The Golden Chalice (11 page)

The question rang in her ears and echoed in her skull. She clenched her jaw to restrain herself. Even now, her instinct to protect Lee from the vipers around him was strong. But things had to go down as she planned. If not, she’d never have the future she so desperately wanted. “Understood,” she managed.

Satisfied with her response, he withdrew. Michelle walked out of the room and swallowed the sob in her throat. She blinked away the tears stinging the corners of her eyes and straightened her spine. Soon it would be over. For all of them.

***

Lee sat in the limo, his mind a seething mass of conflicting emotions. He stared out the tinted passenger window at the countryside they traveled past as they drove toward the main highway. He had never been in such a personal tangle. The Dixon sisters were supposed to be a means to a profitable end, a plan he’d set in motion the day Pops died and the Chalice was lost. That was before. Now he was in love with a woman he couldn’t trust and surrounded by men who wanted him dead, or worse. His operation had never been so sloppy, and like Pops had warned, when you invested in anything outside of the hustle, it crippled a man. Someone like Eddie Cumminskey should have never gotten as far as he had. That was on him. Monk Eastman should not be even tempted to betray him after years of loyalty within The Order. That was on him. And as for Abahti? He had yet to deal with what he knew to be true of his longest-held and most trusted friend.

He eased his hand inside his coat pocket and withdrew his phone. His chest heaved and fell with deep intakes of breath to steady his nerves. He pressed the number pad with his thumb.

“Monk. Long time no speak.” From across the street, Lee had a clear view into the Kosher diner Monk often visited for lunch when on the West Coast. He saw him lift his head from the dinner plate and keep the phone pressed tight to his face.

“Been waiting on this call, Lee.”

“I’m sure. Here’s the deal. I need to unload the Chalice.”

Monk snapped his fingers at the table across from him. The men seated there rose and walked to the rear of the diner, leaving him alone near the picture window. “So it’s true. You do have it.”

“I do,” Lee answered. “My lady has a knack for making the impossible possible. The Chalice was mine when she was. You know how it goes.”

“That’s one cold bitch of yours. I heard the rumors of the Briscol Bank taking an unexplained hit, but I had no idea Pops stashed the golden cup there. Well done, friend. Pops thought he had us by the balls by keeping its existence from The Order. You used his daughters and got what you wanted. Couldn’t have played it better myself.”

Lee’s jaw tightened. He seethed with mounting rage.

Monk licked his fingers. “You called the right person. My buyers will pay for its weight, no problem. The kind of payment you want, well, you know it’ll be tricky setting up an untraceable account for the transfer. I’m thinking you already got someone on it?”

“I hear you’ve taken in a boarder?” Lee asked.

Monk chuckled. “Fuck, I need to tighten my security. Let me guess. That little Mexican motherfucker Escobar gave me up?”

“I’m not pleased,” Lee answered.

“It’s only business. Consider me Switzerland. Neutral, man.”

“Business? You and Cumminskey are thinking of taking advantage of my position now?”

“No, I only meant—”

“I’m no rookie, Monk. I know what plays have been made behind my back. I’ve made the same plays at one time or another. So let’s talk business. We could get nasty, and I’ll let some no-name fence to take the Chalice and move it. Hell, I know a country or two that would gladly give me a kingdom for it.”

There was a pause on the phone. Lee squinted at Monk, who didn’t move a muscle in his seat. Finally, the dirty scumbag spoke through clenched teeth. “I’m listening.”

“Two conditions.”

“Just two?”

“Two conditions and I’ll consider giving you a pass.”

Monk licked his lips. “I’m listening.”

“I want to know everything you can find out on the Nigerians. And how Abahti is tied to them. And of course, you give me Cumminskey. Those are my terms.”

“Nigerians? Who are they?”

Lee ended the call.

***

Only locals knew El Diablo’s, a Portuguese restaurant on the west side of Chicago. It happened to be one of Eddie ‘The Butcher’ Cumminskey’s favorite watering holes. He forked the spicy yellow rice and black beans doused in hot sauce into his mouth, chewing, observing. His men covered the doors. Eddie checked his watch once more. He happened to look up when a tall, black, sharply dressed man walked in. Eddie tracked the man with his eyes; his paranoia had him seeing threats from the most unlikely sources. He needed to deal with the Lee Sullivan issue fast. He tired of living like a man on the run.

The cell phone on the table began to buzz. Eddie tossed his fork to his plate and picked it up. “What took you so long?”

“You wanted information. I have some,” Abahti drawled.

“About motherfucking time.” Eddie relaxed. “Chocolat?”

“The one and only. She’s making a run for it. Prague. From there she’s headed to Madrid. Thanks to you and Monk, of course. If you deliver the money, she’ll be ever so grateful. Monk will receive a courier envelope with all the details. She’s yours to do with as you please. And Lee won’t be able to stop you.”

Eddie smiled. “When?”

“A week or two. You tell me. Set it up and it’s done.”

Eddie laughed. “Well, I’ll be damned. This might be worth it. She did lift the Jesus Stones and the Chalice. She and I have some unfinished business.”

“Whatever. She’s yours. Just see to it that things go as we discussed.”

“No problem. Monk Eastman has no clue we’re working together. He thinks I’m an idiot. No one plays me. Including you, Abahti. If I find out you’re setting me up—”

The line went dead.

Eddie lowered the phone. He stared at his plate. He would need to play his next move carefully. He could trust no one. A slow smile formed on his face. “So your little golden goose is flying the coop, Lee?” The idea of having Chocolat to himself made the tension in his chest ease. She’d be his. The bitch had no choice.

***

The moment Sasha was away from the man she loved, that old familiar hurt crept in, seizing her heart, making her want to offer forgiveness. Just like Pops.
Always like Pops
.

Kumar opened the door. He looked up at her, nonplussed. Turning, he walked away immediately. She followed him inside.

“I’m sorry.” Sasha closed the door

“Don’t apologize. Not to me. You were right about everything you said.” He dropped into the empty chair in front of his wall of monitors.

“It’s that bad, huh?” Sasha asked, and secretly prayed the answer would be no.

“It’s that bad. I’ve tried, Sasha. I’ve tried hard but I…I just don’t know if I can defeat my addiction on my own. Pops helped me the last time. Saved me from Lee’s gun when he found out. How could I come to you…and tell you?”

“Kumar? I love you. Don’t you know that? I love you so much.” She went to him on her knees before him. She embraced him best she could from her kneeling position, touched his face, wiped at the perspiration, and looked into his glassy red eyes. “We can beat this. But we have to get out of here. Lee will find out soon. He will. Plus, he’s trying to send me away.”

“There’s something else you need to know.”

“About the addiction?” she asked.

“No. More than the addiction. I’m in trouble.”

Sasha sat back on her legs. “I don’t understand. What else did you do?”

“I got tagged coming out of one of my spots where I score. A gangster named Monk Eastman. He said I had to steal the Chalice or he’d give me up to Lee. He said if I do the inside job he’d pay me enough to disappear.” Kumar locked eyes with her. “With you.”

Sasha couldn’t breathe. It felt as if the air was vacuumed from her lungs, siphoned from the room. She shook her head in disbelief as the horror and dread covered her like a dark fog. Her mouth opened and nothing came out.

“There’s no way I can pull it off, babe. Even if I could, I wouldn’t risk losing you.”

This was the worst possible news. Lee would kill her boyfriend first and ask for an explanation second. “How long were you going to keep this from me?”

“I wanted to tell you. I didn’t know how. Or if I could. I just…didn’t know.”

Sasha rose. She put a hand to her forehead and waited for her heart to stop racing. Three days ago they’d watched his kung-fu movies, talked about their future. Today their lives, happiness, everything was in jeopardy.

“He said he’d pay you?” she asked.

“Yeah, he offered, but the job was a no-back-out deal. Either way, I’m fucked.”

“We’re fucked,” she corrected him with sadness. “Michelle was right. The price to be paid for the happiness of thieves is in blood. Call this Monk person and tell him we need ten million. Five million a piece, for you and for me.”

“What?”

“You can’t get into the safe without me. Can you? That’s what you were asking me last night, wasn’t it?”

Kumar’s gaze lowered and his face drew tight with worry.

“This is our way out. We get the Chalice and sell it to Monk, and we’re done. We can get the hell away from Lee—all of them.”

“And your sister?”

“She doesn’t care about me. Not really. Not anymore. I caused it, and I can’t think of any way to fix things between us. I have to think of you and me. What choice do we have now?”

“It’s too risky. Lee will kill you. He’ll kill us both for stealing from him.”

“I’m dead either way, Kumar.” She threw her hands up in defeat. “My life is with you.” Sasha turned and looked to the door. “Wait here. I’ma find Lee, I’ll see if there is a way out. But, Kumar, you make that call. Either way, we’re in this together.”

She left before he could object and she knew he would. Her bravery slipped with each step. They’d crossed the line on this one. Pops hadn’t trained a fool. What they were about to do, if caught, meant suicide. But she had told Kumar the truth. Whatever road they chose, they took the journey together.

Chapter Eight

The steam seeped through Michelle’s pores and relaxed her muscles to the bone. She dreaded leaving the warmth of her shower but did so to avoid drawing up and washing down the drain. Michelle dried herself, slipped on her monogrammed bathrobe, picked up her body cream, and left the bathroom. She stopped to find Lee sitting in a chair in her room, waiting.

“Didn’t know, uh, you were…were here,” she stammered.

Lee watched her with hard, suspicious eyes. Michelle gave him the best smile she could manage. The Dobermans were again resting at his feet. She sat on the bed, let the robe fall open, stretched out her leg to smooth the cream over her thighs, and drew her leg up to her to rub the lotion over her knee, calf, and foot.

“So what’s on your mind, lover?” Michelle’s gaze slipped over to him. Abahti’s warning surfaced from the deep recess of her brain. If Lee discovered she was playing him, Mr. Nice Guy would take a flying leap.

“Abahti can’t be trusted,” he answered.

Her heart skipped a beat. “Why is that? He’s been with you longer than me, and you trust me,” she half-kidded.

Lee tapped his trigger finger against his temple, continuing to stare at her. Michelle sighed. She dropped the lotion bottle and rubbed the cream over her hands. Keeping the nervous anxiety from her voice, she spoke again. “What did Abahti do?”

“I think he’s the one who set you up. I think he cost me my kid.” His voice faltered and his face paled with cold rage. “Our baby.”

She became increasingly uneasy with the tone of his voice. Awkwardly, she cleared her throat. “And you know this how?”

“I just do. I think it best that you and Sasha leave. Things are going to get messy. He’s handled the arrangement for you to go so—”

“You just said he couldn’t be trusted. But you’re letting him take me out of the country? I’m not sure if that’s, um, a good idea?”

“It’s under control. Trust me. I know what I’m doing. Abahti will walk into the trap he laid for himself. I will be there to see that he understands the error he made in ever hurting you.”

“Me? He’s your companion. Your most trusted confidant. His betrayal is to you.”

Lee rose. Michelle watched him as he approached her. He stopped directly in front of her. Slowly, she stood and allowed him to take her by the waist to draw her close.

“I’m no fool, Michelle. Many men and women have forgotten that along the way. You will go to Prague as we planned. And Abahti will pay for his crimes against you. Our child’s life will be avenged.”

“I don’t want revenge, Lee.” She pressed her lips together, chained to him by their shared grief and mistrust. “Don’t use our child to justify your vengeance. He betrayed a code, he betrayed you. Deal with it.”

“I plan to.” He pressed his jaw against her cheek and folded his arms around her, holding her tight. She lifted her arms and returned his embrace. “I love you, Michelle.”

“I know, sweetheart. I love you, too.”

Soft and warm, his breath fanned her cheek. The mere touch of his hand as it caressed her backside sent shivers of compassion for him through her. Gently, she pushed her way out of the embrace before it led them to their bed.

“When you need me, you know were to find me.”

She turned and picked up her body cream, waiting for him to say more. He didn’t. She heard the door close behind her. Releasing the breath she’d been holding from the moment she first saw him, she dropped the cream and shook her head.

***

Kumar sat at his desk, staring at his phone. The last thing he wanted was to pull Sasha into his downward spiral. But at this point, he was out of choices and luck. The coward in him decided on the easy route, at the risk of them all. Picking up the phone, he dialed Monk Eastman and waited. He’d make the deal, and pray for them both to survive it all.

***

“I want to talk to you.”