Page 85 of Winning Bid

I'd studied enough case law to know what I was up against. “Well, here we have more burden of proof on the prosecution. As much as I hate to admit it, I will use every bit of privilege that I can to keep my ass out of jail.”

“There is no shame in this. It is no different when I do my job. Some say it is dishonorable to use poison.” He shrugs his giant shoulders. “I say to be a great killer, you must use whatever you have available. Poison. Fire. Sniping. Anything. Whatever gets the job done. That is what I do.”

Icy spiders dance up my spine. I know he killed people. I'd seen him do it. But those methods … then again, who am I to judge? I had killed a man, and in the heat of the moment, I would have used anything to end that bastard.

He tried to assault June. He would have killed her, too. If it came down to it, I would have killed him with anything I had.

“You're right about that. Any tool in the toolbox.”

He nods. “The world is an ugly place for men like us. But we sleep well knowing we protect those we love.”

“Indeed.” I sip my soda and think. “For now, we should lay low. Keep these meetings to a minimum. As things stand, you and I don't have much in the way of official business, so being seen together is suspicious.”

“We don't exactly travel in the same social circle, eh?”

“Not yet.”

“This means … ”

“When the organization is under my control, Moss, I want you by my side. I trust you.”

The brute is silent for a moment. “It is not a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“I fail you on this. I could fail again.”

But I shake my head at him. “You know better now. You learn from this mistake, and that's that. I know you'll never let this happen again. That's what makes me trust you.”

I watch as the gears turn in his mind. It would be a mistake to think of Moss as simple or dumb. The man has been in his line of work for decades. He knows how this world works better than I do. He knows the players. Their men. He is an invaluable resource. And a silent one right now.

So I tell him, “When I get you in that position of power, you will be paid as such. This I guarantee you. So yes, for now, we are not in the same social set. But we will be.”

He takes a breath, surprised by what I said. “You believe in me that much?”

“And more.”

His voice goes hoarse with emotion. “Thank you, boss.”

I am fairly certain my father never paid him that kind of respect before. He looks struck. I smile at him, unsure what to say next. “I should be getting back. You should, too. I need to let June know about everything.”

“You tell me first?”

“The sooner you stop trusting your people on the inside, the better for all of us.”

“Agreed.” As we part ways, he says, “This is good news. I do not like losing assets, but it is good news.”

“Losing assets?” I don't like the way that sounds.

“They could have gotten you in prison. They are no longer assets.”

“Moss, you're not going to hurt them.”

His lips tightened. There's a coldness in his eyes. “If you say not to, I don't.”

“I'm saying not to. We don't know if those people deceived you on purpose. It could have been a completely innocent mistake. If those detectives fed them false information, that was all they had to go on. That's not their fault. And we don't punish innocent people.”

“As you say.” But the frostiness doesn't leave him.

---