“Ye got about five seconds before I take the gun from me holster at me back and put it against yer forehead. I don’t care how old ye are, lad. Old enough to accept the duty is old enough to abide by the consequences.”
I didn’t think he’d actually do it, especially when Sloan had given us specific instructions, but the threat was rough and the kid’s eyes went wide in fear.
“I work for the Folliero Family,” he said quickly, glancing from me to Cillian and back again. “He told us to keep an eye out for you. He said bad stuff was going on in the streets today. Sometimes he asks people in the neighborhood to do that.”
“How did ye know we’re from the Company?” Cillian asked, leaning close with an angry smile that would have been scary to nearly anyone.
The kid looked ready to burst into tears, and I had to harden my heart. Usually the mobs tried not to do it these days, but I’d heard stories of boys his age being sent on hits and worse. “It’s not hard to tell. Men in suits, in a flashy car. I saw the guy get out of the car earlier carrying a gym bag, the kind a sniper rifle can fit in. We’ve seen them around here.”
“How?”
I stepped in closer and laid my hand on Cillian’s wrist, and his grip loosened on the kid’s face until he was barely holding on.
The boy blinked wet eyes at me, and my heart panged. “The Reyes Cartel have some guys around here. Mr. Folliero told me to watch out for them, too. Let him know if they seemed like they were trying to leave the city. Moving trucks and shit, that’s what he told me to watch for.”
“You’re good at your job,” I said.
He shrugged, and when Cillian finally released him, he wrapped his thin arms around his middle. “I have to be. My family depends on me and the money the Follieros give me for information.”
“How much does Elio give ye?” Cillian grunted out.
“A hundred for every piece of good info.”
“Then tell me this, does Elio not trust the Company?” Cillian straightened and irritation flickered over his face.
The kid shrugged again. “I don’t know, I’m just the guy who passes along the info, bro.”
I leaned in closer to Cillian and said, “Enough.”
He made a noise and held up his hands. I stiffened when he reached into his back pocket, but relaxed as he tugged out his wallet and opened it. He sighed, pulling out at least six fifty-dollar bills, and passed the money to the kid. “Feed yer family.”
The boy took the bills and stared at them before he raised his eyes to Cillian and gave him a smile. “Thanks.”
“Don’t make me regret it,” Cillian growled out. “Ye didn’t see us, got it?”
The kid shrugged and backed away. “Sure, bro.” He waved and took off, grabbing his bike and jumping on it again, his small feet working double-time to carry him out of the alleyway.
“You know he’s going to tell Folliero anyway and get that money, too, right?” I said nonchalantly. It didn’t matter what he told Elio—while we didn’t know why he was keeping tabs on us, he was technically still an ally. It was probably the smart game, anyway.
“Aye, I know.” Cillian turned on his heel and walked back to the SUV, and I followed. When we got in our seats again, I sighed.
“So, Vail arranged for Eamon to go home.”
“Eh, more like Vail came up with the idea, and Eamon and I organized it. Gave him some ideas of what to look for.” He put the Audi in Reverse and turned the wheel, heading back in the direction we’d come from. Rowen arrived when we did and raised his arms in confusion as we slowed to a stop, then went around to the back door and threw his bag inside before sliding in.
“Where were ye?” Buckling his seat belt, he glared at us. “I could’ve been caught. What if I’d needed to make a quick getaway?”
“Nah, ye’re quiet. Ye know how to get the job done without attracting attention.” Cillian smirked into the rearview mirror. “He dead?”
Rowen nodded. “He was alone in his apartment. It’ll take a while before someone sees him.”
“Well, if ye wanna go to the church to confess yer sins, ye’re gonna have to wait. Aspen and I need to get to our targets first before word gets out we’re coming after them and they go underground.”
“I know that, ye don’t need to tell me.”
“Good, as long as ye know.”
I shook my head and pulled my phone from my pocket, checking the address of my hit. Cillian’s guy was closer, and I relayed the information. He nodded as though he already knew and stomped the accelerator, heading toward the next target’s address.
