Covet - A Novel of Fallen Angel Part 11

He tried to lift his head to see more clearly, but it was as if the d.a.m.n thing were Velcroed to the back of the sofa, and though he strained until his breath jammed in his throat, he got nowhere.

As the room degraded once more, everything looking like a bad acid trip, he was powerless. Frozen. Both alive and dead.

Devina didnat stay behind him.

She moved around the couch, and his eyes stretched wide as she came in front of him. Her body was decayed, her hands twisted into claws, her face nothing but a skull with strips of gray flesh hanging from the cheeks and chin. Trapped inside his paralyzed body, he struggled to get away, but there was nothing he could do as she approached.

aYou made the bargain, Vin,a she said in a dark voice. aYou got what you wanted and a deal is a deal. You canat go back on it.a He tried to shake his head, tried to speak. He didnat want her anymore. Not in his house, not in his life. Something had changed when head seen Marie-Terese, or maybe it was Jim Herona"although why that guy would matter he hadnat a clue. But whatever the cause, he knew he didnat want Devina.

Not in her beautiful form and certainly not in this one.

aYes, you do, Vin.a Her horrible voice wasnat just in his ears; it vibrated through his body. aYou asked me to come to you and I gave you what you wanted and more. You made a bargain and youave taken everything I brought into your life, youave eaten it, drank it, f.u.c.ked ita"Iam responsible for it all and you owe me.a Up close, she didnat have eyes, just raw sockets that were black holes. And yet she saw him. Just as Jim had said, she saw right into him.

aYou have what you wanted, including me. And there is a price and a payment for everything. My priceais you and me together forever.a Devina mounted him, putting a skeletal knee on each side of his thighs, planting her horrible, shredded palms on his shoulders. The stench of her rotten flesh clawed into his sinuses, and the hard edges of her bones cut into him. Ugly hands went for his fly and he shrank back inside his skin.

Noano, he didnat want this. He didnat want her.

As Vin struggled to open his mouth and couldnat budge his jaw, she smiled, her waxy lips parting from teeth anch.o.r.ed by black gums. aYouare mine, Vin. And I always take what is mine.a Devina sprang his c.o.c.k, which was hard with terror, and stood it up between her parted legs.

He didnat want this. He didnat want her. Noa aToo late, Vincent. Itas time for me to claim you, not just in this world but the next.a With that, she took him, her decomposing body encompa.s.sing his, fisting his flesh in a cold, scratching grip.

The only thing that moved on him, apart from her, was his tears. They ran down his cheeks and onto his throat, getting absorbed by the collar of his shirt. Caged under her, taken against his will, he tried to scream, tried to get aa"

aVin! Vina"wake up!a His eyes flashed open. Devina was right in front of him, her beautiful face drawn in panicked lines, her elegant hands reaching out to him.

aNo!a he hollered. Yanking her out of the way, he lunged to his feet and overshot his mark, falling face-first into the carpet, landing as his gla.s.s did with a hard bounce.

aVina?a He jacked himself onto his back and brought his hands up to fight her offa"

Except she wasnat coming after him anymore. Devina was sprawled on the couch where he had been, her glossy hair on the cushions head been leaning against, her perfect pale skin set off by an ivory satin nightgown. Her eyes were as his had been, wide, terrified, confused.

As he panted, he clutched his pounding chest and tried to decipher what was real.

aYour face,a she said eventually. aG.o.dayour shirt. What happened?a Who was she? he asked himself. The dream orawhat he saw now?

aWhy are you looking at me like that?a she whispered, covering the base of her throat with her hand.

Vin glanced down at his fly. It was closed and his belt was done up, his c.o.c.k soft in his boxer briefs. Glancing around the room, he found everything was as it always appeared, in perfect, luxurious order, the flames from the fire setting the scene off to gorgeous effect.

as.h.i.taa he groaned.

Devina sat up slowly, like she was afraid of spooking him again. Staring down at the liquor bottle on the floor next to the couch, she said, aYouare drunk.a True enough. Dead drunk. To the point where he wasnat sure he could standato the point where he could start to hallucinateato the point that maybe none of that had just happened. Which would be a blessing.

Yeah, the idea that it was all nothing but a bourbon-fueled nightmare calmed him more than any amount of deep breathing.

With a surge, he went to stand up, but his balance was shot, so he lurched around and slammed into the wall.

aHere, let me help you.a He held up his hand to stop her. aNo, stayaa Away. aIam all right. Iam cool.a Vin collected himself and, when head steadied out, he searched her face. All he saw was love and concern and confusion. Hurt, too. She appeared to be nothing other than a spectacularly attractive woman who cared about the man she was looking at.

aIam going to go to bed,a he said.

Vin headed out of the room, and she followed him upstairs in silence. As he tried not to feel stalked, he reminded himself that she wasnat the problem. He was.

When he came to the doorway to the master bath, he said, aGimme a minute.a After shutting himself in, he turned on the shower, took off his clothes, and got under the hot water. He couldnat feel the spray, even on his busted face, and took it as evidence that however drunk he thought he was, he should be a little more generous in his a.s.sessment.

When he stepped out, Devina was waiting with a towel for him. He didnat let her dry him off, even though she no doubt would have done a better job, and he put a pair of pajama bottoms on even though he normally slept naked.

They settled into bed, side by side but not touching, the televisionas flickering like that of a fireplace with blue flames. In a moment of madness, he wondered if the walls were going to melt up here, too, but no. They stayed the same.

On the TV, Fred and Ginger were dancing around, her gown swinging wide, his tails doing the same.

Either Vin hadnat been out for very long or this was a marathon on whatever channel shead chosen.

aWonat you tell me what happened?a Devina said.

aJust a bar fight.a aNot with Jim, I hope?a aHe was on my side.a aOh. Good.a Silence. Then, aDo you need to go to the doctor?a aNo.a More silence. aVinawhat were you dreaming about?a aLetas go to sleep.a When she reached for the remote to turn the TV off, he said, aLeave it on.a aYou never sleep with the television on.a Vin frowned as he watched Fred and Ginger moving in sync, their eyes locked as if they couldnat bear to look away. aTonightas different.a

CHAPTER 16.

Pounding on his door woke Jim up the next morning.

Even though head been dead asleep, he was instantly consciousaand pointing the muzzle of a forty across the studio. With the blinds drawn across the big window in the front and the two small ones down over the kitchen sink, he had no idea who it could be.

And considering his past, it might not be a friend.

Dog, who was tucked in beside him, lifted his head and let out a ripple of inquiry.

aNot a clue who it is,a Jim said, throwing the covers off and going buck naked to the far side of the front drapes. Parting them ever so slightly, he saw the M6 parked in his driveway.

aVin?a he called out.

aYeah,a came the m.u.f.fled response.

aHold on.a Jim put the gun back in the holster that hung on the bedpost and pulled on a pair of boxers. When he opened his door, Vin diPietro was standing on the other side, looking like a hot mess. Although head had a wash and a shave and changed into rich-guy casual clothes, his face was bruised and his expression was grim as h.e.l.l.

aYou see the news yet?a he said.

aNo.a Jim backed up so the guy could come in. aHowad you find me?a aChuck told me where you lived. I would have called, but he didnat have your number.a Vin went to the television and turned the thing on. As he flipped through the channels, Dog went over and gave him a sniffing.

Guy must have pa.s.sed, because the animal sat on his loafer.

as.h.i.taI canat find itait was all over the local news,a Vin muttered.

Jim glanced at the digital clock by his bed. Seven seventeen. The alarm should have gone off at six, but head obviously forgotten to set the thing. aWhatas on the news?a At that moment, the Today show turned it over to a local update, and the Caldwell stationas almost beautiful announcer looked into the camera with gravity.

aThe dead bodies of two young men that were found in the eighteen hundred block of Tenth Street early this morning have been identified as Brian Winslow and Robert Gnomes, both aged twenty-one.a Pictures of the college meatheads he and Vin had taken care of flashed on the screen to the right of the blondeas head. aThe two were the apparent victims of gunshot wounds, their bodies found by a fellow clubgoer about four oaclock this morning. According to a CPD spokeswoman, the pair were roommates at SUNY Caldwell and were last seen headed out to the Iron Mask, a local hot spot. No suspects have been named as yet.a The camera angle changed and she turned into the new lens. aIn other news, another peanut-b.u.t.ter recall has beenaa As Vin glanced over his shoulder, his demeanor was focused and calm, which suggested he was not unfamiliar with having his a.s.s in a crack with the police. aThat guy with the mustache and gla.s.ses who looked down the hall when we were fighting could be a problem. We didnat kill them, but chances are good itas going to get complicated for us.a True enough.

Turning away, Jim went over to the cupboards and took out the instant coffee. Only half an inch of grounds were left in the jar, not enough for one, much less two cups. Which was fine; it tasted like swill anyway.

He put the jar back and went to the fridge even though there was nothing in it.

ah.e.l.lo? You there, Heron?a aHeard what you said.a And he wished like h.e.l.l someone hadnat shot those two idiots. Getting into a fistfight was one thing. Being implicated in a shooting was another entirely. He was confident enough in his false ident.i.ty on a local levela"after all, it had been created by the U.S. government. But what he didnat need was his old bosses up in his face again, and getting flagged for murder by the CPD was going to pop him onto their radar immediately.

aIad like to keep this as quiet as possible,a he said, closing the refrigerator door.

aMyself as well, but if that clubas owner wants to find me, he can.a That was right; Vin had given the prost.i.tute theyad rescued his card. a.s.suming the black duffel had been hers, and she didnat toss the info, the link was there.

Vin leaned down and gave Dog a scratch behind the ears. aI doubt weare going to be able to keep totally out of this. I have excellent lawyers, though.a aI bet.a c.r.a.p, Jim thought. He couldnat just bolt out of towna"not with Vinas future hanging in the balance here in Caldwell.

Well, wasnat this complication just what the situation needed.

Jim nodded at his open bathroom. aListen, Iad better get showered and go to work. The guy whose house Iam building can be an a.s.shole.a Vin looked up with a half smile. aFunny, I feel the same way about my bossa"except I work for myself.a aLeast youare self-aware.a aMore so than you. Itas Sat.u.r.day. So you donat have to go to the site.a Sat.u.r.day. d.a.m.n, head forgotten what day of the week it was. aI hate the weekends,a he muttered.

aMe, tooa"so I work my way through them.a Vin glanced around and focused on the two laundry piles. aYou could always neaten this place up.a aWhy bother? The one on the left is the clean, the right is dirty.a aThen you should do your laundry, acuz thereas a mountain-molehill thing going on that doesnat bode well for fresh socks.a Jim picked up the pair of jeans head had on the night before and tossed them onto the amountaina of dirties.

aHey, something droppeda.a Vin bent down and picked up the little gold earring that had been in the front pocket since Thursday night. aWhere did you get this?a aIn the alley behind the Iron Mask. It was on the ground.a Vinas eyes locked on the thing like it was worth more than the two bucks it had probably cost to make and the fifteen it had cost to buy. aMind if I keep it?a aNot at all.a Jim hesitated. aWas Devina home? When you got back?a aYeah.a aDid you work things out?a aGuess so.a The guy disappeared the gold hoop into his breast pocket. aYou know, I saw you handle that kid last night.a aYou donat like to talk about Devina.a aMy relationship with her is no one elseas business but mine.a Vinas eyes narrowed. aYouave been trained to fight, havenat you. And not by some strip-mall martial-arts academy.a aKeep me posted if you hear anything from the police.a Jim went into the bathroom and cranked on the shower. As the pipes groaned and rattled, an anemic spray arched out and fell onto the plastic floor of the stall. aAnd donat worry about locking the door behind you. Dog and I will be fine.a The guy met Jimas eyes in the little mirror over the sink. aYou are not who you say you are.a aWho is.a Abruptly, a shadow pa.s.sed over Vinas face, like he was remembering something horrible.

aYou okay?a Jim frowned. aYou look like youave seen a ghost.a aI had a bad dream last night.a Vin dragged a hand through his hair. aHavenat quite shaken it.a Abruptly, Jim heard the guyas voice in his head: Do you believe in demons?

As Dog whimpered and started limping back and forth between the two of them, the hairs on the back of Jimas neck tingled. aWho was the dream about.a Not a question.

Vin laughed tightly, put a business card on the coffee table and went for the door. aNo one. I didnat know who it was about.a aVinatalk to me. What the f.u.c.k happened when you got home?a Sunlight poured into the studio as the guy stepped out onto the stairwellas landing. aIall let you know if I get contacted by the police. You do the same. I left my card.a There was no pushing the subject, clearly. aOkay, fine, you do that.a Jim recited his cell number and wasnat surprised when Vin memorized it without writing it down. aAnd listen, you might want to stay away from that club.a Christ knew adding a set of jail bars to this equation was not going to make things easier. Plus, Vin had looked at that dark-haired prost.i.tute the way he should have been staring at Devinaa"which meant the less time he was around her, the better.

aIall be in touch,a Vin said, before shutting the door.

Jim stared at the wooden panels as heavy footsteps went down the stairs and then a powerful engine started up. After the M6 crackled down the gravel drive, he went over and let Dog out and then hit the shower before his half-gallon hot-water tank had nothing but cold to offer.

As he soaped himself up, the question Vin had asked the night before echoed again.

Do you believe in demons?

Across town, Marie-Terese sat on her sofa and stared at a movie she wasnat watching. It was herafourth in a row? Fifth? She hadnat slept the night before. Hadnat even tried to put her head on the pillow.

Vin was in her mindain her mind and speaking in that strange voice: Heas coming for you. Heas coming for you.

When head gone into that bizarre trance in the locker room, the message that had come out of his mouth had been terrifying, but his fixated eyes had been even worse. And her first response? It hadnat been, What the h.e.l.l are you talking about? No, shead thought to herself, How do you know?

Having had no idea what to do or how to handle herself, much less him, shead bolted out of the locker room and told his friend to go in there.

She looked down at the business card in her hand. Turning it over for the hundredth time, she stared at what head written: Iam sorry.

She believed thata"

The ring tone that lit off beside her scared the h.e.l.l out of her, making her jerk so badly the card flipped from her hand and went flying.

Catching her breath, she reached for the cell phone that was next to her on the sofa, but the call failed before she could see who it was and answer it. Just as wella"she didnat feel like talking to anyone and it was likely just a wrong number.

The little Nokia was the only phone she had. The one in the kitchen that was wired into the wall didnat have a dial tone because she had never activated the line. The thing was, however private you could make a residential phone number, people could still penetrate the ident.i.ty shield more easily than they could a mobile, and she was all about anonymitya"which was why she had looked only at rentals that had utilities included in the monthly rate: It meant that the bills remained in her landlordas name, instead of being switched to hers.

As she put her phone down, she thought of the past, to the way things had been before shead tried to leave Mark. Back then, her sonas name had been Sean. Her name had been Gretchen. Their last name had been Capricio.

And she was actually a real, live redhead. Unlike Gina at the club.

Marie-Terese Boudreau was a total lie, with the only thing shead kept true being her Catholic faith. That was it. Well, that and the debt with the lawyers and the private investigator.

At the time, after everything had gone down, shead had the option of entering into the witness-protection program. But cops could be boughta"G.o.d knew her ex and his capos had taught her that. So shead done what shead had to with the district attorney, and when Mark had pled out, shead been officially free to run east, getting as far away from Las Vegas as she could.

G.o.d, shead hated having to explain to her son that they were going to change the names they went by. Shead been worried that he wouldnat understandaexcept when shead started to explain, head stopped her. He knew exactly why it had to happen and had told her it was so no one could know who they were.

That facile knowledge had broken her heart.

As her cell whistled again at her, she picked it up. There were few who had the number: Trez, each of the sitters, and the Center for Single Mothers.

It was Trez and the connection was bad, suggesting he was traveling.

aEverything okay?a she asked.

aDid you see the news?a aIave been watching HBO.a As Trez started talking, Marie-Terese grabbed for the remote and went to the local NBC station. Nothing but the Today showa"

The local update chilled her straight to the bone.

aOkay,a she said to him. aAll right. Yes, of course. When? Okay, Iall be there. Thanks. Bye.a aWhatas wrong, Mama?a Before she looked over at her son, she gathered the reins of her face and reeled her expression in. When she finally turned toward him, she thought he seemed closer to three than seven in his pjas with his blanket dragging on the floor.

aNothing. Everythingas fine.a aYou always say that.a He walked over and shuffled up onto the couch. When she handed him the remote, he didnat change the channel to Nickelodeon. Didnat even glance at the TV. aWhy are you looking like that?a aLike what?a aThe bad time is back.a Marie-Terese reached over and kissed his head. aItas going to be okay. Listen, Iam going to have Susie or Rachel or Quinesha come over and sit with you for a while. I have to go in to work for a minute.a aRight now?a aYes, but Iall get you breakfast first. Tony the Tiger?a aWhen will you be back?a aBefore lunch. Just after, at the latest.a aOkay.a As she went into the kitchen, she dialed the Center for Single Mothersa babysitter service and said a prayer as the ringing started up. When she got voice mail, she left a message and went through the motions of filling up a bowl with Frosted Flakes.

Her hands trembled so badly, they actually helped the cereal out of the box.

Those two college kids from the club were dead. Shot in the alley behind the parking lot. And the police wanted to talk to her because the clubgoer whoad found the bodies had reported seeing the pair hara.s.s her.

As she took out the milk, she told herself that it was just a coincidence. People got violently mugged downtown all the time, and those kids had clearly been on drugs. Maybe theyad been trying to make a buy and the transaction had gone south.

Please let it not have anything to do with her, she thought. Please let her old life not be catching up with her.

Vinas voice rippled through her head. Heas coming for youa.

Resolutely shutting that part of things out so she didnat lose her mind with fear, she focused on the fact that in less than a half hour she was going to be sitting down with the police. Trez had seemed confident that her cover was going to stick, that the whole Iam-just-a-dancer was ironclad. But G.o.dawhat if she were arrested for what she did?

See, this was another thing shead learned from her husband: If you lived a life with a shaky foundation, the walls could cave in on you pretty d.a.m.n quick once the cops got to asking questions.

It had turned out that was really why head had to hit the road. He and his afriendsa had killed one too many of their aclientsa in the abuildinga trade and the feds as well as the locals had come after them. The one saving grace for her was that as a mere wife, she hadnat had a clue about the way the mob had worked. His mistress, on the other hand, had known much more and been brought up on charges as an accomplice.