“Twenty-five hundred dollars, yes.”
“And yet you carelessly picked it up andcarried it.”
I shrug. I glance around the room. It’s alarge office. My eye catches a bronze statue sitting on a pedestal in thecorner.
Rafael follows my eye line. “Oh, Are youfamiliar with that piece as well?”
“It’s the Peace statue, one of the four‘Loggetta Gods’.” I walk up to the pedestal. The urge to touch the piece isoverwhelming and my fingers itch centimeters from the statue’s face.
“Don’t.” A gruff voice demands. I spinaround; sitting against the wall in a dark corner is Melvin Martins.
I back away from the statue. “Well, if itisn’t Mr. Not Important.” I’m pretty calm when I blurt this, but my heart ratespikes and somehow jumps into my throat. I watch him pull something from hispocket and place it next to him. I see a glint of the metal but I’m not sure ifit’s a gun or knife or what.
Rafael gives a short laugh. “Now I knowthere is a story there. Why did you call him that?”
I shrug, holding my arms out, trying tolook innocent. “When he took me for a little ride in his limo last week, Iasked him his name, and he said it’s not important.”
Rafael laughs harder. “I see.”
“Maybe I got it wrong,” I say to Rafe.“Should I have put “it’s” in front? So it’s Mr. It’s not important.”
“That’s enough.” Melvin Martins barksfrom the corner. I jump, holding up my palms in a gesture of surrender.
“All right,” I whisper, “sheesh, he’s agrump tonight.”I turn back to the statue. I clasp my hands so I don’ttry to touch it again. It looks different from the one I remember. The scepterin his hand seems wrong and the hand he’s holding up seems funny.I’mpretty sure this is fake.
“Kate, please why don’t you have a seat.Let’s talk.” Rafe points to the chair next to the desk. I walk over and sitdown with a huff, crossing my arms.
“You know…” I wave my finger at him.“Kidnapping is a crime.” Melvin Martins grunts from his corner.
“I do not know what you mean. You’re hereto get the rest of the money I owe you for purchasing this lovely ring.” Hewiggles his pinky at me.
“At,” I look at his clock, “eleven-thirtyat night? I don’t think so. Just cut to the chase, Mr. Mezzo. What do youwant?” The ring hit a nerve and makes my heart hurt from having to tell Coleabout it, and angry that Rafe Mezzo pulled a fast one on me and ruined it.
“I heard you had sass and saw a bit atthe antique shop, but I had no idea,” he muses.
“I’ve had a few drinks this evening.Well, okay, not a few. I had…” I try to count them, but my brain gets muddledafter four. “I had a lot. I’m pretty sauced, and it dissolves my filter. Iopened the champagne in your limo, but then thought better of it.”
“ThePinot he Aces of Spades?” Rafe whistles.“You opened it?”
“Well—yes, but it was a little difficult.So most of it is on the seat of your limo.”
He smiles, shaking his head. “That was asix hundred dollar bottle.”
My eyes get big, but then I shrug andgive a dismissive wave of my hand. I will not apologize. I’ve been brought hereagainst my will.
“Well, I think you know why you arehere. You’ve recently purchased a company, and I want to buy it from you.”
“Okay.” What does he think I’m going todo, sign over Lawton to him this second? I guess if he made me beg for my life,I might.
“Write down your price.” He slides a penand piece of paper over. I jot down a number and slide it back.
He glances at the paper without pickingit up. “You think that’s a fair price?”
“I think that’s the price my company paidfor it.”
Mild shock crosses Mr. Mezzos face, buthe tempers it with a smile. “Really? So you pulled a fast one?”
“No. Someone you don’t mess with pulled afast one.”
