Page 10 of Contested Crown

“Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?” I matched his grin, although I could feel the tension in my face. The gate behind us had already closed; he had three guys against our two.

Rick laughed, the sound loud and jarring. “Come on in. You look like you have a story.”

After a long look around, my eyes catching on the guys working, none of whom seemed interested in us, I nodded and opened the car door. Grabbing the bottle of wine, I jerked my thumb toward Rick and said to Cade, “Come on.”

Cade exhaled a jerky breath, but his face was blank. It was nowhere near the chill I was used to, but it was close. He opened his door and followed me.

Rick led us through the shop to his office, reaching into his desk drawer and tossing me a wine opener. He put three plastic cups on the desk, covering his eyes with one hand as I opened the bottle and poured a glass for each of us.

“It’s not even ten in the morning,” Cade said.

“Well, you know what they say.” Rick took his cup, swirling the liquid around it, observing its color. He brought it to his nose to sniff.

“It’s happy hour somewhere?” I guessed.

“No. They say I’m an adult man, and I can drink at ten in the morning as long as my wife doesn’t find out.” Rick brought the glass to his lips and took a small sip, letting the alcohol sit on his tongue before swallowing.

“Elaine giving you a hard time?” I wasn’t as careful with my own drink, taking a larger mouthful and not savoring it.

“No, she’d just be pissed that I didn’t bring her any.” Rick took another sip, breathing in when the wine was in his mouth. When he swallowed, he nodded. “Okay, it’s Californian. Napa. Cabernet Sauvignon.” He considered the color again, swirling the wine in the glass. “Far Niente? 2018.”

I whistled, spinning the wine bottle so he could see the label. He slapped his hand down. “2019!”

“Pretty close,” I said.

“So, you bring me a nice bottle of wine, a car that’s pretty obviously stolen, and a stranger.” Rick dragged the bottle closer, tilting it as he considered the label, although I knew his attention was entirely on us.

“Don’t forget the sweet bounty on my head. If you turn me over to Declan…” I tilted my head, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, it would be a fantastic payday.” Rick sighed, raising an eyebrow. “A great payday that would come with a lot of strings. It’s pretty hard to tell Declan I’m not his employee when I’m doing dirty work for him.”

“Trust me, you turn me over to Declan, and he’s only going to want more. The man is insatiable.” I took another sip of the wine. It was still dry, somehow making me thirstier.

Rick reached into his desk, pulling out a bag of nuts. He tossed it toward me, and I opened it, putting one in my mouth.

“You want some salt,” he said. “It will help soften the tannins. So, you need a new car, a clean one.”

Rick was always good at this, deciding what someone needed with the accuracy of his wine tasting. If he could pin down a random red wine to the vineyard it came from with just a taste, he could tell what someone needed from just a look and the car they drove.

“We need a car,” I agreed.

“And you?” Rick looked at Cade, raising his eyebrow. “What do you need?”

Cade blinked, his expression pulling tight. It might have looked like a glower, except I could see the defensiveness in it, the chilliness that meant he wasn’t sure what he needed either.

“Nothing that you can provide,” Cade said stiffly. He raised his chin, looking around the office. “I’m sure the car will suffice.”

Then he glanced at me, and I saw a question in his eyes. We were on borrowed time, with a stolen vehicle and no way to pay Rick.

“Rick—” I started.

Rick poured himself another glass, then pushed the bottle back toward me. I took the hint and poured myself some more, drinking with him and taking another handful of nuts.

“No money?” Rick asked.

I shook my head.

“You have time to do a job for me?” Rick considered me over the rim of his cup.