Page 59 of Stilettos & Whiskey
Lucas raised his head and glared at them. “We’re talking here.”
“Talking?” Gemma laughed.
I smothered a groan. Damn, Lucas could really kiss, and I wanted more. A lot more.
Grandpa stared at us from the kitchen door. “Did Tess have thetalkwith you two?”
“Yes, I did, Pops.” Mom tossed me my purse. “I’ve scheduled us a facial, manicure and a pedicure at the Gardens. Let’s go.”
Gemma did a happy dance. “You are the best mom ever.”
“We’lltalkagain later, Lucas, but I really need a girls’ day out.” I dropped a kiss on his mouth and followed them out the door.
Gemma escorted Mom to her Sonata. “I’m driving.”
Mom rolled her eyes but got into the passenger seat.
“Where’s Dad? I haven’t seen him all morning.” Call me curious.
Mom grimaced. “He’s paying Jim Bob a visit at the county jail.”
“But he still stinks,” Gemma gasped.
I nodded. “Big time. They won’t let him in.”
“He arranged it with Sheriff Maxwell.” Mom held up her cellphone. “Wanna watch?”
In unison, Gemma and I yelled, “Yes.”
Flies buzzing madly around them, Dad and Jim Bob sat at a folding table in the middle of the jail’s exercise yard. The only shade was a puny tree. Dad never asked him a single question. He just sat there and drank his coffee.
Jim Bob swatted at the flies. “This is cruel and inhumane treatment.”
Dad just smiled.
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“Didn’t ask you anything,” Dad replied.
Jim Bob puked repeatedly into a metal trash can and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “God, you stink.”
“So do you now. How badly do you want the antidote?”
An expression of sheer horror on his face, Jim Bob asked, “How long does it take for the smell to wear off?”
“Six weeks.”
The color drained from his face. “I have a little gambling problem. The Zetos brothers bought my two-million-dollar marker from the casino, and now I work for them.”
“Doing what?”
Jim Bob shrugged. “This and that.”
“And Raul Garza?”
He vomited again. “He paid me five hundred thousand dollars to help him get vengeance on his granddaughter and her new family. It was the perfect plan until Roger Evans got involved and then everything went to hell.”
Dad pushed a notepad and pencil over to the lawyer. “I want you to write everything down and I do mean everything.”
