“Why are you threatening a girl I fucked once?” Feigning nonchalance, I stand on my back foot and drop my hands into my pockets. “I’m here to work. You’ve never needed to convince me before. I don’t get it.”
“Like I said, this job is worth seventy-six million. You keep stepping up to my challenges, Bishop. You’re doing well. But I need you to pay attention. I can’t afford carelessness, because I feel eyes on the back of my neck. Cops are watching.”
“Cops are watching, so you send me in? Why not move the handover? Change day and time?”
“They’re not watchingthatclose.” He rolls his eyes. “You think I’m fucking stupid, Bishop?” Two men step closer, like they think I’m going to agree.Yes, I’m calling you stupid.“I’m saying they’re hungry. Turner’s sniffing around, and my inside contact says the feds are closing in. We discuss this shipment with no one.” His eyes scan each man in the room. Jay’s notably absent. He might’ve checked in with Abel, but he sure as fuck hasn’t checked in with me. “We discuss it only inthisoffice. So if everyone can keep their fucking mouths shut, everything will go smooth and you’ll all come out the other side alive. This shit’s been in planning for too fucking long, so we’re not changing it now. If the cops get too close, we deal with them. That’s on you, Bishop. Turner’s yours. He gets too close, it’s on you to take him out.”
“You’re putting a contract on a cop’s head?”
Watching me, he laces his fingers together and places them in his lap. “Unofficially. I’m a fair man, so if the cops stand down, I let them live. If they mess with business, it’s your job to deal with it. They mess with us and youdon’tdeal with it, it’s Flynn’s job to deal with you both, because I’ll assume your loyalties have switched. Shit gets dicey when we kill cops. In fact, it would be best if we bring them into the fold. But if they don’t want in, and they don’t back the fuck up, we do what we’ve gotta do. I have kids to feed, Bishop. You wouldn’t let the girls go hungry, would you?”
He wants me to take Jess’ brother out.
He wants me to kill cops.
“I know you’re partial to blades, but those marksman skills you boast about will be put to the test.”
“When?”
“Not yet. But be ready. When we know more, we move fast. For today, Turner and his Hooch live.” Gesturing toward the leather chair across from his desk, his eyes lock with mine. “Now that we’re on the same page, come, sit, talk.” He looks to the four other men in the room. “Get out.”
“Boss?” Flynn steps forward. “I’ll st–”
“Out.” Abel waves a jewel covered hand. “Leave. Go downstairs and check on the girls. I’m expecting a big night tonight; make sure they’re ready.”
Flynn’s fiery eyes pin me to my chair.
“Oh, before you go.” Abel shows off white teeth behind a feral grin. “You asked who was with you on Saturday. Bishop, you better make peace with Flynn, because he’ll be on your wings. Make it work. Find some trust. Because he might be the only person out there who has your back.”
Has my back, my ass.
He’ll be the guy sliding a blade along my throat.
“Yes, Boss.”
Flexing fingers, five-ten, and sandy brown hair, Flynn walks by me with a smug grin. “Watch your back, Kane.”
As soon as the double doors close behind Abel’s soldiers, I turn back to my boss and stop at the nowkindsmile on his lips.
It’s almost fatherly. Almost like he cares.
“How are you feeling, Kane? You’ve had a big week, and you continue to impress me. Good for you.”
I shrug and pretend I don’t want to slit his throat. Fuck what he did to me. What about what he did to Jess? What about the nightmares she had last night? “Did you know the coke was no good?”
“It is good.” Leaning back in his chair, he pulls a drawer open and takes out a pack of cigarettes. He taps the packet open and leans across his desk in offer. “There’s nothing wrong with that batch. Just dosage. Halve what you took and you’ll be flying.”
I take the cigarette and lighter. “And the girl who tested it?”
He shrugs and accepts his lighter back when I exhale. “She was happy when she died – and since I had to get rid of that defiant bitch, it worked out well. The blonde was just tossed on top when she couldn’t take it. But now that we know weight to dosage, I just doubled my fuckin’ profit.” Pulling a long drag on his cigarette, he watches me through a plume of smoke. “I know I’ve been hard on you, Bishop. But when I test you, it’s to make you stronger. I have big plans for you.”
“Yeah?”
“Uh-huh. Flynn thinks he’s more important than he actually is. Chad’s gettin’ weird now that Lance is out. And Jay’s fucked in the head. Too much testing the product.”
“Are you gonna execute them?”Not Jay. Not Jay. Not Jay.
“Not yet. But they’re on short leashes. They seem to think they’re allowed their own itinerary here – their own plan – but they aren’t. This is my fuckin’ club, and anyone who comes in here and expects to stay alive better stick tomyfuckin’ plan.”