“Casey’s partner caught him.He was a rookie at the time, but he was about to get a promotion.It was his word against the entire FBI’s.They busted him back down to the base rank and it took him years of scraping the bottom to dig his way back.”And while he did that, he made friends with all the drug dealers and gangland thugs.Eventually that got him killed and Casey framed for the murder.All because he did his job one afternoon in the park.He didn’t even ask for credit for it.
Bridget swallowed.Something in her expression conveyed guilt.
“That was in my file, wasn’t it?”
She nodded with a very small dip of the chin.“I’m sorry.But I promise, I’ll do better by you.”
I scoffed.“By going back?How?They aren’t going to let you back.The Outfit and the Agency and the Organization, they all work together.You might as well go straight to the head of the mob and beg for a job.Because that’s the only person who’s going to approve your way back in.”
Sometimes I really should shut up.It was distracting Bridget.Her attention wavered as her certainty failed.
Johnny’s face twisted into a grin.
I expected him to leap up and wrestle Bridget for the gun.
What I didn’t expect was Ringo reaching over Bridget’s shoulder and gripping her gun and hands so hard she winced.“I’ll take that.You won’t be needing it.”
My white knight had arrived.
But I highly doubted he’d leave witnesses.
24
Ringo
When I’d returned to CCI, Ellie was gone.I’d cornered Kat who hadn’t a clue as to when she’d left.She quickly called the bar to find out Ellie had been a no-show.As the shit storm Kat fanned grew, Alfonzo Conti-Messina approached.
I practically took him out.
Edward had to tear me off him.
“This is your fault.”I spat out.
“How?I’ve been here the entire time.Unlike you.”Alfonzo fired back.
“Gentlemen, please.”Edward squeezed my shoulder, which was a mistake.It made the skinning I caught ooze blood that trickled down my sleeve and onto the floor.
A woman screamed.Edward’s bodyguards closed in, and we were whisked into a conference room.Kat left to obtain a first aid kit.
Quickly, I outlined what happened.
“He gaveyouthe slip?”Edward asked.
That wasn’t helping.
“That isn’t the only thing that’s slipping,” Alfonzo commented.
“Maybe if you took care your house, I wouldn’t have to clean it up!”I came off my chair ready to pound his face in.Vincent’s aspirations might have been warranted.
“That’s not how we do it here.This isn’t some heathen backwater like Sardinia.”
He really wanted to die, didn’t he?
Edward squeezed my wounded arm again.I almost hit him.“Knock it off.”
“Think, I hope you’re capable of that, or was it only Mario who propped you up?”
“Fuck you.”
