The guards were dressed in plain clothes. It would’ve been difficult for me to detect them had I not already been familiar with them.
One stood talking to a woman in a wheelchair, while one sat in his car, apparently scrolling through stuff on his phone. But as I watched them, I caught their apparent nonchalance alter instantly to alertness by the way their postures stiffened as Molly appeared.
Luca had trained his men well. They were part of the extensive Varasso machine, but so was I. I knew how they operated, what weapons they used, what tactics they employed.
Their presence might put a damper on my original plan, but it would only be a temporary setback. A minor stumbling block but not a deal-breaker.
I’d reassess and find a way around it.
I thought back to when I’d first started making inroads as a fledgling runner six years ago. I’d started at the bottom and worked my way up. Even as I did, my brothers thought of me as small potatoes, unimportant. But I’d always managed to use the way people underestimated me to my advantage.
Last year, I’d even taken a beating for the Varassos. They’d thought it’d been because Jackson Randolph had gotten the drop on me, but he hadn’t. I’d let myself be caught. Let them black my eye and even crack a couple of my ribs. I knew that allowing that to happen would make me look a little inept, but it would also make me look loyal. Totally devoted to the Varasso cause.
And now, they’d never see me coming.
The two women were talking right out there in the open. Not very bright. But then, I doubted that they had reason to believe they were in the line of fire.
They waited until a cab showed up, then hopped inside, seemingly unaware of their security detail, and indisputably unaware of me.
Good.
Made my job a piece of cake.
I stroked my weapon, appreciating how the design of the sleek silver barrel flowed flawlessly into the black polymer handle.
The butt of the gun was solid and astoundingly hefty considering its size. I knew because I’d wielded it against an opponent more than once.
Trailing Molly Greene would be a snap, and as I slipped into a nondescript sedan, I knew keeping tabs on them from here on out would be no issue. It reminded me of the stakeouts I’d once watched on television as a kid. I’d simply keep them in my sights.
With great care and deliberation, I’d remove the guards one by one, making certain to not draw the attention of anyone else. This would take organization and would require me to time everything just right.
Then, I’d be free to carry out the final stage of my plan.
Luca wouldn’t be able to get to her in time.
Oh, how the thought of that brought me so much euphoria.
Instead, he’d either watch her fade away, or be told about the unfortunate event of her death postmortem. Whatever the outcome, I’d be sure to be on the sidelines watching him crack like an eggshell right down the middle.
I’d have ringside seats to the greatest show on earth.
The one where no matter what, the Varassos lost.
And I won.
30
Molly
I woke to the sound of my old alarm. I’d stayed with Tara in the apartment last night. I hadn’t wanted to leave her. We’d both been so shaken by the visit to our father that we’d stayed up long into the night discussing heavy topics like life, death, parenthood and death.
Now, I felt depleted in more ways than one.
The good news was that any residual anger or resentment we might’ve been holding onto between us as sisters had vanished now. It was difficult to cling to such piddling stuff when our last known parent would soon be breathing his final breaths in his hospital bed.
I didn’t feel well this morning, but it wasn’t morning sickness. I dreaded what I was about to do.
To make matters worse, as I was getting dressed, I received a text from Luca.