Page 101 of Red Marked

“You know how long a shift takes.” He leans his weight in. “So do I. You’ll be dead before you’re done. Try me and fail. I’m losing patience here. Where did you get the money? What happened that day? If you know what’s good for you, you’ll talk.”

Tank looks at him. His arms go smooth again.

“Good.” Flint doesn’t take his knee away. “I don’t have time for any more bullshit. You killed a male in cold blood for money, and a lot of it. I will kill you right here on your nice rug, and I will not lose a minute of sleep over it.”

Flint eases off his throat but doesn’t pull away.

“It was an accident.” Tank’s voice is a wheeze. “A fucking accident. I told you⁠—”

Flint takes Tank’s left hand off the floor, closes his fist around the little finger, and bends it back until it snaps.

I wince.

Tank screams and then breaks out into a series of high-pitched curses.

“I will break every one of your fingers, asshole. Then I’m going to start cutting things off.” There’s a knife block on the kitchen counter behind him.

Tank’s eyes move to it and then back to Flint.

“Please.” Tank is crying now. Tears run into the blood on his face. “Please don’t. Please. I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t…I swear.”

“You took wads of cash,” Flint says. “Looks like a choice from where I’m standing.”

“They threatened my family. I did what I had to do.”

“Who gave the order?” I ask.

Tank’s shoulders lift against the floor. “There were no names.”

“Tell me what you know…all of it. Leave something out, and I cut something off.”

“No…no…no…please.” Snot runs out of his nose in globs. “I’ll tell you.” He sucks in a few breaths, composing himself. “A male in a suit walked up to me in the parking lot outside the grocery store up the road from my house.”

“What grocery store?”

“Jim’s Shop & Save. It’s on the corner,” Tank says quickly.

“Who was this male?” Flint asks.

“I don’t know. I’d never seen him. He gave me an envelope and told me to read what was in it and do exactly what it said. If I did, I’d be rewarded. If I didn’t…” He swallows. “They’d kill my mother. There were pictures of her in the envelope. They were of her walking out of her house, and in the store she used to shop at.” His face crumples. “She died last year. May she rest in peace. She never knew any of it. And now I’m mated, and there’s a baby on the way, and if those fuckers find out I talked to you…” He starts crying harder, and I almost feel sorry for him.

“How did they pay you?” Flint asks. “Cash or into your account?”

“My account.” Tank breathes through his mouth. “I didn’t ask for the money. I didn’t want it.”

“How much?” I ask.

“Three million. I didn’t touch it at first. I felt sick about the whole thing. But then… it was just sitting there. And the pickup died. And…” His eyes go around the room. “I feel guilty…but…I, um…” He shrugs.

“I need the details,” Flint tells him. “I want a bank statement. I need to know exactly where that money came from. Something with the transfer on it.”

Tank nods. “Can I get up? I’ll get you what you want. Please don’t tell them it came from me. They can’t know. Otherwise, I’m dead.”

“Don’t try anything,” Flint growls.

“I won’t,” Tank says in a small voice.

Flint takes his knee off Tank’s throat and steps back. Tank rolls and gets to his knees, with one hand on his side. The groan that comes out of him is deep and long. He cradles his hand with the broken finger against his chest.