“Well, Merry Christmas, Tony.”
“You, too. Now, Vincent. Is it done yet?” he growls, getting straight to the point.
“Not yet,” I respond, gritting my teeth. Tony gets in moods like this lately, where he believes that everything could be done better, even if you’re already the best at the job.
Suddenly, Dave opens his window curtains.
“Hang on, Tony. Clear shot,” I say into the phone before setting it on the ground and resuming my position with the rifle. Dave Sobaski is shirtless, leaning against his window, one cheek pressed right to the glass. Admiring the snow, no doubt.
Dumb motherfucker.
Trigger. Pull. Pssssh. A small crack.
“Happy goddamned holiday,” I mutter under my breath as the bullet whizzes through the window.
With a newfound hole in his forehead, Dave falls backward onto the floor of his rented room. I pick my phone back up.
“All right, Tony. Done.”
“Good. I need to talk to you about something.”
I stop, not even asking what. I know Tony will continue on with or without my acknowledgment.
“You’ve been distracted lately, Vincent. Not yourself. Is there something wrong?” He’s not asking me out of concern. The edge to his voice belays a threat. He doesn’t mean, tell me your troubles; he means stay in line.
“I’m fine. I got the job done, didn’t I?”
“You sure did. Just trying to watch out for you. Make sure there is no problem, you know.”
“There is no problem,” I assure him, getting really pissed by how personal he is getting with me.
“Good.” He hangs up without saying goodbye.
An uneasy feeling is gnawing on me. Tony is acting off, and my mind immediately goes to Faith. If someone finds out about my obsession with her, she will be in danger, and that includes my boss. He would see her as my weakness, and that would be a weakness to him by default.
Before I begin to pack up my rifle, I decide to delete the live feed app from my phone. On the drive home, I vow that I will delete it from my computer as soon as I arrive home.
It pains me to give that up, but I will not put her in any danger.
Time to quit. For Faith’s sake.