Part 4 (1/2)

He pressed a hand to his heart. ”You hurt me when you say such things.”

B.B. couldn't be bothered to let this play out. ”If you saw him coming in, why the h.e.l.l didn't you stop him?”

She shrugged. ”What for? You'd have come out, and we'd be right where we are now.”

What for? Jesus, did he have to spell it out for her? It was mentoring time. She knew perfectly well he didn't want to be bothered while mentoring. She knew, and she'd let Rose in because she was still angry with him. It had been a month, and she was still angry, and it was starting to make B.B. crazy. She was his a.s.sistant, and he wasn't sure he even wanted to think about what life would be like without her, but life with her was starting to be a problem. Jesus, did he have to spell it out for her? It was mentoring time. She knew perfectly well he didn't want to be bothered while mentoring. She knew, and she'd let Rose in because she was still angry with him. It had been a month, and she was still angry, and it was starting to make B.B. crazy. She was his a.s.sistant, and he wasn't sure he even wanted to think about what life would be like without her, but life with her was starting to be a problem.

”Okay,” B.B. said. He took an authoritative suck of air. ”Let's make this fast.”

”Of course. You have that young man in there.”

”I'm mentoring him,” B.B. said.

”Oh, I am certain of it. I see he likes breadsticks.”

f.u.c.k if B.B. was going to take this kind of thing from Otto Rose. ”What do you want? How did you know I was here, and what is it that can't wait until morning?”

”You're easier to find than you think,” Rose said, ”and as to why it can't wait, I think you'll be happy I did. Number one, I've just received a tip. There's a reporter in Jacksonville.”

”They've got a newspaper there,” B.B. said. ”And TV stations, last time I checked. Of course there are reporters.”

Rose let out his island laugh. ”There's a reporter there out to do a story on your crew.”

”s.h.i.+t. From where?”

”I don't know. I don't know if the reporter plans to observe or if there's someone on the inside already who is a reporter undercover. I don't know what this person thinks he knows, but there's probably more of a story there than he realizes.”

B.B. bit his lip. ”Okay, we'll take care of it. What's number two?”

”You know the legislature is taking up that bill in the next session to severely limit door-to-door sales. I've just received word that if I go against it, I am going to face severe fund-raising problems. Now, you know I want to help you out, B.B. I've always stood up for you, always valued our relations.h.i.+p. But it's going to cost me to go against this bill, and if it's going to cost me, I'm going to have to make up that cost somewhere.”

”He wants another donation,” Desiree said. She'd been doing a lot of that sort of thing lately, stating the obvious as though B.B. wouldn't have understood what Rose meant without her help.

”Christ, Otto, can't this wait?”

”I came to see you about the reporter, but since I was here, well, it seemed like as good a time as any. Of course, I know you were busy mentoring. If you would rather mentor than take care of business, that is your own concern. Still, I am not entirely certain you want the business community to learn just how important this mentoring is to you.”

f.u.c.k if here wasn't Rose putting on the squeeze, trying to use his charitable nature against him. A man wanted to help out the unfortunate, and he had to answer to one opportunistic cynic after another. And the thing was, Rose put all that work into crime prevention, after-school programs for the kids in Overtown, but no one could say anything about that because he was black and those kids were black, and all of that meant that Rose was a saint. So now he had to stand out here, talking bulls.h.i.+t with a state legislator while Chuck sat by himself at the table, his friendly mood deteriorating with each minute.

”How much are we talking about?” Desiree asked.

”Same as last time, my darling.”

Same as last time meant $25,000. These little payouts were adding up to huge money.

”Give us a moment, Otto,” Desiree said. She put a hand on B.B.'s arm and led him about twenty feet into the parking lot. ”What do you think?”

”I think I don't want to pay him any more money.”

”Of course not, but if this bill goes through, you're going to have a lot of problems.”

”So you're saying we should pay?”

”Probably, but make it clear that this is the last time. You don't want him to think he can come to you to strap on the feed bag every time he's feeling he needs a few extra dollars. This is starting to feel like a shakedown.”

B.B. nodded. ”When we get rid of him, get on the phone to the Gambler and make sure he gets the heads-up about the reporter. And his crew should be making a payment after the weekend. Make sure he can get the cash to us.”

”Okay.”

They walked back over to Rose, who was still grinning as though he were about to deliver a singing telegram.

”I'll have the money by next week,” B.B. said, ”but this is the last time.”

”Come now, my friend. You know I cannot make any guarantees.”

”We can't make any guarantees, either. You get me, don't you?”

”Of course, B.B.”

”I've got to get back inside.”

”Yes. That boy might be tempted to start mentoring himself,” Rose said.

With B.B. back inside the restaurant, Desiree remained leaning against the clean car, arms still folded as she looked at Otto. Her shoulder-length dirty-blond hair blew lightly in the wind and lifted her chin, which accentuated the sharpness of her nose. She knew that if she held her head just so, she could make herself look pointier and angrier, and she wanted to look angry now. Desiree wasn't quite ready to confront B.B. She wasn't quite ready to say the things she needed to say. The end had to come, and she knew it, but it didn't need to come tonight.

It wasn't fear. People who had never met B.B., who knew him only by reputation or by the size and ingenuity of his operation, feared him. Desiree, however, knew better. No, it wasn't fear. It was obligation-and it was pity. But she felt no pity for Otto Rose.

”Oh, come, Desiree. Don't give me that look, beautiful. You know it is business. If you work for a man like B.B., you must expect men like me to deal with him as he deserves.”

She shook her head. ”Don't back me into a corner, Otto, by saying things about B.B.”

”You're right. You are nothing if not loyal. I am sorry I spoke so. I won't say another word about B.B., but may I say a word about you?”

”If you must.” She let her expression slacken a little, took some of the heat off.

Otto took a step closer. ”You are much too-too good good-to work for a man like B.B. I don't merely mean good at your job, though I do believe that. I mean you are a good person.”

”You don't seem to have a problem doing business with B.B.”

He laughed. ”I'm a politician, my dear. It is too late for me to be good. But it is not too late for you, young and talented and lovely as you are. Why don't you leave him?”

The question needed dodging, and Desiree fought the urge to physically duck. She didn't want to deal with his probing now. ”I owe him, okay, Otto? That's all I want to say.”

”I know you owe him. But how much can you owe? Do you owe him enough to help him do what he does? Or to help him with those boys?”

”He is just their mentor, Otto. No one can say anything about B.B. and his boys. I live in the same house with him, remember? I'm the live-in help.”