Page 60 of Taking Care of the Target

“Sure thing, Boss. Oh and, Boss—”

“Is it important?”

The pause had him crossing his fingers Sal would let it go. He didn’t have the patience to deal with another thing right now. “I’ll talk to you about it later.”

Carlo ended the call and turned to Allegra. “I’m working on getting him out now. Don’t worry, if there’s anyone I can trust to hold up under fire, it’s Dante.”

Allegra’s shoulders relaxed. She sashayed over and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m sorry, babe. I just get so worried about you, and everyone always corners me, as if I can do anything. Why don’t we go somewhere warm and tropical where I can slip into a tiny bikini and we can spend the week in the sand?”

“Tempting, but we can’t just run away. It’ll look suspicious, like we’re scared.” He ran his hands down her arms. “We watch our backs, find the rats, and then take care of it. The cops, feds—whoever’s trying to stir up trouble—they’ll be pains in the ass for a while, but when they can’t make anything stick, they’ll back off. Same as always.”

No, he didn’t run. He made the hard decisions. People just didn’t understand how difficult it was to make them. Everyone wanted to be the boss until the heat was on.

***

The call from Carlo made a rock form in Vince’s gut, and it grew larger and heavier the more he thought about it.

Bobby set his steaming mug of coffee on the table in front of the couch. He looked like shit. Dark circles, pale skin, and sweat beading his brow all meant he was thinking about his next fix.

“When’s the last time you used?”

Bobby sniffed. “Finished off my stash a couple of hours before you and Cassie showed up. Care to stay around for the puking stage?”

“I’ve gotta go meet with our uncle and see if he kills me first, but then after, I’ll rush right home.”

Bobby lifted a shaky hand and ran it through his hair. “So your girl doesn’t know about Carlo? Or…the rest of it?”

“No. I’ve tried to keep her out of it. She…” Vince wanted to spill it all and get Bobby’s advice. Ten years ago, he would’ve. Maybe even five. But now he couldn’t trust his own brother. The only person he could confide in was Cassie, and he’d been lying to her for weeks. Since confiding everything would get her killed, that wasn’t even true. “She’s too good for me.”

“Yeah,” Bobby said with a shrug. “But yesterday she proved she’s tougher than she looks. And she thinksI’mredeemable.” He scratched at his arm and glanced around. “You should hang on to her.”

Vince tossed him a pack of gum to try to help with the twitchiness and craving, although he knew it wouldn’t work for long. “She was right about you needing professional help. It’s going to take more than a few meetings. I probably shouldn’t have brought you back here where you know too many people. I just didn’t have much of a choice, considering leaving you there would’ve gotten you killed.” A hot burst of anger mixed in with his ever-growing anxiety. “Damn Carlo.”

“It’s funny because I always wanted in and you always wanted out. But he doesn’t want me and he wants you.”

“Yeah. Fucking hilarious.”

Bobby shoved a stick of gum in his mouth and went to town on it. “What are you going to do?”

“There’s only one way to keep you and Cassie safe, and that’s to give in and join him. I’ll have to break up with Cassie, of course. I can’t pull her in. For one, she makes too good of leverage against me, and I won’t put her in that kind of position. And I can’t have him using you every time he feels like it, either.”

“She mentioned that place in Colorado. Parker, was it?” Bobby rolled the gum wrapper between his fingers until it was a tiny silver ball. “Maybe I’ll just go. Check into rehab and give it a real shot. ‘Course I’d need some money.”

Vince’s skin prickled. He met Bobby’s desperation-filled gaze. “Money for rehab? Well, that’s a new one.”

“I’m serious.”

Vince crossed his arms. “Do you think I’m stupid?”

“Cassie believes in me.”

“Yeah, she believes in me, too,” Vince said with a bitter laugh. “She believes in everyone.”

“That’s probably true. But having her tell me I could do it while looking at me like I was someone worth saving…it made me want to prove her right. A couple of nights hiding out in that dump also showed me where my life was headed if I didn’t change—the things that guy’s done to pay for drugs…” Bobby shuddered.

“Now you’re talking about joining Carlo and giving up Cassie—the girl who pulled me aside anddemandedI bring you back to her—just to keep me safe.” Bobby shook his head. “I don’t want this to be who I am anymore. I don’t want to risk my life for one more hit and then ruin yours because you help me.” He unwrapped another piece of gum and shoved it in his mouth. “But I’ve already tried quitting on my own, and it didn’t work.”

“A rehab center won’t do all the work for you, you know. It’s not going to be easy.”

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