“Good night, sweet sister!” Cold called back, leaving her shrieking in rage as he guided Jimmy toward a large staircase. He looked very pleased with himself and chuckled softly.
Jimmy still felt a little dizzy, but strikingly sober as Cold began to lead him upstairs. He tried to push the images of the blood out of his mind, focusing on the sound of his own labored breathing. Looking ahead, he struggled to pay attention to where Cold was taking him.
They were upstairs and walking into a massive foyer with a small seating area. It was filled with dozens of bags that Jimmy recognized as the loot from his shopping spree with Rowena.
Past the foyer was another den, but there were personal touches of the man who lived here. The furniture was more worn and comfortable, ratty old things that most people would have left out on a curb. There was a large record player with an impressive vinyl collection. A few posters and photographs were hung on the walls, but it was too dark for Jimmy to make much of anything out.
Deeper still they went, Jimmy now standing within the inner sanctum of Boss Cold’s master bedroom. The bed was a massive beast with four posts that reached the ceiling and plush blankets and pillows all perfectly arranged. The furniture in here was more ornate and warm, perhaps antique, though all the colors were still dark shades of blue and brown.
Jimmy fidgeted awkwardly, looking around anxiously as Cold turned on a small lamp at the bedside.
“How long have you known?” he asked before even thinking, the words spilling out like a glass of red wine on white carpet. He couldn’t take them back now, he had to know, he had to figure out the depth of the mess he had gotten himself into. “How long?”
Cold pursed his lips thoughtfully, but didn’t answer, nodding for Jimmy to sit down on a small chaise at the foot of the bed.
“Before or after we had sex?” Jimmy spat, plopping down on the chaise.
“Before,” Cold replied after a long pause.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Why didn’t you?” Cold shot back with all the maturity of a four-year-old and the indignant scowl to match.
“Hey, I tried! I tried telling you, but you wouldn’t let me!” Jimmy protested, crossing his arms over his chest. “Remember?”
Cold snorted, moving to a large liquor cabinet and opening it. Inside was a wet bar and a small ice machine. He wrapped a few cubes up in a small towel from the side of the sink, bringing it to Jimmy and pressing it against his swollen lip.
Jimmy winced, but held the ice in place. He didn’t know if he should be trying to run or begging on his knees. Cold didn’t appear to be angry with him, and it wouldn’t make much sense to drag him up to his personal bedroom if he was going to kill him.
Wordlessly moving back to the bar, Cold poured himself something dark out of an expensive-looking bottle.
Jimmy gulped, readjusting the ice on his mouth where it was starting to ache from the cold. He kept waiting for the gangster to speak, but no conversation seemed to be forthcoming. Several beats of silence passed before Jimmy couldn’t stand it any longer.
“So, was it before the second time? Before the first time?”
“Mr. Poe, for a moment, pretend that I’m not half as stupid as you seem to think I am,” Cold retorted dryly. “I already knew everything about you before I ever stepped foot in your sorry little apartment.”
Jimmy’s heart dropped. “But why? I mean, I know I owed you a lot of money, but...” He was confused, his eyes narrowing at Cold suspiciously. “Why try to shake me down if you already knew Augustus was a cop?”
Cold chuckled over the rim of his glass. “Why indeed.”
Realization punched Jimmy right in the gut. “This wasn’t about me. This was about getting to him.”
“That was the plan.” Cold shrugged, not even having the decency to look like he felt guilty about it.
“What freakin’ plan exactly?” Jimmy demanded, too angry to worry about pushing the gangster too far.
“I wanted to make a deal,” Cold replied candidly. “Pile on your debt, give you a good scare, send you crying to Duplin. When he came banging on my door, I’d offer to erase your debt in exchange for him backing the fuck off.” He tilted his head thoughtfully. “But then something happened.”
“What?” Jimmy frowned softly.
“You,” Cold answered simply, his eyes flickering over to settle on Jimmy’s for a long moment. “When Jules threatened you, you didn’t squeal for your little cop daddy to come save you. Oh, no. You offeredyourselfinstead. Not what I was expecting, but with an offer like that... who could possibly refuse.”
Jimmy felt sick and swallowed audibly. “What about Augustus?”
“Why do you think I had you meet me at a very public, very popular hotel,” Cold drawled, “and then had you go right to the front desk to get a key? I did everything in order to ensure Duplin would find out that you were with me. If you wouldn’t go to him, I’d make sure he came to me.”
Jimmy’s face felt hot, trying not to get upset. He couldn’t believe how he had been played. “That’s why you wouldn’t let me tell you about my family last night,” he realized, the pieces slowly beginning to fall into place. “You wanted to keep this stupid charade up.”
