“Careful,” I said as I took each step slowly. There might not have been fire in sight, but that didn’t mean the structural integrity of the house wasn’t failing.
We made it to the first floor, but the entire right side of the house was engulfed. I couldn’t get out the front door. I spun and faced the kids.
“Don’t move.”
“Where are you going?” the little girl asked, desperately trying to grab my belt loop.
“I gotta break a window. I will be right back.” I winked and grabbed the small table beside a couch, lifted it, and successfully crashed it through the bay window.
I faced the older boy. “Get them out of here, I’m right behind you.”
He didn’t question me. He grabbed his cousins and got them outside. Iwasright behind him when a rush of flames slammed into the room. I pushed the boy out, taking the brunt of the fire.
I followed behind and immediately rolled on the ground. I’d have to be sure to check myself for burns.
“Matteo, Olivia, Owen!” The woman who I’d seen pulling the man out rushed over to the children and wrapped them in her small arms. The man who was unconscious earlier ambled to us and fell to his knees in front of the children, hugging them.
I glanced at the street, and there still were no fire trucks. What the hell? This was a nice neighborhood; you’d think they’d have rushed to get here.
“Thank you, thank you.” The woman was talking to me. I nodded and realized people were staring at me, many with phones pointed at me. Thankfully, I was covered up.
“No problem. Emergency services should be here soon.” I went to leave, but the man stopped me.
“Who are you?”
“No one, I was just walking by.”
He snorted and motioned to all the gawkers on the road. “They were all walking by too, but they didn’t help my wife and family. You did. What’s your name?”
Finally, sirens could be heard in the distance. “Looks like the cavalry has arrived.”
When the man turned to see, I took the opportunity to slink away. The kids were safe; the family was okay. I had to go make sure my skin was still attached to my body.
CHAPTER TWO
Gideon
I nodded at Danny,who approached the man tied to the chair. He opened his pocketknife and without hesitation jammed it into the man’s hand, clean through. He screamed but no one was going to hear him, not this far out.
“Danny has a lot more knives, and you have a lot of places he can stick them, Frank.” I wrapped my coat tighter around myself—it was bitter out, and this warehouse had no heat. “Start talkin’, or he starts stabbing.”
“M…Mr. Hendrix, please. I swear, I don’t know. A guy came and said he worked for you and took the delivery. I didn’t know! I don’t know all the guys you employ.”
I rolled my eyes and slipped my cigar between my lips. I let him stew a moment while I lit it. I didn’t smoke these often, but in instances like this it calmed me. “When has anyone other than Danny or Alex ever been at a pickup, Frank?” I took a few steps closer to him. “You didn’t used to be stupid. What happened? Ate some idiot flakes for breakfast, you fucking shit?”
“I’m sorry. It was busy here, I didn’t think.”
“No,” I shouted, pointing my cigar at him. “That right there, Frank. You didn’t think. I don’t have time for brainless idiots, especially ones that cost me a million dollars in one goddamn night.” I gritted my teeth and stepped away. “Henry will be taking your place.”
“I’m being demoted?” Shit, he was dumb.
“No, Frank. You’re being terminated.” I spun on my heel.
“No, Mr. Hendrix. Please, I?—”
His pleading was immediately cut off by the two bullets Danny delivered to his head.
I was fucking freezing. I got into the back of my black Lincoln Navigator and sighed against the leather seats.Motherfucking Frank.
