Page 78 of Taking Care of the Target

“Was that before or after you sent someone to kill Cassie while I was trying to take care of things?” He slammed his fists down on the desk and didn’t have to fake the anger now that Carlo was a few feet in front of him. “Who should I thank for almost killing me? I’m guessing it was a favor called into New York, but as you know, I have no problem heading down there and shaking things up. Why don’t you give me the name, because I’dloveto return the favor. Or maybe you sent him for me, too, and I’m the dumbass who came strolling in for more.”

“You know how it is,” Carlo said, trying the soothing, understanding voice tactic Vince had seen him use a hundred times, usually before he used his fists or brandished a weapon. “I had to be sure. Why don’t you just calm down? Let’s talk about what happened last night and go from there. First things first, is it done?”

The slight twitch in Carlo’s arm told Vince that he’d tilted up the barrel of the gun, ready to fire through the desk if he “needed” to.

“If you mean is Cassie dead, then yeah. Messier than I wanted it to be, thanks to the sniper mucking it up, but it’s done.” He had no idea what the hired thug had told Carlo, which forced him to walk a tricky line. “So? The shooter? I’m serious about having atalkwith him.”

“Trigger was just doing what I paid him to do, and I’m ordering you not to go after him. You’re supposed to be the cool-headed one, remember?”

Vince paced the office, shaking his head. “Right now being the cool-headed one seems overrated. He fucked up my whole plan.”

“If it makes you feel better, he got himself picked up by the police. He won’t talk, but I’m not sure he’ll walk. Now, back to Cassie. Tell meexactlywhat happened.”

Vince ran a hand through his hair. “It was tougher than I thought it’d be, and I didn’t go at her as hard as I should’ve. So she freaked and pulled a knife on me. Bitch even stabbed me.” He lifted his shirt a few inches to show Carlo his injury. Thanks to Cassie’s generous gauze and tape job, it looked even worse than it was. He forced away thoughts of her and got back into character. “That made it easier.

“But right as I got my hands around her neck, the shooting started,” he said, picking up his pacing again. “She tried to get away, and I went after her. The asshole sniper kept firing, so I got to dodge bullets as I chased her down, tackled her in the hall, and dragged her out the side-exit of the building. Ten fucking flights of stairs. By the end I was so mad, I just wanted it to be over. But there were too many people around, and I saw the cop lights, so I knocked her out, shoved her in my Jeep, and drove until I could find an isolated place to do it. I made it quick and clean, a bullet right through the head.”

He swallowed back the toxic mix of fear and fury that image sent through him—he had to sell this. No cracks, no making the mistakes he had the first time he’d lied to keep Cassie safe. This was the way to ensure a death like that never became a reality.

“So where is she?” Carlo asked.

“I buried her out in the New Jersey Wildlife and Game refuge. I dug the grave deep, too. None of that sloppy stuff that gets people caught. No one will ever find her.”

Carlo let out an audible sigh. “Good. I can breathe easier now.” The relief only lasted a moment, and then his eyes narrowed. “Took you a long time. Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

“I tossed it. You said the feds were sniffing around, and I was probably just getting paranoid, but I thought I had a tail for a while yesterday. Didn’t want them tracking me to Cassie before I could take care of her. And the ground was rock solid—took forever to dig the grave.

“Then, as soon as I got home, I found Bobby detoxing hard and ready to crack, so I drove him to a rehab center just outside of Baltimore. We used a fake name so no one could trace him there, but I had to get him help before he ruined all of his progress.”

Vince sank into the chair across from Carlo and rubbed at his eyes. “Let’s just say it’s been a long night and day.”

“Sounds like. But I’m glad you got Bobby help, and hey, I’ll pay you back for whatever you fronted to check him in. I told you I’d take care of that.” Carlo ran both of his hands through his hair—finally abandoning his grip on his weapon was a good sign. “Man, that was too close for comfort. But now it’s done, and Dante’s bail’s been posted, so he’s out, and Uffizi will take care of the drug charges at his court date.

“There for a bit, I was afraid he’d turned,” Carlo said. “The feds claimed to have an informant on the inside, so he was trying to get enough information to figure out who it was. He finally decided they were just bullshitting, using it to get him to talk. I think if the FBI had anything real, they’d have arrested me already. I’m not saying we don’t have to be careful, because I’m sure they’ll keep watching me for a while, but I think the worst is over.”

“That’s a relief. I’m not sure I can handle any more problems right now.” Vince rubbed at his side. “She got the knife pretty deep, and the shoveling tore it open. I might need a day or two to recover.”

“Rest up, you deserve it. You straight about New York and Trigger? I don’t want you going and causing trouble over there.”

“I’m straight,” Vince said through gritted teeth. “Still pissed, but I’ll get over it. Especially when I think about him sitting in a cell.”

Carlo chuckled. “Good, good. And Vince, for what it’s worth…I didn’t want to send the sniper, but I had to be sure. I’m just glad it all worked out in the end.”

Yeah. Your definition of “all worked out” and mine are a bit different, considering you obviously didn’t care if I lived or died.

Vince leaned his forearms on his knees and looked at the ground, hoping he wasn’t overdoing it. “Honestly, after spending all that time with Cassie, I got a little attached to her. Even after everything, including her stabbing me… It wasn’t easy pulling the trigger and dealing with her body. I want to make you proud—make my dad proud—but maybe I just don’t have what it takes.”

“The first one’s the hardest, and then a hard one only comes along once in a while.” Carlo swiped a hand through the air. “You get used to it. And if we need to, I know a guy. Or ten.” He laughed, and Vince smiled as acid ate through his insides. “Last night you proved you do got what it takes. But tell you what… If after six months, you wanna go straight, the restaurant will still be there for you.”

It was a lie. Once you were in, you were in for life, even if Carlo made it a short one. “Sounds good.” Vince stood and rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m dead on my feet, and my bed’s been calling my name for hours. I’ll get a new phone tomorrow and call you with the number. Will the restaurant be okay? Because I could—”

“Everything will be okay. You’ll see.”

No, you’re going to see that you’re not the only person in this family who shouldn’t be crossed.

Chapter Thirty-Five

The bus was finally on its last leg of the trip to Oklahoma City. Cassie had hardly slept during the past twenty-four hours. Partly because the bus made frequent stops that jarred her awake, but mostly because it was difficult to get her mind to stop spinning.

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