Thirty-Five and a Half Conspiracies (14 page)

“You’re gonna have to walk like you don’t have anything there, but it has to be facing your inner thigh or else they’ll be able to see it.”

I slid my shoe back on. “Is the safety on?”

“No. You won’t have time to switch it off if you need it.”

“What’s to keep me from shooting my leg off?”

“The trigger is behind the elastic. You’ll be safe.”

I looked up at him and searched his face.

“I don’t like it any better than you do,” he said. “But if we succeed in getting a meeting set up with the senior Simmons, it’ll be even more dangerous than this one. You’ll need to practice drawin’ it out quickly.”

I swallowed.

“We’ll practice,” Neely Kate piped up, now standing behind Jed. “In the field behind the farmhouse. And with any luck at all, Joe Simmons will be snoopin’ around again, givin’ me just cause to shoot him.”

Jed gave me a questioning look, but I just shook my head. “Never mind. Let’s go.” I slid to the center of the backseat, my stomach in knots.

Neely Kate started around the front of the car, but Jed called out her name. She spun to face him, her eyes blazing. She was ready for a fight.

“If you’re goin’, then you can drive,” Jed said. “I outrank you.”

A grin spread across her face, and she looked up at him and winked. “For now you do.” Then she slid behind the wheel. “Nice car.”

Jed groaned as he shut both of our car doors and walked around to the passenger side.

“Where to?” Neely Kate asked.

“We’re heading west. Out to Westminster, but don’t leave yet.” He pulled his phone out his pocket.

“Westminster?” Neely Kate asked. “That’s neutral territory, right? No one’s staked a claim there.”

Jed jutted his head back in surprise. “How’d you know that?”

Neely Kate rolled her eyes. “Please.”

I placed my hand on the front seat and leaned forward. “She knows things, Jed. Don’t question it.”

He looked at his phone screen, then shifted his gaze to me. “She has the gift of sight?”

“No. She knows them the good ol’-fashioned way. Snoopin’.”

I sat back as Neely Kate gave him a smug grin.

Jed shifted in his seat to face Neely Kate. “Gentry’s laid claim to it, but there’s an undercurrent of anger in the community. Quite a few people don’t like him there. We might be able to use it to our advantage.”

“Where are we meeting him?” I asked, feeling the gun between my legs. The weight of it made me even more nervous about this meeting.

“You got any other guys comin’?” Neely Kate asked. “As backup?”

“Yeah. But I don’t want Gentry knowin’ that. That’s why we’re holding up a minute.” He turned to me. “Before I tell you where, I want you to have a vision.”

“What?”

“Force a vision and see how this all plays out.”

That was actually a great idea. “Okay, but I have to touch one of you.”

“Me,” Jed said. “If one of our guys turns traitor, he’ll definitely go after me. And if Gentry double-crosses us, he’ll take me out first too.”

“So either way, you’re a goner?” Neely Kate asked dryly.

“Neely Kate!” I shouted.

“What?” she looked at me in the mirror. “It’s true.”

“Jed’s not goin’ to be a goner. I’ll put a stop to it.” There was no way I was going to let anything happen to him. I literally owed him my life.

I put my hand on his shoulder and closed my eyes, thinking about what was going to happen when we showed up for the meeting.

Darkness filled my vision, and for a few terrifying moments, I thought I was seeing Jed’s death, but it quickly gave way to a neighborhood road.

In the vision, I was sitting in the passenger seat of the car as Neely Kate pulled up to the curb in front of a small white clapboard house that had seen better days. A faint glow lit up the curtain-covered windows. I looked around, but I didn’t see anything worrisome, so I said, “Okay, let’s do this.”

As soon as I opened the door and stood, I heard a gunshot and ducked behind the door.

“Lady. Get down!” I growled as I spotted the shooter. He was in the window of the neighboring house, his shotgun pointed out the second story window. The cocky bastard hadn’t thought I’d seen him. It was Bert Winnowman, one of Skeeter’s men. I took him out easily with one shot, even though I wished I could have played it out to make him suffer.

Another shot rang out, but I expected this one. If Bert was part of this, his buddy Gil was a player too.

Gil was on the other side of the street with his gun aimed right at us, which made it awkward for me to get a shot at him. Several more shots rang out, one coming through the middle of the windshield. Then Gil fell flat on his face. Neely Kate was turned in her seat, her arm sticking out the window, her gun pointed across the street.

“Rose?” I called out in panic.

“I’m okay,” I heard myself say.

“Any more?” Neely Kate asked.

I scanned the street. “No. Let’s go. The police will be on their way any minute.”

The vision faded, and I blurted out, “Bert Winnowman is a traitor. He and his friend Gil tried to kill us when we pulled up to the house.”

Jed’s shoulder tensed under my hand. “I suspected as much.”

“And you asked him to guard us anyway?” I asked in disbelief.

“No, that’s why I asked you to have a vision first.”

“So what are we gonna do?” I demanded, pulling back my hand.

“I’m gonna tell Merv to take out the trash,” he said, sending a text. “Where were they?”

“Bert was in the house to the left, up in a second story window. Gil was across the street hiding in a bush.”

He nodded and sent another text.

“So we’re not meeting Gentry after all?” I asked.

“We’ll still meet him, but I’ll suggest we meet at the old fertilizer plant instead.” Jed glanced back at me. “Can you have a vision of that?”

“Yeah.” I returned my hand to his shoulder. I started to look for what would happen if we met Gentry at the fertilizer plant, but at the last moment, I made it more generic—what would happen when we met Gentry.

The vision filled my head in seconds. We walked into a warehouse. I set the pace, while Vision Rose and Neely Kate filed in behind me. Mick was waiting for us at a table, and Bull, the former manager of Mick’s strip club, sat beside him. They stayed seated, and I moved to one side, letting Vision Rose stand next to me at the head of the table.

“The infamous Lady in Black,” Gentry said in an amused voice. “I’m honored to be in your presence.”

“Did you try to have us killed?” Vision Rose asked in her Lady voice, a sultry mixture of culture and confidence.

Gentry sat back, a huge grin spreading across his face. “Your own men were more than willing to take care of that for me.”

“Not
my
men,” she said with an air of disgust. “You can see why I’m here.”

Gentry’s eyes twinkled as he waved to a chair. “
Now
we have something to talk about. Let’s get down to business.”

The vision faded, and I said, “Gentry thinks I’m working with him because Skeeter’s men have turned against me.”

Jed pushed out a sigh of relief. “Then it worked.”

Neely Kate turned to him. “You
planned
that?”

“It took care of two things at once. We got rid of two guys I suspected had turned, and Gentry’s suspicions about the Lady have been smoothed over.”

“What reason did you give Gentry for the meeting?” I asked.

“That Skeeter’s men had turned on you and you were looking for a new alliance.”

Something slimy coursed through my veins. “I feel like I’m betraying Skeeter.”

“That’s how we have to play it.” He checked his phone and sent another text.

“That’s pretty smart,” Neely Kate grudgingly admitted.

A slow smile spread across Jed’s face. “Merv says it’s done. Part two should kick in soon enough.”

“Done?” I asked. “What does that mean?”

“I sent Merv and another guy over there in a car similar to mine.” He looked over his shoulder at me. “They were where you said they’d be, which made it easier.”

“They’re dead?”

He shrugged. “Their choice. And don’t you feel an ounce of guilt over it. They would have killed you, no hesitation.”

In theory, I knew he was right, but it didn’t make it any easier to accept.

“Do we head to the fertilizer plant now?” Neely Kate asked while I wrestled with my conscience.

“No,” he told her. “Now we wait. Ten to one, Gentry wasn’t even at the original meeting place. A stupid man would have figured there wouldn’t be a meeting at all—we’d show up and be eliminated, end of story. But Gentry’s not stupid, so he probably guessed we’d escape the trap. Once he gets the all-clear that we survived, he’ll let us know where to meet.” He looked down at his hand. “And there it is.” He studied his screen.

“Well?” Neely Kate sounded short. “Don’t keep us in suspense. What’d he say?”

“He wants to meet at a warehouse up in Columbia County.”

My heart seized in my chest. “I can’t leave the county.”

Jed glanced back at me. “If you get picked up by the police, you’ll have bigger problems than breaking your bail terms.”

That made my anxiety even worse. “Will Glenn Stout lose all his money?”

His eyes narrowed. “Like I said, I don’t give a shit about Stout’s money. Not that Glenn Stout is even his name.”

I considered sharing the information we’d found out about the courier but decided to let Mason deal with that one.

“What do you want to do?” Jed asked, fully turned to study me.

“My vision was in a warehouse,” I mused, staring out the windshield. “And Mick Gentry seemed happy to see me. I say we go.”

“Okay.” Jed turned around. “Let’s do it.”

I wondered if I was making the worst mistake of my life.

B
etween giving Neely Kate directions
, Jed lectured her on how to behave and what to expect.

“I still think you should stay in the car,” he said.

“No,” I interrupted. “She took out one of the guys in my first vision. You got Bert, but Neely Kate took care of Gil. No hesitation.” That part worried me a bit. That she’d reacted so quickly. But in a situation this dangerous, that could only be a good thing.

“Well …” Jed drawled. “Okay, but you’ll need a name.”

“I’ve been thinkin’ about that.” She grinned. “I like Black Orchid.”

“This isn’t a superhero show, Neely Kate,” I groaned.

“Well, your name is odd.”

“And given some time to think, I would have chosen something more normal. Besides, I didn’t even choose it at all.” I would have done a lot of things differently, but given everything I knew now, I was pretty sure I would have still gone through with meeting Skeeter on that cold November day. I still saw the Lady in Black as our best—and maybe only—chance to save all of us.

“How about Lily?” I asked. “You can be Black Lily in your head, but we’ll drop the black.”

She pursed her lips and glanced into the rearview mirror. “It sounds exotic. I like it.”

Jed shook his head. “You two are gonna be the death of me.”

I sure as hell hoped not.

The warehouse was a good fifteen minutes over the county line. It was out in the middle of nowhere, which was probably a good idea given the potential for collateral damage.

Jed told Neely Kate to pull around to the west side of the building. There were three other parked vehicles there, one of them a pickup truck. Neely Kate had lost her bubbly smile and was now silent and stoic.

“Rose, do you want to have another vision?” Jed asked quietly.

He was nervous. I’d never once seen him nervous—cautious, yes, but not nervous—and it spooked me.

“Yeah.” I put my hand on his shoulder one more time and thought about what would happen at the meeting.

The vision started as soon as I closed my eyes. We were in the car, pulling away from the warehouse.

“That went better than I expected,” I said in Jed’s deep voice.

“You’re kidding me,” Neely Kate said in disbelief.

I turned to her, finally letting myself relax as we drove away. “At least we got what we wanted.”

The vision ended, and I said, “We got what we wanted.” I took a deep breath and repeated what I had seen.

“Okay,” Jed said, his hand on the door handle. “It sounds like it might not go smoothly, but we’ll get what we’re after in the end. Stay on your toes.”

“Deal.”

Jed and Neely Kate both got out of the car, and Jed opened my door, offering me his hand. Neely Kate stood next to the front of the car, her gaze fixed on the doors of the warehouse. She looked more serious and focused than I had ever seen her.

I grabbed Jed’s hand and climbed out, the gun between my thighs making me feel awkward and a little off balance. Jed grabbed a small bag off the floor of the backseat. He handed it to Neely Kate, and she hung the long strap on her shoulder without question.

What did Jed have in that bag?

My stomach was tied up in a heavy ball that slowed my steps. Jed was leading the way, and Neely Kate was following behind me.

A kid met us at the entrance. He was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, and he looked to be in his late teens. He was medium height and lanky, so his shirt swam on him. His eyes were wide with fear.

“Carlisle?” the kid asked.

It took me a second to realize he was talking to Jed.

“Yeah.” Jed’s answer was gruff, and he pushed back his jacket to show the kid the gun in his holster. “Where’s Gentry?”

The boy swallowed. “I’ll take you to him.”

Jed slowed until I was about a foot behind him, and Neely Kate moved closer to my back. My skin was prickly, and I was beginning to have major second thoughts about this whole scheme.

The boy led us through a maze of shelves stacked with boxes toward a door with a glowing rectangular window. Neely Kate’s and my heels clicked against the concrete floor, echoing in the large space, and I wondered if I should get quieter shoes. But my Lady in Black persona was all smoke and mirrors, and it needed to stay that way to distract the dangerous people I was meeting from the fact that I was nobody Rose Anne Gardner, not some rich and powerful woman from Louisiana. Rose wore boots to dig in the dirt. Lady wore fancy high heels to poke out someone’s eye should it come to that.

The heels would remain.

The kid opened the door, and Jed stopped in the doorway, his broad chest blocking my view.

“Carlisle,” a familiar voice called out. “I see you made it. Did you bring the guest of honor?”

Jed stepped to one side, and I walked through the doorway, surveying the room. It was a lot like my vision. Mick sat at the head of the table while two men sat on either side of him. One of them was Bull.

I’d stood in front of both of these men once before, only they’d been in total control last time, and I’d been desperate to save Mason’s life. While my motivations were not so different this evening, neither man knew it. A feeling of hopelessness washed through me, but I shoved it down. This man thought I had something he wanted. I would do well to act that way.

He stood and his eyes lit up, though with evil, not with glee. “The infamous Lady in Black. I’m honored to be in your presence.” He made a slight bow.

His condescension pissed me off. “Did you try to have us killed?”

I felt ridiculous repeating what I’d seen in my vision, but altering anything could change the vision of us driving away safely. Vision Neely Kate had already suggested things would get a little hairy.

Mick sat down and leaned back in his seat. “Your own men were more than willing to take care of that one for me.”

“Not
my
men,” I spat out. “But you can see why I’m here.”

Gentry’s eyes twinkled as he waved to a chair. “
Now
we have something to talk about. Let’s get down to business.”

Jed pulled out a chair for me, and I sat directly across from Gentry. Jed and Neely Kate took the chairs on either side of me.

Gentry turned his attention to Neely Kate, his gaze immediately dropping to her cleavage. A slow grin spread across his face as his eyes rose to meet hers. “Who do we have here?”

“None of your business,” I said in a harsh tone. “She’s with me.”

He smirked, then slowly shifted his attention to Jed. “And you? You turned on your man?”

Jed’s steely gaze bored into the other man. “Let’s just say a man needs to serve his own interests.”

“I never saw you as a turncoat.”

To his credit, Jed didn’t flinch. “Malcolm took off, and I’m not about to lose everything.”

“And her?” He pointed toward me.

“She’s an investor with a sharp business sense. I see no reason to let her loose, even if Malcolm’s no longer in the picture. I’ve pledged my loyalty to her.”

Mick tilted his head, staring at Jed. “Why should I trust you? How do I know she’s not his whore?”

Jed nodded to Neely, who put the bag on the table and slid it toward Gentry.

“Proof we’re serious.”

Mick opened the bag and pulled out a stack of money. He released a low whistle. “There must be fifty thousand in here.”

“One hundred,” Jed said, his voice firm.

Crappy doodles. That was more money than I’d ever seen at one time. Where had Jed gotten that much cash?

“You makin’ a deposit?” Mick asked, flipping through the bills.

“No,” I said, interrupting Jed. I was supposed to be the money person. “It’s a show of good faith. Jed is my associate, but I’m the money source. Just like you have a money source.”

Mick’s eyes narrowed. “I have my own damn money.”

I sat up tall. “Let’s get one thing straight, Mr. Gentry. I can cut through bullshit like a knife through butter. I consider you barely one step above Skeeter Malcolm right now. Jed claims you are a sound investment, but I’m skeptical. Like Mr. Malcolm, you’re hiding from the law. That makes you unstable and unreliable.”

He clenched his fist. “If that’s your opinion, why are you here?”

“
Opinion?
” I asked. “What properties do you own in Fenton County? Your strip club burned to the ground. What else do you have?”

“I have a distribution ring in Big Thief Hollow.”

“Which was busted by the sheriff weeks ago and hasn’t regained its footing since. Frankly, I think I’m backing the wrong horse.”

Mick scooted his chair back and banged his palm on the table with a loud thud. I was proud of myself for not flinching. “Your man here said you wanted to discuss a partnership. All I hear is you insulting me.”

My hands were in my lap under the table, but I lifted the hem of my dress slightly, my trembling right hand just below the band on my leg. “Mr. Gentry,” I said with forced patience, “you are not your own man. You have been bought and paid for. I would love to continue my presence in Fenton County, but you’re not even there. We’re currently in Columbia County. I want to either meet your backer and hear his long-term goals, or I’ll find a surer bet for my investment.” I shot him a dismissive sneer as my fingers grabbed the handle of my gun. “I don’t deal with middlemen.”

Mick’s face reddened and he released a loud growl as he stood, flinging his chair behind him. He turned his attention to me, looking about ready to lunge across the less than three-foot-wide table to throttle me.

Jed tensed, but I had already pulled out my gun.

“Go ahead, Mr. Gentry,” I said, pointing the weapon at Mick’s forehead. “Make another brash move, and I’ll eliminate the middleman all together.”

Bull made a move for his weapon, but Jed already had a gun trained on him.

Mick cursed a blue streak, teaching me a few phrases I’d never heard, but I just stared at him with feigned patience, trying to hide my fear and keep the gun steady. My heart was pounding so hard and fast in my chest, I struggled to catch my breath.

Mick’s eyes narrowed. “I’m going to kill you. I’ll wrap my hands around your neck and squeeze the life out of you.”

My heart skipped a beat, but it was galloping so fast I barely noticed. “I’m sure your benefactor doesn’t want that. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here talking with me now. Am I right?”

He didn’t say anything.

“
Sit down
, Mr. Gentry.”

If looks could kill, I would’ve splattered around the room in a million small pieces. But Mick retrieved his chair and sat, looking like he was about to have a stroke.

“Are you ready to have a civilized discussion?” When he didn’t respond, I continued. “Here’s what is going to happen. You are going to call your benefactor and tell him that I’m giving him forty-eight hours to contact me to set up a meeting. If I don’t hear from him within that time, I’ll set up my own operation in Fenton County. Mr. Malcolm’s run off, and Jed’s pledged his loyalty to me, so I’ll have him take over.” I pushed out a breath. “But frankly, I like to have equal partners, not just underlings. So tell your benefactor that I have a plan for Fenton County that will increase his investment tenfold within a few short years. But I need to meet him face to face, and he’ll need to tell me his own plans for the county.”

“He’s never gonna meet with you,” Mick spat out.

“I think he will,” I said with more confidence than I felt. “Forty-eight hours.” I stood, still pointing my gun at him. “Jed will send you my number. You will call or text me.
I
am in charge now.”

If I’d just pissed off Jed, he hid it well.

“Now slide that money back over, please,” I added sweetly. “That isn’t for you.”

Gentry gave the bag of money a forceful shove. Neely Kate zipped it closed and slung it over her shoulder.

“And be sure to tell your benefactor that I refuse to meet in backwoods hovels. I’ll name the place, and it will be civilized.” I lifted my chin. “We’re leaving now, and if you try to touch one hair on any of our heads, you will regret it until your dying day, which will be much, much sooner than you’d like.”

Neely Kate headed for the door first, and I backed up until I reached the doorway. Jed was close behind, still facing the two men, his gun trained on them until he left the room. Then he gave his attention to the door.

Neely Kate made a beeline for the exit, but I whispered, “Slow down.” She set a slower, more purposeful path. I wasn’t about to let those guys think I was intimidated by them, even if I was.

We exited the building and quickly climbed into the car. Neely Kate started it up and drove across the parking lot toward the road.

Jed looked over his shoulder, his gun still out. “What the hell was
that
?”

“That was me taking charge.”

“He would have killed you, Rose.” He was furious.

“No, he wouldn’t have. Besides, I put him in his place.” I still had the gun in my hand, so I set it down on the seat next to me.

Neely Kate turned toward Fenton County, and Jed continued to look out the window. “It looks like they’re not gonna follow us.”

“Even if they did, they wouldn’t do anything,” I said.

Jed still didn’t look happy. “We may have gotten what we wanted, but we royally pissed him off.”

“He was too full of himself,” I said. “He was gonna try to broker a deal on his own. We need J.R.”

“You should have let me handle it!” Jed shouted.

“But the Lady in Black is supposed to be in charge!”

“I was negotiating!”

“And I was
right there
. And now I look a helluva lot stronger.”

“I’ll say you looked strong,” Neely Kate finally said, awe in her voice. “Are you like that every time?”

“Yeah,” Jed mumbled, obviously still unhappy. “And she’s gotten bossier every time.”

I shot him a dirty look.

Neely Kate shook her head. “I didn’t even recognize you in there.”

“I’m glad you didn’t, because I’m scared to death J.R.’s gonna figure out who I am.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Jed said. “But we’re gonna have to do damage control. Skeeter’s bound to find out we’ve turned on him.”