“We’re transferring Enzo to another job.”
Fuck.
“How come?” I asked.
“He’s needed in Crimson Key.” Achilles ignored the two women, each kissing a side of his neck, until their mouths met one another for a passionate play of tongues.
Crimson Key was a private island, a stone’s throw away from southeast Florida. The Ferrantes had purchased it decades ago and turned it into a billionaires’ playground. A place to fulfil their shadiest and most debauched fantasies, a dark net of cities, a poisoned paradise for playboys.
“Give me a month,” I drawled. “By then, I’ll have brought Callaghan to his knees.”
“No can do.” Achilles shook his head. “There’s a mole on the island. Someone’s working with the feds. He needs to dig around and find them before shit hits the fan.”
“The rest of your men are too dumb.” I motioned to a waitress to bring another round of drinks. The women entertaining Luca and Achilles were well into oral sex territory, all three of themslowly sliding down the table to pleasure their bosses. I was far from a prude, but I also wasn’t a fan of making eye contact with a man who was getting his balls vacuumed while we spoke. “I’ll hire through a security company.”
Achilles shrugged. “He’s flying out on Friday.”
“That’s less than a week from now,” I seethed.
Achilles threw me a laconic once-over. “So the rumors are true. Youaregood at math.”
“Don’t worry.” Luca spoke with a cigarette dangling from the side of his mouth. “I’ll tell Filippo to pay extra attention in the meantime.”
The Ferrante brothers eventually retired to fuck their escorts in the champagne parlor, and Rhyland and Row took the opportunity to remind me I needed to let Gia go.
“It’s the right thing to do,” Rhyland, whose saintly conscience was nowhere to be seen when he fucked older women for a living before he got together with Dylan, preached to me.
Tiernan had been too quiet for too long, and I was growing edgier. We were both sitting on the sidelines, waiting to see who would be the first to blink.
Luca and Achilles reemerged. Achilles looked suspiciously tranquil. I hoped he only fucked his employees, not killed them.
“Shall we?” Luca jerked his head toward the exit.
We slipped out of the booth, pushing through sweaty, perfumed, half-naked bodies grinding on the dance floor.
“Do you need a ride home?” Row turned to shout into my ear. He knew I asked Iven to stay outside the hospice in case Gia needed a ride.
I shook my head. “Brought my Ferrari.”
“You know, you can say thank you when someone offers to do you a favor.”
I pushed the heavy doors open. “Me having to spend more time with your ass negates the favor part.”
The five of us tore through the early spring air before my ears rang with a deafening explosion.
Blazing, suffocating heat scorched the edges of my face. Someone slammed into me midrun, yelped, then continued ripping through the pavement. Behind them, a few more people ran for shelter.
I turned my head to the source of the heat. Flames engulfed my Ferrari, which was parked across the street. The orange and yellow fire curled through the windows, climbing higher, dancing upward, reaching for the sky. Charred, black rubber smoke ribboned off the burning wheels.
“Fuck,” Rhyland rasped as a second blast erupted from the car. The doors flew, sailing through the air before dragging across the cement, landing right at our feet.
“Well.” Achilles stopped next to me, producing a cigarette and crouching down to light the tip with the still-burning flame that devoured the door of my car. “Guess we know what Tiernan’s been up to lately.”
“You either pay him or you gut him.” Luca clapped my shoulder. “But you should do one or the other in the next few days, because you won’t have the stomach for what happens next.”
“I’m guessing you changed your mind about that ride, Mr. Instant Karma.” Row looped his keys over his finger.
I gave him a curt nod.
