They left, and Junior paused before saying, “You did a half-decent job, Jane. You too, Jenn. But sloppy work leads to sloppy outcomes.” He smirked at her. “It’s okay. You couldn’t have foreseen this. And it doesn’t matter anyway. Even if they stop that mindless idiot, Keiser. You know why? Because you’ll never stop what’s coming. There’s too much at stake.” He winked, turned on his heel, and left.
It was just Sullivan, Williams, and her. And Jane’s many questions.
“What the hell, Williams? I thought we were friends,” Jane bit out.
“So did I, Jane. But Jenn wouldn’t play nice.” He turned to Sullivan. “I tried to keep you out of it, you know.”
“How?” Sullivan snapped. “By selling out to the Mazzucas? How could you? You’re a great agent, Rob. Why ruin your life like this? For money?”
“Of course, for money.” He sneered. “And that’s ironic, coming from you. You spread your legs for your CEO boyfriend, and that’s okay. But a few harmless dates with your best friend are impossible since I don’t have the cash.”
Jane prayed Raine was out there either listening in or preparing to take out Junior and his guys. Jane could handle Williams so long as she didn’t have to worry about the others.
“This is because you’re jealous of Sullivan’s boyfriend?” A stupid question, but Jane wanted to see his reaction.
He glared and took a step in her direction. Then stopped and smiled. “Not bad. Make me angry and I’ll get close enough so you can take me down the way you took down our guy at the gas station. That idiot was only supposed to scare you. He got greedy because Junior offered him more if he’d kill you, but only to see if the loser would go through with it. I mean, none of us thought he’d succeed.”
“Thanks.” Jane crossed her arms over her chest and settled onto the couch. Williams wanted to talk. She’d let him. “So explain all this. Money? Really? You’re smarter than that. You’ve got an ulterior motive.”
“You think he’s smart?” Sullivan snorted.
Shut up. You’re going to make him unbalanced and unpredictable.
But Sullivan wouldn’t look at Jane to read her warning. Instead, she glared up at Williams. “You know why I wouldn’t go out with you? Because we’re not supposed to fraternize, that’s why. It had nothing to do with your personality, which I used to love.” She sniffed.
Jane didn’t know if Sullivan meant to or not, but she thought it was a nice touch. At least she’d been smart enough to compliment Williams and not aggravate him.
He seemed to soften. “Jenn. You should have tried harder. We could have made us work.”
“But we’d never have worked if I knew you worked for the Mazzucas.”
“He doesn’t. Not really,” I said.
Williams’s slow smile said more than words would have. “So smart, aren’t you, Jane? You worked it out.”
“What?” Sullivan looked from him to Jane and back. “Tell me.”
“It all leads back to the Harvesters,” Jane said, watching Williams.
“No, it all leads back to a fight over territory in Camden.”
“New Jersey?” Sullivan asked.
Williams nodded. They all heard a door slam, a vehicle start, and then the sounds of vehicles crunching away down the drive. “Good. We’re finally alone. Yes, Camden, New Jersey. One of the roughest places in Mid-Atlantic. The Mazzucas were only an idea when they ran up against the start of the Kaminski organization. And yes, they are a full-fledged syndicate. But they’re smart.”
“I knew it.” Jane felt vindicated, a brief bonding with her friends when they both nodded.
Until she saw William’s pistol.
“You caught on faster than we liked. Just like Jon Haversham did.”
“Did you join the FBI and then turn? Or were you always one of them?” Sullivan asked, her voice small.
He sighed and crouched down to look at her at eye level, yet far enough away so they couldn’t rush him without getting shot. “I’m sorry, Jenn. I genuinely like you. Always have. But I was groomed to do this, to plant myself where I can do the most good for the family.”
“Which side?” Jane asked.
“Leo Mazzuca’s brother knocked up my mother before he died. I’ve always been a part of them.”
