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I clench my fists under the table, digging my nails into my palms to keep from going over and snapping his scrawny neck.
I can guess what he did. Went rummaging in Daddy’s locker for something that wouldn’t be missed. Walter’s dumb as Marco. Bet he writes down the locker combination same as Marco writes down the safe house combinations.
Walter put the necklace in the locker ready to hand over to me at our next meeting. Andrew found the necklace just sitting there and thought that would help him make a good impression on his date.
They’re talking to each other but I can’t hear it. I’ve got a ringing in my ears. I’m grinding my teeth. The necklace that by rights should be dripping with blood. It’s right there on Chloe’s neck. The necklace that got her parents killed.
She’s running her hand along it and smiling. She’s no idea what it really is. She can’t see it.
But I’ve got a bigger problem right now than that piece of shit giving her a gift he had no right to give.
Walter is supposed to be handing that necklace to me with her file tomorrow night. Now I’ve got to get it back off of her. How the hell am I going to do that without her noticing?
Am I going to have to break into her place to do it? Could find her in bed. Could wake her up with my hand over her mouth and…
Stop it. Focus on the job.
Doesn’t feel like I’ve got many options other than breaking in. It’s that or seduce her so I can strip it off her and pocket it while she’s not looking. Seeing as I’ve been telling myself not to get too involved, that’s not exactly a better option.
She’s getting up, heading for the bathroom. The minute she’s out of sight, Andrew is on his phone, calling someone. I listen as he talks. “Of course she fell for it. You owe me fifty.” He barks out a laugh and that’s it. “Worth one fuck, I reckon. Decent tits on her.”
I can’t take it anymore. I get to my feet as he keeps talking.
“Swiped it from pop’s locker. He’s no idea I know the combination and he’ll never guess I took it.”
I walk toward him, cracking my knuckles. “Told her I paid two grand for it. I swear, I’m literally guaranteed a fuck off the back of this. You should have seen the look on her face. You’d think I was Jesus or something. Dumb bitch… What? … Who cares if she finds out? I’ll have got my rocks off. That’s what matters. Yeah, we’ll see if she’ll let me do it on her face. I’ll bet you another fifty if you like.”
I stop behind him, looking down at the top of his head. Would it be remiss of me to snap his neck in front of all these people? My muscles flex in my arms as I resist breaking every bone in his body.
I swallow down my anger just enough to be able to talk. “Andrew Kendrick,” I growl at him, interrupting his call. “Turn around and look at me, right now.”
6
ENZO
* * *
He turns, still smiling, but then his expression turns to fear as he looks up at me, seeing I’m on the verge of snapping him in two.
“Help you?” he asks in a high-pitched squeak like his voice hasn’t broken yet. He swallows hard as I lean toward him.
I talk low so no one but him can hear me. “Your father might have mentioned my name. Enzo Lauria. Here’s what you’re going to do. Leave this building. If you’re still here in ten seconds, I’m going to break that wine glass of yours, and shove every shard of it into your eyeballs.”
“Buh…” is all I get in response. He looks like he’s on the verge of pissing himself. I don’t blame him. I look fucking scary when I’m this angry.
“You ever speak to her again. You ever look at her again. If you ever even think about her again, I’ll rip your nuts off and shove them down your fucking throat. Now get out of my sight. I gave you ten seconds and you’ve wasted it gawping at me like the moron you are. Do what the fuck you’re told and fuck the fuck off. Now.”
He scrambles out of his chair so fast, that it falls over. He bumps into other tables, knocking wine everywhere as people start complaining. He ignores them, still running. Five seconds later, he’s barging out the exit just as Chloe emerges from the bathroom.
She looks from his disappearing form back to me and a frown appears on her face. She folds her arms across her chest as she walks toward me. “What did you say to him?” she asks.
“He’d left the gas on.”
She wrinkles her nose like she’s not sure whether to laugh or punch me. “What did you really say to him?”
“Sale on at Macy’s. Your hair looks good by the way.”
She looks flattered for a brief moment, touching the side of her hair before narrowing her eyes like she’s caught herself thinking the wrong thing. “Sorry,” she snaps. “I must have missed the part where I asked for your opinion.”
