She’s shaking her head. And looking like she’s about to get up. I’ve spooked her.
All I can do is push forward. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while. But I can’t do it alone. If you’re in, we are going to have to take our time. Gather everything we can on him. Something to use against him. As dirty as he is, you know there is someone he’s screwed over. We get the details then we turn him over to them. Let them take him out.”
Amy stares off to the side, her jaw clenched tight.
I keep talking. “And we’ve got to find out who he really is. It doesn’t do any good to tell someone he’s double-crossed them unless we are also handing over his identity.”
She’s shaking her head. I’ve thrown a lot at her and she’s not processing it as fast as I’m saying it.
“We’ll protect ourselves at all costs,” I add. “When it comes time to turn the table on him, we need to control everything down to the last little detail.”
She stands up and takes the first step to walk away, and I ask, “Do you have any family that he can use to get to you? Someone you’d do anything to protect?”
She contemplates whether or not she wants to answer me for a long time.
“Yeah, there’s someone.” It’s all she says and I don’t push for details.
“Then we’ll have to make sure they are protected.”
She finally turns to look at me. “What about you?”
“No. I don’t have anyone.”
I watch her as she debates what she wants to say.
“Have you ever told him no on a job? Ever refused to do something he asked you to do?”
I shake my head. “No. I haven’t.”
She looks off, giving me a frustrated laugh. “You have no idea what he will do if he finds out what you’re planning.”
I’m a little worried she didn’t say whatwe’replanning, but she hasn’t walked away. Yet.
“He’ll try to wreck us but if we get in front of it, it could be like one of those controlled explosions,” I finally say. “Like when the only way to getrid of a bomb is to detonate it. We’ll control as much as we can, so when things explode, like we know they will, the fallout won’t be as bad.”
She laughs again as if I’m naive. And maybe I am.
“So you’re really doing this,” Amy says a bit later.
“I don’t thinkwehave any other option,” I answer.
Chapter 26
In my line of work, there are the short cons and there are long cons, and I’ve just finished the longest one of my life. I’m feeling a bit out of sorts now that it’s over.
I was only slightly joking when I said I was going to sleep for three days, since I slept for most of two. Devon and Amy tiptoed around me, making sure there was food close by and not peppering me with questions like I know they wanted to.
Because this was a long job for them too.
“You’re finally awake,” Devon says as he sinks down in the chair next to the couch.
“Barely,” I say. “It’s like a hangover but without the fun of getting one.”
He laughs. “So too early to bust out the champagne?”
“It’s never too early for that,” Amy calls out as she enters the room, taking the chair next to Devon. “Morning.”
“If you say so.” Just as I’m thinking about how badly I need coffee, Amy sets a mug down in front of me.
