“Nah,” Calvin said. “I’ll do that another time.”
“You know the regular rules.” The man snickered. “No holster drawing, cowboy action shooting or combat-style shooting.” Chet put his fingers in the form of a gun and imitated a cowboy. “Just sign this waiver and that’s $19.99 for the ammo. You know where the handgun range is. Markus is already down there.”
He signed the waiver, paid, placed his guns and targets back in the bag and left the lobby.
He moved straight to the handgun range and entered the soundproof air-locked corridor. Markus, the head Range Safety Officer, smiled and waved when he saw Calvin. Markus had also been Calvin’s teacher for the concealed-carry license course he had taken when he’d first joined the club.
“Hey, Calvin.”
“Markus.” Calvin nodded.
“We’re hot right now. But in a few minutes you should be good to go.”
Calvin stood back and watched through a Plexiglas window. A row of lanes were occupied and clients fired their weapons at targets, each at a different range length.
The lanes were covered by absorbing foam material on the floors, walls and ceilings for noise reduction. The bullets struck targets and then passed through a rubber curtain before hitting the metal backstop and falling safely into angle-plated collectors.
Markus walked over and stood beside Calvin.
“Are you entering the members’ tournament next month? If you win it for a second year in a row, it’s a free membership.”
He grunted. “I’ll think about it.”
He waited as each shooter, one by one, raised their hand to indicate they were done. When the last person raised his hand, they placed their guns on the firing line table with their actions open.
Markus said, “We’re cold. Go ahead in, Calvin.”
He donned his eye and ear protection and made his way to lane six, dropping his duffel bag on the table. He hung a paper target on the target holder positioned on a slide and hit the electrical switch. The motorized assembly withdrew the target and he stopped it about thirty yards away. He then hit another switch and the lane’s ventilation system started. It would pull smoke and lead particles away from the shooting line to reduce the risk of lead poisoning.
He loaded his Browning High-Power and took aim. His face was a mask of concentration. He steadied the weapon with his right hand, used his left for support and then squeezed the trigger.
Chapter 6
When the phone rang, she felt a chill and checked caller ID before answering. “Hello?”
“Is Ace there yet?”
“No.” Her body trembled as it always did when they spoke. She never knew if it was from excitement or fear. Maybe both.
“When are you expecting him?” His tone was brisk, like always.
“Soon.” She pulled the curtain aside a few inches and watched the back yard. “Most of the time he parks on a side street and comes in through the back.”
“You know what to do?”
“Of course. I’m not an idiot. You’ve told me enough times.”
“Don’t get smart, Linda. You know how important this is.”
She knew not to mess with his hair-trigger temper. But when he got this way, it only excited her more.
She spotted Ace rounding the corner of the house, using his key to unlock the back door. “I see him coming.”
“Good. Don’t let me down. Call me when he leaves. And like always, make it look real.”
“Those acting lessons are coming in handy after all.”
She smiled, but the call was disconnected without a goodbye. She jogged down the hall, stripping off layers of clothing along the way to the back door. She took a deep breath and prepared herself. She sat on the edge of the table, spread her legs and hoisted her feet in the air—showing off her double-jointed, dancer flexibility—as the door opened.
“We have twenty minutes,” she whispered in a sexy, raspy voice.
Ace and Linda Grant lay naked, bathed in sweat on top of the bed sheets.
He let out a breath. “You’re gonna kill me. Do you see what you do to me?”
“Come on, baby.” Linda stroked the tuft of hair on his chest. “Poor Linda needs to have her fun too.” When his penis stirred, she gave it a teasing stroke with her fingertips.
“You’re a bad girl, Linda.” He grabbed her hips to turn her around, but she pushed him away.
“We don’t have time. Doug will be home soon.”
“Why did you marry him, anyway? Did you ever love him?”
“Oh, I loved him. I loved his money and the thought of owning the Greek. I knew that if I danced at the club I would land him.”
“You do have a way of catching a man’s attention.”
She arched her brows. “I caught yours.”
“What would I do if we hadn’t met at that conference?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered.
“The sex has been amazing.” He tried to kiss her, but she moved away again and headed toward the walk-in closet. She disappeared inside. A minute later she emerged wearing a Victoria’s Secret floral silk kimono.
He thought Linda’s body was still as tight and firm as it had been when she’d first moved to Vegas to become a show dancer.
“We need to stop meeting here,” he said. “It’s getting too risky. Especially now, being so close.”
“Doug knows.” She cinched the belt around her waist, but left it opened a bit to reveal just enough skin.
“What?” This wasn’t what he was expecting.
“The other day he showed me pictures. Of you and me. Then he asked for a divorce.”
He sat down to think.
“A divorce, Ace,” she reiterated. “That would leave me with millions.” She pouted her lips and in a child’s voice added, “But I want a lot more.”
“You’re evil.” He smiled again.
“You know that I signed a prenuptial agreement. I had to prove I wasn’t marrying Doug for his money. His family and friends never trusted me. If we divorce, I’m only entitled to ten percent of Doug’s estate and I’m immediately taken out of his will, which alone is worth twelve percent non-voting stock of the casino. I’d be losing my part ownership and stock worth multi-millions. After everything I have done for that man. Is that fair?”
“What did you say to him?”
“I had to cry, kneel and then give him the best blow job he’s ever had. He says he forgives me and we need to get things straightened out with a counselor, but I don’t quite believe him.”
“He bought it?”
She chuckled. “I’m not divorced yet, am I? But we both know that as stubborn as Doug is, once he makes up his mind, he won’t change it.”
“I know. The damn fool won’t sell the Greek! Did you search his office yet?”
“No, I’ll do it tonight while he’s at work.”
She approached him and wrapped a muscled leg around his waist. When she opened her kimono, her nipples were hard. “You do have a plan, don’t you, Ace?”
“You know I do.”
“Good, because he barely speaks to me now and he’s getting colder and more distant. I can’t do more to reach his heart than I’m already doing.”
“Shit!”he snapped, pushing her away.
“I know.” She approached him again and started massaging his shoulders. Then she reached around and grabbed his midsection, kneading it like dough. “I could get those divorce papers at anytime and then all of our plans are ruined.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“I’ve got it under control, but we have to move fast. Doug is coming to harm soon, isn’t he?” Her lips curled in a smile that could melt a man’s heart.
He nodded.
“Fatal harm?”
“Well, yes.”
“I thought so.” She walked across the room. “You know I’m not just in his prenup. I’m in his will and at his death I get three times as much as I would after a divorce.”