Full Speed

  "It's nothing. Just give me something to wrap around it."

  Victor passed him a clean handkerchief.

  "What do you want me to do with the dog?" Rudy asked.

  "Kill him." Nick looked at Jamie. "Use the same knife you used on Rawlins."

  * * * * *

  Detective Pete Sills reached for the telephone and mumbled into it. He looked at the clock on his nightstand. Six-thirty in the morning.

  "Detective Sills, my name is Helms, and I'm with the FBI. Could you spare me a few minutes of your time? It has to do with the Rawlins case."

  Sills sat up and rubbed his eyes. "How can I help you?"

  "I think maybe I can help you."

  * * * * *

  "No-o-o-o!" Jamie screamed. She lunged across Nick's lap and half-fell from the car. Fleas rushed over to her even as Rudy reached for him. "Don't kill him!" Jamie cried, pounding Rudy's thighs with her fists, even as Nick tried to pull her back into the car. "For God's sake, Nick, please don't kill him. Please, oh God, please!" She burst into tears.

  "Hold it," Nick said to the man.

  Rudy paused, knife in hand.

  "The dog is dangerous," Nick told Jamie. "Look what he did to my hand."

  Jamie saw the blood soaking into the handkerchief. "It's my fault," she said, sobbing against him. "Fleas goes berserk at the sound of country music. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. You won't have any more trouble with him. I promise." She looked up. Nick's eyes were hard. "Nick, I swear to God I'll do anything."

  Nick didn't seem to be listening.

  "If you kill the dog you may as well kill me, because I'm not going to cooperate."

  Nick sighed. "The dog comes with us," he said. "Keep the radio off." As Rudy loaded the dog in the back once more, Nick looked at Jamie. "This is your first and last warning: One false move and the dog dies."

  * * * * *

  Sweet Pea's airport was no more than a length of asphalt beside a small building. A twin-engine aircraft waited, lights flashing on each wing, the stairs lowered and ready for boarding.

  The pilot and co-pilot wore crisp uniforms and nodded at the group as they assisted Nick's men in loading the luggage. Nick helped Jamie out of the Hummer as the pilot waited at the bottom of the steps. Fleas sidled up to Jamie.

  "Jamie, I'm afraid we can't take the dog," Nick said.

  She blinked at him. "You promised."

  "It's not really up to me."

  "Bullshit. You make all the rules."

  "I can't risk taking the animal on board an aircraft. Not after what happened earlier."

  "I've already explained—"

  "Rudy will see that Fleas has a good home."

  "I'm not going without him, Nick."

  "Don't be difficult, Jamie. I have enough to worry about at the moment. I'll buy you a new dog when we get to where we're going. You can have as many pets as you like."

  "I don't want a new dog."

  Rudy stepped up to Nick. "We've got trouble." He nodded toward the road that led to the airport.

  Jamie turned in the direction they were staring. She sucked in her breath at the sight of her truck bouncing along the road, Max at the wheel.

  Nick looked at Jamie. "How did he find out?"

  "You're asking me?"

  "You spoke with him earlier."

  "And you heard every word of my conversation. I never mentioned we were going to the airport, he figured it out for himself. I think you underestimate Max."

  "Get on the plane."

  "Not without my dog."

  Nick slapped her hard. "Either you get on the plane now or I order Rudy to shoot him."

  Jamie tasted blood. "I don't take orders from you!" she shouted. "I'm not one of your boys. You shoot my dog and you'd better be prepared to shoot me, because I'm going to do my best to kill you with my bare hands. I will not get on that plane without my dog, you got that?"

  "What the hell do you want me to do about Holt?" Rudy asked as Max turned onto the road leading to the landing strip.

  "Kill him and the dog both."

  Jamie almost choked on her anger. She grabbed Nick by the collar. "Leave them out of this, do you hear me? I said I'd cooperate, but you have to keep your part of the bargain. Nick, I'm telling you, you do not want to piss me off."

  He almost looked amused. "Are you trying to frighten me, Jamie?"

  "No, I'm just telling you what a bitch I can be. You leave my dog behind and you're going to regret the day you climbed in an airplane with me. And from the way you talk, we're going to be in the air a long time. Think about it."

  Max parked the truck close by and climbed out. He looked at Jamie, noting the blood on her lip. "You know, Nick, I didn't like you before, but I like you even less now. I don't have much respect for a man who would strike a woman."

  "You act as if that matters to me, Mr. Holt," Nick said. "You're as good as dead. Why should your opinion of me matter?"

  "You plan to shoot an unarmed man in front of your new girlfriend? She doesn't like you to begin with; why risk alienating her further?"

  Nick merely smiled.

  "Your egg is fried, Nick."

  "Meaning?"

  "The jig is up."

  "Not exactly." With lightning speed Nick pulled Jamie against him and put a gun to her head.

  Jamie felt as though her heart would literally take flight from her chest. Damn her and her mouth. "Nick, I was sort of exaggerating about how nasty I was going to act on the plane. Why can't we just leave Fleas with Max and get going?"

  "She's lying, Nick," Max said. "You don't do things her way and she turns into Satan's daughter."

  "You two obviously think this is funny," Nick said. "Max, tell me: How would you like to watch my man Rudy cut Jamie like he did Harlan? Would you find that funny? I think her death would be harder on you than your own."

  "Damn," Max said. "You just implicated yourself in Harlan Rawlins's murder."

  "We both know he was already dead. The fool was popping pills like they were candy."

  "You were his supplier; you knew exactly what you were doing. Some pills just don't mix, and you knew that."

  "You're right. Harlan overdosed, but I just wanted to leave my mark on him, and Rudy is so good with a knife."

  "I wouldn't pull that trigger if I were you," Max said. He nodded toward the airplane, where an elderly gentleman stood at the door of the craft.

  Nick turned and froze. "What the hell?"

  The pilot assisted the man down the steps. Once the men had cleared them, the pilot stepped aside and the other man crossed the short distance to where they were standing.

  "Hello, Nicholas."

  "Uncle Leo, what the hell are you doing here?"

  Rudy and his partner lowered their rifles and stepped back.

  "I see you've managed to dig your hole deeper. Give me the gun, Nicholas."

  He gave a short laugh. "Are you kidding? Do you know who these people are?"

  "Yes. And do you know what will happen to the Santoni family if you kill Max Holt and Miss Swift?" He didn't wait for Nick's response. "It's time for you to come home. This is the last time I'm going to ask nicely."

  "Are you out of your mind, old man?"

  "Give me the gun, Nicky. Don't dishonor me in front of these people."

  Nick seemed to ponder it. He started to lower the gun, then jerked it back and aimed it in the direction of his uncle. He pulled the trigger, and the man jerked as the bullet hit him square in the chest. Jamie screamed as Leo Santoni fell to the tarmac, but not before she saw Nick and his men aim their guns in Max's direction.

  "It's your turn, Holt," Nick said. He'd barely gotten the words out of his mouth before more shots were fired. Jamie watched in horror as Nick and Rudy crumpled to the ground. Where the hell were the shots coming from?

  Max reached for her, and the two pilots cleared the steps, each of them armed. Jamie went willingly into Max's arms. From the corner of her eye she saw Nick move. He raised his gun and
aimed in her direction. In a split second Max was in front of her, and Fleas pounced on Nick. His gun went off, and the animal howled and went down. Another shot was fired at Nick's head and he fell back.

  Jamie screamed and buried her face against Max's chest, not wanting to see any more bloodshed. Finally, she broke free from Max and ran to her dog. "Fleas, no!" she screamed. "Please don't die. Please don't die."

  Max was beside her in seconds. "He's going to be OK, Jamie."

  "He's not going to make it," she said, choking back a sob. "He took a bullet for me. He's going to die out here with a bunch of mobsters." She kissed the dog on the top of the head. "He looks so sad, Max. He knows he's dying. I was such a bad master, and he knew it. He probably took the bullet on purpose."

  "He always looks sad, Jamie, and he is not likely to die from a wounded tail."

  "What?" Jamie looked up.

  "The bullet nicked his tail, babe, that's all."

  Jamie rose and quickly surveyed the damage. Obviously, a bullet had indeed nicked Fleas's tail about six inches up from the tip. "Is that all? Jeez, there's not even that much blood. Good grief, what a sissy!"

  "I'm sure it still hurts like hell," Max said.

  As if acting on cue, Fleas moaned.

  One of the pilots dropped to his knees beside them. "Are you two OK?"

  Max nodded. "Yeah."

  "How's the mutt?"

  Max chuckled. "I believe he'll live."

  "The others are dead. I've already phoned headquarters."

  "Who are you?" Jamie blurted.

  "Agent Decker with the FBI, ma'am. You sure you're OK?"

  "I'm having a nervous breakdown, and I skinned my knee. Other than that—"

  "You don't know how long we've waited to get Santoni off the streets, but he was always one step ahead of us."

  Jamie stared at Max. "Why was Leo Santoni on the plane?"

  "I called him," Max said. "He was trying to convince Nick to come home before he did more damage to the family. I told him I'd hand over Nick in exchange for our safety. I didn't mention I was contacting the FBI. I feel bad that it ended this way."

  "Don't," Agent Decker said. "Leo might look old and frail, but there was a time he was as bad as his nephew." The man glanced at Nick, sprawled on the tarmac. "I don't think he would have fared any better with the Santoni family." He gave a satisfied sigh. "We've already picked up Tom Bennett for questioning; we're going to find out who all was on Santoni's payroll."

  Jamie refused to look in the dead men's direction. That didn't mean she was sorry they were dead, though. "There's a sheriff's deputy," Jamie said. "I think he may have been working for Santoni. His name is Bill Higgins."

  Decker jotted it down. Finally, he offered Max his hand. "Mr. Holt, you managed to help us get two of the most powerful men in the Santoni family off the street. Once we seize their property and their computers we'll be able to learn more about the operation."

  "You may not be able to break the code," Max said. "I've been trying."

  "Helms said we could count on you for assistance."

  "Yeah, he would say that. By the way, I have another job for you guys. I want you to pick up the man who heads up my mergers and acquisitions, pronto. I want a full investigation. I strongly suspect he's involved in this somehow."

  "Right away, Mr. Holt."

  Jamie shot a startled look in Max's direction. "What about Dave? Is he?"

  "I spoke with him earlier. They stitched him up; he's fine."

  Fleas, obviously having come to the conclusion he was no longer the center of attention, stood and shook, his big ears flapping in the light breeze. Finally, he sat down and started licking his wounded tail. As though discovering it wasn't as bad as he'd thought, he began licking his privates.

  Jamie grimaced. "I hate when he does that!"

  Decker patted the dog on the head. "Headquarters is sending people right away, Mr. Holt. In five minutes this place will be crawling with cops, probably a couple of local reporters. It would be best if you and Miss Swift weren't here when they arrived."

  Jamie looked at Max.

  He met her gaze. "You know how I hate publicity."

  "What about my story?"

  "Jamie, we have to talk."

  "No, Max, I'm not going to back down this time. I specifically came here for my story." Then she remembered Rudy had taken her notepad. "Oh, damn."

  "What is it?" Max asked. "Lost your notes?"

  Epilogue

  Max began at the nape of her neck, nuzzling the little indentation at the top of her spine, then running his tongue downward, touching each vertebra as he went. Jamie shivered and buried her face against the feather pillow. Max's big hands skimmed her hips, slightly rough against her smooth skin. He trailed his fingers down one thigh, behind one knee, down her calf.

  Finally, he coaxed her onto her back. And studied her.

  Her face was lovely, her cheeks heightened a dusty rose that hinted at her own arousal. Her blonde hair was rich and glowing, the color of ripened wheat, wisps framing her face, loose tendrils brushing against gently sloping shoulders. Her skin seemed to glow.

  She was perfect in every way. Each curve, each swell, looked as though a master artist had sculpted it.

  Jamie's eyes fluttered open as Max scooted upward on the bed and covered her mouth with his. It was the kind of kiss that women only dreamed of, the kind they could sink their hearts into. Max parted her lips with his tongue and tasted her. Jamie felt a ripple of pleasure as his hand cupped one breast.

  Jamie opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. Morning. She felt the coarse sheet beneath her; the smell of pine trees and a bloodhound that was in dire need of a bath had replaced the scent of lavender. "Aw, shit," she muttered.

  At the foot of the bed, Fleas rolled over and looked at her. He had obviously sneaked up on the bed during the night.

  "OK," she said, "so I was dreaming about sex again. With Max," she added. "It happens all the time." She sat up, and her hair tumbled into her face. Her sleep shirt was wrinkled, and she needed to find her toothbrush. Why couldn't she be as gorgeous as she was in her dreams?

  "Welcome to the real world, Jamie Swift," she muttered.

  * * * * *

  Dave did not look happy when Max and Jamie entered his hospital room. He was wearing a dark frown and a surgical mask.

  "What's wrong?" Max asked.

  "What's wrong?" Dave echoed, his voice muffled from the mask. He pulled it down. "I'm in a hospital surrounded by illness and disease and you ask me what's wrong? Not only that, I'm risking my life being here. Do you have any idea the number of people who are killed each year in hospitals simply because a doctor or nurse makes an error? I'd have a better chance on an open battlefield."

  "How long are they keeping you?" Jamie asked.

  "Another day at least. They're giving me antibiotics to fight off an infection, but they don't think I should be treated for rabies because, well, because—"

  "Yeah?" Max said.

  "I'm not exhibiting any symptoms." He suddenly laughed. "And believe me, I've checked."

  Max and Jamie laughed with him.

  "I don't know how you guys managed to put up with me," Dave said, still chuckling. "You probably need a vacation. I need a vacation from myself."

  "My private plane is at your disposal," Max said. He reached into his pocket for his business card. "I've listed a number on the back. Call this person when you're ready to check out of this hotel." He paused. "I'd like to see you back at work in a couple of weeks."

  Dave took the card. He raised his eyes to Max's, and they exchanged smiles. "Hey, man, I'm really glad we got Santoni."

  * * * * *

  An hour later, Max pulled into the parking lot of a small Catholic church. "Why are we stopping here?" Jamie asked.

  "I have an appointment with a priest. You want to get hitched while we're here?"

  Jamie rolled her eyes. "What's this really about?"

  "I'll be right back
."

  Jamie watched him go. "Muffin?"

  "I'm here."

  "Why is Max meeting with a priest?"

  "He's making an anonymous donation to the community. You didn't hear it from me."

  Max rejoined Jamie a few minutes later.

  "You never fail to amaze me," she said once he'd climbed into the truck and started the engine.

  "Oh, yeah?" He looked at her.

  "Yeah."

  "Does that mean we're going to have hot steamy sex when we get back to the cabin?"

  Jamie felt her face grow hot. Well, OK, that wasn't the only body part that warmed at his words. "I, um, well—"

  "Easy for you to say," Max teased.

  * * * * *

  Max was in the process of packing his belongings when Jamie hung up after talking to Vera. She frowned at him.

  "What'd I do this time?"

  "You bought me a car. A red Mustang," she added. "Vera just told me."

  "I felt bad because your other car got shot up by Santoni's hit man. I didn't want you to be without transportation while it's in the shop."

  "What am I supposed to do with two cars and a truck? My driveway isn't big enough."

  "That truck is on its last legs."

  "That truck will be running long after your so-called Maxmobile gives out, Max. Besides, I have to keep it for Fleas. I'll park it in the backyard and grow flowers around it."

  They were interrupted by a knock on the door. "That's probably the guy with the trailer."

  * * * * *

  "I don't believe this," Max said once they were on the road. "I have seen a lot of dumb things in my day, but I've never seen anything as dumb as this."

  "I agree," Muffin said. "It's pretty dumb."

  "It doesn't look that dumb," Jamie muttered, although she was careful to stay low in the seat so those in traffic couldn't see her.

  Max glanced her way. "You don't think we look strange driving a worthless pickup truck and pulling a two-million-dollar car?"

  "Just so Fleas can ride in the back of the truck with us?" Muffin added. "I hope my laptop friend at MIT doesn't hear about this. I'll never be able to live it down."

  "Do you have any better suggestions?" Jamie asked. "We didn't have time to get Muffin reinstalled in your car, which is why you refused to let me go back to Beaumont in my truck."