Page 109 of Adam
“Michael,” I sing out, stopping him mid-lunge. He freezes. “We’re even now. You’re as dead as I am.”
He nods again.
“I’m going to kill this motherfucker,” I add, almost cheerfully. “So you’d better vanish before they figure out you’re the useless newbie who stood around and let the boss get wiped.”
“Understood,” he says before hurrying away.
“Phew. That was intense,” Wes deadpans. “Ex-boyfriend?”
“Calvano asked me to get rid of you.”
“… What?”
“You’re dead weight now, apparently.”
“And you’re gonna do it?”
I watch his face before I answer, let the silence stretch just long enough to get uncomfortable.
I want to let him picture it. I want to let him feel it.
“No.”
He crosses his arms. “Out of the goodness of your heart?”
I snort. “Oh, hell no. I’m a fucking asshole.”
I tilt my head, thinking it through even as I say it. Calvano cuts what slows him down. That’s his religion. If something limps, he puts a bullet in it. I keep what still works, even if it’s cracked—especially if it’s cracked—because broken things tend to bite harder.
“I just think, unlike that trigger-happy prick, you’re still useful.”
“How nice of you.”
“Are you in or out?” I ask, already knowing the answer. There’s no real choice here, just the illusion of one.
“Fuck,” he mutters, jaw tightening. “In.”
“Excellent.”
Finally … It’s time.
Such delightful scenery.
Way easier than I expected.
Almost disappointing.
I sent Wes in first to talk him down while I waited outside, killing time and patience.
As soon as I heard the gunshot, I knew Wes had killed Anderson’s man, so I barged in, but he was too scared and unfocused to understand what was going on.
I pulled a rough cloth bag over his head before he could get a good look at me. I kept my voice right by his ear while he squirmed, and made sure he understood the rules before he even thought about breaking them.
I reminded him how loud things could get if he didn’t tell his people to stand down. He made the call blind, shaking, fumbling his words.
Fear does wonders for cooperation.
That bought us the opening. We slipped in like snakes through his oversized, ego-built mansion.
