The Heist (25 page)

“To Joker’s Wild?”

“Yes.”

“That’s right.”

“Did your boyfriend, Yacazza, ever have problems with Pops Dixon?”

Nancy just stared at her. Michelle narrowed her eyes. “Did he? Did he ever mention my father?”

“He didn’t care for him,” she whispered. “That’s all I can say.”

Michelle grabbed Nancy’s hand and pulled her from the bar. She stormed out of the casino area into the open foyer, then down the hall to the bathroom. Forcing Nancy inside, she locked the door then checked the stalls.

Nancy looked terrified. “I don’t want to get involved.”

“Tell me what you do know. No matter how insignificant you think it is, tell me!”

“I can’t. Yawi is big on loyalty. I don’t know—it’s a Japanese thing—he would be pissed.”

Michelle crowded her space. “Tell me!”

“Yawi was supposed to buy a Chalice from him. Some kind of goblet that has jewels on it. Something Monk Eastman wanted, something they all wanted, but they could never track. Pops said it was kept in plain sight, I think. I saw a picture once…it’s rare; the Nazis stole it from some Czar. I get confused, but it’s not um…um….”

“It’s not catalogued?”

“Yes, it wasn’t catalogued, and Yawi wants it bad. Really bad. But something went wrong and he was really angry. He said things.” Nancy looked away.

“What did he say?”

“He said Pops Dixon was a dead man. He swore it. Pops tricked them. He tricked them all. They all want it but no one knows where it is. Just a few diamonds off of it. I think they call them ‘berries’.”

“Raspberries.”

“Yes. Those are the diamonds.”

Michelle closed her eyes. “Okay…okay.”

“I’m sorry. When I heard he was your father, I felt so bad. Please don’t say anything. Please.”

Michelle stormed out, tasting rage, sadness, and regret. It made her dizzy. Touching the wall, she waited for the room’s spinning to slow down. When it did, she lifted her head and Lee stalked toward her in his tux, his eyes blazing with rage. Tears stung her eyes and when he reached for her, she slapped his hand away. Shoving him off, she ran for the stairs.

Chapter Twenty-One

Michelle whirled around when Lee opened the door. Her hair, now loose, framed her face in an unruly manner. The hairpins were scattered across the floor. Her make-up was streaked over her cheeks from the constant crying. “You knew! You set me up!”

Lee closed the door.

“Answer me! You bought me here knowing full well that one of them killed my father! Everyone on this island knows! You knew! You aren’t looking for the Raspberry Diamonds. You want them to think you are. You’re looking for the Chalice, and you let me work that room to get them worked up, why? Admit it! So that one of them could show their hand and you could strike? You used me and my family’s pain! You asshole!”

“I wanted to spare you this….”

“Bullshit! Bullshit! You’ve been playing me from the beginning. I knew it and I let you only ‘cause I wanted to find some way to destroy you! I
will
destroy you, Lee!”

“Baby.”

“No!” She wiped at her face. “Which one did it? Tell me!”

“I only have my suspicions, I don’t know for certain.”

“Really? Everyone says
you
did it.”

“Of course, they would. I saw how they made moves on you.”

Michelle stepped back. “Are you kidding? You’re jealous? You must be out of your damn mind to think you have any right to be jealous! What do you think I am? Forget that, I know what you
think
I am; I played the role. But not anymore, I’m done. I’m going back to my life. To hell with you
and
the Chalice!”

***

Lee caught her before she made it to the door. He anticipated the blow before it came up against the side of his throat. He grabbed her wrist, but she swung with the other and slammed her fist into his face. She was quicker and more agile than any woman he'd known, but she was still no match for him.

Blinded by the force of her hits, he maintained his hold. He bent her arm back. Michelle grunted but didn’t weaken; she grew even more deadly, elbowing him in the gut. Lee didn’t want to hurt her so he threw her forward. His release of her temporarily confused her. Lee charged her before she recovered, throwing her up against the wall, pinning her with his weight. She bucked and fought to get loose, her eyes squeezed shut. Tears fell.

He kissed her face. “Don’t!” Michelle moaned.

“
Chocolat
, listen to me….”

Grunting, she fought harder. He couldn’t touch her the way he wanted. To touch her would mean he would have to release her, and she would make him kill her before giving in. Especially with her anger controlling her grief. He had played this one wrong. He had hoped that at most she would have seen the truth he put before her eyes, and not the lies beneath. He had underestimated her. This was his fault.

“Listen to me. Pops was no angel! He went against me. He went against the code. He went rogue, and whatever happened after that can’t be laid at anyone’s feet but his own. You know how this works. He had no cover. That was his choice. His choice!”

“I don’t believe you!” she sobbed.

“You have to believe me because this time it’s the truth. No more games. No more lies. I swear it.”

“You’re the King of Lies!”

“Is there anyone here tonight that didn’t envy or hate Pops? Anyone? He was trying for a big score and he wanted an even bigger payout. And I know why.”

She didn’t speak. The constant flow of tears slowed and her body went slack. Lee finally let her go.

“He got caught by the Feds. But turns out it wasn’t the Feds, it’s far worse. A shadow in the government with a reach that goes way beyond anything we control in The Order. After your Boca Raton job, he was tagged and, baby, so were you. Pops could handle anything, but he couldn’t handle you being hurt. So he came to me with a plan. This faceless, nameless organization that wanted to see all the members of The Order destroyed needed to pin the Chalice on us. The damn thing has been here in this country held by this government for centuries. No one could get to it, except the men in our inner circle. That's our Achilles heel, our greed, arrogance, and the Chalice is how they wanted to expose us. Eliminate us all as competition. Then claim ownership of it. Pops said he wouldn’t betray The Order. That we would steal the Chalice and take the Raspberries off of it to release to the world. To prove its existence, but The Order would own it.”

“You mean
you
would own it,” Michelle spat.

“Yes, me. Pops didn’t want you or Sasha involved; he had to go at it alone.”

“So what went wrong?”

“He cut me out of the plan, he leaked to the other men that the Chalice existed. He made bargains with each of them to betray me and give them the Chalice, the diamonds, all of it. They would have control. I would be out and so would you and Sasha.” Lee blew out a deep breath. “Pops set everybody up. No one knew his ultimate reasons. I think he got the location of the Chalice and decided to use it to destroy The Order. He wanted chaos. For every member of the council to cut a side deal and subsequently start a war. He made a fool of me and our friendship.”

***

It made no sense. First she was to believe The Order existed and was founded by her father, now a shadow organization wanted to destroy it with Pops. Denial tightened in her chest. Her father was a drunk. An impossible, regrettable, no-account drunk that couldn't plan anything past his next heist. Or was he? Did she know Pops at all? Did any of them? Michelle closed her eyes as the truth of her father's mission dawned over her anger and bitterness. He was much more than any of these men, and Lee of all people should have known better.

“Say something, Michelle.”

“You are so damn blind!” Michelle yelled at him. Lee gave her a confused look. “Don’t you understand, Lee? He cut you out and me out and Sasha out of all of this to
protect
us. He sacrificed himself so that they would destroy each other, but we would be free. He didn’t betray you, you stupid bastard. He loved you. He was trying to save you, too.”

Lee shook his head. “No.”

“Yes! Why else would he turn everyone against each other, but keep you in the dark? You yourself said that he rejected being part of The Order because he knew the danger and responsibility would eventually harm his daughters. If it's true, if all of it's true, the Feds, these shadow people, the plot to expose The Order with the Chalice, then what choice would Pops have had? He knew you couldn’t be free of it either. So he tried to free you the only way he knew how.”

“No! He betrayed me!”

“And now you’re even. You had me steal those stones, you kidnapped Sasha, and ruined our lives for your revenge. Now you’re even. Happy? Surprised that I know?”

“You heard me and Abahti,” he said dryly, but remorse made his eyes glisten with a plea for understanding.

Michelle turned away from him, sniffing and struggling through her guilt. There was no one she hated more than herself. Pops had warned her.

“
Michelle, baby, let me in.”

“No! Go away, Pops! I told you to not come around here anymore!” she said, pushing hard on the door, but his foot was wedged in too far. “Go away!”

“Then listen to me. I got something big about to go down. I want you and Sasha to lay low. Keep Sasha away from my place. I can’t explain it all now, it’s too risky. But trust me, I’m doing the right thing, baby girl. For all of you. If you don’t hear from me next week, then go see Lee. He will have something for you.”

“Go away, Pops! Stay away!” She kicked at his foot and slammed the door shut.

Michelle looked up at Lee. “Pops told me that if something happened to him to see you. I forgot about it until now. Why did he say that?”

Lee wiped his hand down his face. “I thought he betrayed me, Michelle.”

“Why did he tell me to see you, Lee?”

“There was money, the money he took off the others. He told me before I found out his plan that he wanted me to get it to you if things went bad. But that was before I knew he had this crazy plan.”

“So you just kept it from me?”

“I didn’t know why he did the things he did. He....”

Michelle slapped Lee. Hard. So hard the palm of her hand was shattered with red-hot searing pain. “You told me Sasha had a debt in your club. You had me steal for you, and all the time you had Pops’ fortune. You bastard.”

“I’m sorry. I thought he had betrayed me. I loved him!”

“Liar!” Michelle shouted at him. She stumbled. Her back was against the wall. “You damn liar. You love nobody but yourself. It was your ego that gave you the reason to use Sasha and me. Your ego.”

Lee came closer. “I wanted to spare you this pain.”

“Lies, you’re the King of Lies.”

He took her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. “I’m in love with you.”

“You don’t love me. You’re good at pretending, Lee.” She spoke plainly. “Stop wasting my time and yours.”

“We started out wrong. I admit that. I screwed up, Michelle. Bad. I hate that I let my pain over Pops control me. I hate it, but I can’t change what I’ve done. I had no intention of falling in love with you. But I have. I am. I saw it tonight. I feel it now. I can get you revenge, justice, whatever you want,
Chocolat
baby. But I need you to trust me. Just one last time.”

“No.”

“You know me. I will never let you go. Never. I love you now. It’s bad but I swear it, things will be different.”

She pushed back at his chest pressing in on her.

“I love you.” He kissed her exposed neck and she clenched her fist. “I’m in love with you,” he whispered in her ear. She looked back in his eyes. She hated and loved him still. But mostly, she needed him. She discovered what it was about Lee that was so addictive. When alone with him, no matter how much her mind warned her against it, she was able to feel. Even if it was pain, it was still an emotion. She was no longer part of the walking dead. That was how she had been since she lost Pops and hadn’t allowed her grief to seep in. It was different with Lee; she was alive again. Crazy as it sounded, she felt whole.

Lee cradled her face in his hands. Michelle braced herself, preparing to strike him. But their lips met. His tongue swept the inside of her mouth so gracefully she shivered and exhaled deeply. He groaned and deepened the kiss, angling his head for a better connection. Her hands opened and then clenched once more, before desire crept in and blew out the last flame of anger. She brought her hands to his face and returned his kiss with love. They both felt the difference. He deftly pulled her from the door then ran his hands down her backside and cupped her ass, bringing her into him. She rubbed her lower body against his erection, eliciting a groan from deep inside him.

“I can't stand it. The things you do to me.” He scooped her up in his arms. Michelle kicked off her heels, knowing what being his would bring. She felt herself being lowered to the fluffed cushion of the mattress and pulled him down with her. Her mouth actually ached when his pillow-soft lips left hers. He hovered over her and stared with such adoration. A contradiction in comparison to the ways he betrayed and used her. If she were honest with herself, she'd admit they had used each other. And she understood in that moment they would continue to. Then he lay next to her. Lee pulled her at the hip so she turned to her side, allowing him to wrap his arm around her to bring her to his chest. There, Michelle listened to his heartbeat; strong and powerful, its rhythm calming. His fingers went through her hair, massaging her scalp and soothing her. The deep baritone of his voice seduced her. Every time he touched her, it hurt just a little less and calmed her more.

“Trust me; I need you to let me in.”

Michelle closed her eyes to the request. Trusting him was impossible. But loving him was growing easier and more torturous by the minute. Lee peeled her out of what was left of her dress. When her eyes opened, she looked over at the lustful light in his. “If you betray me again, Lee, I’ll never let you back into my heart. Do you hear me?”