Spider always referred to the people he kept under his thumb as employees. Although indentured servants was probably more accurate. They all paid for what Spider had over them by living their lives at his beck and call. And dying at his beck and call too.
As if Spider was reading his mind, he continued, “You know what I’m saying, don’t you, George?”
Oh, yes. George knew. And he barely resisted the urge to puke up the sesame seed bagel he’d eaten. A shudder started at his core and worked its way outward, until his arms and legs were shaking. “You’re saying that, no matter what, no matter how this goes, I am not to be captured alive.”
“Precisely.” Spider’s tone went back to being bored. And George didn’t mistake the sound of a newspaper page being turned.
He blinked away the tears burning in his eyes. “But, Bella… I—”
“Don’t worry about her,” Spider said. “I will see that she continues her education with the money you socked away for her.”
“A-and the evidence against me?” George asked hesitantly, referring to the murder weapon, the gun that could prove his guilt once and for all.
“It will be properly disposed of,” Spider assured him. “Your daughter will never know the truth. Your name will remain clear.”
Smashing. Brilliant. Except I’ll be dead. Although, in truth, ever since joining Spider’s ranks he’d very likely been a dead man walking.
“Hopefully it doesn’t come to that,” George said softly, trying to convince himself more than Spider. He still had so much to live for. He wanted to see Bella pass her A-level exams. Wanted to see which university she got into. Wanted to meet the man she would eventually fall in love with. Wanted to walk her down the aisle…
“We shall see,” Spider said offhandedly. Adding, “Good luck, George. Don’t let me down.”
And with that Spider was gone, cutting the connection without signing off. George blinked down at his mobile, trying to sort out once again how he’d gone so far off the rails on this assignment. But hindsight was 20/20, and there was no use haranguing himself for things he couldn’t go back and undo.
At least, no matter what, my Bella is safe. It was well known to everyone who’d ever come into contact with Spider that the man never lied and he never broke his word. George could take some comfort in that.
Shoving his mobile into his trouser pocket, he was glancing through the bagel shop’s window when the massive gates of Black Knights Inc. swung open. A blond man on crutches escorted a curvy chestnut-haired woman outside the wall. The couple hobbled over to the guardhouse and knocked on the door.
George saw his chance. Now, now, now! It would be so much easier not to kill the guard at the onset. That way he wouldn’t have to take the chance that someone would discover the man’s body and sound an alarm.
Quickly shouldering the hold-all, George pushed away from the table and exited the bagel shop. Cool wind whipped off the nearby river and wicked the sweat from his upper lip. Keeping his head down, making sure the brim of his ivy cap obscured his face from any street cameras, he crossed the road. While the wounded man and the pretty woman distracted the guard, he slipped through the quickly closing gates. And then there he was, inside Black Knights Inc. He couldn’t quite believe it.
The old saying he and his friends used to chant in the schoolyard came to mind: Easy peasy, fricaseesey. Wash your bum in lemon squeezy! He hoped it was a sign that the rest of his mission would go as smoothly.
* * *
Black Knights Inc., Third Floor
Saturday 3:39 p.m.
“Where else does it hurt?” Penni asked after she’d kissed the bruise beside the crescent-moon scar on Dan’s stubbled jaw.
He pushed the covers down to his waist and pointed to the discolored skin on his left pectoral muscle. The Russian’s fists had done a number on him. Dan was black and blue. Of course, being black and blue was better than being dead like Kozlov. But no. No! She wasn’t going to think about that. Not now. Not when she was safe and warm inside the circle of Dan’s strong arms.
Coward.
I know! Damnit! I know! she admitted at the same time she pressed her mouth over Dan’s heart. She could feel the organ beating steadily, heavily against her lips. Then she caught the little bud of his nipple between her teeth and laved it with her tongue. She just couldn’t help herself. It was so flat and brown and tiny. She loved the way it instantly beaded. Loved the low, growly sound of approval at the back of Dan’s throat. Okay, so who was she kidding? She just loved…him.