Page 37

“Oh, I know it’s you. Some fucking waves you made down at the warehouse, Ghost. Had I known you were going to set the whole bratva on fire, I would’ve paid you triple.”
“So they don’t suspect our family?”
“Last on the list. We have a strong working relationship with the Russians now thanks to Castor strong-arming Yuri into his precious metals business. May have squeezed him in the beginning, but we’re all making out just fine now. On the Italian side, they think it’s the Barones. But fuck knows they don’t have a clue where to look. You’re a damn ghost.”
“That’s good. Very good. But listen, I don’t know how this is going to shake out in the end. Tell Castor to start planning to take over the entire metals business,withoutYuri.”
The line goes silent.
“It’s just a contingency,” I say.
Still silence.
“Don?”
“That’s a big move. What did he do to you?”
Now I go silent.
“You know, we have a whole entire fucking family for taking care of shit like this. You did your time. Let us protect—”
“I’m not the one who’s going to be taking out anyone. I’m simply pointing the chess pieces.”
“Wait… the captain? You’re going to use him?”Donny’s voice deepens.
“Don’t know what I’m doing yet, but just know the family comes first, and there’re zero traces back to us,” I lie.
Quinn. It’s the first time I’m putting wholehearted trust into someone, if I’m being honest. And it’s a fucking wild card of a woman, no less.
“And either way, you’ll benefit. Cutting out a middle man if Yuri goes. Might be some growing pains for Castor’s business, but the brute can handle it, I’m sure,” I go on.
“I don’t know what you got yourself into, Ghost, but it better not be a mess for me, or we’re going to have problems.”
“You called me, jerkoff. And I delivered. Here’s an updated report—As you know, the Russians aren’t planning any retaliatory end game against the family. It’s simply an old grudge between the cops and the bratva. Captain Dall put away Yuri’s brother, Viktor, and Yuri feels bold enough to barge right into his house. If that fat balding Russian suddenly was to disappear, I think I’d be doing your business a favor. He’s out of control.”
“Says the one who hijacked the captain for himself.”
I growl at that.
“We’re in deep fucking uncharted territory here. No fucking loose ends, Ghost. I mean it.”
He hangs up on me, and I know I’m in the wrong. I’ve overstepped, and I do have a loose end, two blocks away, whom I’m about to go see.
She’s like a drug I haven’t tasted in ages. A relapse.
I’ve never felt such a pull toward someone in my life.
She’s almost half your age, you fucking fool.
It will fizzle.
I grunt and pull away from the hydrant, making a right down the snow-plowed streets and to the stop sign leading to the next block—Quinn’s. Why is my heart fucking fluttering? What am I, some kind of pansy teenager about to pick up a girl for prom?
Fucking ridiculous.
As I slowly pass her house, I spot the empty cop car parked across the street, which means cop number one—the house dweller—is on duty. Well, I gave Quinn specific instructions before she left the shed, so let’s see how attentive she is.
I pull past her corner house and make a right on the next side street, where my stage house is, and park in front. The window to her second-floor room is in my line of sight. Giving her a window of time should be everything to keep her on her toes. Let’s see.