5
Will Forloines’s face fell longer and longer. His color deepened. He couldn’t hold it in any longer. “That was a damn fool thing you did to Nigel.”
“Bullshit.”
“Don’t cuss at me, Linda. I can still kick your ass into next week.”
“I love it when you get mad.” She sarcastically parodied old movies.
He shifted his eyes from the road to her. “You’re lucky he didn’t file a complaint.”
“Had him by the short hairs.”
“Oh—and what if he’d nailed you? You didn’t know he wouldn’t file against you.”
“Will, let me do the thinking.”
The wheel of the brand-new Nissan dropped off the road. Will quickly returned his gaze to the road. “You take too many chances. One of these days it will backfire.”
“Wimp.” While she insulted him, she took the precaution of dropping her hand into his lap.
“Things are going good right now. I don’t want them screwed up.”
“Will, relax. Drive. And listen.” She exhaled through her nose. “Nigel Danforth has bought a shitload of cocaine over the last two months. He can’t squeal.”
“The hell he can’t. He can finger us as the dealers.”
“Better to be mad at me over one race than lose his connection. And if he blew the whistle on us, he’d be blowing it on himself—and his girlfriend. All that money isn’t coming from race purses.”
Will drove a few minutes. “Yeah, but you’re cutting it close.”
“Paid for this truck.” She moved closer to him.
“Linda, you”—he sputtered—“you take too many risks.”
“The risk is the rush.”
“Not for me, Babe. The money is the rush.”
“And we’re sitting in the middle of it. Dr. D’Angelo’s loaded, and he’s dumb as a post.”
“No, he’s not,” Will contradicted her. “He’s dumb about horses. He’s not dumb about his job or he wouldn’t have made all that money. Sooner or later he’ll figure things out if you try to sell him too many horses at once. Take it slow. I’d like to live in one place for a couple of years.”
She waited a moment. “Sure.”
As this was said with no conviction, Will, irritated, shot back, “I like where we live.”
She whispered in his ear, enjoying her disagreement with him just so she could “win” the argument, get him under her control. She might have loved her husband, but she truly needed him. He was so easy to manipulate that it made her feel powerful and smart. “We’ll make so much money we can buy our own farm.”
“Yeah . . .” His voice trailed off.
She smiled. “Nigel will forget all about it. I guarantee it. He owes me for a kilo. He’s coming up tomorrow to pay off the rest of it. I got part of the money today before the race.” She laughed. “Bet he couldn’t believe it when I whipped him. He’ll forget though. He’ll be so full of toot, I’ll be his best friend.”