“Just let me do all the talking.” Trace moved toward the door. “This Ducky woman may be the owner, but I’ve heard she’s a real wacko. She’s been married four times.”
“That hardly makes her crazy,” Chloe said wryly. “Just unlucky in love.”
“Her husbands were the unlucky ones. They’re all dead.”
She stopped short.
“Just what are you implying?”
“I’m not implying anything. I’m just telling you she’s a rough old broad who needs careful handling.” He smiled. “But I’m sure I can soften her up. Women find it hard to resist me.”
“It must be your modesty.”
“Must be.” Then his smile faded as his gaze flicked to her blouse. “Let’s make this quick. And try not to draw attention to yourself.”
She didn’t say anything as he held the door open for her. He followed her inside, taking a moment for his eyes to adjust to the haze of smoke in the air and the low lighting. An old Hank Williams tune wailed from the jukebox, accompanied by the shrill bells and whistles of the two pinball machines in the corner.
Trace had only taken three steps inside the bar when a burly bouncer blocked his path.
“I’d like to see some identification.”
“What about her?” Trace asked, watching as Chloe walked past the bouncer unimpeded.
“What about her?”
“You didn’t card her, so why single me out? You can’t seriously believe I’m under twenty-one.”
“Must be your baby face,” the bouncer sneered. “You’re one of them pretty boys that all look about twelve years old.”
No one in their right mind would ever call the bouncer a pretty boy. He wore his dark hair in a military-style crew cut and had a long scar running along his forehead, just above his bushy eyebrows. His nose veered a little to the left.
Trace could see Chloe frowning at him from the bar. “I’m twenty-seven. So why don’t you quit wasting my time.”
“Why the hell do you keep stalling? Got something to hide? I want to see some ID and I want to see it now.”
Trace could either argue with the cretin or join Chloe. “Fine,” he muttered, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet. Only he came up empty. Both pockets were empty. “Damn.”
“Got a problem, pretty boy?”
Trace definitely had a problem—and his name was Ramon. Not only had Chloe’s little brother sicced his Chihuahua on him, he’d also stolen his wallet. Which meant Trace had no money, no credit cards, and no identification.
This just wasn’t his day.
“Would you believe somebody stole my wallet?”
The bouncer snorted. “That’s original. I’ve tossed out underage teenagers with more imagination.”
Before Trace could reply, Chloe ambled over to them. “What’s going on here?”
“Let me handle this,” Trace said.
The bouncer’s eyes narrowed. “Is that any way to talk to your girlfriend?”
“I’m not his girlfriend,” she interjected.
The bouncer turned to her. “That’s good to hear. Why don’t you let me buy you a beer? Then we can have a little private conversation.”
Trace stepped in front of Chloe. “Forget it. She’s off-limits.”
“Trace…” she began.
But this was one time Trace didn’t intend to let her interrupt him. He took a step closer to the bouncer. “The woman belongs to me. If you have a problem with that we can handle it outside.”
The bouncer smiled, the light reflecting off the gold crown on his front tooth. “Lead the way.”
“Neither one of you are going anywhere!” Chloe exclaimed, stepping between them. Then she glowered up at the bouncer. “What exactly is your problem, Viper?”
“Viper?” Trace echoed, looking from Chloe to the bouncer.
“Meet my cousin,” she said, nodding toward the bouncer. “Viper D’Onofrio. Viper, this is Trace Callahan.”
Viper shook his head. “Another pretty boy. Why don’t you go for a real man, like my lawyer? That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. He told me he’d really like to date you.”
“Your lawyer is a slimeball.”
“Maybe so. But just think how useful it would be to have him in the family. Free legal advice twenty-four hours a day.”
“If you think it’s such a great idea, you date him,” she retorted. “Besides, I’m not here to talk about my love life. I’m looking for Ramon.”
“Your brother Ramon?”
Chloe arched a brow. “How many Ramons do you know?”
He shrugged, avoiding her direct gaze. “Even if I did see him, I’m no snitch.”
“Then I’ll have to ask Ducky. You told me she knows everything that goes on in this place.” Chloe looked around the crowded bar. “So where is she?”
Viper hesitated, his suspicious gaze flicking over Trace. “What about this guy? He claims he doesn’t have any ID. How do I know he’s not a vice cop disguised as a jerk?”
“If I was a cop I’d arrest you for impersonating an ape. Now, as soon as we find Ramon we’ll find my ID. He has my wallet.”
She closed her eyes with a groan. “Oh, Trace, he didn’t.”
“He did. Unless the Chihuahua ate it.”
Viper flashed his gold tooth. “Sounds like Ramon is finally living up to the D’Onofrio name. Now my cousin Chloe here is another story. She’s a downright embarrassment to the family. In fact, we used to call her Squeaky, ’cause she’s so squeaky clean.”
Chloe glowered at him, which only seemed to amuse her cousin.
Viper gave a low chuckle. “And because she was always squeaking on all of us, a real tattletale—ow!” he yelped, his words abruptly cut off as a tiny woman with short, iron-gray hair twisted his ear between her bony fingers.
“That’s enough out of you, Virgil D’Onofrio. I’ve told you before to stop harassing my customers.”
“But, Ducky,” he protested, as she pulled him by the ear toward the bar.
She reached over the counter and pulled out a bucket and sponge. “If you don’t have anything better to do, you can mop those bathroom floors. I want them shining by the time you’re through.”
Viper rubbed his red ear. “But, Ducky….”
She planted both hands on her narrow hips.
“And if I hear one more ‘But, Ducky,’ I’m going to use that sponge on your mouth—after you’ve scrubbed those floors.”
Trace found himself suddenly approving of the buxom, chain-smoking, tough-talking dynamo. Even if she did look like a charter member of the Hell’s Angels.
Viper paled and backed away, obviously smart enough to take her threat seriously. “Yes, Ducky.”
“And don’t just barge into the ladies’ room without knocking like you did last time,” she admonished as he disappeared behind the men’s-room door.