Rowen sighed, and we fell into silence as Cillian took the New York City traffic by force. I was always happy to let him take control when it came to driving, and it amused me to hear him yelling at the terrible drivers who got in his way.
By the time we arrived near the streets Luís worked it was past one, and unfortunately, he didn’t turn up right away. We had lunch, and the longer we waited the tighter Cillian’s jaw became, but this was how things went sometimes. We had dinner from a hot dog vendor and went back to park our asses in the car. The sunset came and went. I could barely see the moon behind the thick clouds. The city was lit up bright, with loud music and a crowd of tourists and locals alike—this was prime time for Luís to sell.
Cillian drove around for a while, but we still didn’t see him. After we decided to try walking the neighborhood again, it took longer than I would have liked to find a paid parking spot that was close enough to move Luís to but also in a dark enough spot to hide. We paid the attendant five hundred bucks to keep his mouth shut about whatever he saw before we were off, heading down the street.
We passed tourists who flocked the stores and the sidewalks, stopping to chat with the locals who were charming them with goods they wanted to sell. A few people tried to stop us, but one palm from Cillian and they backed off. We were obviously not tourists or men who wanted to be messed with, in our expensive suits and wearing determined expressions.
We found Luís nearly half an hour later. He was leaning close to a pair of young women in pretty dresses that fluttered around their thighs, despite the cold, and they were giggling at what he said as he nodded enthusiastically. By all accounts Luís was attractive, even for a low-balling drug dealer. With dark curly hair, sun-kissed skin, and a mischievous smile that brought out dimples in his cheeks, it was easy to see how he convinced people to buy from him.
We paused as we got closer, and Cillian leaned in toward us. “We can lead him into the alleyway behind him. Rowen, go around to the other side. Aspen, stay here. I’ll come from in front of him.”
We nodded and Rowen stalked to our left, doing a large loop around Luís to get onto his other side. Cillian followed him and stopped when he was in front. Luís was good at what he did, but he wasn’t Killough Company material because he neverthoughtabout his surroundings. He’d turn and run, like he was good at, but the alley we’d lead him into was pressed against three apartment buildings and he’d be nothing more than a trapped rodent.
Luís didn’t notice me at first as I closed in on him, but I knew the moment he did by the way he froze. Almost immediately he turned, ready to run in the opposite direction, until he saw Rowen shove a man out of his way as he headed toward Luís.
Again, when he turned to the front to run, Cillian was already there reaching for him. Luís stumbled backward, shoving one of the women he’d been talking to at Cillian, before he spun on his feet and ran—right into the trap we’d set for him.
Smirking, I raced after him with Cillian and Rowen on my heels.
The moment Luís ran into an alleyway with three tall brick walls blocking an escape he must’ve realized it was too late for him because his body went rigid. We were right behind him, closing in on him as he spun, making himself as small as he could against one of the corners.
“Look who it is,” he said in a singsong voice, smiling. The narrow space didn’t give us much light and Rowen turned on the flashlight on his phone. “My friends from the Company.”
“Luís.” Cillian smirked, arms crossed. “Ye still selling in the city without giving Mr. Killough his cut?”
“No!” He laughed nervously when we stared at him. “Okay, just a little from time to time.”
I winked at Cillian, and he sent one back to me.
“Ye think we’re fools?” Cillian crowded him against the wall and grabbed his neck. Luís whimpered. “We know ye’ve been working for Reyes. We got orders to come pay ye a visit.”
“Reyes? Reyes, who?” He laughed and glanced at me with wide eyes. “I don’t know any Reyes.”
I snorted.
Cillian heaved a sigh. “I don’t have time for this, so let’s sort this out, aye?”
Luís nodded fast, his curls bouncing with his head. “Yes, let’s do that.”
“This is how it’s going to work,” I said gruffly, earning his wide gaze again. I’d always let Cillian do the talking before and had never said a word to Luís until now. “You’re going to come with us without resistance. You even think about screaming for help, your life is over.”
“And if I cooperate?” He flashed me a smile.
“Then you might live.” I stepped in closer, using my height against his short stature. “Onlyif you do what we tell you.”
Luís visibly swallowed and his smile turned shaky. “Let’s go, then.”
Cillian pointed a finger close to his face. “We mean it. Ye cause a commotion, we’ll put a bullet in yer skull before ye know what’s happening. Am I clear?”
“I got it.” The dimples crinkled his cheeks. “I can offer your boss a deal.”
Too bad he wasn’t meeting Sloan. Or rather, he was lucky he wasn’t. Sloan’s foul mood meant he had no time for manners, and he’d make Luís suffer for ever being on the same phone call as Reyes.
Like he promised, Luís gave us no trouble on the way out. Cillian walked with a hand on his shoulder, and Luís smiled and nodded at people he passed. He was putting on a show because he thought he had a chance of getting out of this mess. Idiot. That’s why he never had a chance of rising up the ladder; he didn’t think about the consequences.
Two hours later Sloan stared at me in the brilliantly lit white marble front hall of his mansion, mouth twisted in displeasure. “Didn’t I make myself clear? Kill them, not bring them back to my house where my pet is.”
I bowed my head slightly. “I’m aware of what you asked, Boss, but there’s a reason I brought him back.”
