Page 132 of Revenge
“Nothing,” he answers, but his eyes evade mine.
“I can tell you’re lying. Are you gambling? Is that why you need money so desperately?” I ask, hurt.
“No.” He looks away. Now I am certain he’s lying.
“Grace, Brenda, take the kids upstairs.”
“Okay,” Brenda says. I wait for them to leave with the kids before I speak.
“Dad, tell me the truth. You’re asking me for a lot of money. I deserve to know why you need it. I pay your rent, so you don’t have to worry. Where has all your money been going? It’s not like you have that many bills.”
“I told you, Pumpkin, I lost my job, and the bills just stacked up.” I want to believe him, but he always disappoints me. “I just thought, with you being with the Manarch boy, you could help your old man. Doesn’t he give you money?”
“Are you fucking kidding me? Viktor’s responsibility is to your grandson. The grandson you haven’t even bothered to properly meet. He’s seven months old, and I swear you’ve seen him about three times. You come to my house and ask for money after being here for less than five minutes. So tell me the truth. What’s the money for?”
“I don’t have to stay here and tolerate this. I’m your father. If you can’t help me, you should have said so instead of wasting my time by bringing me here. I should have known better. You’re useless. You’ve done nothing but bring me trouble.”
His words cut me like a knife.
What have I ever done to him? What troubles is he talking about? All I’ve ever done is fix his problems.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Oliver
The office in my apartment is the perfect place to review the intelligence we have learned so far about my father and Bobby’s plans. I also tasked one of Marco’s men to follow Gus because I wanted someone no one knew. Someone the clan had never seen before. He did a great job, too, gathering intelligence that may help us cripple my father.
After a few weeks of following Gus, something unexpected happened. At first, Angus and I thought it was a coincidence. Gus was seen at BlueHorn, a place Pat O’Brien frequented until about a week ago.
But in front of me are pictures of Pat talking with Gus. I was not prepared for this. Why would Pat meet with Gus? How does Pat know Gus?
At first, I thought Gus might be a gambler who ended up at BlueHorn. But then Pat and Gus met at a diner a short distance from there. I’m supposed to meet with Marco’s guy to see what he learned this week. Just as I’m thinking this, my doorbell rings. When I look at the camera feed, I see it is Marco’s guy. He seems to be alone, but I don’t trust anything or anyone these days. I grab my nine-millimeter and look through the peephole.
“I’m alone, sir,” he says, as if reading my mind.
“Sorry I’m late,” he says as I open the door to him. “Pat met with Gus earlier today. I thought you might want me to follow him.”
“Good thinking. What did you see?” I ask, stepping aside to let him in.
“The conversation was heated. Gus was asking or rather demanding information from him.”
“What sort of information?” I ask as we walk deeper into my apartment.
“Gus asked Pat about Ms. O’Brien, whether he knew anything useful. Pat is about two hundred thousand in the hole and Gus promised to pay off the debt for useful intel.”
“Like what?”
“He asked him if he knew what her days were like. If he knew any places she frequents. How often she goes to House of Beauty. I think there will be another attempt against Ms. O’Brien, or at least they are trying to figure out how they can set up another attack, but that’s not all.”
“What else?”
“Gus demanded information from Pat immediately, and threatened him with a bullet. As Gus was leaving, Pat made a call.”
“Do you know who to?”
“I could only hear his side of the conversation, but from the content, I know he was speaking to Ms. O’Brien. He asked her for money, and then they scheduled a visit.”
“He’s fishing for information from her,” I mutter to myself.
