Every muscle tensed, but I kept a calm exterior. I looked back at him but didn’t respond.
“Because if you value this little partnership— and your life, for that matter, you will stay far away from her.”
“I didn’t know my social life was part of our deal.”
He stood up. I was a good head taller than him, but I was unarmed and he wasn’t. “I don’t give a fuck about your social life. I just want to make sure that Miss Starfield is not part of it.”
I swallowed back the dryness in my throat but decided not to say anything. The man was aching for a fight from me this morning, but the scale was leaning his direction because of the Colt in his holster and the grim reality that I was surrounded by his loyal, armed servants. One thing I knew for sure, I wouldn’t stay away from Charli, and if the weasel ever put a hand on her, then our partnership would come to a quick, bloody end.
“The fact that you’re not denying it says it all.” I wondered if he’d just wait for me to walk out and then shoot me in the back. “See, my partnership with Buck has some other perks besides taking money from easily duped gamblers.”
My jaw clenched. I could hear my teeth grind together. I stared at him, again steadfast, but now, rage flowed from me.
He picked up his gun and looked lovingly at it before pushing it back into his holster. “While that show is in town, that girl is off-limits to you. She’ll be busy with me.”
“Is that right? Does Charli know about this?” I knew it was suicidal to even get into a conversation like this with him, but he’d stepped into territory that I could no longer ignore.
“I’ve made my interest clear. And she has no real choice in the matter.”
I couldn’t hold back a short laugh. “Then, clearly, you don’t know Charli. She’s not exactly the kind of woman you can order around.”
“So, you are seeing her?”
I met his glare with my own.
“Not anymore,” he sneered through thin lips. “Charli will come around when she realizes that it’s life or death for that stupid fucking circus show. And now it seems I have one more thing to hold over her. She might not be the kind of woman you can order around, although I’ll give it my best shot, I assure you. But I’m sure she’s also not the kind of woman who wants to be responsible for the deaths of others.”
Badly, I wanted to reach across the fucker’s desk and pound in his bird nose.
He smiled. “From the look on your face, country boy, I’d say you understand me completely. Now get the fuck out of my office and get to work.”
Chapter 14
Jackson
Gideon leaned down to view the sky through the front windshield. “Those clouds will be here before midnight. Looks like a downpour.” He glanced pointedly down at the bottle of whiskey clutched in my hand. “What’s eating you? You’ve been like one of those thunderclouds all fucking day, dark and ready to piss icy rain all over everyone.”
I took another swig and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
“Shit, Jackson, you keep chugging down that brown, and you’ll be canned before we even get to the carnival.”
“That’s what I’m working on.” I’d left Breakers with my fists curled and wanting to break every thuggish face in the place. Griggs’s warning about double crossing him had been meaningless. I hadn’t planned on stepping out of line when it came to delivering the whiskey, but when he told me to stay away from Charli, our partnership took a steep dive.
“Yeah, I see that. But you haven’t told me why. Your face has been pinched like that since you came out of Breakers.”
“Gid, I told you I don’t want to talk about it. The man is an asshole, and I’m beginning to regret even starting up with him.”
“Seems to me that Bodhi and I warned you plenty about that.”
“Yep, you did.”
“Still, the money is nothing to complain about. We just need to keep our noses clean and not give Griggs any reason to put a bullet in our skulls.”
The car hopped temporarily off two tires as Gideon turned onto to the swath of dirt that had become the makeshift carnival parking lot. There were a lot of fancy cars parked along one side.
“Looks like Georgetown must be off for summer,” Gideon said with an edge of irritation. He shut off the car. “Now those candy talking college Joes will be all over the place. And they’ll be hanging around Rose’s show with their puny college boy hard-ons and their slick pick-up lines.” It seemed suddenly that my brother’s mood had sunk down next to mine.
I handed him the jar. He grabbed it and took a drink. “I’ll have to avoid Rose’s show, otherwise someone might end up bloodied and crying for their mama.”
“The amateur fight ring is open. From what I hear, Hector, the carnival strongman, is unstoppable. Griggs plans to make a lot of money off the poor saps who bet against him. Maybe you should step in the ring and blow off some steam.”
Gideon snorted. “Why the hell would I want to get into a punching match with a circus sideshow freak?” His mood seemed to grow more sour by the minute.
I grabbed back my bottle. “Well, with the way I’m feeling, I just might volunteer myself. I figure either I’d blow off some steam or get pummeled enough to not give a damn about anything.”
***
“Jeeez, that looked painful.” I pulled my eyes away from the stumbling fool in the fight ring. The man’s nose was definitely not in the same place it had been when he’d first climbed between the ropes, full of bluster and delusions that he could take on Hector. The Starfield strongman had white blond hair that was shaved close to his head. His handlebar moustache was waxed into curls on the ends, and his one piece jumpsuit had a leopard skin print. It was cut deep in the chest and arms to show off his muscles, of which he had plenty.
The cheers of people who had bet on the giant brute of a man bounced off the sides of the tent. In between the excitement, the disgusted groans of people who had bet against Hector circled the risers. Nothing about this new moneymaking venture looked anything remotely like a carnival show. If it weren’t for the wide red stripes jutting down from the pinnacle of canvas at the top of the tent, Gideon and I could just have easily been sitting in a dark, smoke filled basement watching two, unskilled boxers go at it.
It was hard to hear each other over the noise in the tent. Gideon leaned his head close to mine and tried to yell discretely by covering half his mouth with his hand. “What I can’t figure is how they’re planning to make any money. It’s obvious that giant bull, Hector, is going to slam all his opponents to the mat. Eventually, people will figure that out. In a week’s time, no one will be betting against him.” Fist hit bone again, and a long, low moan rolled through the crowd as if they were feeling the pain of the man getting his face pulverized.
“I think I’ve got it figured out,” I yelled back, not giving a fuck if anyone overheard our conversation. A lot of flasks had been passed around the tent, and it seemed most of the spectators were too bent to give a damn. “They build this monster up to be unbeatable, then they fix the fight. They stick in some goof and pay off their strongman to take a dive. They bet on the fake fighter and everyone else bets on Hector. They’ll sweep up.”
“Hadn’t thought of that. I guess that’s why you’re the smart one.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “Well, I’d love to stay and chat, little brother, but I’ve got a date with a perfectly sculpted, perfectly kissable exotic dancer.” Gideon got up and pushed his way through the crush of bodies. I glanced around at the sea of bobbing heads. I had seen a few of Griggs’s goons but not the man himself. The whiskey edge I’d walked in with had worn off. My mood had cooled some. As long as she still wanted to be with me, I was going to see Charli. There just wasn’t a damn thing Griggs could say or threaten, short of actually killing me, that was going to keep me away from her.
/> Buck had made an appearance early in the fight, but he’d slinked back out. According to my watch, Charli was just finishing. Watching her race around in that sphere with no protective gear was too hard. I’d gone once more to watch her and had spent the entire show gritting my teeth together so hard, I could hardly move my jaw to speak for a good hour after. For five years, I’d convinced myself that no one would ever belong with me except Ella, but Charli had worked her way into my heart. I spent half the day thinking about her and the other half figuring out when we’d have time to get together again. And, in between, I wished to hell that time would stand still. The thought of her leaving, driving off in the big parade of carnival trucks, saying good-bye forever, was too much to bear. I had to put it out of my mind.
I got up and followed my brother’s cue. I’d promise to meet Charli after her show. Besides, the fights were so one-sided, I’d lost interest. I pushed open the flaps of the tent. The temperature difference between the fresh night air and the sweaty, squalid atmosphere in the fight tent was stark. The coolness helped clear the last bit of whiskey fog from my head.
The storm clouds were close enough now that I could smell the coming rain. The carnival closed in half an hour and only a few stragglers milled around the game booths. Everyone was, no doubt, still gathered around the stunt show. I headed in that direction and met a steady stream of spectators leaving, many of them chatting excitedly about the beautiful Enchantress and her show. It was all such a contradiction, and yet, after getting to know Charli, it all seemed completely believable that she could ride a motorcycle and perform dangerous stunts. The more I thought about the stage name, the more I realized that it fit her. She’d definitely enchanted me.
The glow of lights around the risers looked like a fake sun trying to push its way up over the massive mesh sphere. The cheering had died down, and the motorcycle was no longer roaring. As I reached the show area there was a large crowd gathered around something in the center of the yard. Something had caught everyone’s interest. They seemed too quiet.
My heart banged wildly against my ribs, and painful shards of that horrible day when I’d lost Ella returned. “Charli,” I said, under my breath. I ran toward the circle and elbowed people rudely out of my way, trying to get to the center. “Charli!”
I jammed past the last layer of people. There in the center of the circle stood the beautiful, copper haired girl who had stolen my heart almost from the first moment I’d laid eyes on her. She’d pulled a coat on over her costume. She handed a man in a Georgetown University sweater a paper and pen. As she grabbed another pad of paper from another admirer, she caught my face in the crowd. She smiled brightly at first, but I hadn’t wiped the look of worry from my face yet.
She quickly signed her autograph and walked over to me. “Are you all right? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.” There was still a thick circle of fans around her. They continued to shove handbills, kewpie dolls, hats and anything else that might take pen ink at her.
“I— “ I shook my head. “I saw the circle and I thought—”
“You were worried,” she finished for me. She pressed her hand against my face and kissed me. A hurricane of cheers and whistles followed.
“Is that Jackson Jarrett?” I heard an unfamiliar male voice say from somewhere in the crowd. “It just figures that he’d be the one to get the kiss.” Laughter rumbled around the circle.
“How much longer will you be?” I asked.
“Just a few more minutes.”
“I guess I have no choice but to share you with your adoring fans, but I sure as heck don’t like it.” I kissed her nose. “I’ll meet you by your tent.” I squeezed back through the press of bodies, this time garnering angrier glares than when I’d rudely elbowed my way in.
The first sporadic drops of rain fell as I strolled across to the living tents. Most visitors had gone home. Some of the carnival workers had started preparing for the coming rainstorm. Tarps were carried out to cover the game booths, and wood panels were shut around the kiddie rides. As I walked across the midway toward Charli’s tent, a familiar voice floated out from the maze of canvas. As always, it made my jaw tighten. It was Griggs. The other voice belonged to Buck. They were standing somewhere in the center of the tents, and as hard as it was to hear them over the canvas flapping in the wind, I knew they were waiting for Charli.
I headed back across the midway. The circle of fans had dispersed, and Charli was walking toward me, swimming in an oversized coat, her muscular golden legs peeking out with each graceful stride. She smiled when she saw me and it occurred to me that there just wasn’t any damn thing better than that smile.
I glanced back toward the tents but didn’t see Griggs, or anyone else for that matter. As I turned forward again a bolt of lightning cracked the black sky. It was immediately followed by loud thunder.
Charli shrieked and ran straight into my arms. She giggled. “Jeez, I’m a ninny. I can’t believe that scared me.”
“Then my plan worked.”
She smiled up at me. “I know you’re good at making the earth move.” She winked. “But I hardly think you can take credit for the weather.”
“Maybe not. But I do find it ironic that you have no problem riding your motorcycle upside down in a metal cage or wearing a giant snake around your shoulders, but a little bad weather sends you running. Not that I’m complaining.” I put my arm around her shoulder and we walked. I steered her in the direction of the car, but her feet attempted to turn toward the tents.
“I need to get changed.”
“Not tonight,” I said. “You’ve got an unwanted visitor waiting for you outside the tent, and he makes Rusty seem like a cuddly teddy bear.”
It took her a second to catch my meaning. “Griggs?”
“Yep. So, let’s get out of here.” Heavy raindrops began to drum a beat on the ocean of canvas surrounding us. The ground beneath our feet, already soft from being trampled by hundreds of carnival attendees, began to pool into slippery puddles. We stepped around the deep ones and headed to the parking lot.
“But what about Rose?”
“Gideon and Rose are already at the car.” Raindrops had turned to sheets of cold water by the time we reached the Model T. The windows were heavily steamed, and the car was standing in one place but moving plenty.
I rapped a knuckle on the driver’s window. Rose’s muffled shriek pinged off the glass. Gideon smeared clear a small circle and scowled out at me. His coat was off and his shirt was open. “Go away, Jackson.”
Charli reached for the back door. It was open. She climbed in amidst protests from the front seat. I climbed in after her. “Sorry to interrupt, but it’s coming down heavy out there, and I’m in my costume.”
Gideon pulled his shirt together. Rose straightened herself out as well. My brother looked back at me. “You’re lucky there are ladies in the car. Now get your ass back out there and crank the motor.”
I climbed back out. The thunder and rain had been joined by a turbulent wind. It pushed against me as I leaned down and grabbed the lever. Wet weather always made the car motor stubborn. I was soaked through to my skin by the time the engine fired up.
I jumped back inside, and in a futile attempt to warm us up, Charli pulled off her coat and held it over both of us. The coat was just as wet as our clothes, but it was the perfect opportunity to sit close to her.
Gideon pulled out onto the road. Our old Tin Lizzy was anything but air tight. Misty rain squirted through every available opening. The large arm of the window cleaner vibrated over the windshield, providing only a small swath of clear glass. Gideon had to work the car levers and the windshield lever all while hunching his massive frame down low enough to see through the one clear spot. “Next car we buy will have one of those newfangled automatic window cleaners. Hey, Jacks, we were going to head over to Belle’s and ha
ve a piece of pie. Bodhi told me she baked a dozen peach pies today, the first of the season. I just hope she still has some left. Then we’re heading to Breakers for a few rounds.”
I looked down at Charli. With her big eyes and long wet lashes, she looked like a wet kitten who’d been left out in the rain.
A faint glimmer in her golden brown eyes told me she was thinking about the same thing as me, and it had nothing to do with pie. “I think we’ll pass, Gid. Could you just drop us off at the house?”
“A different kind of dessert for you two, eh?” Gideon said.
Rose winked back at us. “It’s a good night to get cozy.”
“Should we just go straight home too?” Gideon asked.
Rose reached over and wiped some lipstick off of Gideon’s chin. “Heck no. I want pie.”
Chapter 15
Jackson
Bodhi and Noah had decided to go with Gideon and Rose. My ‘get the hell out’ glower had probably helped with their decision. Charli and I would have the house to ourselves. We used my drenched coat to shield us as we ran for the door. The dogs were happy to plod in behind us and found a place on the kitchen rug to shake and dry themselves.
After having Charli snuggled against me in the backseat for the whole ride home, I was ready to explode.
Wet sequins shimmied along her slinky little costume as she dropped her coat on the kitchen chair. The brassiere style top moved up to just below her breasts, exposing the creamy, gold skin of her stomach, as she reached up to smooth the rain-soaked, copper strands from her face. I swallowed hard and curled my fingers into balls to keep myself from lunging at her like an animal.
“Would you like something to drink?” There was a hitch in my tone. Restraint was taking its toll on me.
“I would love a cup of tea if you have one.” She pulled out a chair. I nearly groaned in disappointment that we’d be sitting for tea.