were at Angel’s house the day Alicia died.” She sniffled.
“You lied about being at work that day?”
“Yes. I was off but I was afraid to say anything.”
“Jesus, Mercy.” Blake leaned over. “What have you done?”
“We were just hanging out. They were drinking, but you know…” Mercy sucked in tears. “You know I don’t
drink.”
“I’m listening.”
“We were having fun, but her dad kept calling.” Mercy wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “Alicia was pissed because she didn’t wanna speak to him. By this time, Alicia was drunk. You know how she acted when she was drunk.”
“Yeah.” Blake rubbed Mercy’s back.
“We told her she shouldn’t have been drinking since she was pregnant, but you know how she was. She did what she wanted. The drunker she got the crazier she got.” Mercy kicked her feet out. “She started ranting and cursing and she got into it with Angel.”
“What did she do?”
“She told him that he was cramping her style and she wanted to train with this guy who’d worked with some professionals. He’s some big trainer in Los Angeles and he wanted her to move there and he’d provide contacts for her to make it to the next level.”
Blake tapped her feet. “I can imagine Angel’s response to that.”
“You know he has a temper and he was pissed.” Mercy pushed her hands between her thighs. “They went at it and it got violent.”
“What happened?”
“Alicia smacked him and he was about to hit her back until Nadine and I grabbed him. Nadine and I told Alicia we’d take her home.” Mercy crossed her arms and rocked. “So we get in Nadine’s van and everything’s fine but then Alicia goes off on us.” She waved her arms. “She’s sitting in the backseat, waving her arms and cursing at us. She called us whores and bitches because we were sticking with Angel when we all needed to go to LA. Well, you can imagine how Nadine responded.”
“Did she kick her out the van?”
Mercy nodded. “She told her to get out and walk home. We were probably three or four blocks from Soviet Avenue. I begged Nadine not to leave her, but she was sick of Alicia so we left.”
