Double Lucky (37 page)

“Gramps is asleep,” Max pointed out. “So what he doesn't know…”

“Think I'd better wake him,” Jed said, looking worried.

“No,” Max said quickly. “Don't do that. We're playing a game with a friend, it's no big deal.”

Jed climbed up on his knees and peered out the back window. “If this person's your friend, how come you ain't drivin' with 'im?”

“'Cause it's complicated,” Max replied as Ace put his foot to the floorboard and the Chevrolet hit its limit.

Her heart was pounding—they were still in the middle of nowhere.

WHAT IF INTERNET FREAK CAUGHT THEM?

*   *   *

He spotted them immediately and gave chase.

So incensed was Henry that he could barely see straight. Not only was he angry, he was also deeply disappointed, he'd had such high hopes for himself and Maria. And now she was running away from him, and it was so wrong.

The problem was her cousin. He should've shot the cousin when he'd had the chance.

Pow!
A bullet through the heart.

Good-bye, cousin.

Good-bye, problem.

A muscle in his cheek twitched uncontrollably as he chased the old Chevrolet down the deserted road. Eventually they'd reach the main highway, so it was imperative he stopped them before they got there.

But how? He was not a very experienced driver, he had no idea how to run another car off the road, because if he did, that's exactly what he'd do. Besides, he couldn't take a chance of hurting Maria. It wasn't
her
fault she'd run, it was all to do with the cousin.

Henry was filled with hate against the cousin, just as he was filled with hate against Lucky Santangelo and Billy Melina. They were all unworthy, all three of them.

Only Maria was pure. His Maria.

Somehow or other he had to save her.

*   *   *

“Can't you go any faster?” Max yelled.

“We're going as fast as we can,” Ace yelled back.

“I'm gonna wake Gramps,” Jed whined.

“No you're
not
,” Max snapped, thinking it was a miracle that the old man was still asleep.

“You people are weird,” Jed sniveled.

“We're not weird, we're like having fun,” Max said, trying to convince him that nothing much was going on.

“This ain't
my
idea of fun,” Jed said. “I wanna wake Gramps.”

“No!” Max said sharply. “Let him sleep.”

“But I—”

“Tell you what,” Max said, trying to keep it together. “When I get back to L.A., I'm sending you a CD player and all the Stones CDs. What do you think?”

“You'd do that?” Jed said, his face lighting up.

“Yes. I swear,” she answered, saying a silent prayer that Internet Freak was not going to catch them.

Ace swerved the car, narrowly missing a coyote that suddenly appeared in the middle of the road.

Max could see he was sweating, but she had to admit he was doing a great job of getting them away from the Volvo, which seemed to be slowing down. She was trying to remain calm for the sake of the kid, but it wasn't easy, since her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might burst right out of her skin.

“When?” Jed asked.

“When what?”

“When I gonna get me one of them CD things?”

“Soon,” she said. “Like that's a faithful promise.”

*   *   *

Henry hit the coyote full on. The animal rose up in the air and came thumping down on the hood of the car with a sickening thud, blood trickling down the windshield.

Henry pressed his foot down on the brake and promptly lost control. The Volvo veered across the road, finally shuddering to a stop in a ditch.

Henry hit his head on the windshield, and then there was nothing but silence.

 

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

Lucky drove over to Cookie's house all set to catch her off guard. This time she was determined to find out more information. Enough fudging around from Cookie—there was only so much pretending she could get away with. Cookie
had
to know
something
and Lucky was going to find out what that something was.

Once she'd driven through the impenetrable gates and high-tech security cameras—a way of life in Bel-Air and Beverly Hills—Gerald M. himself opened the massive front door. Barefoot and attractive in an “I am a big star and don't you forget it” kind of way, Gerald ushered her in. “Hey, Lucky, you gotta come out to my studio,” he enthused, fiddling with a large diamond cross hanging on a diamond-studded gold chain around his neck. “I laid down a track yesterday that's gonna blow your ass from here to the Bahamas!”

Somewhere in the background a beautiful Latina girl clad in a barely-there bikini flitted from one room to another. Gerald M. ignored her.

“Actually, I came by to see Cookie,” Lucky said.

“Some party last night,” Gerald continued. “You stage that fight thing or what?”

“Sure I did, Gerald,” she said patiently. “It was all staged, couldn't you tell?”

“Genius, baby!” he chortled.

“Thanks,” she said, fast becoming impatient. This was not a social call, she wanted action. “Is Cookie around?”

“Still sleepin' it off.”

“Do you mind if I go upstairs?”

“Sure,” he said, fingering his cross. “Then you gotta come by my studio out by the pool.”

“I'll do that,” she said, heading for the ornate staircase.

“First door on the right,” Gerald called out as a petite blonde emerged from the kitchen drinking Diet Coke from the can.

First door on the right was locked. Lucky knocked loudly several times, until eventually a bleary-eyed Cookie opened up. She was clad in an oversized Snoop Dogg T-shirt and nothing else.

“Mrs. Go— I mean, Lucky!” Cookie exclaimed. “What're
you
doin' here?”

Lucky glanced pointedly at her watch. “It's almost noon and no daughter, so I thought you and I should have a little talk. Can I come in?”

“Uh … sure,” Cookie said, reluctantly backing up to allow Lucky access to her darkened bedroom.

The room reeked of pot and incense and the walls were painted dark brown. Curled up in a sleeping bag on the floor was a male figure.

“Am I disturbing something?” Lucky inquired, black eyes glittering with impatience.

“No, course not,” Cookie said, poking the male figure with her foot. “It's only Harry. He sleeps over when it's late.”

“Too far to drive to Brentwood,” Lucky said dryly.

“Too wasted,” Cookie giggled.

Great
, Lucky thought.
And these two are Max's best friends.

“So,” she said as Harry surfaced, spiky black hair standing on end, “I need more information about Max.”

Cookie rubbed her eyes. “I wish we like
knew
more,” she ventured. “But honestly, we don't.”

“Come
on
, Cookie. I understand what it's like to be sixteen—loyalty to your friends and all that. Only this is getting serious. I have to speak to Max, and I have to speak to her today.”

*   *   *

Cookie gave her nothing, and by the time Lucky got back to the house, she was steaming. Paige was outside the house supervising Gino Junior, who was loading their luggage into the car.

“What happened?” she asked. “I thought Gino was all set for a round of golf. Why are you leaving so soon?”

“Gino has decided we should beat the traffic,” Paige explained. “And who am I to fight with your father? He's the worst backseat driver in the world, so I try to avoid all the nagging I can.”

“You're a smart lady, Paige.”

“Living with Gino, I have to be.”

“Hey, Mom,” Gino Junior said, almost dropping a heavy Vuitton bag. “Granddad says I can go stay. Is that okay with you?”

“If you promise to behave yourself,” Lucky said. Gino Junior always had a good time with his grandfather, and that suited her fine since she'd be spending so much time in Vegas.

Gino emerged from the house. “You're back, kiddo,” he said. “I wondered where you were.”

“Yes, Gino, I'm back, and I'm looking forward to seeing you in Vegas.”

“Can't wait! We'll be there. The party was the greatest, kiddo. Now come over here an' give an old man a hug.”

She hugged her father, told Gino Junior to behave himself, and instructed Paige to drive carefully.

Once they'd left, she went into the house and looked for Lennie. He was sitting in front of his computer.

“Any new info?” he asked.

“Cookie's stonewalling me,” she said, shaking her head. “Says she's sure Max is okay. As if
she
would know. She and Harry are lying around in her room totally stoned.”

“What do you want to do?”

“I guess we'll wait until four, then if we haven't heard from her, I'm reporting her missing.”

“Isn't that kind of drastic?” Lennie said. “She called yesterday and left a message that she'd be home today. I'm thinking that would hardly put her on the missing list.”

“And what if she's not home today?” Lucky demanded, getting more anxious and frustrated by the minute.

“We'll deal with that
if
it happens. And believe me, sweetheart, it won't, she'll be back today.”

“I'm glad
you're
so sure.”

“I am. Everything's gonna work out.”

Sometimes Lennie drove her crazy with his laid-back attitude. Here she was hanging around L.A. waiting for Max, when she should be in Vegas meeting with the heads of all the different departments. The Keys was due to open in two weeks and that's exactly where she should be right now. She had so much to do it was ridiculous. But no. Max was screwing up all her plans, and there was nothing she could do about it except sit and worry that her daughter was okay.

 

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

Once they'd lost Internet Freak, it didn't take long before everyone realized the old man wasn't merely asleep, there was something seriously wrong. He'd slumped forward in his seat, and when Jed tried to wake him, he'd failed to respond.

Jed immediately began to panic. Max attempted to calm him. “Has your grandpa been sick?” she asked.

“He takes pills,” Jed said, wiping his nose with the back of his hand.

Max shook the old man's shoulders. No reaction. “I think he might be unconscious,” she whispered to Ace.

“Okay, we're almost at Big Bear,” Ace said, his eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead. “Keep it together and find out where they live.”

Jed mumbled that they lived way back where they'd come from. According to him, they were on their way to visit the old man's sister. Unfortunately, he didn't know her exact address, although he knew that she lived somewhere in Big Bear.

“This sucks,” Ace muttered.

Jed looked as if he was about to cry.

Max squeezed his hand. “Your grandpa's going to be okay,” she assured him.

“You shouldn't've been driving so fast,” he muttered. “That's what did it.”

“No, it didn't,” she argued. “Going fast had like
nothing
to do with it. Your grandpa might have, I dunno, some kind of heart condition.”

“He sleeps a lot,” Jed admitted.

“How old is he?”

“Eighty-three.”

“Well,
my
grandfather's a whole lot older than that,” she said encouragingly. “And he's
really
healthy, so chances are your gramps will be kicking around for years.”

Finally they reached a gas station. Ace hurriedly jumped out of the car and rushed to a pay phone.

“Are you calling your brother?” Max asked, putting her head out the window.

“Yes,” Ace replied. “He'll figure out where we should take him. The old man needs a doctor right away.”

She thought it was pretty cool the way he was taking charge. She imagined how different it might've been if only
he
had turned out to be her Internet guy. Oh yes, they would have gone off and spent a fantastic weekend together, most likely fallen in love and lived happily ever after.

Instead of which … what a nightmare!

Ace's brother, Hart, met them in Big Bear. He was taller and older than Ace. He leaned in the car, checked on the old man, then instructed his brother to follow his truck to a nearby clinic where he'd arranged to have an orderly waiting outside with a wheelchair.

At the clinic, the three men managed to get the old man into the chair. Then Hart had to leave for work, so Ace suggested they stay around to see if they could help. Max agreed it was the least they could do.

Once inside the clinic a doctor took over, leaving them in the waiting area while he whisked the old man off.

Max hurried to the ladies' room where she attempted to clean herself up. Staring in the mirror she realized what a lucky escape they'd had. Internet Freak could have done anything to them. He'd had them trapped, or so he'd thought. Ace escaping was pretty darn brave. He could've got himself shot, but he hadn't been scared, he'd stayed around to rescue her like some kind of superhero. Without him doing that …

She shuddered. She didn't want to think about what might have happened.

When she got back, Ace went off to the men's room.

She sat down next to Jed, who looked at her forlornly. “Is my gramps gonna be okay?” he asked.

“Sure he is,” she replied cheerfully. “Do you live with him?”

He nodded his head.

“Where's your parents?” she asked curiously.

He shrugged. “Don't have none.”

“How come?”

“My mom ran off when I was three. Dad went after her. At least that's what Gramps told me.”