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Authors: Lauren Gallagher
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him? You talk me to me first."
"So you can get in touch with him."
She doesn't flinch. "It ain't illegal to talk to a man."
"No, that it ain't. So tell me—"
"You ain't talking to him, are you, doll?" A voice comes from behind me. A familiar one full of gravel and moxie.
Alice looks past me, bright red lips widening into a grin that sends a bolt of jealousy right through me.
"Maybe I am," she says to him.
I turn just as he steps around me, and it ain't the ship trying to throw me off my feet this time. He's still got that smile, that look in his eyes that always went along with his smooth-talking ways and the wheeling and dealing he swore would make him rich one day. The suit's a new one. An expensive one. Dark gray, with a starched white shirt and a navy blue tie. Hay-colored hair's slicked and styled, sculpted like a movie star's, and that cologne on him ain't cheap. Looks like the pauper made himself a prince after all.
He sidles up next to Alice, and the way that arm snakes around her tiny waist makes my teeth grind. He nuzzles her neck and kisses just under her jaw. "What've I told you about these shady types?"
"He ain't any worse than you." She pats his hand. "And I can take care of myself, Robbie. Besides, he came up to me looking for you." She gestures at me with her cigarette holder before tapping it in the ashtray beside her drink. "Says he wants to talk business."
Robert laughs. "Business, eh?"
"That's what he says."
I start to speak, but he cuts me off: "He ain't nothing but trouble." Sliding his hand up her waist toward her breast, Robert doesn't look away from me, not even when he kisses her long, slender neck. "Trust me, darling."
Then he plants a kiss beneath her jaw, closing his eyes and furrowing his brow like her flesh against his lips is holding his concentration for a moment. Jealousy floods my veins, and damn if I know if I'm jealous of his mouth or her skin.
Alice bites her lip, shivering inside Robert's embrace. "You know this guy?"
"We've got a history." His gaze flicks up and meet mine, and I swear I can feel the scrape of his chin and the brush of his lips as he grins against her neck. "Haven't we, Paul?"
"Paul?" Alice's thin eyebrows arch, and she straightens. "This ain't the Paul, is he?"
Without lifting away from her neck, Robert murmurs, "Why don't you ask him?"
She doesn't speak. Just looks at me and brings that cigarette holder back up to her lips. The lift of her eyebrows asks the question.
I clear my throat. "I came here because I need to talk to you. Both of you." I pause. "Privately."
"What a coincidence." Robert's tone is suddenly serious, as is his expression. He gently releases Alice and stands straight, tugging at his sleeves as he looks at me with steely eyes. "Because I was just about to suggest we take this behind some closed doors."
Alice glances at him, but says nothing.
"Darling." Robert kisses her rouged-up cheek. "Be a dear and get us all something to drink. A bottle of the good stuff and three glasses." He again narrows his eyes at me. "We'll meet you below decks."
"Of course." She gives him a kiss, and then flutters off while Robert and I stare each other down.
"This way."
I follow Robert across the gambling area and onto one of the outer decks.
"To the right." He throws a sharp nod toward the stern. "Quick now."
My cop's instinct tells me to stop right here and not go another step, but that's as likely as anything to cause a scuffle. No need to draw attention to the two of us. I can handle Robert one-on-one. Sure wouldn't be the first time.
So I start walking.
We're not ten feet from the door when he orders me to halt. I do, and he doesn't even let me turn around before he presses something into the middle of my back.
"Enough games." The creak of a revolver sends a chill through me. Robert growls, "There's a lot of people aboard this ship. A lot of witnesses and potential victims."
"Victims?" I look over my shoulder, but can't see him. "You
"So you can get in touch with him."
She doesn't flinch. "It ain't illegal to talk to a man."
"No, that it ain't. So tell me—"
"You ain't talking to him, are you, doll?" A voice comes from behind me. A familiar one full of gravel and moxie.
Alice looks past me, bright red lips widening into a grin that sends a bolt of jealousy right through me.
"Maybe I am," she says to him.
I turn just as he steps around me, and it ain't the ship trying to throw me off my feet this time. He's still got that smile, that look in his eyes that always went along with his smooth-talking ways and the wheeling and dealing he swore would make him rich one day. The suit's a new one. An expensive one. Dark gray, with a starched white shirt and a navy blue tie. Hay-colored hair's slicked and styled, sculpted like a movie star's, and that cologne on him ain't cheap. Looks like the pauper made himself a prince after all.
He sidles up next to Alice, and the way that arm snakes around her tiny waist makes my teeth grind. He nuzzles her neck and kisses just under her jaw. "What've I told you about these shady types?"
"He ain't any worse than you." She pats his hand. "And I can take care of myself, Robbie. Besides, he came up to me looking for you." She gestures at me with her cigarette holder before tapping it in the ashtray beside her drink. "Says he wants to talk business."
Robert laughs. "Business, eh?"
"That's what he says."
I start to speak, but he cuts me off: "He ain't nothing but trouble." Sliding his hand up her waist toward her breast, Robert doesn't look away from me, not even when he kisses her long, slender neck. "Trust me, darling."
Then he plants a kiss beneath her jaw, closing his eyes and furrowing his brow like her flesh against his lips is holding his concentration for a moment. Jealousy floods my veins, and damn if I know if I'm jealous of his mouth or her skin.
Alice bites her lip, shivering inside Robert's embrace. "You know this guy?"
"We've got a history." His gaze flicks up and meet mine, and I swear I can feel the scrape of his chin and the brush of his lips as he grins against her neck. "Haven't we, Paul?"
"Paul?" Alice's thin eyebrows arch, and she straightens. "This ain't the Paul, is he?"
Without lifting away from her neck, Robert murmurs, "Why don't you ask him?"
She doesn't speak. Just looks at me and brings that cigarette holder back up to her lips. The lift of her eyebrows asks the question.
I clear my throat. "I came here because I need to talk to you. Both of you." I pause. "Privately."
"What a coincidence." Robert's tone is suddenly serious, as is his expression. He gently releases Alice and stands straight, tugging at his sleeves as he looks at me with steely eyes. "Because I was just about to suggest we take this behind some closed doors."
Alice glances at him, but says nothing.
"Darling." Robert kisses her rouged-up cheek. "Be a dear and get us all something to drink. A bottle of the good stuff and three glasses." He again narrows his eyes at me. "We'll meet you below decks."
"Of course." She gives him a kiss, and then flutters off while Robert and I stare each other down.
"This way."
I follow Robert across the gambling area and onto one of the outer decks.
"To the right." He throws a sharp nod toward the stern. "Quick now."
My cop's instinct tells me to stop right here and not go another step, but that's as likely as anything to cause a scuffle. No need to draw attention to the two of us. I can handle Robert one-on-one. Sure wouldn't be the first time.
So I start walking.
We're not ten feet from the door when he orders me to halt. I do, and he doesn't even let me turn around before he presses something into the middle of my back.
"Enough games." The creak of a revolver sends a chill through me. Robert growls, "There's a lot of people aboard this ship. A lot of witnesses and potential victims."
"Victims?" I look over my shoulder, but can't see him. "You
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