Page 35 of Fortress of the King

Boston had the lowest crime rate in history last year. The Police are well and truly in our pockets because we’ll hand this sting over straight to them, and the Commissioner will get a standing ovation, probably a medal of honor, and I’ll get his assured loyalty. It works both ways.

That’s the thing about corrupt cops, they’ll sell out to the highest bidder, but at least the crooked cops I associate with do want the greater good: that and a fat paycheck. Nobody wants pedos and traffickers living in their city. This way, everybody wins.

Enzo comes out of the office. He’s more tanned than what the current Boston climate can account for, his sandy locks and brown eyes have most women on their knees at first glance. Fucking pretty boy. He grins at me.

“You good?” I nod as we shoulder bump.

“Yeah, Rocco and I picked up the douche. He was willing to squeal for a price, pity he didn’t know who we were at the time.”

Now we have him strung up and tied to a chair. Perfect.

“Christ, how good an informant can he actually be?” I mutter.

Enzo shrugs, clearly bored with the situation at hand, I guess they’ve been here a while and want to get the execution over with.

“How long’s Rocco been at it?” I nod over to the mirrors where he looms over our captive.

Rocco does all the dirty work. He knows how to keep hurting a man without making him pass out. He’s good with his fists, never uses weapons, he finds he doesn’t need to. I can’t say I share the same sentiment.

The guy sits naked and bleeding, his nose broken and dripping with blood.

“Almost three hours.”

“Fuck, and he hasn’t squealed yet?”

“Keeps slipping in and out of consciousness. He’s given up other pimps, denies he’s pimped underage girls, yadda-yadda.”

“Is that so?”

He eyes me again. “What’s your next move?”

I give him a look. “Well, I’m not fucking around with this all night, I need to sleep. If only Rocco enjoyed knife play.” I grin.

“Yeah, is that why you seem happy?”

“Not you too,” I mutter as I undo my cufflinks and roll up my sleeves.

I should change, this is a nice suit after all and I have clothes here I can change into. The thing is, I don’t plan on being here that long.

He slaps me on the back. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

I shake my head. “You’ve been using that expression since we were ten years old, it’s time to get a new line.”

Fucking Enzo. He would grin at the devil before he struck him down.

I edge toward the door and flip Enzo the bird over my shoulder.

Rocco glances up from his squatting position in the front of the man oozing blood from his nose with sweat all over him. Fucker pissed himself at some stage.

I light up a smoke, something I indulge in from time to time. “Roc.”

He stands and raises his eyebrows. “Boss.”

“You get what we need?”

“Almost.”

I snort a laugh. “You just like playing with him, don’t you?”

---