Page 11 of Deliverance

Ric

"Have you made up your mind?" Frank asked the shooter after he got out of his limo at the docks.

The guy didn't respond.

"All right then." Frank pulled his 9MM from his holster under his suit jacket and didn't waste another breath. He shot the man in the forehead.

I didn't flinch. I couldn't. I knew it was coming, but I had to behard. So, I pretended it was a SEAL mission and that watching a guy die in front of me did nothing to me.

"Throw him into the harbor, and Ric, have Marcus drop you off at my apartment. We have some things to discuss."

Frank got into his limo, and they drove off.

"Get his torso, and I'll get his legs," Marcus instructed.

I did it. I fucking took a dead body, and instead of calling the police like I knew I should have, I threw it into the Hudson to save my own life. If I didn't do what Frank ordered, he'd kill me too.

Marcus dropped me off at Frank's apartment as instructed.

The doorman buzzed me up to Frank's apartment when I arrived. When I knocked on the door, I expected someone else to open it, thinking Frank had a person for every aspect of his life. Instead, he let me in.

"It's done?" he asked.

"Yes, sir." I closed the door behind me and followed him down a hallway. I wasn't given a tour. He was strictly business, but I did notice that the apartment was on the elegant side. He led me to his home office and poured me a finger of scotch.

"My wife and son are sleeping, so let's make this quick."

I took a sip of the warm, salted caramel liquor. It wasn't my usual, but I didn't want to be rude.

Frank sat at his desk and motioned for me to take a seat in front of him. I did. "What you did for me tonight made me realize you're more like your uncle than I thought."

My brow furrowed. "What do you mean, sir?"

"I told you before that he was my father's head of security." I nodded. "You, getting me out of the line of fire that quickly, is exactly what we need."

"We?" I questioned.

Frank didn't answer me. Instead, he pulled his 9MM out of a drawer and set it on the desk. My back straightened as awareness went through me. It wasn't fear. "You know I'm not afraid to kill, right?"

"Yes, sir." I nodded, not sure where he was going.

"And I wouldn't hesitate to kill your mother, either."

I tilted my head slightly. "I'm not following."

"You, saving me tonight, demonstrated to me that I can trust you. Icantrust you, right, Ric?"

"Yes, sir." The words were out of my mouth in an instant because I knew I couldn't falter. Hesitation would get me killed—and my mother.

"Good." He took a puff of his cigar, blowing out the smoke above his head. "I need you to be head of security for another part of my business."

"And what is that, sir?"

He grinned. "I'll let you find out tomorrow. In the meantime, go home, get some sleep. Tomorrow's a busy day."

I started to stand, feeling as though he had just dismissed me.

"But know this, Ric. If you try to go to the cops about what you saw tonight, realize that you don't know which ones are on my payroll. I run this town, son, and you're going to learn that very quickly."