Covet - A Novel of Fallen Angel Part 15

The guyas soul had been fed at that moment. He had been transformed. He had been truly alive.

aItas relevant because Iam beginning to think,a Jim murmured, alove might be everything.a aI used to believe that,a Marie-Terese said hoa.r.s.ely. aBut then I married the man I did, and that whole fantasy stuff got blown out the window.a aMaybe that wasnat love.a Her choked laugh told him he was on the right track with that one. aYeah, maybe.a They pulled into the parking lot of the diner and headed over to his Harley.

aThanks again for the ride,a he said.

aIam happy to help.a He got out of the car, closed the door and watched her turn around. As she took off, he memorized her license plate.

When he was sure she was gone, he put on his helmet, started his bike, and took off. Considering his list of crimes, an unregistered Harley wasnat even a blip on his radar.

Besides, the stiff wind on his chest and arms peeled off some of the stress and blew his brain more cleara"although what was revealed made him ill. It was pretty obvious what he needed to do next, and though he hated it, sometimes you had to suck s.h.i.+t up: He had a woman he needed to keep alive, Vinas vision of a gunshot, and two obnoxious college boys who were now dead, thanks to having been popped. What the situation required was information, and there was only one way he knew to get it.

He didnat like whoring himself out, but you had to do what you had to doaand he was willing to bet that mantra was something Marie-Terese knew all about, too.

As soon as he pulled into his studioas gravel drive, Dog came out from under the truck and limped with joy over to the bike, all wags as he escorted the way into the garage. After Jim took off his helmet, he leaned down for a proper h.e.l.lo and Dogas tail got going so fast, it was a d.a.m.n miracle the little guy could stay on his paws.

Odd to have someone to welcome him home.

Jim picked the dog up, hooked him over his arm, and went up the stairs to unlock the door. Inside, he did the petting thing while he found his cell phone in the messy bed.

Sitting down on the mattress and feeling Dogas small, warm body curl up around his hip, Jim thought long and hard before dialing. It felt like a step backward, and the familiarity of it sickened him, which was kind of interesting.

Christ, had he been trying to make a fresh start of things here?

Looking around, he saw what Vin had seen: two piles of clothes, a twin bed that no one bigger than a twelve-year-old could be comfortable in, furniture that had Goodwill stamped all over it, and a single ceiling light with a crack through its cover.

Not exactly fresh-start material, but then again, compared to where head been and what head been doing, sleeping on a park bench would have counted.

As he stared at the phone, the ramifications of what would happen if that old, familiar voice came on the line were very clear.

Jim punched in the eleven digits and hit send anyway.

When the ringing stopped and there was no voice mail, he said one word: aZacharias.a The reply was nothing but the laconic laugh of a man for whom life held no more surprises. aWell, well, wellanever thought Iad get that name again.a aI need some information.a aDo you.a Jimas grip cranked down hard on the cell. aItas just a license plate trace and an ident.i.ty search. You could do it in your f.u.c.king sleep, you piece of s.h.i.+t.a aYes, clearly that is the way to get me to do anything for you. Absolutely. You always were such a diplomat.a af.u.c.k you. You owe me.a aDo I.a aYes.a There was a long silence, but Jim knew d.a.m.n well that the call hadnat gotten dropped: The kind of satellites that the government used for people like his former boss were powerful enough to beam a signal down into the center of the frickina Earth.

That low laugh came again. aSorry, my old friend. Thereas a statute of limitations on obligation and yours has pa.s.sed. Donat ever call me again.a The phone went dead.

Jim stared at the thing for a moment, then tossed it back on the bed. aGuess thatas a deadend, Dog.a Christ, what if Marie-Terese was some kind of con artist and Vin was just getting snowed?

Stretching out on the rumpled sheets, he arranged Dog on his chest before reaching over to the little table and snagging the TV remote. As he stroked Dogas rough coat, he pointed the thing at the tiny TV across from the head of the bed, his thumb hovering over the red b.u.t.ton marked POWER.

I could use some help, lads, he thought. Which way am I supposed to be going with all this?

He pushed down and the picture came forward, summoned out of the gla.s.s screen, blooming into a clear image. A woman in a long red gown was being led by a guy in a tuxedo from a limousine to a jet airplane. He didnat recognize the movie, but considering head spent the last twenty years of his life in the hard-core military, there hadnat been a lot of time for going to the d.a.m.n pictures.

When he hit info, Jim had to laugh. Pretty Woman was evidently about a prost.i.tute and a businessman falling in love. He glanced up at the ceiling. aGuess I got it wrong the first time, huh, boys.a That evening, when Marie-Terese walked into St. Patrickas Cathedral, her feet were slow and the aisle down to the altar seemed a mile long. As she pa.s.sed by the chapels of the saints, heading for the confessionals, she paused at the fourth bay in. The life-sized figure of a pious Mary Magdalene had been removed from its pedestal, the white marble statue no doubt having been taken to be cleaned of dust and incense residue.

The empty s.p.a.ce made her realize that shead decided to leave Caldwell.

It was all getting to be too much. She just was not in a place in her life where she could afford to get emotionally attached to a man, and that was happening with Vin already. Those dead college boys aside, more time around him was not going to help her, and she was a free agent, able to hit the road at any momenta"

The creaking of a door behind her p.r.i.c.ked her nerves, but when she looked over her shoulder, no one was close by. As usual, the church and all of its pews were essentially empty, with just two women in black veils praying up front and a man wearing a Red Sox baseball cap settling on his knees in the far back.

As she continued down the aisle, the weight of her decision to pull out of town exhausted her. Where would she go? And how much would it cost to think up another ident.i.ty? And work. What would she do about that? Trez was unique in the business, and the Iron Mask was the only place she could imagine doing what she did.

Except how would she cover the bills?

At the pair of confessionals, there were a couple of people before her, so she waited with them, smiling once in greeting and then keeping her eyes elsewhere, as they did. Which was always the way it went. The guilty tended not to want to make conversation when they were about to unload, and she wondered if the others were practicing what they would say, just as she was.

No matter what their issues were, she figured she could lap them in the sin contest. Easy.

ah.e.l.lo.a She glanced behind her and recognized a guy from the prayer group. He was a quiet one like her, a regular attendee who rarely opened his mouth.

ah.e.l.lo,a she said.

He nodded once and then stared at the ground, clasping his hands together and keeping to himself. For no particular reason, she noticed that he smelled like incense, the kind that was used in the church, and she was comforted by the smoky, sweet scent.

Together they moved up two paces when someone else went inathen another two pacesaand then Marie-Terese was up next.

After a lady with red-rimmed eyes came out from behind the thick velvet curtain, it was Marie-Tereseas turn to go in, and she gave the prayer group guy a smile of goodbye before stepping up to the cubicle.

When shead shut herself in and taken a seat, the wooden panel slid back and the priestas profile was revealed on the far side of the bra.s.s screen that separated them.

After making the sign of the cross, she said softly, aForgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been two days since my last confession.a She paused, because even though shead said the words many, many times, they were hard to get out.

aSpeak to me, my child. Unburden yourself.a aFather, I haveasinned.a aIn what manner.a Even though he knew. But the point of confession was the vocalized recitation of evil deeds; without that there could be no absolution, no relief.

She cleared her throat. aI haveabeen with men unlawfully. And I have committed adultery.a Because some of them had had wedding rings on. aAndaI took the Lordas name in vain.a When shead seen Vin hit the ground by the diner. aAnd Iaa It was a while before her list dried up and the priestas profile nodded gravely when she fell silent. aMy childasurely you know the errors of your ways.a aI do.a aAnd the transgressions against G.o.das ways cannot goaa As the priestas voice continued, Marie-Terese closed her eyes and took the message deep inside. The pain of how far she had sunk and what she was doing to herself squeezed her lungs until she couldnat draw in any air at all.

aMarie-Terese.a She shook herself and looked at the screen. aYes, Father?a aaand therefore, I shallaa The priest paused. aExcuse me?a aYou said my name?a A frown appeared on his profile. aNo, my child. I did not. But for your sins, I shall decree thataa Marie-Terese looked around, even though there was nothing to see but the wood paneling and the red velvet curtain.

aate absolvo a peccatis tuis in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.a Dropping her head, she thanked the priest, and after head closed the part.i.tion, she took a deep breath, picked up her bag, and stepped out of the confessional. Next to the one shead been in, she could hear the voice of the other sinner. Soft. m.u.f.fled. Utterly indistinct.

As she walked down the side aisle, paranoia had her eyes going all around the cathedral. The pair of women with veils were still there. The man whoad been praying was gone, but two others had come in and taken his place at the back.

She hated looking over her shoulder and wondering whether she was hearing her name and worrying if she were being followed. But ever since shead pulled out of Las Vegas, shead been hypervigilant and she had a feeling she would always be like that.

Outside, she jogged over to her car and she didnat breathe easy until she was locked in. For once, the Camry turned over on the first try, as if her adrenaline were being transmitted to the engine, and she drove off to the club.

By the time she pulled into the parking lot of the Iron Mask and got out with her duffel, her paranoia was irritating the h.e.l.l out of her. No cars had followed hers. No dark shadows were moving in for the kill. Nothing was out of the ordinarya"

Her eyes went to the alley where the bodies had been foundaand she was reminded of precisely why she worried all the time.

aHow you doing?a Marie-Terese spun around so fast, her duffel bag slammed into her. But it was only Trez, waiting by the back door. aIamagood.a As his eyes narrowed, she put up her palm. aDonat prod me. Not tonight. I know you mean well, but I canat handle it right now.a aOkay,a he murmured, stepping back so she could pa.s.s by him. aIall give you the s.p.a.ce you need.a Fortunately, he was true to his word, leaving her off at the locker room so she could change. When she was in her G.o.d-awful uniform, with her hair fluffed out and her lids caked with eye shadow and her mouth all greasy, she walked down the long hall to the club proper, completely dissociated from who and where she was.

As she trolled the fringes of the crowd, it didnat take long to find business. A little eye contact, some hip, a slight smile and she had her first candidate of the night.

The guy was an utter civiliana"in other words, he would have looked absolutely fine anywhere else but here in Gothlandia. He was over six feet tall, with brown hair and brown eyes, and he smelled of Calvin Kleinas Eternity for Mena"an old-school favorite that suggested he wasnat all that suave, but at least had a good enough nose. His clothes were nice, but not over-the-top, and he didnat have a wedding band.

The conversation about the transaction was stilted and awkward, and he blushed the entire time, so it was clear head not only never done this before, but had never pictured himself in the position of exchanging money for s.e.x.

Join the club, she thought.

He followed her into one of the bathrooms, and in a characteristic warping of reality, she felt as if she were disembodied and walking two steps behind, watching the pair of them go behind the closed door.

Inside the cramped s.p.a.ce, she took the money he offered, tucking it into the hidden pocket inside her skirt, and then she stepped into him, her body cold as ice, her hand trembling as it brushed up his arm. Stretching her lips into a fake smile, she braced herself for him to touch her, forcing her body to stay where it was, praying that her self-control was enough so that she didnat run out screaming.

aMy nameas Rob,a the john said in a nervous voice. aWhatas yours?a All at once the bathroom closed in, the deep purple and black walls going trash-compactor on her and squeezing her tight, making her want to yell for help so someone, anyone would stop them.

Swallowing hard, Marie-Terese gathered herself and blinked fast in the hope that clearing her eyes would help cleanse her brain and get her back on track.

When she leaned in, the man frowned and pulled away.

aChanged your mind?a she said, wis.h.i.+ng that he had, even though it would just mean shead have to head out and find another one.

He seemed perplexed. aAhayouare crying.a Recoiling, she looked around his shoulder at the mirror over the sink. Good Lordahe was right. Tears were rolling down her cheeks in a slow stream.

Raising her hands, she brushed them off.

The man turned to face the mirror as well, and his face was as sad as she felt. aYou know what?a he said. aI donat think either one of us should be doing this. Iam trying to get back at someone who doesnat care who I sleep with, and I just didnat want anyone else getting hurt. Thatas why I came toaa aA wh.o.r.e,a she finished for him. aThatas why you came to me.a G.o.d, her reflection looked awful. Her heavy eyeliner was melting off and her cheeks were paper white and her hair was frizzed out.

As she stared at her face, she realized she was done. The moment had finally come. She had been inching toward this for some time, with all those gearing-up pauses before she could come into the club and those Dial-scented crying jags in the shower and those panic attacks in the confessionals, but the approach was no longer.

The arrival was here.

She wiped her hand on her skirt and took out the folded bills. Taking the manas palm, she put the money into it. aI believe youare right. Neither of us should be doing this.a The guy nodded and squeezed the money hard, looking hopeless. aIam such a pansy.a aWhy?a aItas just so typical of me. I always choke in these situations.a aFor what itas worth, you didnat choke. I did. You wereakind.a aThatas me. The nice guy. Always the nice guy.a aWhatas her name?a Marie-Terese murmured.

aRebecca. Sheas in the cubicle next to me at work and sheas reallyaperfect. Iave been trying to impress her for about four years now, but all she does is talk about her love life. I thought maybe if I could tell her about a date of mine where I get luckyaTrouble is, I never get lucky and Iam a rotten liar.a He tugged at the sleeves of his s.h.i.+rt as if he were trying to spiff himself up in the face of his reality.

aHave you asked her out?a Marie-Terese asked.

aNo.a aYou think maybe sheas hoping to impress you with all those dates of hers?a The guy frowned. aBut why would she do that.a Marie-Terese reached up and turned his face back to the mirror. aBecause youare actually good-looking and youare nice, and maybe youare reading the situation wrong. The thing is, if you ask her and she blows you off, you donat want to go there anyway. Thereas no reason to be one of many.a aG.o.d, I canat imagine how to ask her for a date.a aHow aboutaaRebecca, what are you doing Thursday night?a Make sure you go for one of the weekdays. Too much pressure for a weekend.a aYou think?a aWhat do you have to lose?a aWell, she is next to me at work and I see her every day.a aBut youare not exactly having a good time now, are you? At least you can have some closure.a He met her eyes in the mirror. aWhy were you crying?a aBecauseaI canat do this anymore.a aYou know, Iam glad. I picked you because you donat seem like the kind of woman whoaa He flushed. aAha"a aWho should be doing this. I know. And youare right.a The guy turned to her and smiled. aThis actually worked out okay.a aIt did.a On impulse she reached out and gave him a hug. aBest of luck. And remember when youare asking that woman out that youare a catch and shead be lucky to have you. Trust me. Iave learned the hard way that a good man is hard to find.a aYou think?a Marie-Terese rolled her eyes. aYou have no idea.a He smiled even more widely. aThank youa"I mean that. And I think I will ask her. What the h.e.l.l, right?a aYou only live once.a He was beaming and full of purpose while he left the bathroom, and as the door eased shut, Marie-Terese went back to staring at herself. In the light that shone down on her from above, all the smudged black makeup made her look like a bona fide Goth.

How ironic that on her last night in the club, she finally looked like a regular.

Leaning to one side, she snapped free a paper towel, thinking shead tidy her eyeliner. Instead, she ended up rubbing her lipstick off, just ripping the glossy coat from her mouth. Never again. She wasnat ever wearing that horrible gooey stuff againaor any of the rest of the makeupaor the ridiculous s.l.u.tty clothes.

Done. This chapter of her life was done.

G.o.d, it was amazing how light she felt. Amazing and insane. She had no idea what she was going to do next or where she was going to go, so by all that was rational, she should have been panicked.

But all she could think of was how relieved she felt.

Turning away from the mirror, she reached for the wrought-iron doork.n.o.b and realized that she had gone from tears to smiling. Opening the way out, shea"

Looked up into the grim face of Vincent diPietro.

He was leaning against the wall right across from the private bathroom, his arms crossed over his chest, his big body tensed up in spite of what should have been a relaxed pose.

His expression was of a man whoad just had his gut slit open.

CHAPTER 21.

The problem was, he had no reason and no right to feel sucker punched.

As Vin stared at Marie-Terese, taking note of the flush on her cheeks and the fact that she didnat have any lipstick left on her mouth, he shouldnat have felt a thing. Same deal when that guy had come out of the bathroom with a smile on his face and his shoulders set like he was so the mana"there should have been nothing unusual going on in the center of Vinas chest.

This was not his woman. This was not his business.

aI need to go,a he said, standing up from the wall and turning away. One look at the thick crowd and he headed for the back of the club, for the hallway that, thanks to last night, he knew had a door at the end of it.

All the way along, his fatheras drunken voice dogged him: You can never trust a woman. Theyare s.l.u.ts, every one of them. Give them a chance and theyall f.u.c.k you every timea"and not in a good way.

Marie-Terese caught up with him about a third of the way to the exit, her high-heeled shoes clipping over the tiled floor. Grabbing his arm, she tugged him to a halt. aVin, why are youa"a aBehaving like this?a d.a.m.n it, he couldnat look at her. Just couldnat do it. aYou know, I donat have an answer for that.a She seemed nonplussed. aNo, I was askingawhy did you come? Is there something wrong?a G.o.d, where to start with that one. aEverything is fine and dandy. Just frickina perfect.a As he started to walk off again, he heard her say loud and clear, aI wasnat with him. That man in there. I was not with him.a Vin glanced over his shoulder; then marched back up to her. aYeah, right. Youare with men for a livinga"or do you think Iave forgotten what a prost.i.tute does for money.a While he watched her pale, he felt like a total b.a.s.t.a.r.d. But before he could backpedal, she filled the silence.

Lifting her chin, she said, aItas the truth, and whether or not you choose to believe it is your problem. Not mine. Now if youall excuse me, Iam going to change.a As she brought up her hand to push her hair over her shoulder, he saw that she had something gripped in her fistaa rumpled paper towel with smudges of red all over it.

aWait.a He stopped her and glanced at the thing. aYou took off your lipstick.a aOf course Ia"Wait, I guess you a.s.sumed that man kissed it off me, right?a She pivoted around and beelined for the locker room door. aGood-bye, Vin.a Now it was his turn to drop a newsflash: aI broke up with Devina this afternoon. My girlfriend is now an aex.a Thatas what I came to tell you.a Marie-Terese halted, but did not face him. aWhy did you do that?a He traced the back of her with his eyes, from her small shoulders to the proud set of her spine to the dark hair that fell below her shoulder blades. aBecause when I looked at you across that table at the diner, no one else existed. And whether or not anything happens between you and me, it took meeting you to show me what I was missing.a She looked over her shoulder, her spectacular blue eyes astonished.

aItas the truth,a he said. aThe G.o.das honest truth. And itas why I was so upset outside of that bathroom. Iam not saying youare mineaI just wish you were.a As the moody, depressive music from the club filled the air between them, he scrambled to put together the magic combination of words that would keep her from taking off on him.

Although not channeling his father was probably the first place to start, he thought.

She turned around and he felt the measure of her stare. aIam going to go get changed and tell Trez Iam quitting. Will you wait for me?a Whatahad he heard that right? aYouare quitting?a She held up the paper towel. aIave known for a while I couldnat keep doing thisaI just didnat know tonight was the end. And it is.a Vin stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, holding her carefully so she could pull back if she wanted to. She didnat though. As their bodies met, she took a deep breathaand hugged him back.

aYesayes, I will wait for you,a he whispered. aEven if it takes hours.a As if he knew precisely the right time to appear, Trez walked out of his office at the far end of the corridor and strode toward them.

He extended his hand to Vin. aSo, you taking her out of here?a Vin lifted his brows as they clapped palms. aIf sheall let me.a Trez looked down at Marie-Terese, his brown eyes impossibly kind. aYou should let him.a Marie-Terese blushed the color of a Valentineas Day card. aIaahalisten, Trez Iam not going to come in anymore.a aI know. And Iall miss you, but Iam glad.a When the man held out his huge arms, the two of them hugged briefly. aIall tell the rest of the girls, and please donat feel like you have to keep in toucha"sometimes a clean break is the best. Just remember, if you need something, anythinga"money, place to stay, shoulder to lean ona"I am always here for you.a Okay, Vin liked this guy. A lot.

aI will.a She glanced at Vin. aI wonat be long.a After she ducked into the locker room, Vin dropped his voice, even though it was arguably unnecessary, as no one was in the hall with them. aListen, she told me about how tight youare being with the police. I appreciate it, but if it costs you or her anything, you open right up, okay?a The guy smiled a little, his self-confidence palpable. aYou donat worry about the cops. You just take care of your girl and everythingall be cool.a aSheas not my girl, really.a Although if he had half a chancea aCan I give you a piece of advice?a aYeah, sure.a As the guy stepped in close, it was unusual for Vin to have other men meet him square in the eyes given how tall he was, but Trez sure as s.h.i.+t didnat have a problem with that.

aListen to me carefully,a the man said. aThereas going to come a time, maybe sooner rather than later, that youare going to have to trust her. Youare going to have to have faith that sheas who you know her to be and not what you fear. She did what she had to here, and maybe sheall tell you the whys. But this kind of s.h.i.+t, it doesnat get left behind in either of your minds for a long timeaif ever. Let me a.s.sure you of what you already suspect, though. Sheas not like some of the other girls here. If life hadnat been what it was, she never would have been here, got it?a Vin totally saw the guyas pointa"except he wondered just how much the club owner knew. Given how he was looking at Vin, it was as if he sawaeverything. aYeah, okay.a aGood. Because if you do a head job on heraa"the guy put his mouth right next to Vinas eara"aIam going to make a meal out of the meat on your bones.a As Trez straightened and flashed another one of his small smiles, Vin wasnat fooled in the slightest as visions of hot-dog rolls, hamburger buns, and BBQ sauce swirled in his head.

aYou know,a Vin murmured, ayouare okay, big man, you really are.a Trez bowed a little. aFeel the same way about you.a When Marie-Terese came out about ten minutes later, her face was free of makeup, she had on jeans and another fleece, and her duffel bag was nowhere in sight.

aI just threw out my stuff,a she said to Trez.

aGood.a They all walked down to the exit, and when they got to the door, she hugged her boss again. aTrez, about the policea"a aIf they show up here looking for you, Iall let you know. But I donat want you to worry about it, okay?a She smiled up at him. aYou take care of everything, donat you.a A dark shadow pa.s.sed over the manas face. aAlmost everything. Now run along, you two. And donat take this the wrong way, but I hope I never see you again.a aBye, Trez,a Marie-Terese whispered.

He reached out and brushed her cheek softly. aGoodbye, Marie-Terese.a As the owner opened the back door, Vin put his arm around her waist and led her out into the night air.

aCan we go somewhere and talk?a he said as their footfalls echoed around in the stillness.