Page 95 of Collateral Claim
I whip my head around, wanting to slap some sense into this man. He’s smirking, happy that he’s provoking Endo. Does he want to die? Maybe he does and he wants Endo to end his miserable existence.
He’s trying hard to get under Endo’s skin, and if he doesn’t have a death wish, then I wonder why. When men posture like this, I always think about animals in the wild, particularly predatory ones, but the thing about Endo is that he seems like the type of animal that’s best left alone. This is why, during my dad’s birthday party, I went along with Endo’s theatrics. I had a feeling that if I denied him the right to claim me as collateral, he would shoot up the place.
Unlike me, Massio pokes Endo’s bleeding wound.
“My brother is fine,” Endo says.
To think that Massio doesn’t know Cass is missing would be very stupid. If he’s aware of what’s going on, does he also know who my dad is? Wait, which man picked Selnoa for the exchange today? My dad or Endo?
I have a hard time believing it was Endo, so it must’ve been my dad. Since Massio showed up, this would mean my dad tricked Endo. He’s controlling Endo. Uh-oh. Endo doesn’t like being controlled. Not even a little bit.
The terrible feeling that my dad is in the trenches with the man who dresses like a clown and gives me major creeps won’t leave me. I’m full of questions and dying for answers I’m better off not knowing. I’ve heard my dad speak with Endo and lie. My dad can’t be trusted to provide truthful answers.
Is my father hoping Endo and Massio will lose their tempers and die in a shoot-out? Maybe. Or hey, maybe I should think about something else. It’s best for me to play the role of a nice “little woman” by Endo’s side and let these men forget I have a brain.
Except, it’s hard to pretend that the news of Endo’s arrival and thus Massio’s pickup came from someone other than my dad. He’s got a lot to gain if Endo dies, and Massio is the perfect executioner.
If there is a shoot-out, Endo is outnumbered. He’s in enemy territory, trading leverage (me) for information (Cass’s location). Now, he believes the man making the trade (my dad) set him up. But again, Endo’s outnumbered, so it’s too late for him to do anything about the betrayal.
The tall iron gates open to admit the eight cars. The perfectly manicured bushes on either side of the twisted road block the view of our surroundings. The drive takes almost ten minutes, but finally, we emerge into a paved clearing the size of an average town square. It’s a front yard for Massio’s single-story ranch-style house. Behind it are smaller identical homes with red roofs.
A little criminal village within a wall. The only part that’s not walled off is on my left. But that’s because it’s a steep cliff.
I can’t figure out if this place is meant to keep people inside or out. In our case, it’s to keep Endo and the rest of the crew Endo landed with inside.
Endo’s body is taut. It’s like I’m sitting next to a ticking bomb. At best, I’d say he is intense. But really, he is radioactive. It’s only a matter of time before it melts everything around him. He already shoved a gun down his half brother’s throat. It’ll get worse if he’s pushed more, and I want to survive the carnage.
We exit the car.
The view from the cliff is breathtaking. I walk the few steps and stop just before the edge, my toes brushing dirt. Pebbles slide down the mountainside and toward the city. The Mediterranean takes my breath away.
Massio joins me.
“It must be lovely to live here,” I say.
“The city is at my feet.”
I was thinking of waking up and looking at the sea, not of the city at his feet, but to each his own. I turn to see Endo speaking with Slada and his nephews, who make no effort to acknowledge their father. The father seems uninterested in his sons.
I would love to know what Endo and his crew are saying, but once I find out there’s no going back. I can’t claim I didn’t know. Ignorance will save me. But I can make an educated guess that Massio’s wealth was acquired by means of taking, probably by force. Theft, prostitution, illegal gambling, all guarded by an army of men in combat clothes and flying drones.
I smile at Massio. My survival instincts are stronger than my curiosity. “Thank you for having us.”
Chapter 39
One bed
Scarlett
Our suite has one bed.
Of course there’s only one. We are one couple.
Endo and I stand at opposite sides of the mattress, staring at it as if it’s a three-headed dragon that’ll spit fire and eviscerate us if we lie on it. We’re being ridiculous. I lie down with my back against the headboard and stretch out my legs.
Following my lead (that’s a first for him!) Endo throws the black duffel I rummaged through in the dungeon on the love seat and hangs his holster over the spare chair, then joins me on the bed. We sit there with our backs against the headboard, staring at the espresso-brown wooden shutters, behind which is a bathroom with a large, round tub and a walk-in shower.
Our bedroom reminds me of a modern spa. A gentle lavender fragrance envelops the room, which has off-white walls and an off-white love seat with decorative (also off-white) linen pillows. A ceramic matcha-green vase and the matching rug add gentle coloring to the design.
