Second Chance SEAL(102)
“I guessed,” Janey confirmed, “though I wasn’t sure. You killed one of my men, Travis.”
I nodded. “I did. He drew down on me first, though. You’ll notice that the other guy is alive and well.”
She nodded slowly. “That’s true. And the man you killed was known for having something of a wild streak to him.”
“Wild streak? More like suicidal. I had a gun drawn down on him and he still pulled the trigger.”
“So. You broke onto my property, killed one of my men, scouted out my operation, and now you want to talk. What’s the deal here, Travis?”
I smiled at her. “Here’s the thing, Janey. You’ve become pretty damn powerful in this town, and you’ve pissed some people off, namely the Dixie Mafia. Right now, the Mafia wants me to steal back the shipment you stole from them originally to pay off Hartley’s debt. But I was thinking you and me could come to some other arrangement.”
Hartley was slowly getting herself under control, but I could tell she was immensely uncomfortable. Janey smiled and leaned toward me.
“Now why the fuck would I do that, Travis Rock?”
“I was hoping out of love for my brother.”
She paused. “Fuck your brother. I’m glad he’s dead. That dumb shithead was holding me back.”
I clenched my jaw for a second. She was testing me and we both knew it. I wasn’t going to rise to the bait.
“Okay then. You should do it because I have an inside track against the mafia. We can help each other here. We have a mutual enemy.”
“I don’t know. It seems like we’re enemies.”
“We don’t have to be.”
“Why would I trust you?”
I spread my hands. “I’m coming to you fair and open here.”
“After sneaking around my property.”
“Point taken, but I had to see for myself what kind of operation you’re running.”
“And?” she asked, an eyebrow raised, a slight smile on her face.
“You’re running some serious shit, Janey,” I said. “I’m very impressed.”
“Well thank you, Travis Rock.” She was smiling, and I thought she might be fucking enjoying this.
“Janey, listen. You can keep chipping away at the Dixie Mafia, keep losing people, keep spilling blood. Or, you can join up with me, help us find a solution to our problem, and strike a big blow against those assholes in the process.”
Janey leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, smiling at me. I glanced at Hartley and held her gaze for a second. Hartley looked calm, the calmest she’d been since Janey walked in the door. I was proud of her for getting her emotions under control.
“Why don’t I just kill you both and save myself the trouble?” she asked.
“You could try that,” I said, “but you’ll find it’s harder than you think.”
She nodded slowly. “Okay, Travis. Here’s the deal I’m willing to make. I want you to get me two thousand dollars to pay for the life you took away from me. He was wild, but he was a good worker. Once you pay me, and we establish some trust, then maybe I’ll play ball.”
“Sounds fair,” I said.
“You have two days, but the sooner, the better.”
“We’ll be in touch.”
Janey stood up and paused. “It really is good seeing you again, Travis.”
“Same to you, Janey.”
She smiled at Hartley before turning and leaving the diner.
I looked at Hartley. “Well?”
“I don’t trust her.”
“Neither do I, but we need her to trust us.”
“Where are we getting two thousand dollars? I don’t have it.”
“We’ll get the Dixie to pay for that.”
She laughed. “No way. Why would they?”
“We’re playing a tightrope game here, Hartley. It’s damn dangerous, but the payoff is big. Can you keep up?”
She blinked at me and then slowly leaned toward me. “I can keep up,” she said softly.
“Damn right you can.”
She was staring at me intently with these eyes, and I knew just what they meant. I pushed my chair back and stood. “Come on,” I ordered.
She stood up and followed me. I led her outside, back out into the parking lot. The car was parked at the far end of the lot, away from the other cars, and we walked fast to cross the empty space to get there. Nobody was around, not a single soul in sight. Once we made it to the car, I grabbed her by the hand and pushed her against the rear driver’s side door.
“Travis,” she said.
I kissed her hard, not caring what she was going to say next.
She kissed me back instantly, wrapping her arms around my neck.