CHAPTER TWENTY


Jace pulled into the same diner from before. Ritto's was just as small and
with the same three cars. I doubted it got new customers, but Jace had proved
it's food was worth an extra trip.


I watched for the waitress, but she never emerged from the back.


Jace chuckled and shook his head, "She's not working and for the record—I
don't know her."


At my blank look, he relaxed against his seat, and commented, "That's what
you were thinking last time, wasn't it? I watched you when you were watching me.
You're not as good as me, Maya. That's why you stayed behind last time, right?
You wanted to see if she'd watch me or something?"


"What are you talking about?"


"I'm talking about you. I come here a lot, Maya. Cassandra's been my waitress
before and yes—I'm aware that she likes me."


"So if I asked to call the phone number that she snuck to you—it would ring
her phone?"


Jace laughed. "Yeah, like that's going to happen."


"Why not? What's wrong with proving me wrong?" I countered smoothly.


"Because you're doing this same power trip thing that's plagued us since the
beginning. I'm not giving the number and it's not because you're right. I'm not
giving it to you because I don't give a shit what you know and what you
don't."


Really?


A flag had just been thrown down and I was quick to respond with my own… "So
have you ever really not fucked Rafe?"


Jace whirled his startled eyes to mine and proclaimed, "Are you serious?"


"Pretty much."


He threw his hands in the air and cried out, disgusted, "I don't get what
purpose your little 'bait' just provided. I don't get it—enlighten me.
Please."
"If you don't care about proving me wrong, give me the note. Don't
care enough to let me satisfy my own 'pathetic' thirst for answers. Give me the
note."


"No."


"Jace."


"No." He said disgustedly. "Why should I?'


Another circle, here we come…


"Jace." I sighed. "You just said you didn't care."


"Well, I care a little." He exclaimed. "I'm irritated and my pride is saying
to just 'screw you' right now—so no, you're not getting the goddamn phone
number."


"Because you have nothing to prove?" I supplied, but it was actually a
bait.


Jace shook his head, chuckled in self-appreciation, and stood up abruptly.
"Come on, let's go."


"What?"


"I changed my mind. I don't want to eat here. Let's go."


I was left confused, but I followed at a sedate pace as Jace swept out the
doors and strode towards the car. As I approached the door, a rich socialite
bounded up to me, proclaimed an owning hand to my arm, and asked in a rush,
"Who's that guy?"


"Excuse me?" I pointedly picked off the owning fingers and dropped her hand
away.


She didn't acknowledge the disdain that rolled off my shoulders, but her
hazel eyes that were costumed in glittering make-up pierced the windows and
stared at Jace's rigid back. He had taken to leaning against the car, waiting
for me.


"That guy is hot! Who is he? You guys don't seem like you're together. I
mean…are you?"


She was one of them.


She was not one of mine and I could imagine a Cora sitting at her table,
preening to be just like the peacocks.


Strutting their stuff, magnificent to the eye, and a prize to be caught.


She flipped her golden locks over her shoulder and said brightly, "I'm Star.
I mean—that's not my real name, but that's what my friends all call me."


"I don't talk to people like you." I said swiftly.


"Whatever." Star's hand blocked my exit and she pressed, earnestly, "Look,
your guy is hot. Introduce me…come on! It'd only take a few seconds and I'd be
out of your hair. I can almost feel your distaste for me, but to each her own,
right? Intro me. Please."


"Star!" Her table giggled and called out her name. They all looked the same.
Dressed after a heavy night of drinking from whatever party they had left, in
the same get-up, and they stopped for breakfast at some backwoods watering
hole.


There were four of them. Two more blondes, a brunette, and a jet-black haired
girl. I'm not one to describe with simple hair colors and let that be the label,
but in this circumstance—I was willing to make an exception.


"You want me to introduce you?" I asked, coolly.


"Yes!" Star's eyes nearly leapt in suspended excitement.


"Why?" I asked flatly.


"What? He's hot!" She could've added an extra sentiment of 'duh.'


"Look at him. I mean—closely. Really look at him." I said intently.


Confusion and caution now clouded over Star's hazel eyes, but she did and she
looked back to me, questioning.


"He's not someone who'll be immediately tongue-tied around you. You said
it—he's hot, but he knows it. And he uses that. So how are you going to get what
you want from him?"


She shrugged and sparked a smile, "I was going to talk dirty and flash some
boobs."


"And that'd get a lot of other guys, but not him. He's intelligent. He's
going to be looking for more than that."


"What do you think I should do?"


"I think…" I wasn't sure what I was going to say, but Cassandra walked from
the back in that moment.


She stopped short as she saw Jace outside, but she never saw me.


She paused, bit her lip, fidgeted with her hands, and decided a second later.
She walked around us, brushed against my arm, and approached Jace.


The door swung shut behind her, but I heard her call out, "Hey…"


Jace swung his head around, stared with no reaction, and smiled
delightfully.


He never looked for me and he seemed the epitome of an appreciative male for
the beautiful female form before him.


"Ah!" Star gaped. "Look at that! I should've just gone up to him myself."


Cassandra's hands twisted in her apron that had been tied to her slim hips
and she wore a checkered shirt that barely covered her stomach. A pierced belly
button showed and Jace liked that image.


I stared as it hit me—I was supposedly there for my brother and yet, I'd
barely thought about him.


Star was ignored and forgotten while I stood there and watched as a few
realizations slammed forth within me—"Hey!"


Torn from my damning thoughts, I blinked, startled, as I saw one of Star's
friends staring at me, self-righteously, as she glanced over her shoulder to a
sullen Star at their table.


"What'd you say to my friend?" She demanded to know.


Jace lifted his eyes and found mine through the door.


He watched me as I watched him. The peacock follower faded from my reality
and I felt my heart pounding against a tightened chest. I felt a hand press down
on my chest, but—"I'm talking to you!"


Star's friend again.


"What?"


The moment was lost—whatever it was—and I turned to deal with the
Peacock.


"Hello! Star's upset. Why?"


"I don't know. I was just talking to her." I shrugged it off and found myself
turning to watch Jace again.


"No. I'm not leaving until you tell me what you said to her." She stomped her
foot.


She was one of those girls who thought the world revolved around her and
their friends. If a word passed someone's lips that didn't center around them or
teased at a spark of irritation—no matter how brief—she was one of those girls
that'd find the other crying girl in the bathroom and head out to fight the
nonsensical drama that only flared because of their insecurity and alcohol.


I wasn't one to strip down and belittle, but she tempted me.


Instead, I smiled sweetly and replied, "I'll introduce her if she really
wants it."


Whatever accusations or harsh exclamations of selfishness that would've
passed through the Peacock's frosted lips choked off. With a dash of a blush to
the cheeks, the Peacock turned, stiffly, and stalked towards the Head
Peacock.


Star could've gasped, but she tried to conceal her leap of excitement.


She failed, but I wouldn't tell her secret.


With a sardonic brow lifted in the air, I held the door open and Star swept
through. She had expected me to open the door for her, but I shook my head in
dry amusement.


Jace still lounged against the car, Cassandra turned to the new arrivals with
a short frown and concern in her face, but Star took the show.


"This is Star." I introduced.


Jace appraised the situation quickly, invisibly, and snuffed it efficiently
when he replied, "Thanks for bringing my girlfriend out here. She tends to
linger in places where she's not wanted."


Star gasped, choked on her flare for outrage, and turned heel to stalk back
inside. It had happened so quickly and really nothing had even occurred.


Cassandra looked hesitant, but she smiled timidly and murmured, "I should get
back to work. Nice to see you again…"


She meant Jace, but she waved a futile hand to me.


I sighed in defeat and took my seat in the car.


Jace chuckled, like always, and remarked as he drove out of the lot, "For a
professional con, you sucked it up back there."


"Shut up."


I turned to watch the window so I didn't catch the slight tensing at his jaw
or how his fingers were stiff and firm on the steering wheel. And I didn't see
the sideways glance that he threw towards my back.


He'd won—again, but even though I didn't see all that. I heard the abrupt
silence. There were no more chuckles, no talk of farting, or any other nonsense
that showed Jace's good mood—forced or real.


And that told me something.


Jace drove to a different restaurant. It served seafood cuisine and as we
walked into the chilled interior, the biting air of the salted sea slammed
against us in full force. We smelled a lingering aroma of shrimp with lobster
and the splashes of the tanks that outlined the entire perimeter of the room
added to the feel of being at sea.


The hostess started to lead us to a section of tables in the middle of the
restaurant. Jace thought differently and asked if we could sit in a booth, in
the back corner. She was game and led us around three tanks that blocked our
booth from the rest of the restaurant.


As we sat and felt the cool breeze that wafted off the tanks the surrounded
us, I remarked, "Seafood?"


Jace shrugged and picked up the menu.


I watched the tanks and saw that I could see through them to the restaurant,
but I couldn't see to where I now sat when I was on the other side.


It gave us a sense of privacy and freedom to observe who we wanted to
observe.


Jace had picked the booth on purpose, for that exact reason, and I knew he'd
been to the restaurant before.


"So what you normally get?" I asked and leaned back.


Jace wasn't surprised. He replied easily, "Veal cutlet and a shrimp
salad."


"You don't get lobster?"


"Lobsters good, but it's messy here."


I ordered what he ordered and after our drinks were served, I asked, "Why
didn't you want to eat at the other place?"


Jace checked his watch and casually watched the front door. He leaned closer
and drawled, bored, "So…I told you that my expedition last night was unexpected,
right?"


I had been reaching for my drink, but my hand paused and returned to my lap.
I looked up and saw his keen attention focused on me.


The frontdoor swung open. Five men, dressed in business suits, all walked in
and headed towards the back section—the private section.


I saw it all in the background, but I saw his eyes first and foremost.


"What are you talking about?" I asked quietly.


"Time to test my theory." Jace grinned and pointedly looked towards the
frontdoor. He leaned back and called out, "And right on time."


I'd been set up. I knew that even before I swung my dreading eyes where I
couldn't see who the bait was anymore.


The group of men had already disappeared beyond what the restaurant would
allow for my passage.


I stood—how could I not?—and I promised in low tones, "You and I are going to
have a conversation one of these days."


"Don't I know it?" He returned smoothly and with a bite.


This was an added bonus to the test. There wasn't a question of going or not
going. I had to go, but instead of just showing me the bait—Jace made sure to
snare the trap where I'd have to find the bait in the first place.


He really was a bastard.


Getting in the back area was easy. That wasn't the challenge. When I realized
the bait, that'd be the challenge.


I slipped through the back of the kitchen, walked with purpose and all the
second-glance glances looked the other way. I was meant to be there, that's all
they read and it wasn't even a lie.


I snared an apron and a dish container that busboy's used.


With it tucked underneath an arm, my eyes turned in another, I slipped
through the private dining area and made sure to present my back as I hugged the
wall—not really, but just about.


There were three private dining sections. I bypassed a young family with two
babies and a pouting sixteen year old. I bypassed an elderly couple, out to
dinner with their favored son and daughter-in-law. And I slowed as I searched
without searching the last area.


They were five business men, but one sat at the head of the table.


He reigned with authority and age, but he gave power to the man at his right
elbow.


I didn't know the head honcho. He was fat, graying, and the cane at his feet
showed his growing vulnerability.


But the right-hand man—that was a different story.


Jace had been right—one two accounts.


Marcus had come for me and Jace's finding was
unexpected.


Marcus hadn't come, but he'd sent Gravon.


Gravon was seated at the head honcho's right elbow and he smiled, politely,
as a bonding joke was passed throughout the table.


I left the apron and dish container at the door as I swept out and through
the frontdoor.


I pulled out my blade and switched the ends. As I neared Jace's car, I bent
and swiftly applied the right pins and hand jerks to swing open the now unlocked
cardoor.


There was no pause, I just bent down, reached for the right cables, and
touched the two I needed.


The engine purred to life and that was when Jace clamped a hand on my door,
yanked me out, took his seat, and snarled, "Get in."


The car ride was silent, tense, and nearing it's explosion point the more
miles the car traveled.


Finally, Jace swung into a back field and parked. He got out, dangled the
keys from his fingers and after an acknowledging nod from myself, stiff from
across the car's hood, he stuffed them in his pockets and waited.


It was uncharacteristically warm, amongst the chilled fall days, but the sun
shone bright and Jace's dusty-blonde hair accentuated the golden strands that
mixed so naturally and easily with the darker strands. It was the perfect simile
for the man, himself. Light and dark, mixed perfectly and sensuously
together.


The grey eyes had darkened and were near a perfect black as he waited for my
embark.


"You set me up." I started, chilled.


"…yeah…" He just waited.


I didn't waste time with name-calling. That was pointless. The names meant
nothing and they were simply paper scraps in the air. They were thrown with no
intention of where they landed.


"What was the purpose of that? Why didn't you just tell me that Gravon was
here?"


Jace sighed in disgust and stuffed his hands in his front pockets. It
accentuated his leanness. His biceps refuted their tight clothing restriction.
His jaw was hard and he bit out, "Are you kidding me? That's all we've been
doing this entire time. I don't share information, Maya! And neither do
you."


"Well, I'm asking now. I'll share if you share. Tell me why you set me
up?"


Jace laughed, but it was a hardened sound. "Are you serious?"


"Yeah." I replied through gritted teeth. "Why'd you set me up?"


"For shallow amusement." Jace grinned, tongue in cheek. "I was going to tell
you, but you pissed me of this morning."


"So that was…being petty?"


"Yeah." He admitted with no apology seen or heard within him.


"God…you…"


Jace arched a waiting eyebrow, but I swallowed the insults and asked instead,
"So what? You just wanted to see me squirm?"


"You don't squirm, Maya." Jace rolled his eyes and rubbed a comforting hand
over his jaw. "It'd be nice if you actually did. I'd know that you're a
human."


"I'm human." But I wasn't. At times I could turn it off.


"Yeah, well…you look it on the outside, but on the inside—I wonder
sometimes."


"What's it to you? Why should you wonder? It has nothing to do with you
even." I cried out, frustrated.


"You're right." His lips pursed together. "It's nothing to do with me. You're
right."


I was the kid that arrived late to a school's auditorium. When I opened the
door, everyone dispersed and I was the kid that was left feeling cheated of
something big that had happened as my hand still held onto the door's
handle.


I felt like that kid right now.


"What?!"


"Nothing." Jace clipped out. "Did you send him a message?"


"Who?"


My mind was on a different conversation, one without verbal contexts and only
underlying undercurrents that stabbed, teased, and withdrew.


"Gravon." Jace informed me as he turned to pace, just slightly. "Who is
he?"
"He's…" I shut my gaping mouth and stuffed the confusion to my cheek.
"He's Marcus' right-hand man."


"What's he to you?"


"He's…" …my window to Marcus at times. "Nothing."


"Really?"


"Really." I lied the blatant lie that could've knocked on Jace's door,
introduced itself as a lie, and carelessly float away.


"Look—if we're in this together right now, you have to be honest with me. I
can't have more surprises."


"I haven't—"


"Like when you called Mallon." Jace interrupted harshly. "Or why you won't
tell me who Gravon is to you, or even why you're here in the first place or how
you managed to find me."


"Are you serious? I told you—"


"You found Lily Galverson and asked her. I know. That's what you said, but
it's pretty difficult to swallow."


This was left field. The ball that'd been batted returned and I just now saw
it hurtling down the field towards me.


"Are you kidding me? We're back to that?"


He's never believed me. Not the entire time if he still questioning this. And
that meant… "What else don't you believe?" I asked.


Jace's jaw was tight, but he managed out, "How'd you find Lily? Spell it out
for me, step by step."


"Fine." My teeth could shatter glass. "I went to New York. I stole Tray
Evans' phone and called his brother. I met with Chance Evans and knew Lily would
be there. I waited until she was alone."


"You see—that makes no sense. None of it. How am I supposed to trust you and
tell you what's going on with my side when you can't even conjure up a decent
lie for me to swallow?!" Jace cried out.


"What? Wait—what is this about?"


My head was swimming.


"Why are you here?!" Jace shouted. "Why are you here and how did you find
me?"


"I told you—"


"You haven't told me a goddamn thing that's credible."


"What?..."


It was then that I saw Jace's gun. He held it loosely in one hand, but his
fingers were still expertly curled around it. He held it just behind his leg and
I knew he didn't care if was seen or not.


I woke up then. It was like a cold bucket of water had been dumped on me, but
I stood there, shivering, chilled, and soaked from head to toe.


"What are you doing with that?" I asked quietly. The quiet ripped through the
emotional undercurrents that had been storming between us like lightning in a
mid-summer's afternoon tea.


Abrupt, raw, and shocking.


Jace lifted the gun lazily and he replied, "Everything's working right now
and I don't have any more time to waste."


I clenched my jaw and waited, but I didn't swallow or gulp. I was more
professional than that.


"Lily Galverson hates me. It wouldn't take a lot of scheming on her end to
reach out to Mallon."


The obvious blared in my face.


I asked, "Do you think that Marcus sent me?"


"Yes." Jace answered swiftly. He didn't blink.


"You think it's a coincidence that I'm here?"


"No, Maya. I don't think it's a coincidence at all." Jace said smoothly. "I
think you were sent here because you've got auburn eyes, shiny hair, and an
intelligence to pull me in with your very beddable body. I think that's
why you were sent."


He'd just summarized everything I didn't stand for and twisted it.


"Are you kidding me?" I asked hotly.


Jace tapped the side of his face with his gun. He replied, caustically, "I've
worked in this world for longer than my six years of undercover. I've survived a
lot of snakes and a lot of other slithering monsters to fall for the 'girl' that
'entraps' the pain in someone's ass. I'm that pain and I'm quite aware of how
much Mallon wants me dead, so tell me, Maya…how exactly did you find me?"


And this time, he lifted the gun to point with a neutral arm.


My were flat as I recited, "I went to New York and I blackmailed Carter
Sethlers into taking me to a banquet where I knew there'd be a lot of activity
and a lot of emotions running around. I purposely pissed off your girlfriend and
when Evans went to smooth things over, I picked his phone. I beat it when I got
tipped that Marcus found me and had men coming for me. After that, I called
Chance Evans and I told him that I could give him Mallon. I picked a coffee bar
that I knew Lily loved. I gambled that Chance Evans wouldn't be able to pass up
the convenient opportunity to take his woman to the meeting with me. He
did and he did it because he nearly bows down to her. I waited until Lily was
alone and then I asked her where you were."


Jace asked immediately, "How'd you get her alone?"


"I waited in the girl's bathroom."


It was the simplest part of the complex web.


Jace chuckled, but asked, "And how'd you know that she'd know where I
was?"


"I didn't, but I thought if anyone knew, that I could get to—it'd be her. She
didn't know where you were, but she knew about your brother's coffin. That's how
I found you. I waited in town for a month and guessed that you'd visit him on
Brian's baptism date."


"And how'd you know that?"


"I didn't." I confessed. "That was just luck. And I figured that with your
life, you'd probably need a certain date to remind yourself to go and visit him.
All the other dates were too obvious like his birthday and when he died…"


Jace's finger let go. He asked now, "And why did you want to find me?"


Because…


"For my brother." I said softly.


"I can't break him out of prison."


"But you can do something? You can talk to the DEA, maybe someone else. Maybe
he could get pardoned?..." But I didn't really want that. I knew that and yet—I
still lied. It wasn't a grandiose plan of mine, I just…I knew that it wasn't
time to reveal why I had fully decided to find him. Hell, it wasn't even time to
reveal that to myself. Not yet.


"Are you kidding me?" Jace cried out. "Your brother's probably already broke
a deal with Broozer or Mallon. Hell, he might even be working for them both.
He's in the best position and if he milks it—which your brother is capable
of—Krein could come out of prison better than ever. He could be the bridge
between Broozer and Mallon because they both want me, and they need him to find
me."


That didn't make any sense.


"What are you talking about?" I asked. I thought...


"Broozer's alliance with Galverson split when I told all, but Galverson's
business is still getting run, but no one really knows by who. And Mallon fits
in somewhere, but no one really knows. He's just competition right now, but I
think that—" His thoughts abruptly ended as he realized that he'd said too
much.


"Okay." I took a shattering and calming breath. "You and I have our own
agendas. That is very obvious, but…I'm not here to spy on you for Marcus."


I had it in me. I'd already told him that—five years of lying. I nearly
flushed at the memory of my words, but I proceeded, "Take me to Gravon. You can
listen in and you can hear everything that you need to hear."


Jace snorted.


I flushed now.


"Okay." I recanted. There were always codes and secret messages. Jace was the
outsider, he wouldn't be able to decode any of them. "What do you want?"


Jace smiled, blinding, and said simply, "I want you to kill him."