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“Deep,” Dante said.
“You’re going to run out of hitmen eventually.”
“I can send my whole fucking crew after you,” he said.
“And I can disappear,” I said. “Pick you off, one by one. You think I can’t? I think you know I’m capable of it.”
“Not with that girl dragging you down.”
“She’s smarter than you realize,” I said. “She can handle it.”
“I doubt that.”
“Dante, why are you doing this?”
He grunted and I could hear the frustration. “Don Leone isn’t interested in a deal,” he said.
The words hit home. I almost staggered to the side. I had to stop walking and watch my breath as an old man in a flat cap strolled past with his hands clasped behind his back.
“What did you say?”
“The Don doesn’t want to deal,” he said. “And I don’t think Drago’s much interested in dealing, either. The families want a fight, Tanner, and you’re caught in the middle.”
“Fuck that,” I said. “Why would they want a war? Dead bodies won’t profit anyone. It’ll just bring the cops down.”
“Don thinks he owns the cops,” Dante said.
“Does he?”
“Mostly,” Dante admitted. “But not enough.”
“You think they should deal,” I said.
“I didn’t say that.”
“I can hear it in your fucking voice. You think this is as stupid as I do.”
Another pause, and this one pregnant with meaning.
“Look, what I think doesn’t matter,” Dante said. “I don’t matter. You get that, right? In the end, it’s whatever the Don wants.”
“Convince him otherwise,” I said.
“I tried.”
“Try again. Bennigan’s dead, and I’m going to start coming after you guys next if you can’t figure this shit out.”
“Tanner—”
“No, Dante, you listen to me.” I felt my anger roll over me like righteous fury. I wanted to burn this fucking city down.
I’d given good work and lots of time and energy to those bastards, I killed men for them, I made their problems disappear. And now they wanted to hunt me down like a dog all for some petty, foolish war that nobody really wanted or needed, except for the old men that wouldn’t actually do any fighting.
“I’m listening,” Dante said, voice soft.
“I’m sick of old men acting like they still fight in the street,” I said. “I’m sick of you people pushing me around because you think you can. I’m not going to roll over and give you the girl. So sooner or later I’m going to come for you, for your guys, and for the Don. You know I can do it, I’ve shown you that over and over again. I’m very good at killing, Dante.”
“I know you are,” he said.
Was that a hint of fear in his voice? It made a smile spread across my face.
“So talk to your Don,” I said. “If you cherish your family, your men’s lives, and your Don’s continued existence, you tell him to make a fucking deal.”
“Threats aren’t smart, Tanner. Your back’s against a wall here.”
“And your executioners are dead. Who’s going to stand between you and me now?”
I hung up the phone. I was tempted to smash it. But I didn’t have to throw a tantrum.
I slipped it into my pocket and continued on my way.
I bought coffee from a bored-looking girl in a barista uniform. I got myself a flat white and a cappuccino for Elise. I trudged back through the park with a drink in either hand, whistling softly to myself.
The front desk guy was gone, replaced by a smiling brunette.
“Good morning,” she said.
“Morning,” I said.
And she grimaced when she saw my face. I smiled even bigger.
The elevator ride up was quiet. I sipped my coffee as I walked down the hall and paused outside the door to get out my room key. I barged into the living room, almost dropped my coffee, got myself together. I put both drinks down in the coffee table and stretched.
The bedroom door was open a crack.
I frowned at it. I thought I’d closed it last night. Maybe Elise was up and had gone looking for me.
I pushed open the door and peered inside.
The bed was empty. The covers were thrown back. The bathroom was dark.
“Elise?”
Nothing. No response.
I went inside. Nothing on the bed, nothing in the bathroom. My heart nearly skipped a beat. She was gone, but that made no sense. Bennigan was dead, we’d be safe for a while. We could do whatever we wanted while we waited for the Leone family to give in and make a deal.
Or I could go start hunting them down and force them to give up.
Either way, we were going to win. It was only a matter of time.
Maybe she just went for a walk. Or maybe she just went to get coffee.
I went back into the main room and that was when I saw a piece of paper tucked next to the phone. I walked over, hands shaking.
It was a note. I picked it up and stared at the words.
