Page 8 of Tainted Obsession 1
“We’re friends, aren’t we?” I ask Duarte. “Friends watch each other’s backs. If George Crawford is causing problems for you, I’ll eliminate him.”
His eyes glint with satisfaction. “All right, Massimo. I accept your gesture of friendship.”
He swirls the whiskey in his cut crystal glass, drawing out a moment of silence before divulging more. With every heartbeat, the tension in the room grows thicker. The man knows how to create an intimidating atmosphere, I’ll give him that.
I meet his dark stare head-on.
“We’re glad to hear that,” Gian offers, stepping in to navigate the politics of the situation. With his general’s bearing, he commands, “Tell us what we can do to help.”
“You and I have a lot of business to discuss, Gian,” Duarte counters, still smiling. “I’m sure Massimo can deal with this little problem on his own.”
It’s a decree, not a suggestion. It seems I’m being rebuked for the insult of murdering his men, even if he would’ve made the same judgment call. I understand the slight to his honor; I should’ve presented the bastards to him so that he could handle them personally.
I’ll pay my dues and make amends to Duarte by taking on the risk alone.
“Yes,” I agree firmly before Enzo and Gian declare that they’ll help me take on the DEA. “My friends have a lot to discuss with you. They’re the brains behind this operation. I can deal with Crawford on my own.”
Duarte chuckles, eyes roving over all six foot five of my bulky frame. “I’m sure you can.”
He leans forward slightly, the small gesture commanding the attention of every man in the room. His intense focus on me pierces my chest like a blade, but I don’t flinch. An approving smile ghosts around his mouth as he addresses me directly.
“George Crawford is a dirty agent,” he informs me, elaborating on the limited information I already have. “He’s been working with my rivals,Los Zetas. They’re trying to get a foothold in my territory, and Crawford is taking their bribes to keep the heat off them. Meanwhile, he’s causing problems for me with his relentless investigations into my men, working off information theZetasare feeding him. The DEA won’t take it well when he’s murdered by the Camorra. Especially when you have no business being in Mexico City.”
“I don’t intend to be caught,” I reply coolly. “They won’t know of our involvement. And you’ll be kept out of it entirely.”
He cocks his head at me. “The authorities will suspect cartel involvement in his unfortunate disappearance.”
“And they won’t have any evidence to lead back to you,” I assure him. “They won’t be able to pin anything on you. Crawford won’t cause you any more trouble.”
He leans back in his chair, considering me. “You don’t strike me as a subtle man. But I’m trusting you to handle this delicately. Make sure this doesn’t blow back on me. That would be a very unfortunate end to our friendship.”
I offer him a grim nod. “I know how to make a man disappear. Don’t worry about that.”
“I trust Massimo with my life,” Gian interjects.
“Despite his brutish appearance, he can handle a situation like this carefully and quietly,” Enzo provides, backing me up with a bit of a jibe.
Where his brother is all military rigidity and calm authority, Enzo is more suave: equally cool in the face of danger, but more charming than his aloof, unfeeling counterpart. They make an effective team, and my presence has always completed our intimidating trio.
“George Crawford is a dead man,” I promise Duarte. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”
To his superiors, Crawford appears to be a model agent, but he’s getting rich by doing favors for a cartel. I’ll put an end to his promising career, and he’ll never put his innocent fiancée at risk ever again.
The memory of Evelyn lying on that basement floor, broken and bleeding, flashes across my mind. I barely manage to prevent my fists from clenching with renewed anger. That motherfucker, Crawford, is the reason she was targeted. He’s just as responsible for her victimization as the men who kidnapped her.
Soon, he’ll be dead, and Evelyn will be safe from his corruption. I’ll make sure of it.
Chapter 5
Massimo
It’s not difficult to discover where George Crawford lives. The corrupt bastard keeps his DEA friends close during the day, but it’s easy enough to stalk him, hiding myself in crowds as he moves through the busy streets.
I haven’t seen Evelyn in a week. It would’ve made me edgy if it weren’t for the glimpses of her silhouette through the drawn curtains when I stalk George back to his apartment at night.
I’ve seen plenty of that slippery bastard over the last several days, but he’s always surrounded by his fellow DEA agents. He must be spooked after Evelyn’s abduction—he never goes anywhere alone.
Not that he seems to give a damn about her. Three nights this week, he’s gone to the bar with his coworkers and left her isolated at home. Is she scared to leave the safety of their apartment?
