[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Br-Brook-Brooklyn. The stammered words, low and husky and filled with pain stopped his heart.
Shane? He must have yelled his lover s name, because everyone froze.
Brooklyn. Brooklyn.
Oh God. Shane. Someone yelled in the background, angry words. Shane grunted as though in pain.
Shane! Someone touched his shoulder and Pablo didn t look up, he just hung on to the arm holding
him. Shane talk to me. Tell me
The blast of a gunshot stopped his words, ended the call. The dial tone buzzed in his ear and Pablo
collapsed.
Chapter Eight
His knees hurt. He should get up off the ground. Move. Something. He would. If he could. Pablo
clenched the phone in his hand and brought it to his mouth, to stifle any sound he would make. He
wanted to make sounds. Only somehow they weren t coming out. Everything remained clogged in his
throat.
Boss. Mateo squatted in front of him, somber eyes meeting his. Talk to me.
What was there to say? He had nothing to say. I m okay. He rose to his feet, unsteady, but he
remained standing. He pushed everything down. He needed a clear head. He needed to focus and he
couldn t, not if he kept replaying that phone call in his mind. He walked up the stairs and into the
plane, ignoring the eyes on him. After he buckled himself in opposite Jack, Pablo spoke.
Teo, make sure we have wheels when we land. Pablo kept his eyes on Jack. The agent s gaze was
wary, as it should be.
You re kidnapping a federal officer. Do you know that?
Pablo smiled at Jack. Hold on to your seat, Jackie boy. I m not even done yet. He tossed his phone
at Jack. Shane just called me from the number on there. He jerked his chin. You need to get your
people on that, I want to know who the phone belongs to. Now.
He called you? Jack s eyes went wide. Why? What did he say?
Jack. Pablo shook his head at the hurt that shadowed Jack s beat up face. You don t get it, do
you? He didn t wait around for an answer. The number on there, Jack. Get your people to find out
who it belongs to. They shot Shane. Damn, saying those words out loud&
Jack froze, the fear plain on his face. Fine, but I ll need my phone. He held out his hand.
Pablo nodded at Mateo, who handed over the agent s cell.
Jack, I m sure I don t have to tell you how upset I would be if you did anything to fuck with this buzz
I ve got going.
Jack rolled his eyes and proceeded to make the call. Pablo listened for a while then tuned him out. He
went back to the phone call. Even though he shouldn t. The pain in Shane s voice. He d heard that.
The gun shot. He d heard that. His heart squeezed. It was a painful thing, not knowing. His mind went
in some crazy places, veered out into crazy directions, going over all the things that could be
happening to Shane. He refused to think Shane was dead. He d now. He d feel it.
He would.
Boss, Mateo murmured. What s going on?
The plane began moving. Pablo folded his hands in his lap and stared out the window to his left as the
scenery flew by. He risked it all, for me, he said. He found a way to contact me and they& shot
him.
Mateo grabbed his shoulder. You heard?
He nodded. Yeah.
I have a name, Jack spoke up. Kenneth Smalls. He rattled off an address. He s familiar, one of
Edgar Cahn s workers.
Pablo nodded. Tell me about Edgar. Everything.
Jack shrugged. He s new school. Doesn t care about much but the money. Unlike his father, he fully
embraces violence and uses that to do his talking for him. He s mostly feared by the guys in that area,
which I think was his goal.
Personal life? Pablo asked.
He s got a fiance, they ve been together for a while. I think she s pregnant with their first child.
He s not too close with his siblings, Jack continued. They don t care for how he does business, but
no one s trying to stop him.
I want the fiance. Pablo leaned forward. You boys got eyes on her?
Jack gaped at him. Yeah, but
There really aren t any buts here, Jackie boy. His first child isn t something someone like Edgar
takes lightly. He sat back, a slow grin spreading. That s something I can, and will, exploit.
Jack cocked his head to the side, disgust in his eyes. You re rethinking how you do business now?
Going after women and children?
Forget what you know about my business, Jack. All that shit goes out the window when Shane s life
is on the line, because see he leaned forward again unlike you, there s nothing I wouldn t do.
There s not a line I wouldn t cross. Morality goes out the window, Jack. It s an albatross around your
neck, and it gets in the way when you re trying to make shit happen.
Jack shook his head. Let us handle it, we know all the players.
Then I ll learn them. Pablo crossed his legs and put a finger on his chin. Riddle me this, Jack:
Shane had one chance, one shot at a phone call. Why did he call me and not you?
Jack looked away, lips pressed in a hard, thin line, but Pablo didn t let him off with that pussy move.
Because he knows me, and he knows shit like rules and morality will never apply. Because he
knows I would never fuck with his life, or put anything before him. Because he knows selfishness and
jealousy, like that shit eating away at you, gets people killed. And because he knows I would die for
him. Happily. Without reservation, without a second thought, but not before making sure I do the
damage that I do.
I love Shane, Jack whispered. You ll jump at any chance to break the law.
Maybe. The fact remains, I got this, and Shane knows it. He turned to Mateo. Get Edgar s
fiance s info from Jackie boy, I want her. She s my bargaining chip and my way through the door.
He sat back. First though, we meet with this Kenneth character. And spill some blood. Naturally,
that shit went without saying as it was a foregone conclusion.
****
It appeared Jack got over his pouting fast, because two black SUVs met the men as they got off the
plane at a deserted airstrip in the late dusk. Pablo didn t ask questions, Jack didn t offer any.
Reggie, you and Freddo go with Jackie boy. Find me Edgar s fiance.
Yes, boss.
Pablo pulled Jack to the side. You working with me, Jack?
Jack s jaw ticked. I want Shane back, safe and sound. If that s your objective as well, then we re on
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]