High Stakes Crime: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Shelby Nichols Adventure Book 15)

by Colleen Helme

  I made it home in time to take Coco on a walk. The last days of summer were shorter and cooler now, but it could still get hot. Up in the mountains, I knew that the leaves had changed and were probably falling to the ground by now. If Stewart wanted to head up there before the first snowfall, it would probably have to happen next week.

  That meant I had a lot to do before then, but I could do it, I’d just have to take things a day at a time. My phone rang, and Dimples’s name came up, so I quickly answered. “Hey… how’s it going?”

  “Good enough. The food truck people are legit, but I couldn’t pick up anything else about them. Did you find out anything about getting rid of dead bodies from… anyone?”

  “Nope. But I’ll keep checking.”

  “Okay. Maybe you can come with me to talk to the truck people tomorrow. I mean… nothing seemed suspicious, but what do I know?”

  “Yeah… sure. When do you want me?”

  “Probably around lunchtime.”

  “Was the food good?”

  “Yes. I’ll buy your lunch.”

  Now that was an offer I couldn’t refuse. “Okay. I’ll be there around noon.” We said our goodbyes and disconnected.

  Before putting my phone away, I thought about calling Billie to tell her I was going prospecting with the guys, but I decided to hold off, since there was still a possibility they wouldn’t sign the contract. No need to get her hopes up.

  The kids came home from school, keeping me busy for the rest of the evening. Chris texted me that he had to stay late, and I wondered if it was because of the contract for Uncle Joey. If it was, he’d know all about Uncle Joey’s plans to finance the mine.

  At least it gave me an opening to tell Chris I was going prospecting with Stewart and Ian if they signed. I wasn’t sure he’d like that much, but what could I say? It wasn’t anything dangerous, and besides, Chris had agreed to support my career, so I hoped he’d be okay with it.

  Chris got home a couple of hours later and told me all about Uncle Joey’s plans. “I had to get a contract written up for Manetto’s meeting in the morning. Did you have something to do with that?” He was thinking that, with my interest in the lost mine, it probably had everything to do with me, so I’d better spill it.

  “Uh… yes I did. They seemed legitimate, so, with all the winnings from the poker tournament, I figured it might be a good investment.”

  “So you’re telling me it was all your idea?”

  “Maybe… but you can’t blame me. I think, with the missing map, there’s a real chance of finding the gold mine.”

  Chris waved my explanation away. “Yeah… I got that, but Manetto drives a hard bargain. Those guys are nuts if they sign the contract.” His worried gaze caught mine. Since it was my idea, he knew I’d want to go with them. Maybe it wasn’t so bad, but he still didn’t like it. “Are you hoping to go with them?”

  “If they sign, I probably will, but only for a couple of nights. I think they’ll want to go next week, but guess what? Billie’s coming with me.” That wasn’t quite true either, but it might be after I talk to her, and it was better than telling him Ramos would be there.

  Chris’s eyes widened. “What? Why?”

  “She wants to do a story on the mine, and she told me that, if I end up going, she’ll be able to go too.”

  Chris shook his head. Something about this didn’t seem right. “So it’s all set up?”

  “Not exactly. I’ll know more after we meet tomorrow morning. They have to sign the contract first.”

  Chris blew out a long-suffering breath. “What did you have to promise Manetto so he’d agree to back the project?”

  “Nothing. He knew I’d like to go, that’s all. So he was being nice.”

  “Yeah… right.” Chris frowned. “How do you get into these things? No… don’t answer that.” He shook his head. “So, besides leaving for the weekend, you might be gone next week too?”

  “If they sign the contract… yes, but it might only be for a couple of days.”

  He didn’t think a couple of days would be long enough, so why didn’t I just tell him that? He knew I was trying to sugarcoat it so he wouldn’t be upset, but just the fact that I did that upset him. He wasn’t an unreasonable person.

  And now… I’d just heard everything he was thinking. He groaned. “Shelby… you know I love you, and I’m here for you. I may not like everything you get into, but you can level with me. I can take it.” That was mostly true, but there were times he wished I’d ask him for his opinion before I went ahead with my plans.

  And there it was… the reason I didn’t tell it to him straight. “Would it make a difference?”

  “What?”

  “If I asked for your opinion?”

  “It would to me.” At my frown, he continued. “Just because I give you my opinion, it doesn’t mean you have to change anything. I’d just like to be included in these decisions of yours. I feel like I’m always playing catch-up after the fact, you know?”

  He might have a point. “Okay. So, what do you think about my plans to go prospecting?”

  He didn’t hesitate. “I’m not sure it’s such a good idea. I mean… I know it’s a dream of yours, so that makes sense, and I suppose you’ll be okay, as long as these guys aren’t bad people. I have to admit that it makes me feel better to know Billie’s going with you, especially since I imagine Manetto will send some of his people along… one of which is probably Ramos, since you haven’t mentioned that.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck, wondering if he was crazy. He wanted to support me and my career, just as I supported him, so how could he object? “So… I guess if it’s something you really want to do, I’m not going to hold you back. I just want you to be safe.” He narrowed his gaze at me. “How was that?”

  My heart melted. “You’re the best.” I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tight. He trusted me, and I vowed to never take that for granted. “Thanks honey.”

  Our lips met and I kissed him hard, wanting him to know how much he meant to me. All those pent-up feelings led from one thing to another, and soon, I smiled to hear him whisper some of my favorite words.

  The next day, I made it to Thrasher close to eight-thirty. I’d decided to get there early so I could tell Ramos to go ahead and yell at me if he needed to. After last night, I’d learned it was important to get things out in the open and clear the air. Not that it was the same with Ramos… but he had seemed frustrated with me, so it couldn’t hurt.

  Jackie wasn’t there again, and I wondered if she’d ever come back. Should I call her? Before I could decide, Uncle Joey’s office door opened, and Ricky stepped out, with Uncle Joey and Ramos following behind.

  Ricky was thinking that it was nice to have Uncle Joey trust him enough to send him to Vegas ahead of our visit. He looked forward to meeting Jackie’s friend, who could fill him in on her ex-husband, and he relished the idea of snooping around Sonny’s casino and hotel.

  Catching sight of me, he smiled, thinking that he looked forward to watching me play in the tournament. He hoped I’d win, like Manetto wanted, and he was glad it wasn’t him under all that pressure. “Hey Shelby.”

  “Hi Ricky. You heading to Vegas?”

  “Yeah. Ramos is taking me to the airport now, so I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good.” After they left, I turned to Uncle Joey. “So, Jackie isn’t here today?”

  He shook his head. “No… she needs some time.” He worried that she’d ever come back to work. Sonny wouldn’t be back, so she didn’t have to worry about seeing him again, but that didn’t seem to matter. Maybe if Sonny was dead, she’d feel better. Even then, he wasn’t sure.

  He arched his brows. “I take it you heard that?”

  “Uh… yeah. Sorry. Do you want me to put up my shields?”

  “No… it’s okay. I’m just not sure what to do. Maybe you could talk to her?” He wasn’t sure Jackie was telling him everything… but maybe, if I spoke to
her, I’d pick up what she wasn’t saying, and I could help her out.

  My brows rose. I’d caught an underlying hint that he wanted me to fill him in… kind of like a spy. “You really want me to do that?”

  He shuffled his feet. “I think it would help her to have someone besides me to talk to, since you’re not so close to the problem. Not that I’d expect you to tell me her thoughts… like you were doing it to spy on her or something.”

  “Right.” That was exactly what he was hoping for, but that didn’t mean I’d have to follow through. Still, I couldn’t refuse. Jackie was my friend, and I was worried about her. “Sure. I’d be happy to talk with her.”

  He gave me a relieved nod. “Good. Maybe after these guys sign the contract, you could head over there.”

  “Okay.” I had to be at the precinct at noon, but that could still work.

  “The contract is in my office. Why don’t you show Stewart and Ian into the conference room when they get here? Let me know when they arrive, and I’ll come down.”

  “Sure.” I sat in Jackie’s chair to wait. After a minute, I began to straighten her desk. Not much was out of place, but I had to do something while I sat there. Fifteen minutes later, the ding from the elevator sounded, but, instead of the two men, Ramos stepped out. He came into Thrasher with a lop-sided grin, just for me. It sent warmth through my heart.

  I smiled. “That was fast.”

  “You missed me?”

  “Well… uh… sure, but that’s because there was something I wanted to say to you before the meeting.”

  His brows rose. This sounded serious. Curious, he pulled a chair next to mine. “What is it?” He sat down, filling the space with his warm presence and clean scent.

  My brain malfunctioned, and I couldn’t remember what I was going to say. How did he do that? Just having him close made me a bumbling idiot. Ugh.

  “Is this about the dead bodies in the crematorium?” he asked.

  “Uh… no. It’s something else. I was just…” I glanced away. “Well… I just wanted to tell you that it’s okay if you need to yell at me...” I dared to catch his gaze. “…for doing something stupid. I can take it.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Because I can be an idiot, and it probably drives you crazy.” He still didn’t answer, so I continued. “You know how I do stupid things, like try to take on a killer alone, and you have to come to my… aid.” Aid sounded better than ‘rescue,’ so I went with that. “You never have a chance to chew me out, so I thought it might be helpful to get it off your chest.”

  “You mean, right now?” At my shrug, he narrowed his eyes. “How would that help, exactly?” He was thinking that no amount of yelling was going to change the fact that I got into trouble without even trying. I also wasn’t someone who changed my mind once I set it on something.

  “That’s not true. I change my mind all the time.”

  He let out of huff. “Okay… but I still don’t understand why I should yell at you now.”

  “Well… yesterday, after I got on the elevator, it seemed like you wanted to yell at me for getting into trouble… so I thought that it might help you feel better if you did, that’s all.”

  His lips quirked up, but he smoothed them out and nodded. “I see. Well… I guess you’re right, I did think about yelling at you, but I didn’t like the odds.”

  “Huh? What odds?”

  He leaned toward me, his voice low and sultry. “That we could kiss and make up… but if that’s where you’re going with this, I’m all in.”

  My breath hitched, and my mouth dropped open. The ding of the elevator sounded, startling me. I jumped to my feet, sending my chair rolling. Off balance, I stepped back and tripped over a power cord.

  As I went down, Ramos reached for me. He managed to snag my arm, but my falling weight pulled him off his chair and down to the floor. He managed to catch himself before completely crushing me under him. Still, his weight pinned me down, and mere inches separated his face from mine. Our gazes met, and his eyes darkened, sending my pulse racing.

  “Uh… you two okay back there?”

  I pulled my gaze from Ramos and glanced over his shoulder to find both Ian and Stewart leaning over the desk to study us. Stewart’s lips twisted, and he coughed to cover a laugh, thinking that was the funniest thing he’d seen in a long time.

  “Uh… yeah. I just tripped.” I glanced back at Ramos, who seemed quite content to stay where he was. With clenched teeth, I pushed at his chest. “You can get up now.”

  A slow smile spread across his face before he finally moved off me. Getting to his feet, he held out a hand to help me up. After pulling me to my feet, we stood toe-to-toe in the tight space, and I couldn’t get around him.

  Taking his time, Ramos picked up his chair and carried it out of the way.

  Letting out a breath, I faced the men and pushed my unruly hair from my eyes. “Hello. We’re… uh… meeting in the conference room. It’s just through there.” Trying to smile, I swept my arm toward the door. “Go on in, and I’ll let Uncle Joey know you’re here.”

  Ian took in my embarrassed flush and held back his amusement. What was going on? Were Ramos and I a thing? I was a beautiful woman, and the way my eyes flashed was alluring. As if hearing him, Ramos came to my side and directed a glare his way. With a start, Ian realized he’d been staring at me, and Stewart had already gone into the conference room without him.

  Ian quickly stepped away, and I caught my breath. After he entered the conference room, I pinned Ramos with a glare. “Well, that was embarrassing. And it was all your fault.”

  Ramos snickered, thinking I looked cute when I got rattled, and I should know it just made him want to tease me even more. “I’ll get Manetto.”

  I opened my mouth to reply, but he was already halfway down the hall, so I shook my head instead. As I pushed Jackie’s chair back toward the desk, it got caught on the offending cord, and I stooped down to fix it.

  By the time I got things sorted, Uncle Joey and Ramos stood in front of the desk, waiting for me. “Everything okay back there?” Uncle Joey asked.

  I listened real hard, but couldn’t detect any sarcasm in his tone. “Yes, just a loose cord.”

  I straightened, smoothing my hair back and grabbing a notebook and pen. Uncle Joey nodded and stepped into the conference room. Ramos waited for me to go in first before he followed me inside.

  We sat down at the table, and Uncle Joey spoke. “Gentlemen. Thank you for coming. I have the money order here for you, but I’d like you to look over something first.” He explained the contract and gave them each a copy. “Take a minute to read through it.”

  As Ian scanned the document, his nostrils flared. What the hell? He’d never expected a formal contract like this. What was Manetto trying to prove? He got to the part about splitting the profits, if they found the gold, and blanched. Not only did Manetto want his twenty percent, but, once the mine surpassed five million dollars, he expected his share to increase to fifty percent.

  “Why the increase from twenty to fifty percent?” Ian glanced at Uncle Joey with a scowl. “That’s not what we agreed on.”

  “I’m a business man, Ian, so I look at the bigger picture. Finding the mine is only part of the process. Digging the gold out of the mine and taking it down the mountain will be costly. After that, the gold must be purified and refined.

  “Then there’s the matter of security. I have the means to pay for it all, which leaves you with the better deal. You must see that I need to be compensated for all of my expenses, and this is the most effective way to do that.”

  Ian shook his head, unhappy with the terms, but at a loss to know how to argue with Uncle Joey’s reasoning.

  Stewart was still reading through it, but he wasn’t as bothered by that part. He’d seen working contracts like this before, and it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. He glanced at Uncle Joey. “I’d like a clause added about the future of this venture.”

&nb
sp; “I believe you’ll find that on the next page,” Uncle Joey replied.

  Stewart turned the page and began reading about the terms of any future opportunities. “So this says that if nothing is found within two years from today, the contract is null and void, and our partnership is dissolved?”

  “Yes, that’s correct.”

  Stewart nodded and glanced at Ian, thinking that, if they found the mine, they could just wait a couple of years before actively pursuing it. He knew that Ian would hate waiting, but he hoped he’d agree once he explained why. He was greedy enough to go for it, but patience wasn’t a virtue he possessed.

  I picked up a thread of distaste toward Ian from Stewart. He’d never wanted his nephew’s involvement in the mine, but, after his sister got wind of it, she’d insisted that Ian was worth his weight in gold, and Stewart would be paid ten times over for bringing him aboard.

  Stewart had to admit that Ian had been helpful, but his flashes of underlying greed still unnerved him. But, in this one thing, Stewart was sure Ian would see the wisdom in waiting until after the two years were up. Manetto might think he could get away with such an outrageous contract, but there were ways around it. “Could you give us a moment to discuss this?”

  “Of course.”

  The three of us left the conference room and waited by Jackie’s desk. “What did you pick up?” Uncle Joey asked.

  I told him about Stewart’s plan to wait Uncle Joey out. “There’s something else. It looks like Ian is Stewart’s nephew, and he’s a bit greedy.”

  “Good to know.” Uncle Joey rubbed his chin. “Is Stewart still convinced that the mine is real?”

  “Yeah… I guess. Why go to all this trouble if it’s not?”

  A few minutes later, Stewart opened the door. We followed him back inside to hear his verdict. Of course, I already knew they were going to take it. Ian hadn’t been as hard to persuade as Stewart thought, and they were both eager to get back up the mountain.

  “We will agree to the terms of this contract,” Stewart said.

  “Good. Then let’s sign it.” Uncle Joey glanced my way. “Shelby, will you be the witness?”