“Why ask if you’re not going to believe me?”
“Sharp tongue on you,” he snaps, pulling out a gun and pointing it at me. “Want to try telling me the truth?”
This time I don’t get a flashback as I look at the gun barrel. I get nothing at all. Not even fear. I’m way beyond that now.
“Not going to scream? Beg me to spare your life?”
“If you were going to shoot me, you’d have done it already.”
“Smart cookie. I can see why he likes you. Where’re the negatives?”
“What negatives?”
He laughs. “You’re brave but stupid.” He puts the gun away. “You’re right, I’m not going to shoot you, not yet. I’ll start by breaking your fingers one by one. Then your toes. I’ll use a hammer for those. After that, I’ll start on your ribs. You still won’t talk? I’ll cut off your ears, make you eat them. Am I getting through to you yet? Where are the negatives?”
“Fuck you. I’m not afraid of you.”
“You should be. I’m the angel of death, Chloe, no matter what bullshit nickname they give Enzo. He’s not here to save you. Tell me the location and maybe I’ll let you live. Let you become my fuck doll. Keep you locked up for when I need relief, like one of the Don’s hookers but better because I won’t have to pay you. Last chance, where are they?”
I look him straight in the eye. “Fuck you.”
He reaches forward to grab me. “No, fuck you.”
I wince as behind him the sun glints off a sharp piece of metal. There’s a flash of movement and then the ax comes down, plunging straight into the top of Marco’s head.
35
ENZO
* * *
He crumples at once, his skull splitting in two. He falls to the ground but he’s barely down before I drop the ax. I drag his body over to the trunk of his car.
There’s a smear of blood left which I’ll deal with in a minute. I need to move fast before anyone else comes out of the store.
I knew Marco followed me back from Chicago. He’s shit at hiding his tail. Could see his car the whole way since I got out of the airport.
Once I’d said goodbye to Imelda I headed for the airport, ready for the next stage of the plan. I’ve no doubt Marco got a private flight to make sure he was ready to follow my car when I landed but I’m not an idiot. I could tell I was being tailed as I drove to Shallow Falls. Knew why too.
The Don didn’t believe me. Gave me Imelda to make me relax my guard then had me tailed. Wanted Marco to deal with Chloe and me.
I knew Marco was going to come for her as soon as she was away from me. Use her to bring me into the open then take us both out. Take the Don’s job instead of me.
I brought the ax from Chloe’s place. Lucky for me she had a ton of gardening supplies. Including shovels. I’m getting into the habit of burying bodies at the moment instead of having them collected. Once the Don’s out of the picture it’ll be back to business as usual but for now, a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.
Once Marco’s in the trunk, I search his jacket. There it is. The key to the Don’s hiding place. I pocket it and then shut the trunk. I collect the one-gallon water bottle out of the back seat. I pour some over the blade of the ax and then the rest over the blood pooled on the asphalt.
The shit that spilled out of his head trickles down the nearest drain and just in time. A car pulls into the lot, an elderly couple getting out and heading into the store. “Evening,” I say with a nod as they go past.
Once they’re out of sight, I collect Chloe. She’s still looking at the spot where it happened. “You all right?” I ask.
“You think it was that fast for my parents?”
“I’m sure it was.”
“You think they suffered?”
“No, they didn’t. Now come on, we need to move.”