Love Most Inconvenient Page 12
Dane sighed. “I’m going to remove the covers and panels around the tumbler.”
“That doesn’t sound good.” Mark shook his head.
Dane held out his hand. “Will you give me the damn screwdriver?”
“What are you going to do with it?”
“I know what I’d like to do with it.”
“You’re not nice.”
“I know that. Okay, I’m going to find a panel with some wires clipped to the rear of the tumbler. I might be able to manually turn the ignition switch.”
“What if you can’t … manually do … that?”
“Then I have to strip the wires.”
“Don’t strip anything.”
Dane motioned with his hand. “Screwdriver.”
Mark sighed and handed it to him. He took a step back, almost tripping over his blanket. This had not turned out at all like he had thought. He wasn’t sure who in hell this guy was anymore.
“Damn it,” Dane cursed, lifting up his head.
“What? Did you break something?”
He glanced at him. “No. Forget it. And if you hadn’t thrown the damn keys in the lake, I wouldn’t have to…”
“I didn’t throw them into the lake. I … wait,” he said, hearing the sound of a car coming up the road.
Dane sat up in the car. “What?”
“A car’s coming. It must be my brother. He probably—” Mark stopped. He didn’t recognize the vehicle at all, a dark blue New Yorker with tinted windows. “It doesn’t look like one of Frankie’s friends.”
Dane got out of the car, hugging the blanket around him.
The car came to a halt.
The tall, dark-haired man who got out of the driver’s seat was wearing a black suit and sunglasses. He nodded at them with a wide grin. He reached over and opened the passenger door. Frankie got out, followed by another man in a blue suit.
“Shit,” Dane said under his breath, “I don’t much care for the looks of this.”
“Frankie,” Mark said, “what’s going on?”
The man behind Frankie shoved him forward. Mark spotted the gun and glanced at Dane. “What’s this about?”
“What are you asking me for?” Dane muttered. “I don’t know.”
“Frankie?” Mark said.
The smiling man took off his sunglasses. He walked over to Dane. “This gets more interesting all the time,” he said. He looked at Frankie. “You’re involved with this as well? This is my lucky day.” He looked at Dane. “Where’s my stuff?”
“Stuff?” Dane echoed.
“Don’t get smart,” he growled, doubling up his fist and hitting Dane in the jaw. The impact drove him back a few steps, but he remained standing.
Mark gasped as the blood flowed from his mouth.
“Your accomplice took off with half of my merchandise. I want it.”
“I can get it back,” Dane said.
“Get what back?” Mark asked, looking from one to the other. He looked at Frankie. “What’s going on?”
“Let my brother go,” Frankie pleaded. “He’s a doctor. He’s a good man. He’s got nothing to do with it.”
“Until you give me the money you owe me, he’s my insurance.” He looked at Dane now. “And you, you bastard, you’re going to find my stuff.”
“Should I take them inside, Chris?” Blue Suit asked, pushing Frankie forward again.
“Chris?” Mark echoed. He noticed that the man’s black hair touched his collar. “Oh my God, you’re Christopher Hawkins?”
He smiled and nodded. “At your service.”
“Then who is…?” He looked at Dane in amazement.
“Obviously not Christopher Hawkins,” Dane mocked.
“Then who is this guy you made me bring up here?” His gaze settled on Frankie.
Frankie shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“I’ll tell you who he is,” Hawkins growled, “he’s a fucking double-crossing thief, that’s who he is, and if he doesn’t find his partner who stole my stuff, he’s going to be a dead double-crossing thief. Get those two inside. Frankie and I got some digging to do.”
Blue Suit flashed his gun at them while Hawkins dragged Frankie off. “Get inside,” he barked.
Once they were inside, he ordered them to sit together on the sofa. “Where are your clothes?”
“Drying,” Mark said. “You see, we…”
Dane looked at him. “He doesn’t care.”
Mark sighed.
The man with the gun marched around. He went over to the window and looked out.
“I’m sorry,” Mark said in a whisper. “I apologize for—”
“You thinking I was the guy who knocked up your sister is the least of my worries right now.”
“Why did you rip off this guy?”
“I didn’t rip off anyone.”
“So you’re going to deny that too?”
Dane sighed. “Just shut up, okay?”
“You shut up.”
“Both of you shut up,” the guy with the gun grunted, walking back over to where they sat. “You know,” he said, looking at Dane, “you’re a real looker, pretty, pretty, boy.”
“Oh, great,” Dane muttered under his breath.
“I might be interested in seeing what you got going on under that blanket.”
“Do you want to live?” Dane glared at him.
He laughed. “I have the upper hand. I have a gun.”
“I promise you, you try it, one of us will be dead before you even cop a feel.”
Mark saw the dangerous glint in Dane’s eyes, and he guessed the gunman saw it too, because he laughed again nervously, but backed off.
“How did your brother get mixed up in this stuff?” Dane glanced at Mark.
“He’s not. He’s straight. I mean, he’s legit. He’s straight, too.”
“Yeah, I got that.”
“All of this is a mistake.”
“Doesn’t look like it.”
“He tries.”
“I guess he needs to try harder.”
“Like you can talk. You’re a thief.”
Dane didn’t reply. His attention was on the guy with the gun. Without warning, he sprang off the sofa and jumped the guy. Mark froze. The guy turned around and Dane grabbed the gun, wrestling for it. He hit the guy on the head, who then fell. “Come on,” he said to Mark, the gun in his hand. “We got to get out of here.” He glanced out the window, his chest heaving. “I have to get my pants. Go and get your clothes on. Now!”
“You … look what you just did. I’m not going anywhere with you. You’re a criminal.”
“It’s either me or them. Make a choice!”
Mark raced to the bedroom and jumped into his pants. He yanked on his T-shirt inside out. When he came back out of the bedroom, Dane grabbed him and put Mark behind him. He had on his damp jeans. “Now,” he said softly, “when I say to go, you go, okay?”
“My brother, we can’t just leave him here.”
“Never mind your brother. We got to get out of here.” He glanced around the door. “Okay, go, get into the car, the passenger seat. Keep your head down.”
“Why don’t we take their car?” Mark looked at him.
“Hawkins took the keys out of the car. It’s too far away. I’m halfway to hot-wiring that one … and stop asking me so many goddamned questions. You’re going to get us killed. Just go.”
Mark scrambled out the door. A few seconds later, Dane was in the driver’s seat, his head down, fiddling with the wires. “Ouch, God damn it,” he swore.
“What are you doing?”
“The wires, they’re hot. I’m trying to start the damn car.”
“Stop fiddling with them, then.” Mark glanced around nervously. “Hurry up.”
“I have to fiddle with them … twist them together to start the … there…” The motor roared to life. Dane slammed his foot on the gas and backed up. Suddenly a shot whizzed through the windshield.
“Shit!” Mark yelled out. Dane reached ov
er and pushed his head down.
“Stay down.” He pulled the wheel to the left, then to the right, careening backward down the road.
Mark was sure they were going into the ditch.
They were still driving backwards at breakneck speed, twisting from side to side when suddenly the road widened. Dane jerked the car around in the other direction and managed to keep it on the road.
“Oh my God,” Mark gasped. “I can’t breathe.”
Dane kept his eyes on the road. “They’ll be right behind us. Just keep your head low.”
“Oh my God, I’m a fugitive. You’ve made me a fugitive.”
“You’re not a fugitive. You’re a kidnapper, remember?”
“I’m not a kidnapper! We’ve got to go to the police.”
“We can’t go to the police. Not yet.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Mark sneered, “you’re a thief, a criminal, even worse than Hawkins.”
“And what are you and your brother, good fairies?”
“Cute.”
“Thank you. You’re pretty cute yourself.”
“Not you. Look, my brother has had a few problems but—”
“That’s Frankie Merchant. I should have recognized him. You’re Timothy Merchant’s son.”
“What do you know about it?”
“Small-time hoods, both of them. Your dad was up in the pen for fraud and—”
“Okay, okay. Frankie promised me he’d go straight.”
“Once a criminal, always a criminal.”
“Guess there’s no hope for you then. Oh shit.” Mark glanced behind him. “They’re coming.”
“Put your seat belt on.”
“What?”
“Seat belt. Put on your seat belt.” Dane began to accelerate. Mark closed his eyes. “Can you use a gun?”
“Gun? No. No gun. I’m not shooting anyone.”
“I can’t drive and shoot at the same time.”
“Shoot? You’re not going to shoot anyone, are you?”
“Do you want to live?”
“Yes, I…”
“Then take the wheel,” Dane urged, picking up the gun by his side.
“What?”
“Put your foot on the gas and grab the wheel,” he shouted, putting his head out the window and aiming the gun.
Mark grabbed the wheel, slamming his foot down on the gas pedal. He was trying to keep the car on the road.
Dane let off a shot. “Go from left to right.”
“What?” Mark gasped.
“Left to right … from one side to the…” He shot again. Another shot came back.
Mark turned the wheel a little.
“I got the front tire. Let me have the wheel,” he said, settling back down into the seat.
Mark collapsed into the passenger seat, his heart slamming in his chest. “Are they still following?”
“They’re way behind us. The flat will slow them down. I need to find Charlie.”
“Who’s Charlie?”
“My partner in crime,” he grinned. “I have to get that merchandise.”
“Good. You get your merchandise. I’m going home. Just let me off somewhere … anywhere, at the next…”
“Can’t do that.” He shook his head.
“What do you mean, you can’t do that? I have to call the police, try and save Frankie.”
“Frankie will be all right as long as he pays Hawkins.”
“I need to call the police.”
“If you do that, your brother will go to jail.”
Mark sighed. “Shit.”
“Yeah. It’s shit all right, and if you hadn’t of kidnapped me, none of this would have happened. Look, I’ll find Charlie and I’ll make a deal with Hawkins. We’ll get Frankie back.”
“Why should I trust you?”
“You don’t have a choice, do you?” He looked at him. “Besides, your life is in danger right now. I’m the best chance you got.”
“Great. Do you have any idea where this Charlie guy is?”
“I have a gut feeling he’s—”
“Gut feeling? We can’t go on your gut.”
“Just let me worry about that, will ya? Now, please, just be quiet, let me think.”
Chapter Four
It seemed they had been driving for hours. Mark closed his eyes at one point and when he opened them again, it was dark. “Where in the hell are we?” He sat up and looked around.
“About halfway to Boston.”
“Boston? Why in the hell are we going to Boston?”
“Because that’s where Charlie was heading, and if I don’t find him, I can’t finish what I need to finish.”
“You’re going to kill him, aren’t you?”
“No.”
“What then? What is this merchandise you’re after, and what does Hawkins want with it? He’s a mobster, isn’t he?”
“There you go with the questions again. Are you sure you’re a vet?”
“Yes, damn it, I’m a vet. I can’t believe that the guy who got my sister pregnant is a mobster.”
“Why not? Your family are hoods.”
“If you weren’t driving, I’d punch you.”
“Oooh, I’m really scared.” He made a face. “And he’s not a mobster really, he’s just a wannabe mobster, buying up illegal goods and selling them on the black market.”
“What kind of goods?”
“Guns, drugs.”
“And don’t you feel guilty doing that stuff?”
“No.”
“You have no conscience.”
Dane laughed.
“And by the way, I don’t want to go to Boston. I never wanted to be involved in any of this.”
“That’s too bad. It’s a little late now.”
“Why do I have to go along again?”
“Maybe I’d miss your company.”
“Try again.”
“You could be in danger.”
“Yeah, right. You’re afraid I’ll blab. That’s the real reason.”
“That too. We have to stop.”
“Good, I got to pee.”
“Not for that. To sleep. I’m beat. I haven’t slept in two nights. I can’t drive the whole way.”
“I’ll drive, you sleep.”
“No way. I don’t trust you. Besides, you don’t know the way. There’s a little hotel up here on the highway, about ten miles, we’ll stop there.”
“I’m not going to any hotel room with you.”
“Don’t worry, Pollyanna, your virtue is safe with me.”
“Pollyanna?”
“Forget it. I haven’t got the energy to fuck anyway. I need to sleep.”
“And what’s to say I won’t try to get away while you’re sleeping?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of that.”
Mark regretted saying anything. As soon as they got into the room, and he came out of the bathroom, Dane told him to lie down on the bed.
“I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“No, you’ll sleep beside me in the bed. Lie down on the bed and put your wrists over your head.”
“What?”
“I’m going to tie your wrists to the bed so you can’t get away.”
“A little extreme, isn’t it?”
“Either that, or you give me a big, juicy kiss.” He gave him a meaningful look.
Mark lay down on the bed and lifted up his hands.
“That never worked for me before.” He smirked. “I must be losing my charm.”
“Are you sure you ever had any?”
“Very nasty,” Dane said, shaking his head. He took the cords off the curtains and tied them around his wrists. He paused for a moment. “I am sorry about this. I don’t have a choice. I can’t risk blowing this. Anyway, consider it poetic justice. You did tie me to the bed. Sleep tight. It will be over soon, I promise.”
Mark gave him a dirty look. “Kiss my ass.”
“I’d love to”—he grinned—“but I told you, I’m too tired,
and besides, you wouldn’t let me. I’d have to add rape to my long list of supposed crimes.”
“If you try anything…” Mark threatened.
“You’ll preach me to death?”
Mark felt the weight of Dane’s body as he got into bed. How in the hell had he ended up in this situation? This man wasn’t even the man who’d gotten Julie pregnant. He was worse. He was some thief who was chasing another crook with some stolen goods, and Frankie was caught in the middle of it. His brother had lied to him. He had sworn to him that he’d gone straight. All the while, he was involved in this smuggling operation. Did that mean he knew all along that Dane wasn’t Hawkins?
Mark turned his head and glanced at the man lying beside him. He was deeply asleep, his clothes on the floor, a blanket covering his lower limbs. Handsome. Oh yes, he was handsome, gorgeous really, and gay. The only problem was his profession. Damn it, was he destined to fall in love with someone exactly like his brother and father? He’d been fighting to be his own person all of his life, to stay the distance. Anyway, there was no danger of that. Dane didn’t even like him, and Mark certainly didn’t like him, did he? Suddenly, Dane groaned and rolled towards him onto his side. His arm slid around him and he snuggled up close. Mark tried to nudge him off with his body, but to no avail. “Bloody hell,” Mark muttered. There was no budging him. It looked like he had settled in for the long haul.
Eventually exhaustion overtook him and he fell off to sleep.
* * * *
When he opened his eyes, Dane was perched on his elbow, looking down at him.
“Damn it, what do you want? Do you know what it’s like to have to look at your ugly face first thing in the morning?”
Dane smiled. “I think you might like it.”
“Hah! You’re full of yourself.”
“I have to be, I suppose.” He laughed. “Now, should I undo your wrists or…”
“Please. I’d like to pee.”
“In that case…” He reached up and undid the ties.
Mark lowered his hands and rubbed his wrists. “You’re an animal.”
“Well, then, you should know just how to deal with me.”
“Put you down.”
“Cruel, cruel, vet.” He shook his head, and stood up
Mark sat up, suddenly realizing that Dane was standing there stark naked.
“Where are your…?”
“All I have are my pants and they’re hanging on the chair. We’ll stop somewhere for clothes today.”