“That was a miscalculation.”
Two men were dead and Charlie viewed it as a math error. Tony started to wonder if Charlie was more sociopath than loner.
Treading carefully was the only answer. Tony bit back the frustration whipping through him and did just that. “You need to back off.”
“I want my money.”
Tony waited until a group walked past. They were a good thirty feet away, but he wasn’t taking chances, regardless of how low they spoke. “We can’t move money around right now.”
Charlie groaned as he pushed off from the truck and stood up. “We made promises to each other, Tony.”
“And I will fulfill mine.” Tony had perfected the art of lying. Wearing a blank expression while delivering a sentence devoid of any bit of truth. All those years turning companies around, swearing he was there to help and then recommending a full-scale reduction in force, had hardened him, but the skills came in handy now.
“I’m in it for the cash.”
“Go back to the camp—”
“You’re not in charge here.” Charlie slammed a hand on Tony’s chest and kept him from walking away.
Tony stared down at the hand and dirty fingernails, then back to Charlie’s face. Tony didn’t aim for neutral this time. He wanted Charlie to know his disdain, to feel his hatred. “This is my plan.”
“It stopped being your plan when you sent Hope Algier out there for me to handle.”
When Tony saw a couple headed their way, he shoved Charlie’s hand away from him. “She should have panicked, called for helped and all of this would have been fine.”
“She’s an expert with connected friends.”
The other thorn. Between Hope, Joel and Connor, Tony had his hands full. He couldn’t decide if the answer was to remove the problems or ignore them. Not feed the beast. Charlie didn’t need to know about the conflict.
“I’ll take care of the Corcoran Team.” Tony meant that as a vow. He didn’t know how he’d do it, but he would.
“You keep saying that, but I don’t see any evidence of you resolving anything.”
They continued to talk at a near whisper as the couple turned and crossed the street. No one looked their way, but people walked by on the other side of the street. That was too close for Tony.
He pivoted until his back leaned against a freeway post and faced away from the street. “The timing is wrong.”
“Not for me.” Charlie reached into his open truck window.
The move had Tony shifting to inch his hand closer to his gun. “I have to settle my business issues first.”
Charlie pulled out a new pack of cigarettes as his gaze slipped to Tony’s hands, then to his suit jacket pocket. “I don’t care about those.”
“Listen—”
“No, you listen.” Charlie tapped the end of the pack against Tony’s tie. “You have one day to get my money. Then I take care of a loose end and leave.”
“What loose end?” There had been enough death as far as Tony was concerned. They already had too many facts to cover and too much evidence to hide.
Then there was the bigger problem. Charlie had proved his lack of skills. Two times and Tony might be able to evade trouble. He could cover up and create backstories. A third was pushing their luck. If he moved into the spotlight one more time, Connor would never let this go.
“Hope Algier.”
And touching her all but guaranteed trouble. Rafe would bury anyone who messed with his daughter. Charlie had already warned Tony that she was sleeping with Joel and the guy had a severe protective streak.
No, she had to be off limits. “She is too connected.”
“She can die like anyone else.”
“You don’t understand.” Tony leaned in and pitched his voice low. “This team, what you said about Joel and his relationship to this woman...you have to let this go.”
“No.”
Tony’s back teeth slammed together as he stood up straight again. “Charlie, we’ve got to be smart about this.”
“I agree. Get smart.”
“What does that mean?”
Charlie unwrapped the cigarette pack and dropped the plastic enclosure on the ground. “Get my money and then get out of my way.”
“I don’t want Connor and his team on my tail.”
Charlie opened the door to his truck. “Then do what you’re told.”
* * *
“BINGO.” JOEL LEANED back in the leather conference room chair and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Want to clue the rest of us in?” Cam stopped just before taking a sip from a water bottle.
Joel glanced at Connor at the head of the table and Hope beside him. “Line of credit.”