Lethal Bond: Jamie Bond Mysteries Book #3 (16 page)

"Oh." Her bottom lip trembled for a second.

Please, dear God, don't cry in front of me.

"I was…I, um…"

My chest tightened. The last thing I wanted to do was to leave a distraught woman quivering in my doorway. Plus, Derek's words repeated in my head. "Take care of her."

I tried not to sigh too loudly. "I have an errand to run. If you want to come along, we can talk in the car."

She gave a half-smile. At least the trembling had stopped.

*  *  *

As I flew down the highway, Elaine's words flew out of her mouth. It felt like every time I stepped on the accelerator, she spoke faster.

"I'm sure Derek's cheating on me."

"I don't think he'd do that," I said even though I didn't believe a word of it. I didn't want to lie to the woman. I liked her. I could even welcome her as a step-mom some day, although the chances of that happening were slim, I was sure. That's it, I was going to kill that man when he returned, and then I'd have to listen to Elaine cry about him being dead.

"He's not exactly the committing type," she said.

She was right about that.

"I knew this, but still I couldn't help myself. He's so adorable."

Clearly she had Derek confused with some other man? Or maybe she was in need of glasses? Okay, so if I took my daughter-glasses off, I could see how he was attractive to women. Tall, dark hair, a year-round tan from living on a boat. He wasn't young, but he was still in great physical shape—at least on the outside. I wasn't sure if his cardiologist would agree. But I definitely saw how he wooed women into his lair.

"Then before I knew it, I was in too deep. I'm forty-two years old. Too old to have been blindsided."

I glanced at the way she was biting her lower lip. If she didn't stop soon, she'd have no skin left. "You can't plan who you'll fall for. It just happens. And it's always by surprise, especially when it's with someone you don't expect."

She stopped the feeding frenzy and looked my way. "You know this from experience." It wasn't a question.

Was she right? And if so, had I fallen for Aiden? Or Danny? Or both?

I shook them both from my head and concentrated on Elaine and Derek. "I believe this will work out for you. Try not to worry too much. I'm sure it'll be fine."

Even if that meant she'd be single and available to meet someone who didn't have the track record of Don Juan.

She took a deep breath, probably sucking back any unshed tears, and gave a curt smile. "You really think he and I will make it work?"

I nodded, completely unconvinced. "Of course."

I should've been shot down by lightning at that precise moment, and considering I was going to my favorite spot on Earth, I probably would be shot by something very soon.

When I pulled into Ventura's, I left the car running, wanting a fast get-away just in case.

"Why are you stopping here?" she asked.

"Just needing to see a man named Vega." I wasn't sure why I told her that. I guess I figured she didn't need more lies.

Her brows formed a line across her forehead. "Are you sure it's safe?"

"You stay here. I'll just be a minute," I said to Elaine and jumped out of the car, dodging the question. I considered grabbing my gun from the glove compartment and hiding it in the waistband of my skirt, but I didn't want to freak her out. Maybe it was a foolish decision. I'd be ready for them this time, though.

I walked toward the building. Clanking metal sounded deep in the garage. I spotted Snake Man and took a single step deeper.

He was in the shadows but came closer. "You again?"

"Look, I really appreciate the help you tried to give me the other day. Turns out, the noise wasn't my car, just something rattling in the trunk." I laughed, trying to play the dumb blonde routine.

Snake Man smiled, but he didn't join in on the laughter. His buddies came from the back, like rats, and stepped alongside him.

"So I was wondering if you could help a girl out again. I was looking for a buddy of yours who works here. Vega?"

One of them visibly tensed. No one said a word. The air hung with danger. But then they looked to one another and Snake Man said, "Who? Never heard of him."

Yeah, right.

I took a couple of steps back, ready to bolt to my car. "Are you sure, 'cause a friend of mine said he worked here?"

They moved forward as one, stepping into the sunlight. I guess I should've taken some comfort in knowing they weren't vampires.

Suddenly, my passenger door opened and Elaine stepped out of the car. "Jamie?" she asked.

I wanted to turn and tell her to get back in. She may have wished for adventure, but this definitely wasn't the kind she needed. But I was afraid that if I turned, one of them would get the upper hand again. That gun sounded better and better with each second.

Snake Man blinked, focusing behind me. "Lanie?" He walked, practically skipped, to the car.

"Carlos? That you, sugar?" A huge smile broke out onto each of their faces.

What the…?

She ran to him and threw herself into his arms. They hugged and laughed.

Seriously?

I looked to his buddies who seemed just as alarmed and confused as I was.

Elaine turned to me, still with Carlos's arm around her shoulders. "Carlos and I go way back. I used to work the night shift with his mom."

"It's been so long," he said to her. "What, like five years?"

She nodded and said something in rapid Spanish that left the three of them laughing. Then she glanced at me but said to Carlos, "We need to talk to Vega about a business deal. Jamie's dad has a boat and would like to make some extra money doing
night runs
, if you know what I mean."

Damn, she was quick and good. Now I understood even more why she believed Derek was cheating. A person that good at lying could point out other liars.

He kissed the top of her head. "For you, Lanie, anything. He hangs out every night at a club he owns in Hollywood. Agev."

She wrinkled her nose. "Is that French?"

His buddies snickered. Obviously it was an inside joke.

Carlos shook his head. "Nah. It's spelled A-G-E-V." He smiled to his buddies.

Oh, clever.

Elaine glanced to me and gave a knowing smile. It seemed the lightbulb went off for both of us at the same time. Agev was Vega spelled backwards.

She gave Carlos a peck on the cheek and another hug. "Thanks, Carlos. You tell your mom hi, okay? And take care."

He nodded. "Will do." The he glanced to me. His smile faded.

I spun around and jumped back into the car. No need to stand there any longer.

Elaine got into the passenger seat and tugged her seatbelt across from her. "His mom is so sweet. You'd love her."

As I pulled onto the street, I glanced at her. She continued to surprise me. Derek would be a fool to let her go. "I'm seriously impressed with your skills."

She winked. "Hey, it's not just Bonds who can be charming enough to get info."

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Sam, Caleigh, and I stood at opposite ends of Spectrum, a dance spot in West Hollywood, keeping our eyes and spy cams on Ruby St. Martin, the possibly gold-digging fiancée of one Michael Vaughn. She was young, a redhead, and considerably hot. I wasn't sure if it was because we lived in the plastic surgery capital of the world, or what, but I'd met an unusual number of exceedingly beautiful women this week.

Not to say there was any shame in having work done. Ruby certainly had. She reminded me of one of those mid-western girls who arrived in Hollywood to become famous and the first thing they did was invest in silicone. Ruby didn't walk. She bounced. Each step became a game of whether or not she'd pop out of her deep V-neck dress. I kept playing the odds, but so far I was losing. Maybe she taped them in. We models did it all the time on fashion shoots. Some of those bikinis weren't more than baby washcloths with string.

I sipped my Appletini and watched Ruby toss a twenty dollar bill on the bar for what looked like a simple Sex on the Beach. Not that sex on the beach was ever simple. The sand got in crevices and… I seriously needed to take my mind out of the gutter.

"Keep the change," she shouted above the music. It was the second time I'd seen her do it so far tonight.

Must be easy to tip well when it wasn't your money.

The place was packed with bodies. Most of them were on the dance floor gyrating to the live music. The current set was a drummer, and a couple of guitar players who seemed to be Caleigh's type—rough around the edges but still without a record. Usually. A glance to Caleigh revealed she wasn't paying any attention to them though. Maybe she really had found "the one" in Curtis.

Ruby, however, didn't care that she was engaged and sported a rock that seemed to weigh down her hand. She smiled, batted her lashes, and did all she could to get the band members' attention. I expected her panties to make their presence on the stage at any moment.

My phone buzzed. I glanced at the ID. It was Danny. I slipped it back into my pocket. I was on the clock. This wasn't the time. I was also still playing the avoidance game.

Besides, I needed to focus on Ruby. This wasn't exactly the club I wanted to be at tonight. I wanted to visit Agev and put my plan into action, but paying clients came first.

A young man in a cowboy hat asked Ruby to dance. They stepped onto the floor just as a girl seated at the bar shouted, "Get off of me."

A guy in a blue, short-sleeve shirt had his hand on her arm. He was saying something I couldn't hear, but he swayed while he tried to stand still, obviously drunk.

A man to the woman's right stood up and stepped between them. "Why are you touching my girlfriend?" he screamed into the drunk guy's face.

Drunk Dude laughed then spit on the floor as if he'd been chewing tobacco, but it hadn't appeared that he was. Maybe it was some kind of male marking, like a tomcat pissing to mark its territory.

Uh-oh, that was never a good sign. Something was going down. Plus they blocked my view of Ruby.

I lifted my arm and spoke into the mic hidden in my cuff bracelet. "I don't have a visual. Can you still see her?" Someone needed to be recording her with our spy cams at all times. Tonight we each wore cameras hidden in pins on our dresses. Danny used to be a part of these missions, sitting in his van recording it all. Luckily he was a good teacher, 'cause now we were able to do it on our own.

Static chirped in my earpiece, then Caleigh said, "Yeah, she's dancing. We got this."

"Nothing worth seeing, boss," Sam said next.

"Okay, let me know if it starts to get juicy, and I'll find another angle."

"Will do," said Sam.

The boyfriend shoved the drunk guy. I expected him to go down for the count, but he performed this backward bending move straight from
The Matrix
and stayed upright. On the upturn, he clocked the boyfriend straight in the jaw.

A bartender whistled to a security guard near the door and pointed. I didn't know how the big and burly dude heard him, but he said something to a friend, who stayed by the door, and approached.

The boyfriend swung and hit the drunk in the stomach.

He doubled over, and while he wheezed for air, the boyfriend punched him in the ear. Boyfriend pulled his hand back and shook out the pain. It was written all over his face, although he tried to hide it.

I wanted to tell him the nose was a better spot, but this was none of my business.

The girlfriend fished ice out of her drink and laid it on a napkin. It definitely wasn't going to be enough. She tried to give it to her boyfriend, but he waved it off, probably not wanting to loosen his macho appearance by admitting he needed it. But his face looked like a candy cane, splotches of red on his pale complexion.

Just as security got there, the drunk puked on the boyfriend's shoes.

I couldn't help but laugh. Just for a moment. Then I pressed my lips firmly together so no one turned and wondered why the blonde thought it was funny.

Everyone at the bar groaned and moved far from the mess, taking their drinks with them.

I put a hand to my nose, just in case, and took several steps to my right. Eventually, after the couple and the drunk were escorted out and some poor, underpaid employees cleaned up the vomit, I was able to see Ruby again.

She was still dancing with the cowboy, oblivious to the spectacle at the bar. There was a moderate amount of space between the two, and she looked off at the stage. Either she wasn't interested in Cowboy, or Grandma was wrong.

I placed my bet on the former, and this time I had a strong feeling I wouldn't lose.

The night seemed to drag. I nursed the one drink while watching Ruby flirt with every musician who took the stage. Once I think she even leaned in on one of the female singers. If any of them took the bait, I hadn't noticed. This continued for hours. But eventually Ruby called it a night, air kissing her good-byes to the bartenders.

She stepped outside, and we followed.

We watched her get into a Town car that just pulled up by the curb. She had a driver? He must've been a Vaughn employee.

"Now what?" Sam asked. "Should we follow?"

I shook my head. "No, if that's the Vaughn's driver, she has to be going home." Alone.

Well that was a bust. Too bad we couldn't ask her if she planned on doing anything picture-worthy before the night began. I still believed Grandma was right though. We'd just have to get the proof another day.

"Let's call it a night," I said.

Caleigh glanced at her watch. "It's not that late. Do I call up Curtis, or go home to Daddy?" She giggled. "Silly question. 'Night y'all."

We'd driven here separately, so Sam and I watched Caleigh get into her car.

"Heading home, boss, or do you plan on another stakeout?" Sam asked.

"Home," I said. "You?"

"There's a little man waiting for me." She smiled and waved as she climbed into her car.

As I pulled my Roadster onto the street I thought of how I was the only one heading to an empty apartment. For some reason that thought caused my car to make a detour, and I found myself in front of Danny's building. When I reached his door, I didn't hesitate, just knocked, knowing that if I waited, I would totally chicken out.