BLACK MONEY LOVE

Chapter 5

Coffee, Zack thought, closing his own thoughts. He needed coffee. He wasn't sure how or where to begin. The coin on his chain dangled before he pulled a shirt over his chest. No law books would help him with what he had to do. There was nothing familiar,no precedents to follow. Each step he took would be taken blindly, but he had to take them. He smelled coffee the moment he left the room.
Roma was in the kitchen dressed in a T-shirt and what appeared to be the bottom of a skimpy bikini. Zack wasn't a man who normally awoke with all batteries charged, but he didn't miss a pair of long, honey-toned legs. Roma finished buttering a piece of toast.
" Coffee on the stove," she said without turning around. "There're some eggs in the fridge. I don't stock cereal while Faith is away."
" Eggs is fine," he mumbled, but headed for the coffee.
" Use what you want,as long as you replace it.  I leave in a half hour, so if want a ride to your hotel, you'll have to be ready."
Zack let the first hot taste of coffee sip into his system. He took another sip and focused on her fully. She was still pale,he realized, so that the marks on her neck stood out in dark relief.
The smudges under her eyes made him decide she'd slept on better than he had. He tossed off his first cup of coffee and poured another.
" Ever consider taking a day off?"
She looked at him for the first time." No" she said simply and lowered her gaze again.
He studied her for another minute,then with a restless movement of his shoulder prepared to cook his breakfast. Roma waited until she was sure his back was to her before she looked up again.
She'd made a fool of herself the night before.  She could almost accept the fact that she'd broken down in front of him because he'd taken it as a matter-of-factly. But when she added the moment she'd stood in his arms, submissive, willing, hoping, she couldn't forgive herself. Or him.
He'd made her feel something she hadn't felt in a decade. Arousal. He'd made her want what she'd backed away or brushed him aside as she'd done with any other man who'd approached her. She hadn't even tried. He made her feel soft again,then he'd shrugged her away.
So it would be business, she told herself. Straight, impersonal business as long as he determined to stay.
" You've got ten minutes," she said.
" We have the same problem,Roma." His voice was quite, steady. She could have hated him for that alone.
" No, we don't. You're trying to avenge your brother's death. I'm just trying to make a living."
" Do you think everything would settle down quietly if I were to go back."
She tugged her arms uselessly
" yes!" Because she knew,his eyes heated.
" One of the first impression I had of you was your intelligence. I don't know why you're hiding on your pretty little island. Roma, but you've got brains,a good one. We both know that what happened to you last night would have happened with or without me."
" Alright." She relaxed her arms.
" What happened wasn't because of you, but because of Jerry. That hardly makes any difference to my position,does it?"
He stood up slowly. " As long as someone thinks you knew what Jerry was into, you're the focus. As long as you are focus,am standing right beside you, because directly or indirectly, your going to lead me to Jerry's killer."
Roma waited a moment until she was sure she could speak calmly .
" Is that all people are to you, Zack? Tools" she searched his face and found it set and remote
" Men like you never look beyond their own interests."
Angry without knowing why,he cupped her face in his hand. "You've never know a man like me."
" I think I have," she said softly
" You're not unique Zack. You were raised with money and expectations, you went to the best school and associated with the best people. You had your goal set and if you had to step on or over a few people on the way to it,it wasn't personal. That's the worst of it," she said on a long a breath." It never personal."
Never in his life had anyone made him feel so vile. With a few words she'd  condemned him. He couldn't back away now,no matter how she'd made him feel because he was right, she was still the key.

***
"I need to talk to Luis." Roma shock her head." You saw his reaction yesterday. He wouldn't be able to talk to you because you make him too nervous."
" Alright. But I have to start from somewhere"
" Why do you need me?" 
"I don't know how long it'll take, but am not leaving you alone."
She lifted her brow." I have police protection."
" Not good enough. In any case, you know the language, the customs. I don't. I need you." He tacked his thumbs in his pockets.
" It's as simple as that."
" Nothing is simple." She corrected" I'll go with you under one condition."
" Which is?"
She folded her hands. Zack was already certain by her stance alone that she wasn't set to bargain but to lay down the rules." That no matter what happens, what you find out or don't find out, you're out of my house, out of my life when my daughter comes home. I'll give you four weeks Zack---thats all."
" It'll have to be enough."
* * *
" Did you get to talk to Luis? Did he give you any useful information."
" I told you I would."
He didn't leave her as she expected, instead wandering around her room. It was,as was the rest of the house, furnished. Prominent next to the bed was a photograph of a young girl. She was all smiles in a flowered blouse tucked at the shoulders. Her hair came to a curve at her jawline, black and shiny. A tooth was missing, adding charm to an oval, tanned face if it hadn't been for the eyes, Zack would have never connected the child with Roma. They were richly, deeply brown slightly tilted. Still they laughed out of the photo, open and trusting, holding none of the secrets of her mother's.
" This is your daughter?"
" Yes." Roma answered before taking the photo out of Zack's hand and setting it down again.
" How old is she?"
"Ten. Can we get started? I don't want to be late."
"Ten?" A bit stunned, Zack stopped her with a look. He'd assumed Faith was half that age,a product of a relationship Roma had fallen into while on the island." You can't have a ten year old daughter."
Roma glanced down at the picture of her daughter. "I do have ten year old daughter."
" You'd have been a child yourself."
" No. I wasn't." She started to leave again, and again he stopped her.
" Was she born before you came here?"
Roma gave him a long, natural look." She was born six months after I moved to Cozumel. If you want my help, Zack,we go now. Answering a question about Faith isn't part of our agreement."
But he didn't let go of her hand. As it could become so unexpectedly,his voice was gentle." He was a bastard, wasn't he?"
She met his eyes without wavering. Her lips curved, but not with humor. " Yes. Yes he was."
She felt herself softening again,too much,too quickly. There was understanding in his voice without pity. Nothing could weaken her more. In defense she took a step back." Thank you. Now we have to go. I have to be up early tomorrow I have a business to run.
The first club they hit was noisy and crowded with a high percentage of people having fun.
" Luis said they came here a lot because Jerry liked hearing American music." Roma said as she looked around. It wasn't the sort of place she normally chose to spend an evening. The tables were elbow to elbow, and the music was pitched to a scream. Still the crowd seemed good natured enough, shouting along with the music or just shouting to each other.
It was definitely Jerry's style, Zack decided. Loud. Just this side of wild and crammed to the breaking point. " Did Luis say if he spoke to anyone in particular?"
" Women." Roma smiled a bit. " Luis was very impressed with Jerry's ability to... interest the ladies."
" Any lady in particular?"
" Luis said there was one,but Jerry just called her baby."
" An old trick." Zack said absentmindedly.
" Trick?"
" If you call them all baby, you don't mix up names and complicate situations."
" I see." She sipped her wine and found it had a delicate taste.
" Could Luis describe her?"
" Only that she was a knock out_a Mexican knock out,if that helps."
Zack glanced at his watch. It was barely eleven. Action rarely heated up before midnight. " All right." He said easily, and decided to distract her." Let's dance"
Before she could refuse, he was pulling her her into the crowd. " There's no room." She began, but his arms came around her.
" We'll make some." He had her close, his hand trailing up her back." See?"
" I haven't danced in years," she muttered, and he laughed. " What's the purpose of all this?"she demanded.
" I don't know until I find it. Meantime, don't you ever relax?" He rubbed his Palm up her back again, finding the muscles taut.
" No."
" Let's try it this way, what do you do when you are not working."
" I think about working."
" Roma."
" All right I read books on marine life mostly."
" Is that all that interests you?"
He was too close. Roma tried to ease away and found his arms very solid. Inspite of her determination to remain unmoved, her heart began to thud lightly in her head.
" I don't have time for anything else."
She wore no perfume,he noted, but carried the scent of spice and powder. He wondered if her body would look as delicate as it felt against his.
" It sounds as though you limit yourself." He murmured. Would it be the same if he kissed her again? Sweet, overpowering. His lips were so close to hers,closer still when he ran his hand through her hair and drew her head back. She could almost taste him.
" Is making money important?"
" It has to be." She managed, but could barely remember why."I have to buy bikes before the summer season."
" Of course. But that's weeks away. I could make love with you dozens of times before then. Dozens." He repeated as she stared at him. Then he closed his mouth over hers.
He felt her jolt---surprise, resistance, passion-- he couldn't be sure. He only knew that holding her had led to wanting her and wanting to needing.
She felt her head go light. The heat in his body seeped into hers and flavored the kiss. Hot, molten, searing. Though they stood perfectly still,Roma visions were racing. Her breath backed up in her lungs, until she released it with a shuddering sign. Her body, coiled like a spring, went lax on a wave of confused pleasure. She strained closer, reaching up to touch his face. Abruptly Zack shifted her away from flailing arms
" Poor timing." He murmured.
She needed a minute. " Yes." But she meant it in a more general way. It wasn't a matter of time and place, but a matter of impossibility. She started to move away when Zack's grip tightened on her. " What is it?" She began, but only had to look at his face.
Cautiously, she turned to see what he started at. A woman in a skimpy red dress stared back at him. Roma recognized the shock in her eyes before the woman turned and flex, leaving her dance partner gapping.
" Come on, without waiting for her, Zack sprinted through the crowd. Dodging, weaving and shoving when he had to,Roma dashed after him.
The woman had barely gotten out to the street when Zack caught up with her. " What are you running away from?" He demanded. His fingers dig into her arms as he held her back against a wall.
" What do you know about my brother?"
" Zack." Roma stepped between them. " This is
Jerry's brother, Zack. We'd like to talk to you."
" He has Jerry's face",the woman had already sensed the difference between Zack and the man she'd Know.
" I don't know anything."
" Just a few minutes."
" Am Erica. Jerry and I were good friends." More relaxed she smiled at Zack. " You know, good friends."
" Yes I know."
" He was very good looking, lots of fun."
" How long did you know him?"
" A couple of weeks. L was really sorry when I heard he was dead."
" Murdered," Zack stated.
" Do you think it was because of the money?"
Every muscle in Zack's body tensed." It looks that way, how much did he tell you about it?"
" Just enough to intrigue me, Jerry was very charming. And generous." She remembered the little gold bracelet he'd bought her and the earrings with the pretty blue stones." I thought he was very rich, but he said he would soon be much richer. I like charming men,but I especially like rich men."
Zack  studied her, she was what Luis had described as a knock out. And she wasn't stupid.
" Call this number when you have something."
" Okay, you know you don't look as much as like Jerry as l thought." She crossed the pavement and went back to the club.
" It's a beginning." Zack murmured as he looked over,he saw Liz studying him.
" Problem?"
" I don't like the way you work."
He dropped another bill on the table before he rose . I don't have time for amenities."
" What would you have done if I wouldn't have come between you two, dragged her off to the nearest alley and beaten it out of her?"
He drew out a cigarette, struggling with his temper.
" Let's go home Roma,"
"I wonder if you're any different from the men you're looking for." She pushed back from the table." Just as a matter of interest, the man who broke into my house and attacked me wore a thin band at his wrist. I felt it when he held the knife to my throat."
She watched as his gaze lifted from the flame at the end of the cigarette and came to hers. "I think you two might recognize each other when the time comes."