Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Fortunately, once we’re on the move, Carlo’s not thinking about the girl’s assets anymore. He’s all business now. The girl hesitates in front of the number buttons but jabs a finger at five. The doors slide closed and the four of us are alone as we begin to ride up.
“Dante’s going to be here shortly,” Carlo says, glancing at his watch. “Should we wait?”
“No. We’re taking him now.”
Carlo nods, looking pleased. “Listen to me, you two. We can do this clean. Nobody has to get hurt, but that means no fighting and no making our lives difficult. The first hint of a problem and I start killing. It’s a lot easier to deal with bodies than with people running around. Understood?”
“Understood,” Barry says, sounding miserable.
Melissa’s still not moving. My gun’s in her ribs, and I wonder what the girl’s thinking. Did she know that Finn’s the head of a dangerous and violent gang? She’s not all that surprised, which means probably yes, and he’s likely been warning her about something like this for ages.
Which means she shouldn’t be dumb enough to think this is going to end in anything but blood.
“What floor are we going to again?” I ask, grabbing her arm and turning her toward me so she can’t look at the numbers.
Her eyes widen a fraction. “Uh, didn’t I say six?”
“You stupid girl,” I say and once the elevator stops, I drag her off.
“What’s going on?” Carlo asks.
I don’t stop until I reach the ice room. I shove Melissa inside, wait for Carlo and block the doorway. Barry cowers in the corner.
“Carlo, put a gun to Barry’s head, please.”
“Oh, shit, what the fuck, man?” Barry’s hands are up and his back is pressed against the wall. His face goes white. “Please, please don’t, I’ve been helping—”
I step forward, staring at Melissa. She looks back, her pretty eyes wide, her lips parted. She’s afraid now. “He warned you about us,” I say, gripping my weapon hard. “Where is he?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Carlo, kill Barry.”
“Wait!” Barry says, groaning in terror. “No, please!”
“Stop.” Melissa’s hands fly up into the air, waving like she can hold the bullet back.
“Carlo, hold off.”
“Don’t be a fucking tease, bro,” Carlo mutters, grinning savagely.
I step closer to Melissa. Tears stream down her face. Her arms are hugging her body tightly and she’s trembling in terror.
“Last chance to save his life. First, Barry dies. Then, if you still won’t talk, you die, because what use are you to us? You’re just a liability. We’ll kill you and go scour this place until we find Finn on our own. Or you can save both your lives by talking now.”
“I can’t. I love him.”
“Carlo, do it.”
“Fuck, no, please.” He stares at me, looking like a cow aware of the upcoming slaughter. “I thought you married my cousin. What about Molly? Wait—” Barry’s strangled plea gets cut off by an ear-splitting explosion as the poor idiot’s brains get splattered all over the wall.
Melissa screams. God, this shit is always so fucking loud. I watch her collapse onto the floor and glance at Carlo. He nudges Barry’s corpse with his foot, just to be sure.
“One down,” he says and turns to me, his face screwed up in confusion. “Who the hell is Molly? What was he talking about?”
“Later,” I say through my teeth. Fucking Barry, screwed me in the end. “I’ll tell you everything later, alright?”
“You didn’t do something stupid, did you, bro?”
“Later.”
Carlo lets it drop, but he’s not going to let this go.
I crouch in front of the girl. She flinches back when I force her to look at me.
“Melissa. What room?”
“I love him,” she whimpers. “I love him.”
“He made this choice. It isn’t your fault he’s involved in all this. Save yourself. Don’t waste your life on a guy like Finn. What room?”
She sobs hard and collapses into herself. “Four Sixteen.”
“Thank you.” I stand and step back. “And sorry.”
She looks up and has only a moment to register what I’m doing before I put a bullet in her head. Blood splatters across the ice machine and the wall and she slumps down in the fetal position, twitching a couple times before going still.
Carlo lets out a long breath. “What a waste.”
“She was a liability either way.”
“Oh, I know, I was going to do it myself. But still, what a waste.”
“Come on.”
I lead him back to the elevator. We have maybe ten minutes before cops are swarming this place. I feel bad about Barry and Melissa, but at least I didn’t pull the trigger on Molly’s cousin—I hope that counts for something at least. And the girl, well, we couldn’t leave her alive. Not another witness to all this.
We reach room 416 and Carlo knocks. We wait a minute, and he knocks again. A voice calls out from inside, and Carlo knocks more insistently. We step to the side and press ourselves to the wall, hiding from the peephole.