Page 121 of Luck of the Devil

“Just tell me what you want and maybe we can work out some kind of deal,” I called out, my back pressed to the side of the car. I strained to listen, hoping I could hear his footsteps in the quiet.

“We just want to have a little talk,” he said.

We. Was he talking about a partner or Nicole Knox?

“Okay,” I said. “Start talking.”

“Where’s Malcolm?” he asked. “Why’re you doin’ all the talkin’?”

“He’s dead,” I said bitterly, hoping he believed me. I also hoped James wouldn’t hear him and try to come out. “Broke his neck in the accident.”

“Well, that’s a pity,” the guy said. “He’s the one she really wants.”

That caught me by surprise. We’d been under the assumption they were after the papers from my mother’s safe deposit box. Was this the person who’d taken over Simmons’s operations? Or one of James’s enemies from his past? How many had he faced since he’d been released from prison? But if this guy was Nicole Knox’s hired gun, then we were probably looking at a cross of both possibilities. He did say she.

I peered around the back of the car again. “This is your last chance to stop.”

“Or what?” he said with a laugh, walking toward me.

What a fool. Did this guy really think James Malcolm drove around unarmed? Did he not realize I was an ex-cop who was more than comfortable using firearms?

I lifted my gun, hoping I was hidden in the shadows. He was on full display, the nearly full moon making him more visible than expected. I aimed for his leg, then noticed the tremor in my hand. Was it withdrawal or nerves? I hadn’t taken my evening dosage yet. Either way, I needed to make this shot. I drew a breath, willing my hand to be still, then slowly exhaled and squeezed the trigger.

The man grunted then howled as he crumpled to his knees. “You fucking cunt! You shot me!” A dark stain bloomed across the jeans over his left thigh.

I leaned over the trunk of the car, my gun trained on him. “Throw your gun to the side or next time I’ll aim higher.”

I couldn’t make out the features of his face, but I recognized the rage making his body shake. “I dropped it when you shot me!”

“Bullshit. You have three seconds to toss it or I’m pulling the trigger. And unlike you, I’m an excellent shot.” When he didn’t move, I started counting. “One…two…”

“All right!” he shouted, his voice tight with pain. A dark object flew through the air, landing with a heavy thud in the grass several feet away. I could only presume it was his gun given the size and the shadows.

I swept my gaze across the top of the incline, then along the tree line on both sides. There had been a second SUV, so even if there had only been one person in each vehicle, there was at least one more person coming for us. Probably more. I didn’t see anyone, but my ears strained for any sound that didn’t belong. “Why did you run us off the road?”

He released a throaty laugh. “I thought you were supposed to be smart.”

“The consensus is out,” I said, “so humor me.”

“I’m gonna bleed to death,” he grunted, pressing his hand to his leg. “I need help.”

“Your hand is working just fine. Where’s your partner?”

He hesitated, inclining his head slightly to the side before he said, “What partner?”

“The other driver, and the people in both your vehicles.”

“The other car left,” he said. “His job was to jump in front of you, then let us finish the job.”

Us. Even if the other SUV had actually left, there was at least one other gunman above us.

“We both know you’re not gonna kill me,” the guy said, sounding more confident than someone in his situation had any right to.

“What makes you so certain I won’t?” I asked with a laugh.

He lifted his chin, then sneered, “Once a cop, always a cop.”

“Haven’t you heard? I’m the cop who shot an unarmed kid. You think I have any moral boundaries left to cross?”