Free One Spoonful of Trouble (Felicity Bell Book 1) by Nic Saint

after Dawson same as we are. With me so far?”
    Johnny screwed up his face. Thinking had never been his strong suit. “Yup.”
    “It’s obvious she’s managed to locate the guy, or else she wouldn’t have been able to put him in jail.”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “So all we have to do is convince her to tell us what she knows…”
    “Can you repeat that?”
    “We need her to spill the beans on Dawson.”
    “Oh. Right.”
    Jerry sagged in his seat. He was feeling weaker by the minute and he was starting to doubt whether he could go through with this thing. From what he’d heard, the Bell woman was a really tough nut to crack, and with his strength fading with every passing minute, he was starting to have second thoughts.
    He hadn’t believed it possible but three days into his fast and he was feeling closer to the grave than ever. A couple more days like this and he wouldn’t even be able to open the car door, let alone squeeze some tough baby like Felicity Bell for information.
    “Are you sure you’re up for this, Jer?”
    “I gotta.” He coughed. “If we don’t get to this Dawson character the boss will have us for breakfast.” He shook his head as a shooting pain lanced his stomach. Amazing how an empty stomach could be so painful. “I’m telling you Johnny, I have half a mind to chuck this whole fast and start eating again.”
    “Don’t do it, Jer,” Johnny told him. “You have to see this thing through. You know how important it is to Marlene.”
    “I know, I know,” he muttered. It was important to Marlene. He didn’t know why exactly, but apparently she thought his bad eating habits from the past posed a serious threat to his life. Smoking, drinking and stuffing his face… If she was to be believed he was at death’s door, the only thing preventing him from keeling over, this crazy fast of hers. With a disgusted groan he opened the glove compartment and took out his gun. “We need to do this now, Johnny,” he croaked. “A couple hours more and I won’t have the strength to pull this off!”
    “Don’t worry, Jer. I got your back,” the big guy said. “We’re in this together, you and me.”
    He bared his teeth, which was his way of smiling. “Thanks, buddy.” Johnny’s words had touched him. To anyone claiming there was no honor amongst thieves and crooks, he always pointed to the fine working relationship he had with Johnny Carew. There was no better friend than the big lug who’d been his trusty companion for the past five years, ever since they’d found themselves employed by Chazz Falcone, the real estate tycoon. And even though they’d never met before, and didn’t have much in common, a fine friendship had sprung up during the long hours they’d spent putting the fear of God into Falcone’s enemies, of which there were many.
    With a supreme effort, he opened the car door and crawled out. After a brief dizzy spell—something which Marlene had told him was absolutely normal and nothing to worry about—he started for the door of Stanwyck Street Number 41.
    “Let’s do this,” he grumbled.
    “Sure thing, Jer. Let’s get this over with,” echoed Johnny.
    They stared up at the building, put their game faces on, and rang the bell.

CHAPTER 17

    Rick sat in his car across the street from Felicity’s home, wrestling with his immortal soul. On the one hand he had to admit he really liked the hot-headed young woman who had, several times now, assaulted the physical integrity of his person. At the hospital, when they’d locked lips, he’d suddenly found himself entering a reality much more blissful than his own.
    Even though he might look like a young Paul Newman, his profession had always prevented him from getting into a relationship with any woman. Casual acquaintances? Sure. But since he was always on some assignment in some part of the world, his relationships had always lacked the staying power that is necessary for developing a meaningful bond. And then there was, of