Page 14 of One Love

“His brother was one deranged, fucked up dude.” Shoo’s right, the older Kastellanos was devious and impossible to trust, but when Aleko found out his brother was dipping his toes into sex trafficking and liking the feel of it, he put a bullet in his head right in front of Marco Mancini.

“Yeah, Aleko ain’t but a step up, man. I can’t imagine killing my own brother without even a second thought,” Tab pipes in as we clean up the site as best we can, on our knees scoping out the scene for any traces that could tie this crime to the Mancinis. We can’t have the police sniffing up our asses. We’ll take care of our own.

“I dunno, if said brother is a threat, yeah, I’d do it.” Shoo’s answer earns him a groan from Tab.

“You’re an only child, man. You can’t understand the bond between brothers.” Looking at Tab, I notice a twinge of sadness in his tone but, as always, we don’t ask questions in our group. We welcome the information but we don’t seek it out. What makes us work well together is that we allow space and we talk when we’re ready.

“‘The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.’” We all stop when Shoo speaks again, a little taken aback by his serious tone. “You’re my covenant, I choose you. My blood family can all go fuck themselves.”

We’re silent for a while after that. I mean, what the fuck are we supposed to say? Nothing. That’s what. He’ll open up when it’s the right time for him.

We work in silence for the rest of the job and right before we leave, Tab slaps Shoo on the shoulder and grins. “Same, brother. Same.”

A small smile quirks up at the corners of my mouth knowing they’ve bonded just a little bit more.

“Hey, Boss, do we have an update on that Wright guy? Any weak links in his inner circle?” Tab breaks the silence as I use tweezers to pick up a hair. May not be ours at all but you can never be too careful.

“Not really. All I’ve got is his age, fifty-four, wife left him, probably because he’s a sniveling little prick, and his son was killed a few years ago, age twenty-six. Wright’s a loner but, for some reason, he’s become some kind of fucking Houdini with our tails so we’re gonna need to get a little inventive when we follow him. Glitch can’t find anything in his name. No house, the plates are a dead end, and I’ve never seen him with a smart phone on him.” Taking a baggie, I stand, surveying the area as I finish my update. “Thing is, apart from our suspicions of…something, this guy doesn’t have any red flags out there. Can’t kill him because he sucks at Poker.” And Blackjack, but who’s counting?

“We’ll figure it out,” Shoo calls out as he and Tab wrap things up and give one last sweep of the UV light before heading to the front of the van where my bike is parked. “We always do.”

“All right, take him to the cold chamber so we can get him ready for the wake. Have Fizz pick up a nice suit or whateverEddie and his wife want him to wear,” I call out before pushing my helmet on and watching them drive away. One more body to bury in a world where death is the norm. Except this one hits closer to home since it’s a capo’s son.

Murphy’s genuine smile flashes across my mind and before I push it away, I let the warmth of it seep into my heart, making sure my humanity is still there.

Shoo is right. We’ll figure this shit out, and when we do, it’ll be one last fucking puzzle to solve before I get my girl back.

My next stop is the precinct to meet Detective Redding, our very well-paid public servant who makes sure our body count stays out of the media and under the law’s radar.

When I roll up, Ford Redding is standing in the shadows of the grand staircase smoking a cigarette and watching for me. In another world and another time, I could have found his sharp eyes and quick smile attractive but I’m too jaded for normal men. Good men. Despite appearances, Ford is protecting and serving all while getting a bonus from us.

Sadly, our resources are much greater than that of the police, and since we never target the innocent, he decided that getting into bed with us was a guaranteed orgasm for every participant. Couldn’t say the same about the Irish, could we?

“Hey,” he murmurs around a cigarette hanging from between his lips. “Where’s the scene?”

We never talk about specifics over the phone. I don’t trust technology more than I need to.

“The docks, East River.” He knows exactly where I’m talking about since multiple calls were diverted by one of our dispatch call handlers.

“Right.” His eyes dart to my hand where a thick envelope awaits him. “You gonna make this right?” It’s the same question he always asks, making sure no crime goes unpunished.

“Gonna do our best.” That’s my go-to answer. I don’t like to be called a liar in case we fail. Although, we never fail. Eventually, we’ll get this asshole. “Any dirt on Wright?”

“Squeaky clean. No outstanding warrants, no unpaid tickets, no child support or unpaid alimony. First name John, no middle name. Works as an accountant from home, which, by the way, is completely paid off. As is his car.” He shrugs as he takes another drag of the cigarette. “Got nothing.”

I think about what he’s just told me and wonder where Wright gets all the money he so easily loses on the regular at the casino. Fuck, I need more. This is just chump change.

“Lemme know if you need anything else.” Ford drops his cigarette to the sidewalk and stomps it out before tipping up his chin in a goodbye gesture.

“Sure thing.” I look down at the filter and growl, “Pick that shit up, it’s disgusting.”

Watching him freeze then look over his shoulder at me, I smile when he turns back around and does exactly what I tell him.

Satisfied, I walk away.

As I sit on my bike, Ford trotting up the stairs to the precinct, I realize I’m a little jacked up. It’s still relatively early, barely midnight, but for some reason, driving aimlessly seems pointless.

Taking out my phone, I call Flower, who answers on the first ring.

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