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He doesn’t need me to explain any more than that. He understands that I’m telling him his body would disappear.
“Would you prefer to die or to go to prison?” I ask him, and he freezes up like a little coward.
However, in the past few minutes, there have been flickers in how he looks at me, hints that he might snap out of this and start fighting back. He was very drunk when I picked him up. He seems to be sobering up, but maybe he’s too shit-scared, even when sober.
“Prison,” he snaps. “It’s not so bad if a man’s got connections. Better than… than that, anyway.”
“Then we’re going to make a deal,” I tell him, standing up and walking to the edge of the room. I keep my eyes on him the whole time. The door’s closer to him now, and I almost want him to try to run. I kneel and move some floorboards aside.
Revealing the hatch, I pull it open. “This is what I call a disaster hatch,” I tell him. “It’s cramped, but you’ve got everything you need down there. There are even basic toilet facilities.”
Ritchie stares wide-eyed at the hatch, the entrance glowing pale green from long-life bulbs. “You did something evil,” I tell him. “You’ve trafficked people. You’ve threatened children, and these are just the things I know about. I’m being nice to you.” My voice shivers as the rage tries to explode, and Ritchie flinches like I’ve just hit him. “You’re going to wait in here, and when it’s time, you’re going to help me catch the real monster. Understand?”
Ritchie stands up, summoning all his little weasel courage. He’s got this look on his face like he’s thinking,this is my moment.He clenches his fists. “No, Dante,” he tells me. “Fuckno. I’ve let this go on long enough. You’re just—” He flinches again when I take a small step forward. “An enforcer. You can’t do this.”
“You threatened my woman,” I growl, “before she was old enough to defend herself. I can do any damn thing I want.”
I walk right up to him. He stares at me, his eyes wider the closer I get, but he doesn’t do anything. He doesn’t swing. He lets me grab him by the lapel and lead him toward the hatch.
Tony is the one who really matters. He’s the one I’m going to feed into the ocean.
I get home at midnight. I’ve got two texts from Mia. The first text is,I thought we weren’t about that long-term life?
The second is a photo of a painting. It’s Shadow, Colt’s dog, painted as though he’s staring wisely at the observer. I want to comment on the painting and ignore the first message and its implications.
I thought that was both of us,I reply, sitting in the open-plan apartment. It still smells like Mia on the bed, and at any second, I could roll over and find my woman there, wrap my arm around her, and bring her in for one ofourembraces. I felt so peaceful with her, far more than I ever have otherwise.
Where have you been?
Just… handling business.
Those three dots mean a whole lot. We’re texting. You didn’t have to put those.
We’re going to right some wrongs soon, Mia.
I need to be there if you’re talking about what I think you are.
I bite down, wondering if I can let that happen. It’s against the Family way of life if nothing else. We don’t get the woman involved in the violence, but this isn’t Family business. It’sfamilybusiness.
She sends me a follow-up text.Now I bet you’re sitting there thinking about how you can’t let that happen,how I’m too weak, delicate, or whatever. FUCK. THAT. I’m not some scared little kid anymore, waiting in the dark.
The choice has to be yours,I reply.No matter how I feel about it.
How DO you feel?
You don’t need that darkness in your soul, Mia. You’re too good. You’re too loving. You’re too YOU. Yes, he deserved it when I did what I had to do, but he still took a piece of me. It’ll do the same to you.
Maybe it’ll be worth it to right that wrong.
I sigh, sitting up and resting my elbows on my knees. I wish I had an easy answer to this. If I were in Mia’s position, I would want to take as much vengeance as possible, too. I would want to do everything in my power to hurt him. Bad.
That painting is amazing,I tell her.
Ah, so we’re changing the subject?
I smirk.I thought I was being smooth about it.
Thanks,she replies.
