“No worries. I’ll chat soon then. Have a good one,” Marlen says. “Let me know once that delivery is done. And thanks again for fetching the products yourself.”
“All good, man, I’ll update you later.”
We say goodbye and end the call.
Tonight, a very important part of my plan is unfolding. A plan that I have kept secret. There is no need for my family to know what I’m doing. It doesn’t involve them anyway.
And I’ve waited a very, very long time for the perfect moment. Waiting is like a game to me. It gives me time to perfect my methods and savor the revenge I will take on Marcas. He isn’t going to realize what’s happening until it’s too late.
Which is exactly what I want.
***
It’s almost nine. The heat of the day has left a heavy, windless weight in the air as I sit at the bar listening tothe people around me laugh and talk and enjoy the cooler temperatures that darkness has brought.
My eyes drift to a man standing on the opposite side of the bar. There is a blonde woman draped tipsily over his arm, giggling and gushing. Lucas Jackson is one of Jaco’s inside men, and I need information from him. Even back in the day when I used to do business with Jaco, I never liked Lucas. I have no idea why the hell he puts up with him. The man is arrogant. I’m pretty sure he steals from the family. He’s scum, basically.
I’ve been watching him take shots for over an hour. His routine is always the same. Friday night at the bar. He picks up a woman. He drinks with her and gets her drunk, then takes her to some sleazy motel. Despite his wealth, he doesn’t even bother booking a nice place.
Part of my plan involved following his movements.
But tonight, I won’t just be watching. Tonight, I’m going to have a little chat with the man.
He leans forward and whispers something in the woman’s ear, and she grins wider and nods.
They’re getting ready to leave, which means I’m getting ready to leave.
I down the last of the drink I’ve been nursing since I got here.
Lucas puts his arm around the woman, and she stumbles a little, leaning into him as they walk toward the door.
I am right behind them as they exit the bar and turn left onto the street.
Silently, I pull a black mask over my face.
As we pass an alleyway, I grab Lucas and tug him into it, covering his mouth and pressing a knife to his throat. The woman yelps.
She stares in horror at me, unsure what to do.
“Run,” I growl.
She doesn’t hesitate.
I’m sure she’ll run back in for help, so I need to make this quick. A robbery. That’s what it’ll look like to anyone who hears the story.
I shove Lucas against the wall and pat down his jacket in search of his phone.
“You know who the fuck I am?” he snarls furiously.
“Shut up,” I mutter calmly, pressing the knife more firmly against his throat.
I shove his phone into my pocket. It’ll take me exactly seven minutes to replicate it before I ditch it so they can’t track it.
“I swear, buddy, you’re fucking with the wrong guy. You should have chosen someone else for your pathetic…”
“I believe I asked you to fuck nicely to shut up,” I say again. This time, when I press the knife harder, it breaks his skin. A thin trickle of blood runs into the collar of his shirt, staining the fabric. He winces, then snarls in frustration, but presses his lips together in silence.
“Give me the watch,” I demand.
