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I point to Bean. “I’m kind of in the middle of something here, so do you mind waiting in the kitchen?”
“Fucking hell, you three will be the death of me.” He backs out and slams the door.
“Don’t eat all the stew!” Danny yells to the door.
Bean rolls onto his back, spitting blood, mumbling inaudible prayers. I go to him, get down on one knee, and hold out my hand. A gun lands in it swiftly. “I will rip the tongue out of every man who has ever worked with Bernard King, helped him, associated with him.” I push the end of the Glock into his groin and fire. “And blow their balls off too.” He goes limp, and I toss the gun aside, fetching myself a fresh drink.
It's silent while I enjoy it, Danny and James giving me a moment.
Then I face them.
“So King killed the Russians and Mexicans?” James asks.
“Yeah. Like I said, only Bean knows who Nolan is to me. That’s how King knows Nolan’s mine. That’s how he got the Black family emblem. He’s been talking to Bean.”
“Fuck.” Danny curses, looking at the piece of scum on the rug.
“And Nolan’s face confirmed it.” I point to Otto, who’s still happily working in the corner, unperturbed. “There’s more damage to the right side of his face.”
“Left hooks,” Danny breathes.
I drop into a chair and take a breather. “And Pearl indicated the right side of her head when she was telling me what he used to do to her.”
“The fucker.” Danny lights up and takes a few puffs.
“King was promised the money from the Polish after Pearl’s safe delivery to her new owner. As we know, she didn’t make it to her new owner.” I blow out my cheeks as all the puzzle pieces begin to slot into place nicely. Or not so nicely. “The polish removed the tracker from Pearl’s neck. Must have been at Winstable, so that was her last known location and it brought King to Miami. King made a point of getting pally with Bean at golf, made a few threats. The rumor was, we took the Polish out, so finding his virgin started with us. King knew he couldn’t take us on alone, and he’d heard the Russians and Mexicans were in the market for some weapons, so he went to them.”
“Jesus,” Danny breathes. “He really wants his money.”
I hum. “And he needed the Russians and Mexicans to want us dead if he was going to get his virgin back, hence he killed their men and framed us.”
“Waste of his fucking time,” Danny mutters. “Sandy and Luis want us dead without that added incentive.”
“Maybe, but it’s an effective incentive, yes? A good way to renew the hatred.”
“I suppose. And the hitman at the club?” James asks. “King?”
“No, I think it was Sandy who sent him. But not to kill Pearl. What use is Pearl to King if she’s dead?”
James’s frown is impressive. “What? Sandy sent someone to abduct Pearl? Why?”
“Sandy needs King’s guns, but he doesn’t trust him. No one does. I think he was going to use Pearl as a bargaining chip to get his arsenal.”
“Fuck,” Danny breathes.
“Do we know if Anya told Sandy about Brad and Pearl yet?” James asks Otto.
“She told him,” he says, holding Anya’s phone up. “By text.”
“What does it say?” I ask, getting up, my heart banging.
“That she’s sleeping with The American.”
“So why wouldn’t Sandy tell King?” James asks.
“Because Pearl’s worthless to King if she’s not worth one hundred million. Sandy needs King to have some skin in the game.”
“Jesus Christ,” Danny breathes. “And now King’s got two-hundred-million-dollars’ worth of skin in the game, and he has Nolan, plus he doesn’t need to do business with the Russians and Mexicans.”
