“Thus, the reason I called. How many bodies need to stack up before they realize my hiding spot is a mouse trap? Get over yourself.”
“Waitin’ on an explanation.”
I teetered the knife back and forth, rolling my eyes while I climbed on top of one of the front pews and sat on the backrest. “This happened because of me. Lemme figure out what he’s after. Nobody else needs to die…tonight, anyway.”
“Bridget they’re not here to fucking talk. They’re here to kill us.”
“But they stopped. Didn’t they? They do what hewantsthem to do, Dec. The subjects aren’t loyal to the king because they love him. Daddy’s a prime example of that. They follow thegold. You pay ‘em enough…they’ll do your bidding. You’ve been part of a mob family as long as I have. You think a Russian empire’s any different?”
“You’re playin’ a dangerous game, lass. It’s not called pink fuzzies roulette. Between the four of us, we’ve dropped at least nine with no blood lost on our end. That’s not counting however many dropped with my backup outside. It’s what made them finally ambush the house. They’re not just gonna let that go.”
My neck craned back. “Your backup?Nowwho’s keepin’ secrets?”
“Didn’t have the time. My point is…we’re not walkin’ outta here without cost. It’s what your Pops woulda done. You know I’m right.”
He is. And I might be an amateur, but I’m not as stupid as everybody thinks.
“Make sure Sev and her family get out. Don’t fucking interfere. I’ve got this.”
“No the fuck you—”
“Dec…I know I’m asking a lot with how I’ve acted over the last few weeks. But can you please just…justtrustme?” There was a stagnant second of silence…and then he sighed into the phone. “I meant what I said. I love you.”
I hung up before he could answer. I can’t go through with this shit and keep my face straight if I hear it again. I know it…and that’s all that matters. I took the knife and cut the collar of my shirt, pushing my tits up as I turned around towards the suite door. Just in time, too. I hear slow, purposeful footsteps in the darkness beyond it. A well-dressed man in a three-piece suit appeared in the doorway, reaching in to turn on the lights.
We met eyes as the soft, soothing lights came on to make a nice halo on my head. He’s older than Daddy by the looks of it. Dark, slicked hair with streaks of gray. Manicured facial hair and a couple of oiled strands to drop into eyes the color of obsidian. I held his stare, refusing to break eye contact and cleaned the knife on my jeans.
“Welcome to Leviticus.”
“So…this is wife of O’Dell.”
I smiled sweetly.
“You know that this is the place for people that are already dead, right?Makingthem dead costs extra.” His eyestrailed down to the body on the floor. Okay, so I made a bigger mess than initially anticipated.Oops.
“You know why we’re here?” he asked, resuming his creepy eye contact.
“Because you think you’re entitled to money that doesn’t belong to you? Typical male behavior in my experience.‘Wife of O’Dell’…reserves the right to do with that money as she pleases.I pleased…to give it to someone deserving.”
He straightened, putting his hands in the pockets of his suit jacket and I spread my knees to point the pistol at him that I’d picked up off the floor.Didn’t see that coming. I smirked. “O’Dell was a business partner. Business lacks. We were promised a healthy profit. No one to come after for the gap…until we found out aboutyou.”
“From what I’ve seen, there’s a few missing girls that would argue that business is more than productive on your end. You gonna try to tell me Jonas promised you more?”
I’m not sure my smile is quite as effective as his seems to be. Evenwitha gun pointed at him. It’s got my insides crawling…and not in a good way. “Yes. He promised us an Irish mob queen.Hisqueen.”
Fuck. He did.
“The girls we have are adequate. Young.Tight. But still fresh and resistant. O’Dell says you are the opposite…and very experienced. Title alone brings in the money. Your skill even more. That is the price.”
So that’s it, then. I use what I know. Do what I do best. That’s my bargain.
“Hmm,” I shrugged, trying to feign confidence. “Okay…so you want me to whore your vault full?” He pierced me with an intense look. “What’s in it for me?”
“Your heartbeat. And theirs.” His head nodded towards the suite doorway. “One dies in payment for my youngest son.”
“If you mean Vikter…we’re not responsible for that. Don’t send an amateur to take out a hit. Show some accountability. You send a mouse into the snake pit…they get swallowed. Besides…you already have your body. You shot her on the front porch.”
Please, God…let this work.
