Covet - A Novel of Fallen Angel Part 23

This was good.

Instead of heading downtown to try to find that psychic head gone to for help when he was seventeena"which was what head intended to doa"Vin spent the next hour in the living room, cleaning up pieces of gla.s.s and busted leather books and putting the couches and chairs back together. He even got out the vacuum and tried to resuscitate the carpet, making some inroads with the shards and absolutely none with the liquor stains. He had his phone with him the whole time, and when the text came through that Marie-Terese was on her way, he rolled the Dyson into the closet and jogged upstairs to change into a clean silk s.h.i.+rt.

He was almost on the way out of the bedroom when it dawned on him that he was still in the pants and boxers head had on in jail.

Right. Back to the well.

Second trip out into the hall and he had on a sharp-a.s.s pair of black slacks and some black boxer briefs. Changed his socks, too. Shoes were the same Bally loafers head been wearing for the past week.

Her timing was perfect.

The home phone rang just as he hit the foyer, and he told the front-desk man to let her up. On the way to the door, Vin double-checked in the shattered mirror that head tucked his s.h.i.+rt in properly and his hair was looking okaya"which was kind of girlie when he thought about it, but whatever.

Out in the corridor, the elevator arrived with a bing and he stood back a little to give Marie-Terese some s.p.a.ce, even though he would have rather taken her right into his armsa"

Oh, man. She was gorgeous. Just in jeans and that deep red fleece, with her hair down and no makeup on, she was total pinup material to him.

aHi,a he said, like an idiot.

aHi.a She moved her purse farther up on her shoulder and her eyes s.h.i.+fted around to the open door of the duplex. As she got a load of his golden front hall, her brows lifted slightly.

aYou want to come in?a He stepped to the side and motioned with his hand. aBe warned thoughathe place is a mess afteraa As she moved past him, he breathed in deep. What do you know. The scent of clean laundry was still his favorite perfume.

Vin shut the door, engaged the dead bolt, and put the chain in place. Which didnat seem halfway to safe enough: He had a heebie paranoia about Devina that made him wonder whether that kind of conventional stuff would keep her out of any place she wanted to go.

aCan I get you something to drink?a Not liquor, of course. At least, not in the living room. G.o.d knew there was none of it left there.

Marie-Terese headed toward the banks of gla.s.s. aThis is quite aaa She hesitated as she came across a stain in the carpet and then looked around at the room and less at the view.

aIt was even worse before I tried to clean it up a little,a he said. aChristaI have no idea what happened here.a aWhy would your girlfriend lie?a aEx-girlfriend,a he reminded her.

Marie-Terese glanced into the broken mirror to meet his eyes, and the sight of her features all scrambled in the field of cracks freaked his s.h.i.+t outa"to the point where he had to go over in hopes of getting her out of its torturous reflection.

As she turned to face him, her eyes were scared. aVinathat man who was attacked. He was the one I helped in the bathrooma"we went in together and talked about this girl he wanted to impress.a She put her hand over her mouth and trembled. aOh, G.o.dahe was with me and then heaa Vin went over and wrapped his arms around her, holding her closely. As she took a deep breath, he felt it from his thighs to his ribs, and G.o.dd.a.m.n it if he didnat want to kill to protect her.

aIt canat be Mark,a she said into his s.h.i.+rt. aBut what if heas sent someone to find me?a aCome here.a He took her hand and started for the couch. But then, did he really want to talk to her amid the remnants of whatever violence had occurred?

Pausing, he thought about the studyabut had memories of being with Devina on that f.u.c.king rug. Upstairsayeah, right, the bedroom was a total no-go, and not just because asking Marie-Terese up there had letch connotations he didnat intend: too much Devina there as well.

Vin settled for the dining room table, walking her over and angling two chairs so that he could face her.

aYou know,a she said as she put her purse down and they sat together, aIam actually a tough cookie.a He had to smile. aI believe that.a aYou just seem to have come along at a hard time.a Vin extended his hand and touched one of the curled locks of hair by her face. aI wish I could do something to help.a aIam leaving Caldwell.a His heart stopped. It was on the tip of his tongue to argue with her, but he didnat have that righta"not by a long shot. Besides, he was hard-pressed to deny the decision: It was probably for the best.

aWhere will you go?a he asked.

aAnywhere. I donat know.a In her lap, her hands tangled and twisted as if they were paralleling the thoughts in her mind.

aDo you have enough money?a he asked, even though he knew what she was going to say.

aIall be okay. SomehowaRobbie and I will be okay.a aWill you let me help you?a She shook her head slowly. aI canat do that. I canataowe anybody else. Iam having a hard enough time paying off the people Iam in debt to already.a aHow much do you owe them?a aI have another thirty thousand to go,a she said, her hands stilling. aI started with about a hundred and twenty.a aWhat if I gave it to you and you paid it back eventually? Iam sure theyare charging interesta"a aA debt is a debt.a She smiled in a sad way. aThere was a time when I hoped that some man would come in and rescue me from my life. And one dida"except the rescue turned out to be a nightmare. Now I rescue myselfa"which means I pay my own way. Always.a But thirty thousand dollars? Christ, that was couch change to him.

And to think shead been working off all that money doinga Vin squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. s.h.i.+t, he hated the pictures in his minda"even though they were mere hypotheticals for what shead forced herself into, they lashed at him. And it would have been so easy for him to make it all go away for hera"although he could see where she was coming from: Precisely that kind of savior routine had soured on her big-time, and the lesson had been too hard-learned to let go.

He cleared his throat. aWhat did the police say when you spoke to them just now?a aThey showed me a picture of the guy, and I told them Iad seen him at the club and talked with him. I was in a panic that some eyewitness had popped out of the bushes and said that theyad seen me going into the bathroom with him, but the cop didnat mention anything like that. And thenaa When there was a long pause, he had a feeling she was trying to choose her words.

He cursed softly. aTell me you didnat say anything about being with me last night.a She reached for his hands, holding them tightly. aThatas why Iam leaving.a As his heart seized up, he wondered if he shouldnat tell the thing to quit bothering to beat altogether. aYou didnat. Oh, G.o.dayou should just stay out ofa"a aWhen they asked me what happened after I talked with the guy, I told them that I left the club with one Vincent diPietro and that you and I were together all night long. From nine thirty to about four a.m.a When he would have jerked his hands back, she held them in place. aVin, Iave done enough in my life to be ashamed of. Iave let a man abuse me for yearsaeven in front of my son.a Her voice cracked, but then grew strong. aIave wh.o.r.ed myself out. Iave lied. Iave done things I used to look down on other women foraand Iam done with it. No more.a af.u.c.king h.e.l.l,a he muttered. af.u.c.k-ing h.e.l.l.a Without thinking, he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss, then took his hands away and stood up. Unable to contain himself, he paced the length of the living room, up and back. Then did it again. She watched him the whole time, one arm draped along the back of the ornate chair she was on.

aI gave the police my cell phone number,a she said, aand Iall come back to testify if I have to. I figure Robbie and Iall pack up tonight and just go. If the press doesnat know how to find me, my face isnat going to show up anywhere.a Vin stopped in the archway to the living room and thought of that security tape with his so-called face on it. Marie-Terese had no idea what shead dropped herself into, because there was a f.u.c.kload more going on than simply an a.s.sault case. So, yeah, it was best that she just get out of town. He had a feeling he and his freaky-a.s.s buddy Jim were going to have to figure out a way to get rid of Devina, and it wasnat just going to be a case of telling her to go pound sand.

As for who might be on Marie-Tereseas tail? It couldnat be Devina because the trouble had startedas.h.i.+t, the night head first seen Marie-Terese at the Iron Mask.

aWhat?a Marie-Terese said.

He replayed the details of that evening. Devina had left before he and Jim had thrown down with those two college kids. Which meant it was theoretically possible that she could have killed the pair in the alleyaexcept it made no sense. Why would she go after men who had been with Marie-Terese? Like that ex-husband, she wouldnat make others a target, and besides, Vin hadnat had anything much to do with Marie-Terese at that point.

aWhatas going through your mind, Vin?a Nothing he could tell her, unfortunately. Nothing at all.

He paced down and back one more timea"and then it dawned on him. Courtesy of her stepping up to the plate for him, he had her over a barrel. And he was a man who always took advantage of those kinds of things.

aStay here,a he said. aIall be right back.a He strode out of the room and headed for the study.

Five minutes later, he returned with his hands full, and the second Marie-Terese saw what he was carrying, she opened her mouth to no-way him.

Vin shook his head and cut her off. aYou say you pay your debts.a One by one he laid out five stacks of one-hundred-dollar bills. aWell, Iam sure youall allow me to do the same.a aVina"a aFifty thousand dollars.a He crossed his arms over his chest. aTake it. Use it to pay off the debt and carry you for a couple of months.a Marie-Terese shot up from her chair. aIam telling the truth, not doing you a favora"a aSorry. Youare not going to win this. I owe you for protecting me, and I have determined the going rate for that obligation is fifty grand. Youare just going to have to deal with it.a aThe h.e.l.l I will.a She picked her purse up from the table and slung it onto her shoulder. aIam nota"a aA hypocrite? I beg to differ. You think youare the only one with pride? Youare saying Iam not allowed to feel indebted to you? Pretty d.a.m.n closed-minded.a aYouare twisting my words!a aAm I.a He nodded at the cash. aDonat think so. And I also donat think youare crazy enough to bolt out of town with no resources. You use your credit cards, thereas a trail. You withdraw the funds from your bank account, thereas a trail.a ad.a.m.n you to h.e.l.l.a aI have a feeling Iave done that to myself already, thank you very much.a He leaned down and shoved the piles in her direction. aTake the money, Marie-Terese. Take it and know that there are no strings attached. You never, ever want to see me again, thatas okay. Donat go with nothing, though. You canat do that to me. I wouldnat be able to live with it.a In the tense stretch of silence, he realized that this was the first time since head started making paper that he was giving any of it away. Or at least trying to give it away. Over the years, head never supported charities or causes of any kinda"if money was going out of his pocket, he had to get something tangible in return, and always at an increase in value.

aYouare going to take this,a he murmured. aBecause this isnat knight-in-s.h.i.+ning-armor time. Iam not trying to save you. Iam repaying a debt and giving you one of the tools youare going to need to build your better future.a When she didnat reply, he tapped one of the bundles. aThink of it like thisa"Iam helping you buy your own white horsea. Gretchen, for G.o.das sake, you need to take the money.a The b.a.s.t.a.r.d used her real name.

d.a.m.n him.

G.o.dait had been so long since anyone had called her Gretchen. To Robbie she was aMom.a To everyone else, she was Marie-Terese. Shead always loved her real name, though, and hearing it now, she wanted it back.

GretchenaGretchena She stared at the money. Vin was right: She took that and she had serious breathing room. Exceptahow was this different from before? It was still a man bailing her out.

It just didnat feel right.

She stepped up to him and put her hands on either side of his face.

aYou are a lovely, lovely man, Vincent diPietro.a She pulled him down to her lips and he went willingly, his palms settling lightly on her shoulders as their mouths met. aAnd I want to thank you.a Happiness flared in the hard lines of his face. But only for a moment.

aIall always remember your gesture,a she murmured.

aYou donat have to take the hard route,a he said, his brows drawing together. aYoua"a aBut see, thatas what I learned. Things are hard for me now because I tried to take the easy way out first.a She smiled up at him, thinking that she was going to remember how he was looking at her now for the rest of her life. aThatas the problem with white horses. You have to pay for them yourself or youall always be using someone elseas reins.a He stared down at her for the longest time. aYouare breaking my f.u.c.king heart in half right now, you really are.a His hands tightened on her arms and then released as he stepped back. aItas likeaI can reach out and touch you, but youare already gone.a aIam sorry.a He looked over at the cash. aYou knowaIave never realized this before. But money is really just paper when you come down to it.a aIam going to be okay.a aAre you.a He shook his head. aSorry, that came out wrong.a Except he was right to be worried. h.e.l.l, she was, too. aIall stay in touch.a aIad like thata. Any idea where youare headed?a aI donat know. Havenat given it a lot of thought.a aWellawhat if I told you I had an empty house I could lend you. Itas out of statea"a He held up his hand as she went to interject. aJust wait a minute. Itas in Connecticut, in horse country there. Itas a farmhouse, but itas close to the town, so you wouldnat be isolated. You could crash there for a couple of nights, get your feet under you, figure out where to go next. And itas better than a hotel, because you wonat have to use a credit card. You could leave your house tonight after dark and get there in less than two hours.a Marie-Terese frowned as she thought it over.

aNot a handout, not cash, no strings,a he said. aJust a place for you and your son to lay your heads. And when youare ready to leave it, just lock the place up and mail the keys back to me.a Marie-Terese walked around to the windows in the dining room and looked out at the stunning view as she tried to think through what the next day and week and month would be likea.

She got nothing back. Not a clue.

Which was a pretty clear signal she needed somewhere safe to figure it all out.

aOkay,a she said quietly. aThis I will take you up on.a She heard Vin approach from behind, and as his arms went around her, she turned and embraced him as well.

They held each other for a long, long time.

It was hard to say when things changed for herawhen she started to notice not just the comfort of his broad chest against her, but the warmth of his body and the strength in his muscles and the spice of his expensive cologne.

He was warm, though.

And so very strong.

And soa Marie-Terese ran her hands up his back, feeling the softness of the silk s.h.i.+rt he had on, but concentrating on the hard man beneath the fabric. In a flash, she saw him in the mirror in his old bedroom, naked and rearing up before her, his muscles flexing along his spine.

Vin moved his hips back. aI thinkaI think we should probablya"a She arched into him and felt the erection he was trying to hide. aBe with me. Before I goabe with me?a Vinas entire body shuddered. aG.o.d, yes.a He took her hand and the two of them hit the stairs fast. On instinct, she headed left toward a black-and-gold room with a ma.s.sive bed, but he tugged her in the opposite direction.

aNot there.a He took her into another bedroom, one that was smaller and done in warm reds and tans. As they landed on the satin-covered mattress, they melded hip to hip, mouths fusing, tongues meeting, hands going to zippers and b.u.t.tons and belt buckles.

She all but ripped off his s.h.i.+rt, and when his chest was bared, her palms rubbed over his smooth skin and his tight muscles. s.h.i.+fting back, she helped with the shucking of her jeans and tops and then focused on getting his pants off.

aHoly Christ,a he grunted as she pushed his slacks down to the middle of his thighs and gripped his erection through his briefs.

Fusing their mouths and sucking on his tongue, she stroked him through the thin, flexible cotton of his boxer briefs until the head of him burst out past the waistband. The instant she went skin-on-skin with him, he broke the contact of their lips and hissed in a breath through clenched teeth.

His Armanis went the way of his pants, getting shoved roughly down his legs, and she eased her way over his chest, kissing, nipping, allowing her hair to fall all around and tickle him as she went lower.

Just as she stood his arousal up and was ready to take him between her lips, his hands tightened on her arms. aWaita.a A single, glistening tear formed at his tip and wept down his head and onto her hand.

aYour s.e.x doesnat want to wait, Vin,a she said huskily.

Another tear followed the first, as if her words were just as erotic as anything she could have done to him physically.

aI need you to knowasomething.a Marie-Terese frowned. aWhat?a aIaa He put both hands to his face and rubbed so hard it was like he wanted to sand his features down. aWhen Iam with you, itas not like how Iave been. You know, with anyone else lately.a aIsathat a good thing?a aI definitely think so.a He dropped his arms. aBut Iave done some out-there s.h.i.+t, to be honest. With strangers.a Marie-Terese felt her brows pop, as if they were doing so of their own volition. aLike what?a He shook his head like he didnat want to remember. aNothing with men. But thatas really about the only line Iave drawn. I justaI havenat been tested and I havenat always been careful. I feel like you deserve to know that before we do anything riskier than kissing and s.e.x with a condom.a aWerenat you monogamous with Devina?a Although even as she asked, she realized the question was pointless because the woman hadnat been monogamous with him.

aThere were other women along with her sometimes. If you know what I mean.a An unwelcome picture of Vin covered in female flesh barreled in. aWow.a She was about to make a crack about it taking a special man to get a prost.i.tute to blush, but given how head reacted before to her bringing up her aprofession,a she stopped herself.

aBut itas not going to be like that with you.a His eyes drifted around her hair and her face and her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s. aTo meayouare everything I need, all that I want. I canat describe it. Just when you kiss me, thatas all Iam aftera"What?a She smiled as she stroked him slowly. aYou make me feel precious.a aCome up here and let me show you exactly how precious.a He pulled gently on her arms, but she resisted, not wanting to be diverted. Funny, it felt odd and wonderfully unfamiliar to want to do what she had been on her way to doing.

aVin, please let me give you thisaa Moving her palm up and down, she watched his head fall back and his mouth open and his chest heave. aAnd Iall just make sure you donat finish. How about that.a Before he could argue, she bent down and used the head of him to part her lipsa"in a rush, he groaned and his hips shot up, the movement pus.h.i.+ng his erection deeper into her mouth. As she sucked him in, his fists balled up the duvet, his arm muscles straining, his pecs and his six-pack going rigid.

He was gorgeous like this, stretched out on the red satin, his big body s.e.xed up to the point of no returna.

In this hot, erotic moment, Marie-Terese had him exactly where she wanted him to be.

CHAPTER 31.

aWaitasay what? Vin gave her exactly what?a Jim glanced across his studio at Adrian and didnat like the expression on the guyas face. f.u.c.ker seemed a little pale. aA ring,a Jim said. aHe gave her an engagement ring. Or at least, he said she left with it when he broke up with her.a The angelas puss tightened even more. aWhat was it made of.a aIt was a diamond.a aNot the stone. What was the setting made of.a aI donat know. Platinum, Iad guess. Vinas the kind of guy who always goes top-drawer.a As Eddie shook his head and cursed, Jim said, aRight, now is the happy moment when you tell me why the h.e.l.l you both look like someone p.i.s.sed in your gas tanks.a Adrian knocked off the rest of his beer and put the can down on the c.r.a.ppy kitchen table. aYou know anything about black magic, my friend?a Jim shook his head slowly, not at all surprised at the way the conversation was heading. aWhy donat you enlighten me.a Adrian fished around the shoe box full of chess pieces and one by one took out all the p.a.w.ns, lining them up. aBlack magic is real. It exists and itas more prevalent than you thinka"and Iam not talking about singers biting off the heads of bats onstage, or a bunch of sixteen-year-olds getting stoned and playing games with an Ouija board, or so-called paranormal investigators jacking off their adrenal glands in some creepy old house. Iam talking about the real s.h.i.+t that will bite you on the a.s.s hard. Iam talking about the way demons get to owning soulsa. Iam talking about spells and curses that not only work in this world, but the hereafter.a There was a heavy, dark pause of vast significance.

Which Jim broke by flas.h.i.+ng his hands and belting out, aBooga-wooga!a At least Eddie laughed. Adrian flipped Jim the bird and headed to the fridge for another beer. aDonat be an a.s.shole,a the guy snapped as he cracked a fres.h.i.+e.

aOh, right, because two in this group would be overkill.a Jim eased back on the bed so that he was leaning against the wall. aLook, I just felt the need to break the tension. Keep going.a aThis is not a joke.a When Jim nodded, Adrian took a deep one from the Bud can, parked it in his seat again, and seemed to be filing through the catalog of his mind. aThereas a lot youare going to learn over time. So letas just call this lesson one. Demons collect s.h.i.+t from the people theyare targeting. The more they get the better, and they keep it with them unless someone takes it back. Within this practice, thereas likeathink of it as a rating system. Gifts are worth more than s.h.i.+t they steal, and one of the strongest is a gift of true metal. Platinum will do it. Gold. Silver to a lesser extent. Itas like a binding agent. And the more they get from a person, the stronger those bonds are.a Jim frowned. aTo what end, though? I mean, what does it get Devina other than an account with PODS?a aWhen she kills him, she can keep him with her for eternitya"those binds translate into a kind of owners.h.i.+p, in effect. Demons are like parasites. They latch on and it can take them years to overcome someoneas soula"but thatas what they do. They get into the personas head and affect their choices, and with each pa.s.sing day, week, month, they slowly invade the life that is led, corrupting, fouling, destroying. The soul dims from the infection, and when it gets to the right point, the demon steps in and a mortal event occurs. Your boy Vinas right at that critical point now. Sheas setting the events in motion, with the first being his arrest. Itas a domino thing, and itas going to get worse fast. Iave seen it too often for words.a aJesusaChrist.a aOr very much not Him, as is the case.a As questions spun in Jimas head, he said, aBut why Vin? Why was he chosen by her in the first place?a aThere has to be a place of entry. Think of it like getting teta.n.u.s from a rusty nail. Thereas an injury to the soul and the demon enters through the awound.aa aWhat makes a wound?a aLots of s.h.i.+t. Every case is different.a Adrian moved the p.a.w.ns around to form the shape of an aX.a aBut once the demonas in there, it has to be removed.a aYou said Devina canat be killed.a aWe can give her one f.u.c.k of an eviction notice, however.a At this Eddie let out a low growl of approval. aAnd thatas what weare going to teach you how to do.a Well, wasnat that a lesson he was G.o.dd.a.m.n aching to learn.

Jim ran a hand through his hair and got up from the bed. aYou know what? Vin said something aboutaVin said when he was seventeen he went to, like, a fortune-teller/psychic kind of thing. He was getting these seizures where he was seeing the future and he was blind desperate for them to stop.a aWhat did she tell him to do?a aHe didnat go into it, but the seizures stopped until recently. He mentioned, though, that after he followed orders, so to speak, his luck changed altogether.a Adrian frowned. aWeave got to find out what he did.a Eddie spoke up, aAnd we need to get the ring back. Sheas trying to lock him in even harder before she kills him and that is one h.e.l.l of a strong bind.a aI know where she lives,a Jim said. aOr I saw her go into a warehouse downtown.a Adrian got to his feet and so did Eddie. aThen letas do a little breaking and entering, shall we?a Ad said, scooping up the p.a.w.ns and putting them back in the box. After he finished his beer, he cracked his knuckles. aLast fight I had with the b.i.t.c.h ended way too soon.a Eddie rolled his eyes and glanced at Jim. aIt was back in the Middle Ages and he still hasnat gotten over it.a aWhy so long ago?a aWe got put on ice,a Eddie said. aWe were a little more fallen than the bosses were comfortable with.a Adrian grinned like a motherf.u.c.ker. aAs I mentioned, I like the ladies.a aUsually in pairs.a Eddie put Dog down and stroked his ears. aWeall be back, Dog.a Dog didnat seem happy with the parting and began circling all of the feet in the room, including the couchasa"which seemed to suggest he thought the piece of furniture was on backup.

Not exactly what Jim had in mind.

Nope, he was going in with something a little more powerful.

Going over to the empty bookshelves in the far corner, he pulled out a black duffel bag and unzipped the thing, revealing a stainless-steel case that was about four feet by three feet. Running his forefinger over its keypad, he released the lock and opened the top. Inside, the three guns that were packed in egg padding caught no light whatsoever on their matte gray finishes and he left the a.s.sault rifle where it was. Of the pair of SIGs, the grips of which had been custom-designed for him, he took the one that fit his right palm.

Adrian shook his head, as if the auto-loader was nothing more than a squirt gun. aJust what do you think youare going to do with that piece of metal there, Dirty Harry?a aItas my safety blanket, how about that.a Jim put the gun through a quick check, locked up the briefcase, and stashed the duffel. The ammo was behind the cans in the cabinets over the sink, and he took enough to fill the clip.

aYou canat shoot her with that,a Eddie said softly.

aNo offensea"but until I see it, Iam not going to believe it.a aAnd that is why you will fail.a Adrian cursed and hit the door. aGreat, youave got him channeling Yoda again. Can we get moving before he levitates my f.u.c.king bike?a As Jim locked things up and they all went down the stairs, Dog took up res on the back of the couch, and watched them out the window. He pawed at the gla.s.s a little, like he was protesting the fact that head been left out of the action.

aLetas take my truck,a Jim said as he hit the gravel. aLess noise.a aAnd it has a radio, right?a With tragic concentration, Adrian started warming up his voice, sounding like a moose being backstroked by a cheese grater.

Jim shook his head at Eddie as doors were opened. aHow do you stand the racket?a aSelective deafness.a aTeach me, master.a The trip into town lasted about four hundred yearsa"largely due to the fact that Adrian found the cla.s.sic rock station: Van Halenas aPanamaa had never sounded so bad, but that was nothing compared to what happened to Meat Loafas aI Would Do Anything for Love (But I Wonat Do That).a Which evidently referred to Adrianas shutting his piehole.

When they got to the warehouse district, Jim put the kibosh on Adas c.r.a.p-aoke, and head never been so glad to work a volume b.u.t.ton. aThe building is two streets over.a aThereas a parking s.p.a.ce,a Eddie said, pointing to the left.

After they ditched the F-150, they walked down a block, hung a rightie, and what do you knowa"once again, timing was everything. Just as they rounded the corner, a taxi rolled to a stop in front of the door Devina had disappeared into before.

The three ducked for cover and a moment later the taxi rolled past with Devina in the backseat putting lipstick on with a compact mirror in her hand.

aShe never does anything without a reason,a Adrian said softly. aThatas one thing you can take to the bank. Anything that comes out of her mouth is almost always a lie, but her actionsaalways a reason. We need to get in, find that ring and get out fast.a Moving quickly, they went over to the double doors, pulled them open, and entered a vestibule that had as much architectural nuance as a meat locker: Floor was concrete, walls were whitewashed, and the s.p.a.ce was colder than the outside air. The only fixture it had, aside from an industrial-style ceiling light, was a row of five stainless-steel mailboxes and an intercom with a list of five names.

Devina Avale was number five.

Unfortunately, the inside set of doors was secured by a dead bolt, but Jim gave it a yank anyway. aWe could always wait until someonea"a Adrian walked over, grabbed the handle, and pulled one half wide without missing a beat.

aOr you could just open the f.u.c.ker,a Jim said wryly.

Ad flashed his glowing palm and grinned. aIam good with my hands.a aBetter than with your vocal cords, clearly.a He hated working.

Hated spending his days taking ungrateful people around Caldwell in a taxi that smelled like whatever the last driver had had to eat. But the practicalities of life had to be met, and besides, at least the object of his affection tended to stay home during daylight hours.

There was also his ignore policy. He didnat look at his customers, refused to help with luggage, and never talked more than was absolutely necessary. It was a good way to goa"especially given what his nightly pursuits had been like lately: No reason to risk triggering someoneas dim memory. You never knew what people were likely to recall from a crime scene.

Another lesson head learned the hard way.

aHowas my lipstick.a At the sound of the female voice, his hands tightened on the wheel. He didnat give a s.h.i.+t about what some stupid womanas mouth looked like.