Page 4 of Wine, Whiskey, & Lipstick 2

Given the size of Franks, blending into the crowd wasn’t hard to do. And it gets even easier when a person is average in height, has a slight build, and an unassuming face.

It was imperative to remain incognito and position himself where he would have a birds-eye view of every direction. There was just one problem–his partner. The man was like a bull in China shop, so he settled on the table next to the main entrance. It was out of the way. Nobody would recognize him there, but just in case someone did, he pulled his Stetson down to obscure his face while drinking his beer.

Still, one could only hope he wouldn’t be recognized or the man sitting beside him. That dude had been giving him grief all night. He hadn’t tasted freedom in a while, and it showed.

While he blended in with the locals, his tagalong did not. The man looked like he had just come out of the joint–a straight menace. It didn’t matter that it was true. He wasn’t supposed to look like it.

In a hushed tone, he growled at him. “Sit down and shut the fuck up!”

“Hey man, just trying to enjoy myself a little.”

“Not here. We’re on a job. Pull your baseball bib down to cover your face and drink yourgoddamnedbeer.”

This assignment was going sideways. It had from the moment he accepted it, and this guy was forced upon him. It was too late to have second thoughts, not when a large sum of money had already been wired into his account. He hoped it was worth it and that they didn’t get caught.

His phone vibrated inside his jean jacket. Frustrated, he reached inside, pulled it out, and held it to his ear. Good thing it was a burner since his client was doing stupid shit likecalling him in the middle of a fuckin’ job!

The voice on the other end sounded anxious. “You made it?”

Before answering, he stole several furtive glances around the place to ensure he wasn’t being watched or overheard. After feeling relatively confident that nobody had eyes on him, he spoke quietly into his phone. “Yeah.”

“Have you spotted her?”

It was hard to hear, given the noise level. “No.”

“My sources say she will be there.”

His jaw clenched, “You’re fuckin’ kidding me right now, right?”

“I don’t make jokes, especially when paying you this kind of money. I need to know you’re going to get the job done.”

“I always get it done.”

“Are you sure you’re out of sight and she won’t be able to see the two of you?”

His voice was husky and low, “You’ve got ten more seconds to tell me what the fuck you want.”

There was a slight pause on the other end of the line. “Incarcerated people lie, and I need solid proof that she is his daughter before I make my next move.”

“You’re compromising the mission by calling to tell me something I already know. I said I’d get confirmation, and I’ll get it!” He didn’t wait for a response before quickly disconnecting the call. It wasn’t a moment too soon. The subject of his call had just walked through the door.

It was show time.

He spoke mostly to himself as he zeroed in on Dillyn, “Soon, we’ll know exactly what to do with you.” His goal was to keep her within his sights and his partner invisible until it was time to make his move.

*****

Ben took a long pull from his beer as he watched Lucas glance over at the front entrance of Franks. He’d been hawking it from the bar for the past couple of hours.

Wyatt popped a pretzel into his mouth. “How many is that?”

Ben chuckled. “Too damn many to count.”

Lucas turned around and tossed back another shot of whiskey. “What are you two knuckleheads giggling like teenage girls about?”

“Why don’t you just text her?” Wyatt asked.

“Who?” Lucas shrugged off the question as if he didn’t know who Wyatt was referring to.

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