Covet - A Novel of Fallen Angel Part 7

Devina blotted at one of her tears. aIam running out of faith, it seems.a aDonat. Iam here to help.a Jim took a deep breath. aIam going to make it okay.a aOh, G.o.dayouare making me cry more.a Devina laughed and clasped his hand. aBut thank you so much.a d.a.m.nathose eyes of hers made him feel as if shead reached in past his ribs and taken his heart into her delicate palm.

aYour name,a he whispered, asuits you.a A blush flared in her cheeks. aIn school, I used to hate it. I wanted to be Mary or Julie or something normal.a aNo, itas perfect. I canat imagine you being called anything else.a Jim glanced down at the phone and saw that the light was off. aHeas ended the call.a She dabbed under both eyes. aI must be a mess. Herealet me give you some amuse-bouche. Take them to him and keep him busy in the study while I go fix myself.a As he waited for her to come back from the kitchen, Jim finished his beer and wondered how in the h.e.l.l head found himself in the role of Cupid.

Man, if those four lads even thought about getting him to wear the wings and a diaper while he nocked his arrow, he was so renegotiating his employment contract. And not with words.

Devina returned with a silver tray of bite-size somethings. aThe studyas down that way. Iall come get you both when I donat look so weepy.a aRoger that.a Jim took the tray, prepared to act the waiter and babysit diPietro. aIall keep him in there.a aThank you. For everything.a Before he said too much again, Jim took off, carrying the tray with both hands through an endless spread of rooms. When he got to the study, the door was open and diPietro was sitting behind a big marble desk that had a lot of computers on it. The guy wasnat staring at the machines, though. He was turned around and focused on the bank of windows and the twinkling view.

Something small and black was buried in his palm.

Jim knocked on the jamb. aI got some amus.e.m.e.nts for your mouth.a Vin pivoted around in his chair and tucked the ring box next to the phone. As Heron stood in the studyas doorway with a tray in his hands, the guy made an unlikely waiter, and not because of the flannel s.h.i.+rt and the jeans. He simply wasnat the kind to be anyoneas servant.

aYou know French?a Vin murmured as he nodded at the amuse-bouche.

aShe told me what they were.a aAh.a Vin got to his feet and went over. aDevinaas a great cook.a aYeah.a aYou try one already?a aNah, Iam just going by the smells coming out of your kitchen.a They both took a stuffed mushroom cap. And a tiny sandwich with paper-thin slices of tomato and leaves of basil. And a flat-bellied spoon with caviar and leeks on it.

aSo have a seat,a Vin said, nodding at the one across from his desk. aLetas talk. I mean, I know you want foodabut thereas something else, isnat there.a Heron put down the tray but didnat take a load off. Instead, he went over to the windows and looked out at Caldwell.

In the silence, Vin resettled in his leather throne and measured his aguest.a b.a.s.t.a.r.d had a jaw like a two-by-four, hard and straight, and he was playing his cards close to the chest: There was no tell in his face whatsoever.

Which suggested the territory they were going to head into was dark and tricky.

As Vin twirled a gold pen around on his blotter and waited for the ask, he wasnat worried about dark and tricky. Most of his money had been made in construction, but he hadnat started out in the legitimate land of boards and nailsa"and his contacts with the black-market side of Caldwell were still good.

aTake your time, Jim. Money is easier to ask for thanaother things.a He smiled a little. aYou want something that isnat readily available at the local Hannaford, by any chance?a Heronas eyebrow twitched, but that was about it as he continued searching the lights of the city. aWhat exactly are you talking about.a aWhat exactly are you looking for.a There was a pause. aI need to know about you.a Vin sat forward in his chair, not sure head heard right. aKnow about me how?a Heron turned his head and stared downward. aYouare about to make a decision. Something significant. Arenat you.a Vinas eyes shot to the black velvet square head hidden.

aWhatas in there?a Heron demanded.

aNone of your business.a aA ring?a Vin cursed and reached for what head bought at Reinhardtas. As he tucked the box into a drawer, he started to lose his patience. aLook, stop bulls.h.i.+tting around and tell me what you want. Itas not dinner and itas not to get to know me. Why donat you a.s.sume that there is nothing in this town that is unavailable to me and letas get this over with. What the f.u.c.k do you want.a The soft words that came back at him seemed so wrong: aItas not what I wanta"itas what Iam going to do. Iam here to save your soul.a Vin frownedaand then busted out laughing. This guy with the Grim Reaper tat on his back and the tool belt wanted to save him? Yeah, that made sense.

And PS: Vinas asoula wasnat drowning.

When he took a break to do some deep breathing, Heron said, aYou know, thatas exactly how I reacted.a aTo what?a Vin said as he rubbed his face.

aLetas just say the call to duty.a aYou some kind of religious freak?a aNah.a Heron finally went around and sat in the chair, his knees falling to the sides, his hands resting loosely on his thighs. aCan I ask you something?a aSure, why the h.e.l.l not.a Vin found himself echoing Heronas pose, just easing on back and relaxing. At this point, the whole thing was getting so weird, he was beginning to think it didnat matter. aWhat do you want to know?a Heron glanced around at the first-edition books and the artwork. aWhy do you need all this s.h.i.+t? And Iam not being nasty. Iam never going to live like you, so Iam kind of wondering why anybody has to have it all.a Vin was tempted to blow off the question, and later he would wonder why he didnat. But for some reason he answered truthfully.

aIt gives me weight and grounds me. I feel safe with beautiful things around my home.a The instant the words were out, he wanted to take them back. aI meanas.h.i.+t, I donat know. I didnat come from money. I was just an Italian kid over on the north side of town, and my parents were always sc.r.a.ping to get by. I fought my way up because I wanted much better than where Iad been.a aWell, youare waaaaaay up, all right.a Heron glanced at the computers. aSo you must work a lot.a aAll the time.a aGuess that means youave earned this amazing view.a Vin swung his chair around. aYeah. Been looking at it a lot lately.a aYou going to miss it when you move?a aIall have the river to stare out at. And that house you and your boys are building is going to be spectacular. I like spectacular things.a aThat beer was probably the best one Iave ever had.a Vin focused on the guyas reflection in the darkened gla.s.s. aIs Heron your real name?a The guy smiled a little. aOf course it is.a Vin glanced over his shoulder. aWhat other languages do you know aside from French?a aWho says I know it?a aThe fact that you donat have a clue about exotic beer makes me doubt youare a foodie and into gourmet lingo. And Devina wouldnat have translated amuse-bouche because it would be rude to think you didnat know what it meant. Therefore, I a.s.sume you know the language.a Heron drummed his fingers on his knee as he seemed to think things over. aTell me whatas in that box you hid in the drawer and maybe Iall answer you.a aAnyone ever say they had to drag things out of you?a aAll the time.a Figuring it was no real revelationa"because, really, when was Heron going to have anything to do with Devina?a"Vin got the Reinhardt box back out and popped the lid. As he turned the thing around so Heron could see what was in it, the guy let out a low whistle.

Vin just shrugged. aLike I said, Iam into beautiful things. I bought it last night.a aChrist, what a sparkler. When you going to pop the Q?a aDonat know.a aWhat are you waiting for?a Vin snapped the box shut. aYouave asked more than one question. My turn. French?

My turn. French? Oui ou non??a aJe parle un peu. Et vous?a Je peu. Eta aIave done some real estate deals north of the border, so I speak it. Your accent is not Canadian, though. Itas European. How long were you in the military?a aWho said I was?a aJust a guess.a aMaybe I went to college overseas.a Vin regarded the guy steadily. aNot your style, I wouldnat think. You donat take orders well, and I canat imagine youad be content behind a school desk for four years.a aWhy would I go into the service if I donat take orders?a aBecause they let you do something on your own.a Vin smiled as the guyas face remained utterly closed. aThey let you work by yourself, didnat they, Jim. What else did they teach you?a Silence expanded to fill not just the room, but the whole duplex.

aJim, you do realize that the more you stay quiet, the more I make up my own mind about your military haircut and that tattoo on your back. I showed you what you wanted to seea"seems only fair you return the favor. More to the point, those are the rules of the game.a Jim leaned in slowly, his pale eyes as dead as stone. aIf I tell you anything, Iad have to kill you, Vin. And that would be a buzz kill for the both of us.a So that tat wasnat just something the guy had seen on a wall in some two-bit piercing and body art parlor and gotten it inked onto himself because he thought it was cool. Jim was the real deal.

aI am so curious about you,a Vin murmured.

aI suggest you get over that.a aSorry, my friend. Iam a tenacious motherf.u.c.ker. Lest you think I just won the lottery to get all this c.r.a.p youare gawking at.a There was a pause, and then Jimas face broke into a small smile. aSo you want me to think you have b.a.l.l.s, do you.a aBelieve it, my man. And word to the wise, theyare as big as church bells.a Jim settled back in his chair. aOh, really. Then why are you sitting on that ring?a Vin narrowed his eyes, anger flaring. aYou want to know why.a aYeah. Sheas an incredibly gorgeous woman and she looks at you like youare a G.o.d.a Vin tilted his head to one side and spoke what had been banging around his head since the night before. aMy Devina went out last evening wearing a blue dress. When she came home, she immediately changed out of it and took a shower. This morning, I pulled the thing out of the dry-cleaning hamper and there was a black smudge on the back of ita"like shead been sitting somewhere other than on a neat and tidy chair in a bar. But more than that, Jim, when I lifted the dress to my nose, I smelled something on the fabric that was a lot like menas cologne.a Vin measured every single one of the guyas facial muscles. Not one of them moved.

Vin sat forward in his chair. aI donat need to tell you that it wasnat my cologne, do I. And it might interest you to know that it smells a h.e.l.l of a lot like yoursa"not that I think you were with her, but a man wonders when his womanas clothes smell like someone else, doesnat he. So you see, itas not because I donat have b.a.l.l.s. Itas because I wonder who elseas sheas been touching.a

CHAPTER 10.

Well, wasnat this a f.u.c.king party.

As Jim stared across the desk at his host, he realized it had been a long, long time since head met a man head been impressed bya"but Vin diPietro did the trick. SOB was calm, cool, collected. Smart as s.h.i.+t, and not a p.u.s.s.y.

And it was evident that the guy truly believed Jim hadnat been with his girlfrienda"at least, that was what Jimas instincts were telling him, and as they rarely were wrong, he was inclined to trust them. But how long would that last?

Christ, if only he could go back to the night before and leave Devina in that parking lot. Oras.h.i.+t, just walk her inside where it was warm and let her find some other guy to work out her confusion and sadness with.

Jim shrugged. aYou canat be sure she was with someone.a A shadow pa.s.sed over Vinas face. aNo. I canat.a aYou ever cheat on her?a aNope. I donat believe in that s.h.i.+t.a aNeither do I.a Strangeafor once, lying sent a shaft through Jimas chest. In truth, he hadnat cared at the time that Devina was with someone else.

As silence flared again, Jim knew the guy was waiting for another revelation so he sifted through his life, looking for ready-for-prime-time details. Eventually, he said, aI also speak Arabic, Dari, Pashto, and Tajik.a Vinas smile was part Ches.h.i.+re, part respect. aAfghanistan.a aAmong other places.a aHow long did you serve?a aA while.a He hadnat been kidding about having to kill the guy if the information exchange went any further on his part. aAnd letas end the conversation there, if you donat mind.a aFair enough.a aSo, how long you been with your woman?a Vinas eyes went over to an abstract drawing that hung on the wall by the desk. aEight months. Sheas a model.a aLooks it.a aYou ever been married, Jim?a af.u.c.k, no.a Vin laughed. aNot looking for Ms. Right?a aMore like Iam the wrong kind of man for that sort of thing. I move around a lot.a aDo you. You get bored easily?a aYeah. Thatas it.a The sound of high heels on marble brought the guyas eyes to the studyas doorway. It was obvious when Devina made her appearance, and not just because that faint, flowery perfume wafted into the air: Vinas stare went slowly down and then up, like he was seeing her for the first time in a while.

aDinner is ready,a she said.

Jim looked into the bank of gla.s.s across the room and studied her reflection. She was, yet again, poised under a light, the radiant glow making her stand out against the backdrop of the night viewa"

He frowned. An odd shadow floated behind her, like a black flag waving in the windaas if she were being trailed by a ghost.

Jim whipped around and blinked hard. As his eyes searched the s.p.a.ce behind herathey found a whole lot of absolutely nothing. She was just standing beneath a light, smiling at Vin as the guy came up to her and kissed her mouth.

aYou ready to eat, Jim,a the man said.

How about a head transplant first, then the frickina pasta. aYeah, thatad be good.a The three of them walked down through the various rooms to yet another marble table. This one was big enough to seat twenty-four, and if there were any more crystal hanging from the ceiling above, it youad have sworn you were in an ice cave.

The flatware was gold. And no doubt solid.

Are you kidding me, Jim thought as he sat down.

aAs the cookas on vacation,a Vin said as he settled Devina in her chair, aweall just serve ourselves.a aI hope you like what I made.a Devina picked up her damask napkin. aI kept it simple, just some Bolognese sauce over homemade linguine. And the salad is nothing but microgreens, artichoke hearts, and red peppers with an ice wine vinaigrette that I whipped up.a Whatever it was, the stuff smelled amazing, and looked even better.

After big bowls with gold on their edges were pa.s.sed around and plates were filled, everyone started eating.

Okay, Devina was a spectacular cook. Period. That micro-whatever with the ice-la-di-da dressing was flat-out amazingaand donat get him started on the pasta.

aSo the work on the bluff house is coming along well,a Vin said. aDonat you think, Jim?a This launched an hour-long discussion on the construction, and Jim was once again impressed. In spite of Vinas digs and his flashy wardrobe, head clearly had firsthand experience with the job Jim and the boys were doinga"as well as everything the electricians and the plumbers and the siders and the roofers got up in the morning for. The guy knew tools and nails and boards and insulation. Hauling and waste removal. Blacktopping. Permits. Regulations. Eas.e.m.e.nts.

Which made all his attention to detail seem not like that of a nitpicking a.s.swipe owner, but a fellow workman with high standards.

Yup, head definitely been a rough palm, at one point.

aaso thatas going to be an issue,a Vin was saying. aThe weight on the load-bearing walls in that four-story cathedral foyer is going to be over code. The architect is worried about it.a Devina spoke up for once. aWell, couldnat you just make it shorter? Like, closer to the ground?a aCeiling heightas not the issuea"itas the steep angle and the weight of the roof. I think we can solve the problem by upgrading to steel beams, though.a aOh.a Devina wiped her mouth as if she were embarra.s.sed. aThat sounds like a good idea.a As Vin went off on another tangent about the house, Devina took a special interest in folding the napkin in her lap.

s.h.i.+t, the guy might know from construction, but you had to wonder: If youad asked him what his womanas favorite color was, would he have said the right one?

aSo this was a great meal,a Vin said eventually. aTo the chef.a As he lifted his winegla.s.s and gave Devina a nod, she ate up the attention, positively glowing with happiness. Then again, head just spent the balance of the meal talking about something she wasnat familiar with, relegating her to a shut-out observer seemingly without a care.

aIall clear and bring in dessert,a she said, getting to her feet. aNo, please, sit. It wonat take a moment.a Jim lowered himself back into his chair and focused on Vin. In the quiet that bloomed while Devina went in and out of the butleras door with the dishes, you could practically smell the wood burning between the guyas ears.

aWhatas on your mind,a Jim asked.

aNothing.a A quick shrug was followed by a sip of wine. aNothing whatsoever.a Dessert was homemade cherry-and-chocolate-chip ice cream and coffee so strong it could put hair on your chest. The combination was sublime, and yet it wasnat sweet or savory enough to clear the frown from Vinas eyebrows.

When the dessert plates were empty, Devina got to her feet again.

aWhy donat you two go back to the study while I clean up in the kitchen?a She shook her head before Jim could offer to help. aIt wonat take a minute. Noahonestly, let me do it. You two go back and talk.a aThank you for dinner,a Jim said as he got out of his chair. aBest meal Iave had in ages.a aI second that,a Vin murmured while tossing his napkin onto the table.

When they were in the study once again, Vin went to the wet bar in the corner. ah.e.l.l of a cook, isnat she.a aYeah.a aBrandy?a aNah, thanks.a Jim paced around, looking at the leather-bound books on the shelves, and the paintings and drawings and framed U.S. stamps. aSo you build things up in Canada, too?a aIam all over the country, actually.a Vin picked up a fat gla.s.s and poured himself a couple of inches, then sat down behind the desk. While he swirled the brandy sniffer, he swept a wireless mouse around and the planes of his face lit up as the screen saver on his computer flickered off.

Jim stopped in front of the drawing Vin had fixated on when head been thinking of Devina. The depiction was of a horseasort of. aThis artist do a lot of acid?a aItas a Chagall.a aNo offense, but itas weird.a Vin laughed and regarded the piece of artaor s.h.i.+t, depending on your tasteawith grave appreciation. aItas relatively new. I got it the night I met Devina. G.o.d, I havenat looked at it for a while. Reminds me of a dreamscape.a Jim thought about the life the guy must live. Work, work, workacome homeanot see all the expensive stuff he owned.

aDo you see your girlfriend?a Jim said abruptly.

Vin frowned and took a sip of his brandy.

Well, wasnat that the answer.

aItas none of my business,a Jim murmured. aBut she really sees you. Youare a lucky man.a Vinas brows drew together, and as the silence expanded, Jim knew he was running out of time for tonight. Chances were good he was going to be shown the door in another fifteen or twenty minutes, and although he had a feeling head IDad Vinas problem, he wasnat even close to the goal line, so to speak.

He thought of the little television hanging from the ceiling in that hospital room and of the two chefs who had gotten him into this dinner-from-h.e.l.l situation.

aSoayou got a TV around here?a he asked.

Vin blinked and seemed to come back into focus. aYeah, check this out.a Getting to his feet, he picked up a remote and came around the desk while punching b.u.t.tons. All at once, the shelving split across the way and a flat-screen the size of a twin bed came forward.

aMan, you love your toys, huh,a Jim said with a laugh.

aI so doa"Iam not going to lie.a The two of them parked it in the chairs in front of the desk as Vin played with more b.u.t.tons. While the channels switched, Jim felt like a schizoid as he prayed for a clue from what was showna"looking for guidance from the television? Next thing he knew he was going to think satellites were tracking his every move.

Oh, waitabeen there, done that.

As the screen flashed, he took note of the various shows: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Vin had and he now was. Lost? Well, duh, that made two of thema"though Jim was the only one who knew it. Home Improvement? Plenty of that to go around on both sidesa"but it was hardly a newsflash.

The channel changing stopped on Leonardo DiCaprio in some kind of movie.

aThereas actually a better model coming out this year,a Vin said, putting the remote to the side. aItas going in the new house.a Jim tried to read into what was going on in the movie, but it was just Leo dressed like something out of a renaissance fair emoting to a chick in a similar wardrobe.

s.h.i.+t, no help.

aJim, I got to be honest.a Vinas cool gray eyes were clear. aI donat know what the h.e.l.l youare playing at here, but I like you, for some reason.a aDitto.a aSo where does this leave us?a Just what Jim was wondering.

Up on the screen, things were abruptly not going well for Leo. Medieval-esque abad guysa were doing a s.n.a.t.c.h-and-drag of the poor b.a.s.t.a.r.d. aWhat the h.e.l.l movie is this?a Vin fired up the remote and an info strip popped up at the bottom of the screen: The Man in the Iron Mask. Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Irons (1998).

Only got two stars, evidentlya"

Oh, f.u.c.k him. The Iron Mask? d.a.m.n it, the last place he wanted to be was back in that club. Especially witha"

Devina appeared in the doorway of the study. aI donat suppose you two would like to go out?a Well, if that wasnat an opening.

Jim cursed to himself as he tried to imagine being there with her againa"only this time under the watchful, suspicious eyes of her boyfriend. And head thought this whole dinner thing had been awkward?

Except the movie had to be a sign, right? The four lads said head have help.

aYeah, letas head downtown,a he muttered. aTo theaHow about the Iron Mask.a Devinaas eyes flared as if she were shocked by his choice of club.

Schmega dittos there.

There was some conversation at that point and Vin got to his feet. aOkay, if thatas what you two want, Iam game.a He went over to his woman, and like he was trying to make an effort, leaned in and kissed her. aIall get your coat.a Devina turned away with him and followed her man down the hall. Jim, left behind in the study, dragged a hand through his hair while wis.h.i.+ng he could rip the stuff out of his head.

Maybe he had to stop thinking TVs were sending him messages. Because this was a dumb f.u.c.king idea.

CHAPTER 11.

Marie-Terese saw the man first.

As she stood by the bar closest to the Iron Maskas front door, she was inspecting the crowd when he walked into the club. It was, as they say, right out of the movies: Everyone else disappeared the instant he came in, the other people fading into dim, blurry shadows while she focused on him and him alone.

Six-three-ish in height. Dark hair and pale eyes. Suit like something out of a Fifth Avenue window display.

On his arm was a woman in a red dress and a white fur coat, and beside him was a taller guy with a brush cut and a military manner. None of them fit in among the crowd of leathered and laced and chained, but that wasnat why she stared.

No, the staring thing was all about the man himself. He was eye-catching in the same sharp, hard way her ex had been: a wealthy man with a shot of gangster in him, a guy who was used to being in charge of whatever was going on around himaand someone who was probably about as warm and caring as a meat locker.

Fortunately, shutting down her instant attraction was easy: Shead already made the mistake of a.s.suming wealth and power made guys like that some kind of modern-day dragon slayer.

Very bad a.s.sumption. Sometimes dragon slayersawere just slayers.

Gina, another one of the working girls, came up to the bar. aWho is that by the door?a aA customer.a aOf mine, I hope.a Marie-Terese wasnat so sure of that. Going by the looks of that brunette with him, he had no reason to buy s.e.xual companions.h.i.+pa"waitathat womanashead been here the night before, hadnat she, and so had the other guy. Marie-Terese remembered them for the same reason they stood out tonighta"they didnat belong here.

As the trio sat down in a dark corner, Gina adjusted her wing-and-a-prayer bustier and pushed at her now-red hair. Last month it had been white and pink. Month before that jet-black. She kept this up and she was going to be sporting a Telly Savalas, thanks to all the chemical warfare on her roots.

aI think Iall just go over and introduce myself. Laters.a Gina sauntered off, her black latex skirt and stiletto boots the kind of thing she wore with pride. Unlike Marie-Terese, she got off on what she did for a living and even had ambitions to become what she referred to as a amajor multimedia erotica stara along the lines of Janine Lindemulder or Jenna Jameson. Whoever they were. Marie-Terese knew their names only because Gina talked about them like they were the Bill Gates of p.o.r.n.