Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77198 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77198 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
I was taking in the scene when Antonio walked up next to me. He was also dressed in a suit, but unlike the kid’s, his cost more than my monthly mortgage, and his shoes were equally as expensive. DeLuca wanted everyone to know he was wealthy. He thought it would gain him respect, but it hadn’t gained mine. I knew what kind of man he was, and I was far from impressed by the narcissistic and power-hungry asshole.
He glanced down at the young man on the floor and shook his head. “Such a waste. The kid had potential.”
“He one of yours?”
“He was,” Antonio answered coldly. “Unfortunately, he wasn’t the man I thought he was.”
“It happens.” I turned my attention to my duffle bag and pulled out my suit. Ignoring Antonio’s fixed stare, I slipped it on, then knelt down to check the range of the blood splatter. When I saw that it was minimal, I turned my attention back to Antonio and said, “This shouldn’t take long. It’ll take less if you’re willing to lose the rug.”
“I could care less about the fucking rug.”
Antonio watched as I started pulling the rug around the body. When I got up toward his head, I glanced down at him, and I had to agree with DeLuca. It was a waste. He looked like a good kid who was just trying to make a name for himself, and I had no doubt that Antonio took advantage of it.
I finished wrapping him in the rug, then tied it off. He didn’t appear to be all that heavy, so I didn’t bother asking for help. I just knelt down and picked him up, rug and all, then tossed him over my shoulder. Without saying a word, I walked out of Antonio’s office and headed down to the van. A couple of his guards followed and were nice enough to open the back door, so I could put the body inside.
Once I was done, I headed back inside and back to Antonio’s office. While most of the blood was located on the rug, I still needed to do a full wipe-down and spray the area. When I got back upstairs, Antonio was waiting for me, and he looked just as disgruntled as he did when I first got there.
He had something on his mind, but I didn’t give a damn.
I could care less about what he had to say. I just wanted to get the job done and get the fuck out of there, so I grabbed my things from my bag and got busy with my wipe-down. I could feel Antonio watching me, and I couldn’t help but wonder if his odd behavior had something to do with Everleigh.
But that was impossible. I’d been careful. There was no way he could know that she was alive. It had to be something else. Antonio wasn’t the kind of man to keep his thoughts to himself, so I knew it was only a matter of time before he laid it all out.
With that in mind, I finished the job and put my equipment back in my duffle bag. Once I had it all put away, I removed my protective gear and shoved it back into my bag. I looked over to Antonio and said, “That should do it.”
“Good. I’ll follow you out.”
I could feel the tension radiating off of him as Antonio followed me out of the office and down the stairs. I kept expecting him to say something, but he remained silent as we made our way through the front door and out to my van. With him hovering over me, I threw my bag in the back, then turned to face Antonio.
This was the point of the night when he should’ve offered me payment for the job I’d done. Instead, he simply stood there holding the envelope in his hand as he stared at me like an arrogant prick. After several long moments, he finally said, “I’m going to let you in on a little secret.”
“Oh, and what’s that?”
“There’s a reason why I’ve been so successful in all of my endeavors.” His eyes grew intense as he said, “It’s because I know firsthand just how fragile trust can be. I know how difficult it can be to earn it. I also know that it doesn’t take much to lose it, and once you lose it, there’s no getting it back.”
“There a point you’re trying to make here?”
“Just want to make sure we’re on the same page.”
I had no doubt that there was more to it than that, but I was alone and in no position to get into a confrontation with Antonio DeLuca, especially when I was unarmed and his guards were just a few feet away. I gave him a nod. “Yeah, I’d say we’re on the same page.”