“Got it,” he replied back as he reached for his wallet. After slapping his money down on the table he stood up. “Give me twenty-four hours.”
“Want to meet back here tomorrow?”
“Fuck no,” he grumbled with a disgusted look on his face. “Don’t know why it’s got to be here every time. This can’t be the only shady bar in the area.”
“It’s not, I just love torturing you.”
“Asshole,” he grunted. “Fine. Here. Tomorrow.”
Then he was gone. I watched as he shook his head all the way to the door.
Twenty-four hours later, I had everything he could gather. There wasn’t a single thing that told me this job wasn’t my right up my alley. I mean, this guy was no fucking good. And Dalton hadn’t hesitated to show me what he did to innocent people that got in his way. Granted, I’d had contracts for far worse people before, but he was definitely one that I wouldn’t mind taking out.
“So, you’re taking it?” Dalton asked me referring to the contract as he lifted the beer bottle to his lips. I was about to remind him that he hated drinking here when he must have remembered himself. Suddenly, the bottle hit the table with a loud thump. “This fuckin’ bar.”
“I don’t see a reason not to. It’s a job and things are a little slow now.” I gave a little shrug. “Idle hands and all that.”
He chuckled and shook his head at me.
“I don’t think that saying really applies to you. You do the devil’s work just to stay busy.”
“That’s not the point,” I said with a smile.
“You sure?”
“Besides,” I said with a smirk this time, “how many people can say they love their job as much as I do?”
“You don’t love your job, you’re good at it,” he shot back. “Youlovethe money. And the fact that it helps you work out whatever fucked up shit you got going on in that head of yours. I don’t believe for a second that the first time you picked up a gun, you had killing people in mind.”
“Well, I can’t tell you that you’re wrong. But what does it matter now? I’m here. I’m good. And yeah, my pockets are plenty full.”
“Be careful with this one,” he told me in a low tone. “He’s got the FBI’s attention.”
“I’m not even going to ask how you know that,” I said with a shake of my head. “And I’m always careful.”
His face said he didn’t believe me.
I was. Usually. I mean, sometimes things got a little out of hand and I had to adapt. I always made it work and so far, I hadn’t been caught. That was the most important part.
“How many more years you got in you?” he asked and his face turned serious— well, more serious than it normally was.
I hadn’t thought of it, honestly. Health-wise, I could probably do this another twenty or thirty years. But did I really want to be doing this sort of thing for that long? I imagined not. I couldn’t even fathom the amount of money I’d have if I did keep it up for that many years. More than one person needed, for damn sure. Even with me taking care of my sister and mom, that would leave me well padded. As much as I liked having the extra dough, I wasn’t that greedy. But how many more jobs did I plan to take on? How many more did Iwantto do? How many more bodies did I want to add to my list?
“I don’t know. Why?” I shot him a confused look.
“Cause I want to know how many years until I can retire.”
“Oh, come on. You’re not that old.” He was only about five years older than me. Early forties wasn’t even close to being senior status.
“No, but I want to enjoy what’s left of my youth.”
“I thinkyouthmight be pushing it,” I said with a chuckle.
“I don’t know why I put up with you.”
“Because, if it wasn’t for me you’d be bored all the time,” I told him with a wide smile as I got to my feet. “I’ll be seeing you.”
“Just my luck,” I heard him mumble as I walked off.
