Page 36 of Ruthless Contract
“That’s all I know about Pasquale. I swear. But if you let me live, I’ll be your eyes and ears and tell you everything they say when they meet at my shop,” the man offered.
“No need,” I told him, stepping away from him to stretch my leg that was starting to ache. “I hate disloyalty. You betrayed them, which means you would betray me one day too.”
“I won’t. I swear,” the man sobbed.
Promises from a betrayer meant nothing to me.
“Terzo, he’s all yours if you still want to even our kill count,” I called out. “Three to three.”
“On my way,” Terzo shouted, still holding his phone to his ear.
The man continued begging for his life, but I wasn’t listening. I had more important things to think about, like ending Pasquale. I couldn’t wait any longer. He had to die tonight. When the team he’d sent after me didn’t report in, he’d know something was up.
I needed to get to him before he learned that I was still alive. Terzo moved to stand beside me, gun in his hand.
“Please...” the man started.
I hated when they begged. Turning away from him, I headed to my car. I’d only taken two steps when a shot rang out. It was done. I pulled my keys from my pocket, unlocked my door, and slid into the vehicle.
I stifled a groan as I leaned over to open the glove compartment and search for my pain pills. The ones I’d created in my lab. The ones that came with side effects. If I took one, it would last for about seventeen hours.
Once it kicked in, I wouldn’t be able to feel anything, pain, pleasure, anything, for seventeen hours. I also wouldn’t be able to taste anything or go to the bathroom until it wore off.Needless to say, the formula needed tweaking. I opened the bottle and took one pill, swallowing it down without water.
“Here’s your gun you tossed aside,” Terzo said, approaching my car.
Cranking the car up, I pressed the side button. Once the window had rolled down, I accepted my weapon.
“Thanks. You sure you’ll be okay out here alone?”
“I’ve got a trunk full of friends. Each one has killed dozens. I’ll be just fine,” he said, speaking of the guns he kept in a hidden compartment of his trunk.
“Alright.”
“You’re going after your cousin tonight, aren’t you?” Terzo asked.
“I’ve got to end this tonight. And I need to do it alone. I can’t have the DeLucas involved, in case this starts a war.”
The Corradinis versus the DeLucas.
“Call if you need help. I can send a team out. No one would have to know the DeLucas were involved.”
“No, thanks.”
Terzo sighed. “If you had let Enzo’s guards continue protecting you, you wouldn’t have this problem. Even your brother sent guards to watch over you. Your crazy ass sent them back.”
I hadn’t wanted to be guarded all day, every day.
“I got this,” I told him again just as the sound of cars approaching reached our ears.
I stared out the window to see two white vans headed our way.
“It’s the cleaners,” Terzo told me. “Go on. I’ve got this here. Go take care of your cousin. And don’t die. I need you alive to show me around your city when I come to the States.”
“I won’t die. Thanks again, Terzo.”
“Anytime,” he said, walking toward his vehicle.
I started to roll the window up, but paused.
