Jennifer Rardin [Jaz Parks series book 2] Another One Bites The Dust

 “Just how many gold mines did you win playing poker?”

 Minor lift of the eyebrow. “Have you been gossiping with the office staff again?”

 “Just answer the question, mister.”

 “One. I bought the other two about ten years later.”

 “Oh.” I thought a minute. “You’re definitely the only person I’ve ever known who owns three gold mines.”

 “Would you like to visit them with me someday?”

 I think my toes are actually curling at the possibilities that question raises. “Yeah, I guess I would.”

 His eyes lit. “Did you just agree to go on a vacation with me?”

 Yipes! Why do I keep speaking before engaging my brain?“Um, well, technically, I believe I may have. But at a date to be named much later. And when you wear me down to the point where I do finally contact my travel agent, we’ll probably have to combine it with business so I don’t totally freak on you like I’m about to do now, so let’s change the subject, okay?”

 The dimple made an appearance as he nodded. But all he said was “So what do you want to do with the rest of the night?”

 “Work.”

 “Are you certain?”

 Are you kidding? I just stirred up every disturbing feeling I have for you and dumped it on your plate after jumping out of a second-story window! If I don’t work I’ll go bonkers!“Oh yeah.”

 Bergman met us at the RV door. He didn’t ask how I was feeling. It wasn’t his way, but it still kind of ticked me off. I would’ve checked on him. “Would you guys get in here? I’ve got stuff to show you!” As we followed him inside he said, “I recorded all this earlier.

 “Jasmine!” Cassandra jumped off Mary-Kate and came running to me. “Are you all right? I’m so sorry. I had no idea you would fall asleep. I’ve been beside myself!”

 Cole wandered in from the kitchen. “She actually has been beside herself. Literally, she’s been pacing back and forth so much I think she’s met herself coming and going.”

 “Jaz is fine,” said Bergman. “Look at her. It’s obvious they took good care of her and she’ll be okay or they wouldn’t have released her. Now can we all take a look at this?”

 “Oh my God,” I said as my eyes tracked to the living area where dirty footprints led from where the carpet began at the kitchen to where it stopped at the cab. “Look at all those stains! Does anybody know how to get that out? I don’t.” I reached inside my jacket, wrapped my fingers around the deck of cards I’d tucked there. Just touching them made me feel a little better. But when I thought of Pete’s reaction to those footprints I badly needed to shuffle. Could you get fired for losing your security deposit?

 “I will call a carpet cleaner in the morning,” said Cassandra. “That should come out easily.”

 “Really?”

 “Sure.”

 Okay . . . go ahead and breathe, Jaz. I pulled my hand out of my jacket and let it drop to my side.

 Bergman lined us up behind the counter that edged the banquette, Cole next to the wall, then Vayl, me, and Cassandra with Bergman nearest the door. “Everybody take a look, would you?” he begged, pointing at the middle frame on the monitor. The picture he called our attention to showed Lung, Pengfei, and Li stepping onto the back of the yacht from a small blue and white speedboat. They looked like they’d been dragged through a garbage dump.

 They mounted the ladders to the middle level, where they’d staged the party/massacre the night before. Since then several blue-cushioned deck chairs had been set out, forming four different conversation areas, one of which included the bar. They walked straight through this area into the lounge, each choosing a different couch to collapse on. Pengfei had been chattering away in Chinese the whole time, her voice getting louder and angrier as the minutes passed. Her bullet wound had already closed.

 “What’s she saying?” I asked Cole. He leaned both elbows on the counter, watching the screen with interest.

 “She’s obviously irate. She’s calling Lung and Li all kinds of names, Lung for losing control, Li for running.” He listened awhile longer. “She’s telling them there’s a huge difference between slaying a few Chinese rebels and killing random Americans. They were supposed to stick to the plan. She’s mad the cops got involved because it jeopardizes everything she’s been working for.”

 He looked at me in amazement. “She’sin charge. She’s just using Lung as a figurehead because the Chinese would never respect or fear a woman the way she needs them to.”

 I watched Pengfei with new interest as she rose from the couch and began to pace around the room, first reading Li the riot act, then moving on to Lung. When he talked back to her she gave him a slap that rocked his head back hard enough to make it hit the wall.

 “I had to kill the Seer!” Cole translated for Lung, who was rubbing his head. “I could see it in her eyes. She had already had a vision of me, and I could not allow her to repeat the prophecy.”

 “What prophecy?” demanded Pengfei.

 Lung’s face squeezed tight. “The one about the white dragon,” he whispered.

 “Ach, white dragon, white dragon. You are sick, obsessed, crazed with being defeated by this ridiculous white dragon! Why do you let one simple monk’s prophecy haunt you after five hundred years, tell me? Did I not kill him thoroughly enough for you?” Pengfei asked harshly.