He’s greedy—that much is obvious. Since he was working with Beni, he must have had his eye on more of Rinaldo’s business profits. Beni must have promised him a stake in the business, based on the assumption that Beni would marry Lucia and end up in control. When that didn’t happen, and Beni died for his betrayal, Taylor must have resorted to another plan.
But what is the plan? Just kill me? Does he think it will be that easy to take over?
I feel like I’m missing something. A critical element that changes the entire physical structure of the whole operation hasn’t surfaced in my mind. Jonathan said someone else from inside had to have been working with Beni, and he was right—Cody. But was there someone else?
Who’s left at this point? Not very many, that’s for sure.
A text from Eddie tells me that he and Alina have arrived at his place and that he’s going to come back my way now that she’s safe. Another from Jonathan says he’s close to my location.
I decide to just hang and wait for them at this point. I’m going to need a little strategic help and surveillance from Jonathan and Eddie-boy if I have any hope of finding Taylor. I move up next to the entrance of an alley and pull out a smoke.
As I glance down the alley, I recognize the worn coat on the figure with his arm over his head and some newspapers under him, lying near a dumpster. I shake my head and smile slightly as I walk up to him. I’m near the hotel where I got the retired vet a room before. The spring rain isn’t nearly as bad as the winter cold, but I have a few minutes, and I might as well set him up again.
“Hey, Don!” I call out as I approach, but he doesn’t move. An overturned bottle of cheap booze is near him, and I can smell the distinct odor of alcohol in the alley over the ripe smell from the dumpster. “Wake up, dude. Let’s get you something to eat.”
He doesn’t respond.
“Don?”
r /> I crouch and shake his shoulder as the stench of urine hits me square in the face. His head flops to one side, and his eyes stare blankly. His skin is cold to the touch.
“Ah, fuck!” I close my eyes as my throat seizes up on me. I shake my head a moment to clear it, and then turn Don’s body over on his back.
There’s blood all over him from a gunshot wound to the chest.
“And Josh thought you were too smart for all of this.”
I startle at the sound of a female voice from the far side of the alley. Becca steps out of the shadows with a Glock pointed in my face.
I turn quickly and start to grab for my gun.
“Don’t do it.” Her warning stops me. “You may be good, but this isn’t the Old West, and I’ve already drawn my weapon.”
“What the fuck, Becca?”
“Everything was all set with Beni taking the reins, and you had to fuck that up by not letting Rinaldo bleed out there on the street. Then there was all that hospital nonsense. I figured those new accounts meant you were being given the business, but I wasn’t expecting you to act so quickly. And killing Paulie, too? You are a psychopath. It’s time to put you down.”
From behind Becca, Joshua Taylor appears. He’s grinning like a cat with a defenseless bird in its mouth.
“Always use a girl as bait,” he says. “Works every time.”
Motherfucker.
With the barrel of a gun pointed directly at me, I feel my body calm all over. Combat instinct sets in, and the dead vet at my feet is forgotten. There is nothing but me and the bullet inside the chamber of Becca’s gun.
My own piece is holstered at my side, but Becca and Joshua know that. Trying to reach for it isn’t going to work. I’m at a serious disadvantage, and I am going to have to come up with something clever and unexpected if I am to have any chance at all.
“Biting the hand that feeds you, Rebecca?”
She glares at me.
“I’ve been much better fed since teaming up with Josh. I worked for years in that fucking club for shit even though I was the one pulling all the hours. That whole ‘step up’ Rinaldo promised me when I took over his books was a load of shit. But I fixed that myself, didn’t I?”
“You didn’t learn anything when I took care of Justin, did you?”
I watch Joshua carefully as I say the words. His eyes narrow, and his mouth opens just enough to show his teeth. I still don’t have a plan, but I want him riled up. He’s more likely to make a mistake if he’s not thinking clearly. A mistake is my only chance.
Joshua folds his arms over his chest and glares at me.