Pretty Shameless, page 13
part #2 of Deputy Laney Briggs Series
When I’d turned twenty-three, Luke hauled my ass off to Gruene, Texas, to see my favorite band, Reckless Kelly, in concert. It’d been a last-ditch attempt at spreading the holiday cheer since that Christmas—just another one of life’s crummy moments that my birthday lands two weeks before the holidays—I was alone, a year older, and experiencing a terrible breakup. At the time, Gunner’d made a home in Houston, and I was in need of a good time. Regrettably, that night awarded Luke a black eye and his new pair of cowboy boots covered in barf. I still wasn’t sure what caused the evening to spiral out of control. Maybe I shouldn’t have called that chick a “bitch” and flung my beer in her face. But hell, I’d just been dumped and Luke was my damn date.
The “yeah” humfed out on a laugh.
I turned, catching Luke’s shit-eating grin beaming. Of course he’d remembered my sorry-ass drunk moments.
We hustled down the sidewalk, stopping beneath the old metal welcome banner inviting all of Willie’s guests to come in and dip deep into their pockets. I peered up at the rusted orange sign. Written in white all caps right under Willie King’s gold-plated name was the slogan: We have the deals that’ll make you smile. Bring your gold and guns for a down payment. Now that was sleazier than a vendor at a gun show.
Luke tugged us past the chain-link fence. The car lot itself wasn’t too promising. There was a whole herd of clunkers and junkers in every color of the rainbow. Helium-filled blue and yellow balloons bobbled in the air along the fence posts adjacent to the county road. Over to the back of the lot were two tan RV trailers boasting a set of red flags announcing the best deals in Ector County. Even though there wasn’t another car lot until the outskirts of Odessa, I seriously doubted anybody shopping for a car at Willie’s was getting a square deal.
The trailer door swung open and out stepped a lollipop on stilts. And here I thought bell-bottoms had died a necessary and horrible death. He crossed down the steps and planted a pair of bone-white, tailor-made alligator cowboy boots on the asphalt. The left side of his mouth looked like a squirrel on a good day. He spit, splattering black slime next to the tin-barrel trash can.
“Howdy there, Luke.” The man tugged at his muskrat ponytail before extending a warm welcome. “What brings you in today, Son?” Willie asked as he kept his eyes fixed on me.
Luke took his hand and gave it a good, firm shake.
“This sexy momma over here made me the happiest man in the world. She’s letting me buy her a car for her birthday,” he said, dropping me the most lovesick puppy smile to ever walk the face of the earth.
Willie chewed a minute on that.
“Well hell, boy.” He slapped Luke on the shoulder. “I didn’t know Mitch Wagner’s son was seeing Laney Briggs.” He looked over at me and said, “I thought you were screwing that bastard Texas Ranger again.”
“We apparently hit another bump in the road,” I mumbled.
Luke sidled up next to me and hooked an arm around my neck. “Yep, it was a long time coming.” The corners of his mouth slipped up, and laugh lines appeared around his eyes. I gazed at his smiling face, knowing I was staring down the barrel of a loaded gun. “Just took some time to convince her that Wagners aren’t all that bad. And besides, once this one got a taste of the goods”—he tossed me a naughty wink—“she was addicted.”
I shot him the look of death. He just stood there gloating in all his tormenting glory. There was a chance that today’s outing was not going to work in my favor. I, on the other hand, was going to teach Luke Wagner a lesson in just how short-lived the honeymoon phase could be.
“Well, y’all came to the right place,” Willie’s voice whistled, slicing through our showdown. “We got us here some peaches ripe for the picking.” He lifted a finger and plucked at his two front teeth, giving the car lot his best Miss America wave with his free hand.
I jerked away from Luke’s embrace, muttering in disapproval. “You can let go now.”
Luke ignored me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, proclaiming, “What do you think, honeypot? Anything catch your eye?”
“Nothing yet, sweetie,” I replied like I was enjoying the whole experience.
If it had tires or testicles, it’s gonna give you trouble. I knew that much was true. So why did I keep letting myself get screwed? It wasn’t like I was ever going to come out on top.
Willie escorted us over to one hell of a diamond in the rough. He lifted a hand and gave the old wreck a slap on the backside. “Ain’t she a dream?” Willie pulled a big old, stomach-rumbling smile.
The “she” he was referring to was a rusted-up ’84 Ford Mustang.
I gulped. “I like the paint job.”
Willie slicked his tongue across his teeth and narrowed his eyes at the both of us. “Tell me something, Luke,” he started to hack away at our story. “Why in Pete’s sake are you buying your girl a used car, because I know you could drop cash on one of Carl Higgen’s Beamers over in Odessa.”
Luke cracked a smile. “My little lady friend here doesn’t have the cleanest driving record on this side of the county line.” Without hesitation, I lifted a boot and sent a swift kick into his shin. He deserved it. And he and his cocky attitude knew it.
“Damn it, Laney.” Luke yelped, hopping to his other boot.
I gave him a sugary-pissy look.
Willie snorted. “I heard about how feisty Laney is. You got your hands full with her,” he said, still laughing as he walked us over to a Cadillac near the back of the lot. Willie popped the hood. “Ain’t she a beauty?”
“She sure is. We’ll take it,” Luke said, grabbing hold of my hand.
A loud crashing sound hit the ground as Willie swung the door closed.
“That little doozy can be fixed right up. My secretary is on vacation, and she does all my billing.” Willie smiled, dusting off his hands. “Just let me get the paperwork started, and I’ll meet the two of y’all back inside my office next door.”
My eyes lowered to the asphalt next to the front left tire. That noise I had heard was the driver’s side door. It was hanging a good couple of inches from its hinges.
I looked up at Luke and lowered my voice. “You’re not really going to buy this piece of shit.”
“You trust me, Laney Briggs,” he said, squeezing my hand tighter.
Personally, denying him the pleasure of knowing just how much I trusted him would’ve made my day, but he and I both knew how many times he’d stuck his neck out for me.
I squeezed back, almost getting lost in those baby blues simmering under the midafternoon Texas skyline. “Completely, Wagner.”
“Hey, if it gets us some information on Wyatt, then yeah, I’ll buy the Caddie. And you and I both know you’re in need of a new vehicle. That pickup you’re determined to clunk around town in is a death trap waiting to happen.” Luke smiled. “But the thing is, cutie, I’ve never been one to welcome sloppy seconds,” he said, voice low and heated.
The feel of his breath skating across my neck brought with it a few imaginary thoughts that should never see the light of day. I pulled away, trying to gain perspective on things.
The casual smirk playing along his mouth grew as he leaned in close, whispering in my ear, “When it comes to the girl of my dreams, only the best will do.” His lips brushed against my earlobe, igniting a wildfire of indecent memories to swarm inside my mind.
Breathe, Laney. Do not let past regrets fuck you over. It’d been a mistake. Luke was a mistake. That night had the potential to ruin everything. I inhaled sharply, begging to find solid ground.
And Luke took notice. He reached out and drew a lock of my hair between his fingers, saying, “So to answer your question, Deputy Briggs, I’d never put you in danger. I plan on leaving this lot with tags to the best damn vehicle Willie King owns. And I also intend on getting to the bottom of how your cousin got himself tangled up with a man like King.”
And that’s how Luke Wagner got me every time. How he was so willingly able to jump through hoops for me. Even though I knew the man wasn’t too fond of my idiot cousin.
“I can’t actually let you buy me a car.” I smiled back at him. “You do know that right.”
“If I want to buy you a car,” he said, slinging his arm across my shoulders and pulling me with him toward the trailer, “I will buy you a car.”
When we reached the office, Luke let my hand slip from his and opened the door like the true-blood Texas gentleman he was. The dying window unit whistled through the tiny space. In the middle of the trailer was a desk loaded to the waistline with papers. Lining the back wall was a set of old state football championship trophies. I made my way around the desk, running my fingers across the paper mess, finally stopping with a hand clutching the desk chair. As I pulled out the chair to take a seat, I decided to check in with Luke. First rule of thumb was to never snoop without a lookout. He was standing guard by the door.
“Keep watch,” I told him. Then I dove into the clutter, not even waiting for a response.
I dug through the mess on top of Willie’s desk. I found unpaid bills and renewal notices for Penthouse and Barely Legal magazines. There were a couple of empty Redman chewing tobacco pouches underneath a stack of car titles. I nearly tipped over an open Coke bottle filled to the top with tobacco spit. But I didn’t once come across anything incriminating. I shoved aside a stack of folders, grabbed a paper clip, and was fixing to gouge away at a locked desk drawer when the sound of footsteps made me lurch out of my seat.
“Need to wrap up whatever the hell you’re doing,” Luke called out to me.
I shot to a stand. “Thanks for the heads-up.”
“I always come through, cutie,” he stated smugly and patted the chair adjacent to the desk. “Now take a seat, and let the men do the haggling.”
I rolled my eyes. “Have at it,” I said, sitting down in the chair. “I’m starting to figure this car lot doesn’t bring in much business.”
Luke placed his hands on my shoulders and grinned. “You reckon?” he quipped. “Now remember to play nice, because Willie’s not coming to the meeting alone. I’d bet my firstborn that his right-hand man, Sal Henna, is waiting outside that door.”
I tilted my head back at him. “It’s just a car deal. Why on earth would Willie bring his henchman to seal a deal?”
“Willie’s no dimwit, Laney. He knows you’re Wyatt’s cousin and a deputy sheriff,” he supplied. “Plus, clever men run in packs, and if Willie’s anything like my old man, he won’t be getting his hands dirty unless necessary.”
“He’s still a loser in my book.”
“Just watch yourself and don’t do anything reckless,” he told me. “Remember, you’re not here to start a gunfight, just to squeeze some answers out of the man.”
I had my hands balled into fists and my legs crossed at the ankles—and a cold sweat was slowly creeping up the back of my neck. Luke flicked a piece of hair off my shoulder. “Just follow my lead, Laney.”
Yeah, right. Following Luke Wagner’s lead was like pissing in an outhouse at night without a flashlight. You’re bound to get yourself in some real shit without ever seeing it coming.
The door burst open, and Willie galloped inside, sweating like a beast out of hell, fanning his glistening face with the papers he’d run out to get. He swatted at a fly on his way over to the box fan perched on top of the file cabinet. When he flipped the switch an icy chill marked my face as its target. My skin prickled, and then I felt my nipples shrivel into knots.
“I guess someone forgot to wear a padded bra,” Luke said, locking his eyes on my rocket ships.
I shrugged. “Nope. I like to be fully alert.”
His laughter was almost immediately snuffed out by a stack of papers hitting the glass-top desk. The sound of the desk chair squeaking to a stop, and the buzz of the fan, thrown in with the earsplitting noise of Willie gnawing away at his thumb nail had me at the end of my rope.
Willie licked two fingers, then proceeded to slick back his hair. “Now I assume that you won’t be needing to finance, will you, Luke?”
“No, sir. I’ll be paying cash.”
“Just like your old man,” Willie said, showing us that crooked smile.
“A few of his habits have rubbed off on me.”
“Then if you’d just slap your John Hancock right here, Luke”—Willie tapped the document with a pen—“we’ll all be on our way.”
“Sure thing,” Luke said, going for the pen. For some reason, Willie wasn’t too keen on letting go of the Pilot.
Luke finally dislodged it from his wrinkly fingers and left his mark on the document before handing the pen back to him.
“And now you, Deputy Briggs,” Willie said, taking a pause to scrutinize my face. The chair creaked as he scooted farther over the desk. I watched his eyes grow wide and then shrink into narrow slivers. I reached for the pen, but his grip held fast. “You still close with that skinny-ass bastard of a cousin of yours?” Willie slumped back down in his seat and stretched his woolly mammoth, rail-thin arms above his head. He looked at Luke before turning to me. “I heard he skipped on that bail your mother set.” The gossip mill ran like beer from a tap during a college football game. One of the many reasons living in a small town could be a problem.
I stepped up to plate, scrunched my sleeves around my elbows, and met the sleazebag eye to eye. “You should know, I’ve heard that scumbags run in packs.”
Willie leaped forward in his chair at that wise-ass remark. He firmly planted his elbows on the desk, and his glass-eye stare gave me the heebie-jeebies.
I swallowed hard and told my butt to stay glued to the seat as I paid close attention to Willie’s slimy tongue stroking his parched, prickly lips. That mouth was like a Venus flytrap the way it suction-cupped his long giraffe tongue.
He cracked a few knuckles and stated, “Cut to the chase, Deputy Briggs.” His voice hissed above the loud drone of the box fan. “You’re not on a car-shopping spree.”
Game on. I scooted forward in my chair, slow and steady, keeping my eyes locked on him. No way was Willie King going to get the upper hand by knowing he had my balls against the wall. I cleared my throat and jumped in headfirst.
“Mr. King, I’m looking for information on why Wyatt was hauling illegal guns across county lines.” I kept my eyes focused on his. “And I have damn good reason to believe you have a whole hell of a lot to do with why he’s in the thick of things with Texas lawmen.”
Willie’s expression turned cold and threatening. “That’s mighty bold of you, coming in here and making accusations like that.” He licked his lips again. “Now I’m gonna give you and Luke here one chance, and one chance only, to get out of my office. And if I find out that either one of you say my name again and it ain’t about a car, you’re gonna find yourselves feeding buzzards in the desert. And I don’t care who you are or who your daddy is.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Or for that matter, if you’re fucking a Texas Ranger.”
Despite the fear trembling through my entire body, I didn’t break eye contact. I kept my ass adhered to the seat and spoke directly to his menacing face.
“Mr. King, I told you why I’m here, and I have no intention of leaving until I am satisfied with the answer you give me.” I leaned in closer to his face, scared completely shitless at this point but too deep into it to back out, and leveled a threat of my own. “And before you speak another word, let me remind you that threatening the life of a law enforcement officer is plenty enough for me to go ahead and arrest you right now.”
A subtle look of shock encroached upon the threatening glare he was wielding at me. Seeing how I was getting his attention, I continued.
“However, Mr. King, if you would be willing to help me by providing any information you might have about Wyatt’s case, I’d be willing to forget all that nonsense you said about the desert and buzzards.”
Willie reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his Redman pouch. Slowly, calculatingly, he pinched out a generous-sized chaw and lodged it into his cheek. He picked up the Coke bottle from his desk and settled deep into his chair.
“Miss Briggs, you have some mouth on you,” Willie complimented me backhandedly.
I settled into my own chair and crossed my legs, still meeting him eye for eye. “It’s my mother’s fault.”
He chuckled and then looked over at Luke, who had been so quiet I had almost forgotten he was sitting there next to me. “Luke, why don’t you get her out of here before she gets the both of you in some shit there won’t be any crawling out of?”
“Hey, asshole!” I slapped my hands down on the desk. “You’re talking to me, not him. Keep this lip service up, and I might find it in me to call in the feds to run a check on this little franchise you keep to fill those baggy bell-bottom pockets. ”
Well, that pushed him too far. Willie skyrocketed to his boots, pinning a cold, belly-aching glare back at me. “There are things, Deputy Briggs, that not even you can control. Family, friends, and even lovers that are keeping you in the dark about a shitload of things.” He snarled, his voice thickly coated with annoyance and rage. He chewed on the tobacco, rolling it from one cheekbone to the other. “Ain’t that right, Luke?”
“Let’s go,” Luke barked and yanked me out of my seat.
“By the way…” Willie swiftly rounded the desk, wedging himself between Luke and me. “I’m looking forward to my next poker game with your father, Luke. Now don’t be a fool son by dragging him into this shit.”
“I’ll try to keep that in mind,” Luke said, then jerked us both out the door.
We hustled across the car lot toward the truck. He aggressively ripped open my door and shoved me inside, slamming it shut. Then Luke climbed behind the wheel and gunned the gas, leaving the shitty-ass scrap yard behind without another word.
Shortly after Luke left me in a cloud of dust on my gravel drive, I grabbed the keys to the cruiser and drove over to the station. After finding the place locked up tighter than a chastity belt, I quickly clued in to the fact that Elroy had closed up shop early. It was Wednesday night, and to get a front-row seat at the weekly bingo league one needed to get there at least two hours before the first ball was called.
