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The bed springs creaked, and I grimaced. Things were about to get very uncomfortable for Santino.
But ten minutes later, all movement stopped, and shortly after someone came into the bathroom. I prayed the girl I could see through the gap between the door and frame wouldn’t want privacy. Because then I’d be forced to act.
To my relief she wasn’t shy; but she was slow, taking her time to do her makeup. My legs were tingling, and I was struggling with the decision if I should move now while I still could and risk the girl’s life or hold on a little longer.
The delay meant she left the hotel room before I could make a call I’d regret for the rest of my life.
The carpet muffled any sound I may have made on my way to the bed. Our target was sprawled on his back, fast asleep. He didn’t look like he was as skilled as his reputation suggested. No good hitman would let his guard down and make himself vulnerable like this.
I wondered if we had the right guy, but the tattoo on his chest confirmed he was our man, the intricately woven design of a serpent eating its own tail exactly how Officer Harris described it.
Santino joined me next to the bed, a deep frown line etched into his forehead. He wasn’t sure about this either.
It would be easy to put a bullet between his eyes and put all this behind us. But we needed information first. Santino tapped his gun against his head and the guy tensed, reaching underneath his pillow.
Santino clicked his tongue at him. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Stilling his movements, the guy took us in, his face giving nothing away. “What do you want?”
I retrieved the zip ties from my pockets and bound his hands, then pulled him up to sitting. “Answers.”
A vein in his neck pulsed, betraying his outwardly calm appearance. “Do you know who I am?”
“You’re the one who killed my friend.” I dragged him off the bed and to the bathroom. No need to make an unnecessary mess on the carpet. “And I want to know who ordered the hit.”
He laughed, the sound ringing through the quiet room. “I recognize you. Been trying to get to you for months. Guess now that your boss is gone you can’t hide behind him anymore.”
Not many people knew Maurizio was my father. At least that was one secret that hadn’t gotten out yet.
I dumped the hitman in the bathtub, then put gloves on. Santino did the same before laying out an array of knives and a lighter.
Still smirking, the guy sat up. “You think your toys scare me?”
Sometimes, the promise of torture was enough. Other times, we had to follow through and hope we didn’t kill them before they gave us answers. Today looked to be other times.
“It’s not about the toys, but about who wields them.” I stepped back and pointed at Santino. “May I introduce my friend? The reaper?”
His face blanched and he shrank back. Guess Santino’s reputation reached far and wide.
I made myself comfortable, leaning against the sink. “Now where were we? I think you were going to tell us about who sent you to kill Sam.”
He broke faster than I thought and we were gone within the hour, finally having a name.
22
EVERLEIGH
“There’s no threat anymore—not that there ever has been—and I gave you all the information I have. There’s nothing else for me here.”
Gunner opened his mouth to say something else to sway me to stay a little longer, no doubt, but I held up my hand. I had shown up in his office twenty minutes ago, finally having had enough. We’d been arguing ever since.
I’d stayed another week as promised. A week that had passed as agonizingly slowly as the previous one. “No. I’m going home. I need to be home.”
He hung his head, and I inwardly cheered in victory. “Fine. But you need to check in every day. If I don’t hear from you by ten every morning, I’m sending someone out to you.”
“A bit of overkill, but fine. If that’s what it takes for you to let me go on my merry way, then I’ll call every day.”
I jumped in the air, feeling a spark of hope that I could finally start putting all my broken pieces together again. “Thank you. You won’t regret it.”
