“I drove for another minute or so and then turned around to swing by and check on you,” he said. “I saw the Corolla parked up the street and I called in the license plate. A prior record on the owner—a small-time punk. Just after that I saw your house go completely dark. It didn’t make sense to have all the lights go out at once.”
He’d known in his gut that it had something to do with Carter.
“I checked around the house,” he said, “and the door off the garage was open, so I entered there.”
Keri came to a stop before they headed into the parking lot. The night air chilled his bare arms and the breeze stirred her loose hair. “So you’re positive Fred is going to be all right?”
Adam couldn’t resist touching the side of her face and brushing a few strands of hair from her eyes. “The vet said he should be able to go home within twenty-four hours.”
He kissed her forehead like he’d known her forever, then wondered why he’d done it. Her surprised expression told him she was wondering the same thing. But then the look of surprise melted into a smile. She didn’t mind, it appeared, she didn’t mind it at all.
“You and Fred have matching injuries.” Adam cupped the elbow of her good arm and guided her into the parking lot toward his new black Ford Explorer. “Now we just need to keep you both out of trouble.”
Keri asked about her house and Adam assured her that everything was being taken care of.
When they reached his SUV, Keri brought them to a stop again. “Thank you.” Her voice was soft as she touched his arm. “For everything.”
It was his turn to be surprised when she reached up, touched the side of his jaw with her free hand, and kissed the corner of his mouth.
Adam brought his hand to her face and brushed his fingers along her cheek. “You need to rest,” he said. “Let’s get you out of here.”
FOUR
“They failed?” Rage seared Edward’s gut like boiling oil, heat expanding through him in a growing fire. He slowly rose from his chair in the living room of his penthouse.
He’d grown up with nothing, but here he was now, easily one of the richest men in the city and one of the most powerful in the drug trade.
Johnny, his first in command, stood to the side as they both stared at Hector and waited for the dickhead to answer.
Hector’s eyes shifted from Edward to Johnny and back. “Larry went in alone, Mike waited in the car.”
Fury burned so hot in Edward’s chest that he found it difficult to breathe. “Who killed him?”
“Mike said some guy showed up. Mike thought he might have been a cop.” Hector’s leg bounced, betraying his nervousness.
Don’t shoot the fucking messenger, Carter. Edward ground his teeth. “Where was Mike?”
Hector licked his lips. “When he heard sirens, he thought he should get the car outta there before the cops arrived.”
“And he left Larry.” Edward clenched his fists so hard his arms shook. “Where is Mike?”
With a nod Hector indicated the doorway. “In the other room.”
“Get him in here,” Edward said in a snarl.
Hector turned and scuttled out the door. His shoes left impressions in the plush burgundy carpeting.
Edward sucked in his breath and reached for a round paperweight on an end table. It was one of his favorites. Inside the clear weight was a scorpion with its tail curled over its head, poised to strike.
Edward tossed the ball up, then caught it. Up. Down. Up. Down. The ball made a loud smacking sound every time it hit his palm. The sting of it striking his palm again and again and again made everything seem more real.
Mike came in, his eyes downcast.
Edward approached Mike. “You left Larry when the cops showed up.” Still tossing the paperweight up and down, Edward walked around Mike.
“I thought I should get the car out of there.” Mike continued to stare at the carpet. “Knew you wouldn’t want the cops to get a hold of it.”
“Why would I give a shit about a car that can’t be traced back to me?” Edward’s arm shook from the rage building inside him. He stopped tossing the paperweight and gripped it in his fist. “You were Larry’s backup. Your job was to kill her and get out. You sat in the car and left when you should have made sure the target was dead.”
“I figured he’d take her out. Just a woman.” Mike’s chest rose and fell with the rapidness of his breathing. “I didn’t know he’d get nailed. Figured he’d kill the bitch and get out.”
“You’re a fucking coward, Mike.” Edward clenched the paperweight tighter. “You will die a coward. I told you I wanted it handled right.
“How do you fuck something like this up?” Edward went on. “I can’t trust you. And you wanted to be in with us full time? We had a way of communicating so it wouldn’t be traced back to me. It was a simple job to prove yourself and you screw up the job. Then you came right over here to my home. You want to lead the cops right here? What the fuck were you thinking? I don’t want anything leading back to me, you moron.”
“Please—” Mike started.
Edward brought the paperweight down hard on the back of Mike’s head. A satisfying crack and Mike went down.
With the strike he pictured that bitch, Keri. She’d ruined his life for the past seven years. If it hadn’t been for her testimony, he wouldn’t have been in the joint like some animal.
Edward tossed the paperweight onto the carpet as he stood. “He’s that sloppy on this simple job, the cops
