Just Different Devils by Jinx Schwartz

tucked that tail and headed below. Great guard dog, that.
    The glare on the boat's windscreen prevented us from identifying the driver, but from Po Thang's reaction, I was on the alert. I could tell there was only one person in the open panga, and that this was no regular fishing panga; this sucker was state of the art, at least twenty-five feet long, and was equipped with huge twin outboards on the transom. From their deep thrum, I told Jan I thought they were diesels.
    "Diesel outboards? I've never seen one," she said.
    "There's a reason for that. They cost a bundle. And he's got two. God only knows how fast that sucker can go. I sure hope it is ours...I want to drive it."
    Jan and I moved to the swim platform, put out two large fenders and readied ourselves to catch his line. The driver, wearing a baseball cap and dark glasses, threw Jan the bow line and smartly maneuvered the panga alongside. I grabbed the aft rail and snugged him in.
    " Gracias , quierda . Have you missed me?"
    Jan and I chorused, "Nacho?"

Chapter Twelve
     
     
    Nacho.
    Of all the people in the world I would expect to charter my boat, Nacho would be the last. He was more likely to steal it.
    What can I say? During our acquaintanceship, for lack of a better word, I've known him as a drug punk, kidnapper, murderer, and a man of mystery who makes things happen. Bad things.
    His phone number, the one I have burned into my memory in case I need a bad guy, is 1-800-gotbadzz, and his motto: We get what’s bugging you.
    It used to be 1-800-gotbads? until I reminded him there is no question  mark on the phone. He said it didn't matter because I was never, ever, to call him again.
    Which is kind of a shame, since he has used some of his questionable skills to get me out of a couple of jams, and that murder I mentioned? He killed a guy who was gonna kill me, so I can hardly hold that against him. The fact that he has strongly hinted he'd prefer I hold something else of mine against him—and I gotta admit the temptation's tantalizing—is flattering. And, to his credit, he has forgiven me for stealing his off-road vehicle, credit cards and flattening one of his gang rides.
    Jan and I think he is both handsome and charming, in a criminal sort of way. Tantalized by his dark secret life, we've spent untold hours speculating on who he works for, but we simply don't know.
    But one thing I did know now : We work for him.
    As we waited for him on deck while he shut down the boat, Jan whispered, "Oh, crap, Jenks isn't gonna like this."
    Boy was she right. Until I turned over a new leaf and fell for Jenks, Nacho was just the kind of man I was attracted to: untrustworthy, uncontrollable, unpredictable, handsome, charming and certainly no one you could take home to meet the folks.
    Jenks is infinitely trustworthy and lets me think I am in control. He's also solid and handsome in a Nordic way, and his charm is genuine, which is why my Mom and I love him. He is also the most self-confident man I know, and he sort of trusts me, but where Nacho is concerned, he was not going to like the idea of us cohabitating, so to speak, on my boat for an entire month.
    "What Jenks doesn't know won't hurt him," I said between my teeth.
    "Chino ain't gonna be thrilled, either, even if Nacho did sort of save his grandmother from drug dealers once."
    "You gonna tell him?"
    "Not no, but hell no."
    "So, what are we going to tell Jenks and Chino? They're already gonna have a cat that we left the dock, much less for a month."
    "You'll figure it out, like always. You are hands down the best liar I know."
    "Thanks. I think."
     
    While Nacho settled into his cabin, Jan and I speculated as to why he chartered us. Me. We whispered while putting together a tasty array of hors d'oeuvres. Smoked marlin, a mound of boiled Sea of Cortez blue shrimp, some lobster chunks, melted butter with garlic, and a fresh baked baguette did the job.
    "I don't get it," Jan murmured. "Why would he choose you, instead of