Hot Rocks

stretched out her free arm as she stared back at him, but she was still short of her goal. “Who were you going to call, Laine? Dear old Dad?”
    “You idiot.” Her response, and the furious shove surprised him enough to have him dropping her back onto the couch. “Did you tell me to empty my pockets? Did you ask if I had a phone? It’s off, isn’t it? I always carry it around with me in the shop. You’ve been with me the whole time, Einstein. Did I make any calls?”
    He seemed to consider, then turned the phone over and studied it. “It appears to be off.” He powered it up. After it searched for and found service, the phone gave a little trill. “It seems you have a message. Why don’t we see who’s been trying to reach you?”
    “Kiss my ass.” She gave an annoyed shrug, scooted closer to the table, reached for the wine bottle and refilled her glass. Her hand remained perfectly steady when she heard Max’s voice announce he was back.
    “There, does that sound like I’ve contacted him by phone or the power of my mind? Jesus.” He was a good four feet away now. Too far. Setting the bottle down, she cupped her injured cheek. “Get me some goddamn ice for this.”
    “I don’t like orders.”
    “Yeah, well, I don’t like getting clocked by some guy with an impulse-control problem. How the hell am I going to explain this bruise, and believe me, it’ll be a beaut. You just complicated everything. And you know what else, hot-shot? My previous offer is now off the table. I don’t sleep with men who hit me. Not ever, not for anything.” She eased forward a bit, as if comforting herself, and continued to rub her cheek.
    “Straight business deal now. No side bennies.”
    “You seem to forget, this isn’t a negotiation.”
    “Everything’s negotiable. You’ve got half, I’ve got half. You want all. I, on the other hand, am more realistic, and a lot less greedy. Take these damn things off,” she demanded, rattling the cuffs. “Where the hell am I going?”
    She saw his hand move, very slightly, toward his left pants pocket. Then drop away again. “I don’t think so. Now . . .” He started toward her. “The diamonds.”
    “You hit me again, you lay a hand on me, and I swear, I’ll see the cops get them before you get one more stone.”
    “You have a delicate build, Laine. Delicate bones break easily. I think you have a strong mind; it might take a great deal to break that. I could start with your hand. Do you know how many bones there are in the human hand? I can’t quite remember, but I believe there are quite a few.”
    His eyes came alive as he said it, and nothing in the whole of her life had ever frightened her more than that amused gleam. “Some will snap, some will shatter. It would be very painful. You’ll tell me where the diamonds are, and you’ll tell me the truth, because even a strong mind can tolerate only so much pain.”
    Her pulse was pounding in her temples, in her throat, in her fingertips, drums of terror, all but deafening. “And only a sick one gets juiced at the thought of causing it. You know, without that little flaw, I would’ve enjoyed spending some time with you.”
    She had to keep her eyes on his, steady on his. Survival depended on it. “I like stealing,” she continued. “I like taking what belongs to someone else and making it mine. It’s such a rush. But the rush isn’t worth pain. It’s never worth my life. That’s a little something I picked up from my father. I think we’ve reached a point where you want the diamonds more than I do. You want to know where they are? That’s easier than you think. But getting to them, well...”
    Her heart was thumping like a jackhammer as she curved her lips, curled her finger. “Come here, and I’ll give you a little hint.”
    “You’ll do better than that.”
    “Oh, come on. At least let me have some fun with it.” She toyed with the pendant around her neck, held it up. “What does this look like to you?” She let out a soft laugh. “Come on, Alex, take a closer look.”
    She knew she had him when he stepped to her, when his gaze fastened on the pendant. She let it drop again, to free her hand, then leaned forward again as if to pick up her wineglass. “It’s all about misdirection, really. Another little thing I picked up from my father.”
    She tilted her face up so his attention would lock on it. There would only be one chance. He reached down for the necklace, bending, angling his head