“Don’t mistake my self-control with mercy,” Enzo told him. “One and a half million dollars is more loss than I’m willing to overlook. I want to know where he’s keeping my product and who thinks they can buy it without giving the Salvatores a cut.”
“Tommy must know you’re suspicious,” Haz hypothesized. “So when Rett refused to deal for him and Ghost made him leap out a window like a crybaby, he decided he would blame Rett and get you to take care of his problems for him.”
“You’re more like my brother than I first imagined,” Enzo said, eyes shining with pride.
Haz was flattered. I wasn’t so sure that was a compliment, but okay.
“He’s not getting tangled up in the Salvatore business,” Kieran stated.
“Of course not. I have a fish store to oversee.” Haz looked at Enzo. “Kieran bought me the Neon Reef.”
“I’ll send over my best contractors to make the place look good.”
“Really?” Haz exclaimed.
“Of course.”
I glanced at Kieran who was glowering so hard it was practically raining over his head.
He should have let me stab Enzo when I had the chance. His loss.
“So if you know Tommy’s a bag of flaming crap, why did you come here looking for Rett?” I wanted to know.
“Because I wanted to hear his version of the story.”
“You mean the truth.” I corrected him.
“I’m not sure the truth even exists,” Enzo remarked. Sounded like some old Chinese saying that you’d get on a bag of tea.
Stupid.
“But Rettisinnocent,” Haz insisted. “What if he sends people after him like people came after me?”
“I’ll kill them,” I stated. To Enzo, I said, “I don’t care who they are. You send your people, and I’ll kill them. He’s off-limits.”
“Actually, I was hoping Rett could help me,” he replied.
“No.” And that was final.
“Help you how?” Kieran asked.
I gave him a WTF look.
“I was hoping he might accept the job so I could find out where Tommy’s keeping the stolen product and who he’s selling it to. I plan to make an example of him so everyone will know what happens when you betray a Salvatore.”
“Rett is not some cheese in a trap,” I told the room. “You aren’t using him as bait. He’s been through enough.”
“I agree,” Kieran added.
“Oh. There he is,” I quipped. “I was wondering where my bestie was.”
He rolled his eyes.
“Look, we’re sympathetic to your position,” Kieran said even though he wasn’t sympathetic at all. The man didn’t even know what sympathy was. He was just being pragmatic for half-pint’s sake, which I could respect. “But I told you I’mnot getting involved in your mob business. And neither is the rest of my family.”
“I guess I’m only family when it’s convenient for you.” Enzo’s words could have frozen the tits off a cat. Good thing there weren’t any cats here.
“That’s not true, Uncle Enzo!” Haz moved forward to hug the gangster. For a little guy, he had a lot of balls.
