“If you don’t want the video to go viral, you gotta work with me here.”
“She wasn’t with him back then.” There he goes again.
He can keep saying so all he wants. Nobody cares. “Yeah, yeah. Whatev.” He’s not focusing on the important shit.
“Damn bitch,” he growls, “had no business—”
“This is between you and me.” I set him right. “My ma has nothing to do with shit.”
“Olga has everything to do with this,” he counters, angrily. “She’s going to get me killed.”
“You’re the one who can’t keep it in your pants.”
“He won’t care if she’s fucking another guy, dude.” Now Rick’s getting all uppity. “But when he finds out how much of his stuff is lost, things are going to get bloody.”
Ma said the same thing then stuck me here. “Well, you’re gonna have a big problem.”
“I never should have given in to Olga.” The regretful tone signals the perfect opportunity.
I can’t help but grin at Iz while I set Rick up. “Well, what do we do now?”
“You God damn son of a bitch.”
“Yeah, yeah. Now put together a plan.” I love being able to yank his chain and have him do shit for me.
“Fuck.” His breathing hits the phone, echoing in my ear.I got him. “I’ll work on the problem. Just get your ass to the warehouse after everyone’s gone. I brought Sergio in to help. He’ll be waiting.”
I roll my eyes, but it’s a chance to get out of here. Being stuck in this house, in the middle of nowhere, blows.
“Don’t make me call your mommy, dude,” Rick taunts.
The dig is a cold stream down my back.
“What happened? Why are you making a face?” Iz taps his knuckles on the side of my knee.
I yank my leg away, batting at his hand.
“That’s right,” Rick says. “Bring your bud because, if this goes south, both your asses are on the line, along with mine.” He ends the call with that warning.
What a fuckin’ buzzkill.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Tino
I shove my hands in my pockets as I stare out the window of the top-floor luxury apartment. Missy certainly takes care of herself. All on the backs of the people she rips off.
Much as I hate to admit it, she’s good, very good. Her closets are packed with clothes in five different sizes. Either her weight fluctuated, or she padded herself to change her appearance. Hats, wigs, dark glasses, and shoes with inserts to vary her height. Smart.
If she hadn’t managed to piss me off so much, I’d talk to Dante about checking her background, in case her services could be used.
A key slides into the lock, flipping the bolt before she pushes the door open. Bags rustle while I center myself, preparing for the confrontation. I’m not concerned. There’s nothing she could do to me I haven’t gone through before. One, two, three, four, five, six… Sure footsteps on narrow high heels echo in the hallway, slowing when she reaches the end of the hall.
Let the games begin.
“W-W-Who are you?” she asks, voice quivering.
I’ve got her. I don’t even have to turn around to know it. Somehow, I’m disappointed. After I’ve had to chase her ass down, I expected more. Could it be she didn’t expect anyone to ever find her? That, above anything else, would be an amateur move.