Page 93 of Dirty Hearts

My gaze dropped to the letters tattooed on each finger. I didn’t know what it spelled. He moved his hand before I could guess. Honestly, it could spellshitfor all I cared.

What in the ever-living fuck did this guy want me for?

“Can you be more specific?” I cocked my head to the side and allowed my hair to drift over my eye.

Joe chuckled. “You ride a mean motorcycle in the kind of wild way I need. It’s a simple job. Pay’s a hundred grand, but your role is key.”

A hundred grand to ride my motorcycle on a simple job. Sounded too good to be true.

“What kind of an idiot do you think I am?”

“The kind that wouldn’t pass up good money for a mere task of doing something he’s good at.”

I clenched my fists and rolled up my sleeves, curling my lips. I was in the worst kind of mood to be screwed with, so this better not be some game.

Joe stood and beamed at me. “I just need you for your motorcycle skills. To lead a small team. That’s it. No catch, no hidden surprise. I wouldn’t be dumb enough to piss off the capo for dearest King Raphael. If you want to accept, come to the place. You know where. You actually have nothing to lose.”

Chapter 23

Claudius

* * *

Present day…

The cold night air caressed my cheek as I walked across the gravelly surface of the roof.

This was one of the warehouses on the same docks where Marissa was killed. Hers was a few warehouses down. A new one had been built since, but of course, the memory of her would always be in my mind.

The first thing I always thought of was how she must have suffered. The pain she must have gone through, then death. Who could explain what it was like to die in such an awful way?

We could guess. I could guess, but unless it happened to me, that was all I could do.

Dante and Gio had David tied to a chair. The edge of the roof was only a few feet away.

The man was begging for his life. Dante and Gio remained silent, standing on either side of him.

No sign of Alex or Jude though.Where were they?Where were they indeed? They were supposed to come here.

I proceeded toward the three, and David’s eyes went wide when he saw me. I must have looked scary with my long black coat rising in the wind behind me as I came closer. My hair whipped up too, and I carried a Beretta in each hand. I meant business.

Night had fallen long ago, giving us the perfect cover of darkness to get the info I needed from this son of a bitch.

This was just like last time. Where I’d been a fucking pawn in a game.

Yes, the job Joe Manello had offered me was simple, but there had been more at work. I was to lead a crew of six bikers in an attempt to divert a military envoy carrying some sort of nano tech chips. I didn’t know that part. Didn’t make it any better though. The feds must have gotten tipped off and intercepted, and the van carrying the chips got away. Goliath lost his chance to steal them. He blamed me for the mess-up because I was in charge of the bikers. He felt I could have done more to stop the van from getting away.

My simple job had cost Marissa’s life and created this life of watching Ava from the shadows.

I walked up to David, lifted my leg, and pushed my heavy steel-toe boot between his legs. He cried out as I pushed the chair backwards and stopped on the edge with nothing to stop me from pushing him right over.

Dante and Gio took their place at my side.

I aimed the guns at David and snarled. “Talk. You have one minute.”

“Please don’t kill me,” he begged.

“Wrong answer.” Since he was most likely a pawn too in whatever game we were playing, I thought I’d show some compassion and not shoot off any body parts. If he didn’t piss me off the wrong way and I ended up allowing him to live, people would have questions if I blew off an arm or two.