Page 74 of Vas

Nolen’s head jerked in a nod.

“What’s their boss’s name?”

“I don’t know.”

Vas took the last steps that separated them and pressed the barrel to the guy’s forehead.

“I don’t know!” The dude was practically sobbing now. “Please, fuck, please. I really don’t know.”

“Then you’re useless to me.” Vas pressed the barrel harder into his skin.

“Wait! Please. I do know something.”

Vas let up on the pressure and waited for him to speak.

“I overheard them talking. They never used their boss’s name but the one guy said you killed his brother. Frankie, they called him. That’s the only name I know. Swear to God, man, I’m not lying.”

Vas didn’t let his surprise show. He’d only offed one Frankie in recent memory. If Maximo241 was his brother that would make sense. But that was a worry for later. Right now he had to deal with the piece of shit in front of him.

Giving the façade of relaxing his stance, Vas lowered the gun to chest level. “I believe you.” Jennings deflated before his eyes but before he could get out the thank you that was forming on his lips, Vas said, “I do have one more question though.” The guy went instantly back on alert. “That video evidence you talked about, does it show you just dealing or using the drug for your own pleasure?”

A line appeared between the guy’s eyes as if trying to figure out Vas’s line of questioning. “Both, why?”

“That’s what I thought.” And without a moment’s hesitation, Vas walked up to the unsuspecting man, put the gun to his temple, and fired. Not the perfect angle, but it would do.

He went down like a sack of potatoes.

After emptying all of the men’s pockets, Vas used a wad of napkins he’d found in Nolan’s lunch bag to staunch the blood coming from his wound. Then he grabbed the smaller of the other two men by the collar and dragged him around the crime scene until any blood left by his injury would be lost among the rest before dropping him near his partner as though Nolen had made an attempt at a clean-up job.

Finally, Vas transferred his gun into his left gloved hand and making sure it too had the other men’s blood mixing with his own, he wrapped Jenning’s hand around the trigger, firing a couple rounds in various directions before setting the hand carefully back beside the cooling body.

Two thugs, that Vas would lay odds had long rap sheets, and one known sex offender. An argument, two men dead, and the third freaked out enough to kill himself. He doubted LVPD would look any deeper.

Vas was done here and eager to put this shit show behind him, but as he staggered off with a hand keeping the napkins pushed into his wound, all he could think was…

Who the hell was Frankie’s brother?

The drive back to his hotel was an arduous one. Not only was Vas feeling the effects of his injury—the blood loss was making him a bit nauseous, not to mention, sitting hurt like a motherfucker—but he also needed to stay alert for a tail.

Pulling into the Venetian, he grabbed a spot as close as he could find to the Palazzo Tower entrance and opened the glovebox to pop the hatch so he could retrieve the jacket that he had stashed in the cargo area. Between the loose-fitting windbreaker and his black tactical pants, he hoped all the blood and the grime he’d picked up on the garage floor wouldn’t be too noticeable.

His body had stiffened up during the drive and he groaned as he climbed out of the high cab of the SUV, making his way to the back. Pulling on his jacket, he zipped it up, wincing at the pull on his side, a cold sweat breaking out along his forehead. He felt a fresh trickle of blood slide down his skin. The wound was still bleeding and would keep doing so until he could get it patched up. He just hoped the slick material of his jacket would help repel the blood and keep prying eyes at bay until he made it up to his room.

Vas entered the bustling lobby, keeping his head down, his side pounding with each hasty step he took. He was getting a headache and his temples were throbbing to the same beat. Fuck, he couldn’t wait to reach his room and get cleaned up. It felt like his clothes were sticking to him. Not a pleasant sensation.

With thoughts on his bed and its soft mattress and cool sheets, he froze in place as he rounded the corner to the bank of elevators that would take him up to his room, his brain uncomprehending as his eyes locked on the last person he expected to see. His stomach dropped to the floor and an icy wave of panic washed over him as his heartrate raced, spiking his adrenaline for the second time in as many hours. Only this time it hit him harder and faster than when he was being chased by men with guns.

The sight before him was far scarier. Guns would only kill him, the woman before him could destroy his soul.

Her head was bowed, concentrating on her phone, but then as if sensing him, it snapped up and a bright smile transformed her features.

That’s when he came unglued, his mouth unwisely forming words before his brain had a chance to catch up. “Anya? What are you doing here?”

Chapter 26

Staring intently at her phone, Anna watched as Vas’s icon grew closer and closer to hers until they were nearly touching. She lifted her head in eager anticipation for his arrival, but he was already there. Happiness at seeing him split her face into a grin as giddiness raced through her.

“Anya? What are you doing here?”

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