The thing about being on the run is that you’re always looking over your shoulder when you should be paying attention to where you’re headed. We’d managed to put a few hundred miles between the head of the Russian mob and us, but it was getting late and both Miguel and I were exhausted.

We found a No-Tell Motel just outside of Redding, California and since the desk clerk was male, I was up to bat.

I yanked my shirt down in front and readjusted my boobs so they were spilling out the V-neck. Letting my hair down from its ponytail, I shook it out. A little lipstick and I was good to go.

I put an extra swing in my step as I came through the door. “Hi.”

The clerk did a jerky double take then cracked a stained, gap-toothed smile to rival any meth addict’s. “Hellooooo.”

“I need a room. A double. But…” I arched my back a little, leaning forward to rest my breasts on the countertop. “I don’t have any ID. Is that going to be a problem?”

His gaze zeroed in on Wanda and Wendy, giving them a visual groping I could almost feel. “Do you, um, have a credit card?”

I tried to sound sad, putting out my bottom lip a little. “No.”

“Well, now, that’s a problem.”

“It is? But it’s so late. And I’m so tired.”

“I guess maybe…maybe I could overlook it.”

“You’re the best.” I jumped a little, making the Wonder Twins bounce. “Could I get a room at the back? Bottom floor, please? I just need it for tonight.”

“You’ll have to pay up front. And there’s a twenty-dollar fee for ah, overlooking your lack of ID and credit card.”

“No problem.” I handed over the cash.

“Room 52.” He held out the key, but when I grabbed it he didn’t let go. “Why do you need two beds?”

“My girlfriend and I are planning to push them together to make one big bed so we can have a really bouncy naked pillow fight.”

His jaw dropped open and his grip went slack. “Ahh…”

I snatched the key from him. Turning back as I left, I gave him a finger wave over my shoulder. “Toodles.”

As soon as I got in the car, I burst out laughing. “What is it with guys and naked girl-on-girl pillow fights?”

“If you have to ask you’ll never get it,” Miguel said. “It’s a dude thing.”

He drove us around to our room at the back of the hotel and backed into the parking space for a quick getaway.

“I wish I could call Alice,” Miguel said as he flipped through one fuzzy channel after another on the TV. So much for the advertised cable TV.

Maybe talking to Alice and hearing her news would light a fire under Miguel to get himself together and start thinking of someone other than himself for a change.

“As long as you use the hotel room phone and make it quick that shouldn’t be a problem.”

I really needed to check in with Super Agent, but I was afraid he’d do a reverse number look-up or something and be on us faster than the bedbugs I was sure were crawling around on these hideously patterned comforters. I wasn’t ready to face him and the repercussions of what I’d done to save Miguel yet.

A few minutes into Miguel’s call his face went totally white underneath his week’s worth of scruff . Congratulations, I mouthed and then pretended to rock an imaginary baby. He glared back at me and turned away, whispering into the receiver.

After a couple more minutes he placed the phone back into its cradle. “You knew about Alice?”

“Yeah. It’s one of the reasons I’m here saving your sorry behind. It’s bad enough my future niece or nephew has a dumbass for a father. I couldn’t let them grow up with a dead dumbass for a father.”

He dropped his head into his hands and doubled over. “Oh my god. I can’t believe this.”

“Believe it, Daddy Dumbass.”

His head popped up and he fixed me with a look that was a mixture of pissed-off and scared half to death. “Would you quit it with the dumbass remarks? I’m freaking the freak out right now. The least you could do is cut the I-told-you-so’s down to about half for a change. I swear sometimes you sound so much like Mom—”

“Don’t even put this on me with that sounding-like-Mom B.S. You put your lot in with Sergei, who you knew would cheat you or in some other way or another try to twist things his direction. Then you ran away instead of going to the cops. On top of that you knocked up your girlfriend. And this is all somehow my fault?”

“I’m not saying it’s your fault. I’m trying to take responsibility here and fix things. The least you can do is try to see it!”

“What I see is a guy who manages to not only screw up his own life but everyone else’s he comes in contact with. You want to take responsibility? You want to be the big man? Then don’t make dumbass decisions on top of dumbass decisions.”

“You’re always so critical and judgmental. It wasn’t that long ago when you were in deep with Sergei. Talk about throwing your lot in. What do you think that was? Who are you to judge me?”

“That’s a low blow even for you.”

“But it’s the truth. Who’s the dumbass now?”

“You still are. By miles. I got out. I got out and turned my life around. You’re still doing the same stupid stuff you’ve done since before you got out of high school. Only now the stakes are higher. You think I want to tell Mom you’re dead? Go to your funeral? Or hold Alice’s hand while she gives birth to your fatherless child? It’s past time you woke up and got a clue, Miguel. Your actions have effects you can’t even begin to—”

BAM!

The door crashed open.

“FBI!”

A swarm of agents flooded the room. There was a lot of shouting about hands getting up and bellies on the ground. Next thing I knew I was facedown on the carpet with two of them on top of me. And not in a good way.

More yelling.

I turned my head toward the noise. Miguel was trying to fight them off. Whack! They hit him and he went down hard.

“Miguel!” I struggled against their grip and to knock off the guy who was practically sitting on me. “Don’t hurt him!”

The agent on top of me hauled me up by the arms, pushed me up against the wall and frisked me. My lipstick, cash and credit card hit the bed.

“Maggie Mae Castro, you’re under arrest.”