“I need some coffee, Jaycee,” Stella moaned, one hand pulling back her hair.
“I’ll have someone bring it up.”
While Jack made the call from a phone on the nightstand, Stella rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with the backs of her hands, then used the sheet to wipe away her ruined lipstick.
“Hungry?” Jack asked, receiver to his ear.
Stella shook her head.
“Just coffee,” Jack said into the phone. He hung up and lay back, avoiding her eyes. Stella reached out and stroked his arm with long, fuchsia fingernails.
“Where have you been, Stella?” Jack asked with an air of masculine disinterest.
Stella rolled onto her back.
“I had to make myself scarce,” she said with a sigh. “Lilly had custody of her daughter for the week. Her ex is coming to town today or tomorrow to snatch the kid back. In the meantime, she’s stuck with the little rug rat.”
Lilly Sheridan was Stella’s roommate, a hostess at one of the Babylon’s four star restaurants — the mammoth casino hotel had three of them. The women shared an expensive house on the outskirts of Vegas. Jaycee had met Lilly once or twice, but Jack never knew until now that Lilly had a daughter, or a failed marriage in her past.
“So where’d you go, baby?” Jack asked.
Stella stretched her arms over her head and yawned. “Drove to Reno and subbed for a friend. Three sets a night, two grand per show. Nice bling for taking my clothes off.”
“How’s the Babylon feel about you working for the competition?”
Stella threw back her head, shook out the long locks of raven hair. “They don’t have an opinion. Why should they. I didn’t sign an exclusive contract. I’m not that kind of girl.”
Jack swung his legs over the side of the bed. “Seen Hugo Bix lately?”
Stella smirked. “Jaycee… Are you having me followed?”
“Should I?”
“Okay, sure,” she replied. “I went over to Bix Automotive today. The radio stopped working in my Beamer while I was in Reno. I figured, since Bix bought the car for me, the boys at his garage could fix it.”
Jack shot the woman a sidelong glance. Feigning annoyance he asked, “Did you see Hugo?”
Stella’s smirk turned triumphant. “Are you jealous, Jaycee?”
When he remained silent, she rolled her eyes. “Honestly,” she said, hand over her heart as she mimicked a southern drawl. “You two big strong men should stop fighting over lil’ ol’ me. Why, I’m hardly worth the trouble…”
Suddenly Stella’s eyes narrowed into angry slits. “Anyway, this caveman bit between two bull apes is getting tired. I’m not property, Jaycee. Get it through your head. I’m with who I’m with ’cause that’s where I want to be. You don’t own me and neither does Hugo Bix.”
She wrapped the sheets around her lush body, slid to the edge of the bed. She was hardly on her feet before Jack grabbed her arm and pulled her onto the bed again. Stella didn’t struggle.
“Hugo’s a son of a bitch, we both know that,” Jack said. “And he’s probably not very happy with you after you dumped him and took up with me. I don’t want you messed with, that’s all.”
Stella’s anger faded like a passing storm cloud. “I can take care of myself. That’s what I was doing long before you blew into town.”
She rolled over in Jack’s lap and bit his arm. Jack felt the sting of sharp white teeth, then the silky caress of her tongue. Soon her lips were pressed against his.
A knock interrupted them and Jack pulled himself free. “That’s the coffee,” he whispered hoarsely.
With a theatrical sigh, Stella flopped onto her back, pulling the sheet with her. Her long legs stretched naked across the bed. Jack rose and slipped on his pants. Shirtless, he unlocked the door. Curtis entered the suite, tray in hand. The big man moved carefully to avoid stepping on the clothing strewn around the room.
“Hey, Curtis,” Stella called with a casual wave.
“Hi, Stella,” Curtis replied, eyes diverted.
Jack took the tray from the other man’s hands. Curtis leaned close. “Driscoll had to get back to work, so his assistant Perry is watching the prisoner,” he said softly.
“Call LA and tell them to expect a prisoner.”
“Farrow?”
Jack nodded. “Get him ready for the move, then I want you to take him to the airport yourself.”
Curtis glanced over Jack’s shoulder, to the woman in the bed. “And you?”
“Call me on this phone in fifteen minutes,” Jack replied. “I’m almost done here.”
Curtis got the message and hastily departed. Jack set the tray on the nightstand, opened the warm carafe. Then he sat on the bed and waited for Stella to pour. She quickly got the message. With an exasperated groan the woman rose to her knees and slowly crawled across the bed to the night table, her naked curves brushing against Jack’s body like a kitten petitioning for a bowl of milk.
Jack pretended not to notice.
“When you were at Bix Automotive, did you hear about any scams you old boyfriend is running,” he asked, accepting a steaming cup, sans milk or sugar.
Stella stared at him. “No. Should I?”
Jack sighed. “Caught a cheat at the roulette wheel earlier today. This guy had a predictive computer. A good one. Claims he bought it from Hugo Bix.”
Stella glanced away. “First I’ve heard of it.”
“But he has sold that kind of stuff before, right? Cheating devices, I mean…” Jack knew he had to probe gently. He could see Stella was holding back.
The woman shrugged. “Doesn’t sound like his style, but if you say so.”
Jack stared at his coffee. “This is only the beginning. I think Hugo’s about to make a move.”
“Well if he is, he’s making a big mistake.” Stella took a long sip from her own coffee cup. “Hugo ain’t that bright. Not nearly as smart as you, Jaycee. I doubt he’s got the cojones to buck you, and why should he? He’s got his share and you got yours.”
“We’re the two biggest punks on the block. We’re gonna mix it up sooner or later. I know it, and Bix knows it.”
Stella rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m going back to the garage later, to pick up my car. I can ask around, quiet like.”
“If you do, be careful.”
“I told you I can take care of myself.” Stella waved a dismissive hand, then put down her cup and threw her arms around Jack’s neck. “Enough about him, Jaycee. I’m getting hungry again, and not for dinner…”
The phone rang, too soon. Jack wasn’t finished grill
ing the woman yet. Irritated, he grabbed the receiver.
“Jaycee, here.”
“It’s Curtis. I need to see you down in the basement.”
Jack dropped the phone, climbed out of bed.
“Where are you going?” Stella cried.
“Trouble on the floor,” Jack grunted, buttoning up his shirt.
“Great. Just great,” she moaned, rolling out of bed. “I’m gonna use your shower, okay? And by the time you’ve finished your business downstairs—”
Stella Hawk heard the door slam. She turned around.
Jaycee was gone.
Tony Almeida reached the bottom of the ladder and stepped carefully around several bundles of wire, each as thick as an overstuffed cobra. Some ran from the generator to the microwave emitter at the top of the steel skeleton. Others were connected to the control panel set up under a nearby tent. With each step, Tony felt his shoes stick to the scorching concrete.