Devil in a Black Suit: A Shelby Nichols Adventure Read online

  Devil in a Black Suit

  Colleen Helme

  Copyright © 2018 by Colleen Helme.

  Original Score and lyrics to Devil in a Black Suit Copyright © 2018 by Colleen Helme

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  www.colleenhelme.com

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  All trademarks and brands referred to in this book are for illustrative purposes only, are the property of their respective owners and not affiliated with this publication in any way. Any trademarks are being used without permission, and the publication of the trademark is not authorized by, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owner.

  Book Layout & Design ©2018 - BookDesignTemplates.com

  Book Cover by Damonza ©2018 – Colleen Helme

  Devil in a Black Suit/ Colleen Helme. -- 1st ed.

  ISBN-13: 978-1983781193

  ISBN-10: 1983781193

  Dedication

  To Darlene M. Mercado,

  You would have loved this one

  Rest in Peace

  The Shelby Nichols Adventure Series

  Carrots

  Fast Money

  Lie or Die

  Secrets That Kill

  Trapped by Revenge

  Deep in Death

  Crossing Danger

  Devious Minds

  Hidden Deception

  Laced in Lies

  Note from the Author

  This book is about Ramos, the hit-man from the Shelby Nichols Adventure Series. It is a stand-alone novel from Ramos’s point of view and is based on the characters from the series. For readers of the series, this book takes place between book seven, Crossing Danger, and book eight, Devious Minds. I hope you love it!

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I would like to give a big thanks to my family for all of your support and encouragement. To Ben Towers who helped me with the research about the guns and weapons mentioned in this book. Now I don’t have to worry about the FBI flagging me as a terrorist! Also thanks to Brian Chatwin and Geoff Parker for your insights and first-hand experiences in Cuba. Thanks again to my great editor, Kristin Monson, for making this a better book. Most of all, thanks to all of my readers who embraced the idea of a book about Ramos, and gave me the motivation to write his story! It’s been a fun journey, and one that I hope will continue.

  Contents

  Part 1

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Part 2

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Part 1

  Chapter 1

  Ramos sat at the bar, waiting for Shelby and Manetto to finish up their meeting. Shelby hadn’t wanted to come, and he couldn’t blame her, but she didn’t have much of a choice when it came to Manetto. Neither did anyone else who worked for him.

  It wasn’t like this was anything that could get her killed, but with Shelby, he never knew what to expect. She was a valuable asset to Manetto, the local crime boss, because she could read minds. Who would have thought? Even after a few months of working with Shelby, the fact that she could read minds still blew Ramos away.

  And to think that it had all happened because she’d gone to the grocery store for some carrots. That was the day a bank robber shot her. It was the bullet wound to her head that had given her this ability. But it wasn’t until Ramos had tracked her down for Manetto, that she’d told the big boss her secret.

  It had given Manetto a reason to let her live, and now she was a member of his organization, even though she worked for him under duress. She even called him “Uncle Joey,” mostly to make him mad, but Manetto took it all in stride, and continued to coerce her by any means necessary to do his bidding.

  Since Ramos worked for him as well, it also meant that he had shared some intense moments with Shelby. In fact, he’d nearly died a few times saving her life. It even looked like he had a soft spot in his heart for her, and that irritated him more than anything.

  There didn’t used to be anything soft about Ramos, but with Shelby in his life, he’d changed. Of course, their relationship had never gotten physical, since she was married with boundaries he had to respect. And he was a notorious hit-man for a crime boss, so long-term relationships weren’t part of his life.

  Still, he liked to push her buttons as often as possible, just to see if he could wear her down. What could he say? He was one of the bad guys, and he had a reputation to uphold.

  Tired of sitting, he stood, turning his back to the wall and facing the growing number of people crowded into the club. The usual Tuesday night gathering was just starting to get rowdy, and he kept a vigilant watch for anyone too interested in the room behind him where the meeting was taking place.

  A group of people to his left shifted, giving him a perfect view of a beautiful woman with wavy, shoulder-length, dark hair. She glanced in his direction, and his breath caught. What the hell? She held his gaze and raised one sculpted eyebrow in a clear invitation to join her.

  Ramos let out his breath. After Mexico, he thought he’d never see her again. If she was here, that meant she wanted something from him, and it couldn’t be good.

  Ramos sent her a nod, then caught Ricky’s attention and motioned him over. After Ramos instructed Ricky to take his place standing guard, he made his way through the crowd toward the woman.

  As he reached her, she inclined her head toward an empty table in the back where it wasn’t as noisy. With misgiving, he nodded and followed behind, taking a seat beside her.

  “It’s been a while,” she said, her voice just as sultry as he remembered.

  Ramos nodded, allowing a rueful smile to play on his lips. “After Mexico I didn’t think I’d see you again.”

  “No doubt,” she agreed, a small smile twisting her lips. “I’m glad you made it back home safely. I even heard you caught the assassin that came after you.”

  He narrowed his gaze. How did she know that? “So why are you here? I thought we were even.”

  “Can’t a girl stop by to say hello?”

  “Maybe,” he chuckled. “But we both know you’re not that girl.”

  She shrugged, then shifted in her chair to get closer to him. “Let’s just say I need a favor, and I would be extremely grateful if you could help me out.”

  “You? That surprises me. We both know you have plenty of resources without asking me for help.”

  “That’s true. But don’t forget that without my help, you might not have made it out of Mexico alive.” Her dark chocolate eyes held a challenge, but he caught a glimpse of vulnerability that pricked his conscience. She was right, but he’d hoped they were even after the deal they’d made.

  Several months ago, he and Manetto had gone to Mexico to find Manetto’s niece, Kate, who’d double-cros
sed Manetto and run off with a lot of money. Naturally they’d gone after her to get it back, only to run into Manetto’s old flame who needed help getting out from under a drug cartel. They’d had to take on the cartel to save her life, and the life of her son.

  Manetto might not have gotten involved, except that she’d told him the boy was his son as well. To make matters worse, she told Manetto that the cartel was holding their son hostage, and things didn’t look good.

  After that shocking revelation, Manetto decided to take matters into his own hands. With his resources, he was willing to spend whatever it took to protect them both, even if he wasn’t sure the boy was his.

  That’s where Sloan came in. Ramos met her the day he’d gone to the home of a known arms dealer hoping to find a few mercenaries he could trust. Sloan was there, meeting with the dealer, and looking for information on the cartel.

  The moment they met, an undeniable attraction sizzled between them, hitting him like an electric charge. He’d never had a reaction like that before, and it took him by surprise. The revelation that she was interested in taking down the same cartel seemed like a twist of fate. He never dreamed that she was hiding anything. In hindsight, he should have known it was too easy, but he’d been blinded to the truth by his attraction to her.

  They’d worked together night and day like a well-oiled machine. She knew things about the cartel that he didn’t, and he had the resources that she lacked to buy the guns and mercenaries they needed to get the job done.

  Planning everything together quickly led to a more intimate relationship. In fact, they could hardly keep their hands off each other. Their affair was both exhilarating and heady, especially given the risks they were taking and the real possibility of death. He’d never felt so free and alive before in his life.

  It was only after they’d taken the cartel down that Ramos discovered the appalling truth that she was a U.S. agent. Even some of the mercenaries he’d been fighting with were part of her team, and he and Manetto had just helped them fulfill their assignment.

  She’d used him. And, like a festering wound, the pain it brought was still there.

  Right before he’d left Mexico, she confessed that she never could have taken down the cartel without his help, but she’d never meant to get so involved with him. He may have thought she’d used him, but she felt they’d shared something special.

  That did little to appease the betrayal Ramos felt, and he’d wanted nothing more to do with her. But the damage had been done, and now the agents had both him and Manetto on their radar.

  So Ramos struck a deal with her. If she really meant what she’d said and wasn’t using him, she’d do everything she could to keep her agency off his back. She’d surprised him by quickly agreeing to all of his demands.

  He’d had to leave Mexico in a hurry after that, because Shelby needed protection from a couple of cartel members who’d gone to the states after her. They’d discovered that Manetto had managed to pilfer several million dollars from the cartel, which he’d stashed in Shelby’s bank account for safe keeping.

  At home, he’d found that Sloan’s people had been hounding Shelby, but once the problem had been resolved, they’d left him and Manetto alone. He’d figured that Sloan had kept her word, but he’d vowed to never get involved with her again.

  Now here she was, asking for his help.

  He let out a breath and glanced her way, feeling the same stirrings of desire that had held him captive from before, and found that he couldn’t turn her down, at least not until he knew what she was up to.

  “What do you need?” he asked. The slight relaxing of her shoulders gave away her relief that she’d gotten through to him. But he wasn’t about to commit to anything yet.

  “I’ve been tracking an arms dealer from Mexico who recently came into some information. He thinks that your boss might have a large shipment of guns and other merchandise for sale.”

  Ramos scowled. “You know Manetto doesn’t deal in weapons.”

  She shrugged. “After you took down the cartel, Manetto gained a reputation. He might be the only person Carlos would be willing to risk doing business with, and Manetto got the weapons he needed to do the job, right? So it’s not a stretch to believe he has connections.”

  “Yeah, especially if someone let it slip that he was in the market.” Ramos caught her gaze and raised his brow.

  “Hey…I’ve been after Carlos for long time, and this is my opportunity to finally catch him. It’s a good set-up.”

  Ramos sat back in his chair, then folded his arms and let out a breath. Only Sloan would dare ask him a favor like this. “Manetto won’t do it.”

  She stole a glance at him and nervously licked her lips. “It might be a little late for that. Carlos is already here.”

  Ramos swore under his breath and leaned forward. “Do you have a death wish or something?”

  “It won’t hurt to ask your boss,” she countered. “Just remind him that neither of you would have survived in Mexico without me.”

  She was probably right, but Manetto didn’t like being coerced, and neither did he. “I can talk to Manetto, but you have to make an offer, then I need something from you, or he won’t bite.”

  Her gaze narrowed with annoyance. “It seems you’re forgetting who I work for.”

  “I don’t think so,” he said, his voice dry. “You made that quite clear in Mexico. As I recall, we helped each other.”

  Their gazes locked in an angry battle, bringing with it the heat of attraction. Unbidden, the taste of her lips, and the feel of her body pressed against his rose in his memory, but he pushed the thought away. She’d used him, and the threat of exposure wasn’t something he was likely to forget.

  “Fine,” she said. “Tell him that I’ll owe him another favor.”

  Ramos’s brows rose with surprise that she’d given in so easily. She must be desperate. “Anything?”

  Her lips twisted with frustration. “Yes. Within my power.”

  “Okay, at least that gives me something to work with, but don’t get your hopes up. I’ll talk with him tonight. He’s in a meeting right now, but he should be just about done if you want to wait.”

  Her gaze darted around the room, and she shook her head. “No. I’ve been here long enough.” She pulled a burner phone from her pocket and handed it to him. “This is secure. I’ll call you in an hour.”

  Before he could answer, she slipped out of her chair and her lithe form disappeared into the crowd.

  Damn. Ramos let out a breath and shook his head. Given that she’d conceded so quickly to owing Manetto a favor, he had to believe that this whole operation was going down soon and fast. He didn’t like that one bit. He also didn’t like the heady pull of attraction he felt between them. He’d thought he was over her. Why did she have to turn up and complicate his life?

  He made his way back to the bar and told Ricky to wait there, explaining that something had come up and he’d need him to take Shelby home.

  It had been over an hour since the meeting had started, so he knocked on the door and glanced inside. Manetto motioned him in, then stood to indicate that the meeting was over. As Manetto continued to talk to the two men beside him, Shelby stood from her spot at the table and gave Ramos a smile. Then her brows drew together.

  Ramos quickly closed off his thoughts and hoped she hadn’t picked up anything. But from her frown, he wasn’t sure he’d been successful.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, coming to his side.

  He gave her a moment to elaborate, but when she didn’t, he let out a relieved breath. “Something’s come up, but it’s nothing for you to worry about. I just need to talk to Manetto. Are you all right if Ricky takes you home?”

  Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Sure. But I need to tell Uncle Joey what I picked up from this meeting first.”

  As her gaze caught his, Ramos bolstered the barrier in his mind, something he’d learned to do around Shelby. With her mind-reading skills, it was
a necessity, but one he’d used enough times that it worked pretty well. From her irritated scowl, he knew he’d succeeded.

  The door closed on their visitors, and Manetto turned to face them with a smile. “That went well. Let’s all sit down so Shelby can tell me what she found out.”

  After sitting, she began. “Well, the good news is that they’re willing to do things your way, and they’re grateful for the loan. But they also have a plan in place to buy you out after the first six months.”

  “How do they plan on doing that?” Manetto asked.

  “Something about the shares,” Shelby continued. “I think they’re trying to buy them under an umbrella company or something? Since I don’t really know what that means, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but I’m sure it does to you.”

  “Yes. I know exactly what it means. Do they have any off-shore accounts?”

  Shelby shrugged. “I don’t know for sure, but when you mentioned your holdings in the Caymans, one of them thought about an ocean and a man holding a steel box. Does that count?”

  “Sounds like an off-shore account to me,” Manetto said. “Anything else?”

  “Uh…no. I think that’s it.”

  “Good. That’s very helpful, Shelby.”

  “Great. If that’s it, I should probably get going.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s late.”

  “Oh…there’s one more thing,” Manetto said. “Can you swing by the office tomorrow or the next day? With Christmas next week, I want to make sure I get Jackie the right gift. Maybe you could find out what she wants the most, and let me know.”

  “What are you thinking of getting her?”

  “She seems to like diamonds a lot…so something like earrings, or a bracelet, or a necklace…unless there’s something else she’d rather have.”

  “Okay, I’ll come by tomorrow and talk with her,” Shelby agreed.