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“You knew Luca?” Tait finally managed.
Randall Parks snorted. “Better than the back of my hand. Like I said, he was my partner.” Parks backed away from Marcus and waved him and Tait into the two chairs at the table. “Sit, so I can keep an eye on both of you while we sort this all out.”
Tait scurried onto a chair as Marcus took the other, watching every gesture the man made. Despite the badge, he dinnae trust a word the man said. He’d make a mistake at some point, and Marcus intended to be ready.
“Are you saying Luca was a cop?” Tait wore her disbelief on her face.
“Best undercover cop we had,” Parks nodded. “Too good—for his own good—as it turned out.”
“I don’t follow,” she said, shaking her head.
“Ya,” Parks smirked, giving her a slow appraisal from top to bottom. “Hank—uh,Luca—said that was the best thing about you. You didn’t ask a lot of questions. That’s why he chose you to be the safe.”
“The safe?” Tait choked out the words.
“You know,” Parks sneered. “A mule carries information, a safe stores it.”
“But…I don’t have any information,” Tait protested. “Luca didn’t tell me anything.”
“I know. He told me as much.” Parks tapped his forehead with a finger. “But I remember him saying hegaveyou something.”
Tait stubbornly shook her head. “No. He didn’t. But if he had, and he really was a cop, it would need to be turned over to the federal authorities, not you.”
Parks’ face turned hard. “See?” he ground out. “That’s the attitude that got Luca in trouble, too. He always wanted to do the ‘right’ thing. And look what it got him. So let’s cut to the chase. Where’s Hannah?”
Marcus watched the color drain from Tait’s face. “Hannah?” she repeated in a whisper.
A cunning smile spread across Parks’ face. “Getting Hannah’s name out of Luca took some persuasion of course. That’s what you walked in on—GiannettipersuadingLuca to divulge what he’d done with a very valuable item. But thanks to your interference, all Ginnetti got out of him was that he’d given it to you, only now, someone named Hannah was hiding it. So,” he wiggled the tip of the gun in her direction, “where is she?”
Tait looked at Marcus, eyes round and desperate.
Somehow, Marcus had to shift Parks attention away from Tait. “Listen, she—”
“No!Youlisten,” Parks snapped, waving the gun between the two of them. “There’s something you should understand. There’s an ocean of Giannettis working for people willing to do a great deal toother people, to get their hands on that one littleitem. When Luca insisted on playing it straight and turning that item into the Feds, well…you saw what happened to him.”
He shrugged. “They sent in Giannetti. Then, whenhebecame a threat…that threat was neutralized. Get it? You’re just another threat in a long line of…inconveniences. So, you give me what Luca gave you, and I’ll give you a running head start.” He laughed. “That’s more than most get.”
“Which are ye?” Marcus challenged. “A threat? An inconvenience? Or just another lap-dog rolling over on command for someone who has dozens like ye and can’t tell one mongrel from another.”
Parks’ lip curled as he stared at Marcus. “You know what, buddy? I don’t think I like you much. You’re getting more expendable by the minute.”
“Feelin’s mutual,” Marcus growled back.
“It wasn’t Evan’s partners who betrayed him, after all.” Tait muttered, almost to herself. “They were never even involved.”
She stared incredulously at Parks. “It was you all along! Isn’t that right? Luca was an honest undercover cop who discovered something big? And when he shared that information with you,his trusted partner,and refused to play dirty or reveal what he did with his discovery, you had him beaten to get the information. But Luca had the audacity to die before he divulged everything, so you sent your two lackeys after me. And when they failed, you had to come do your own dirty work.That’swhy you’re here.”
Marcus could hear the venom in her voice. “So let’s see,” she held up her fingers and ticked off names, “Luca, Evan, Giannetti, and,” she splayed her hand, “heaven knows who else has died or will die, just for thatone itemyou’re seeking?”
Parks snorted and stared at her, incredulous. “You really have no idea what he gave you, do you?”
“ ’Tis what she keeps tellin’ ye,” Marcus cut in, determined to draw his attention away from Tait. “So why dinnaeyetelluswhat he gave her. ’Tis clear ye cannae let us live. No’ now. Ye’ve told us too much.”
Leaning back in his chair, Marcus folded his arms across his chest, hoping he could play a convincing bluff. “So tell us what the item is that ye’re willin’ tae kill so many for and why ’tis so important. In exchange, we’ll tell ye where tae find Hannah.”
Tait’s indrawn breath didn’t turn either of their heads as Parks and Marcus stared each other down for several seconds.
“Your assessment is unfortunately, correct,” Parks finally admitted. “I can’t afford any loose ends. So, if it makes you feel any better, I’ll leave a pretty note so your murder-suicide will look like a lover’s spat.” He glanced between the two of them. “That’s what you are, right?”
