Page 9 of Junior Has a Secret
“You don’t think Kane uses you for it?”
“In every way possible, and I like it,” I assure him.
His eyes go wide, as if he isn’t sure what to make of that.Good.He’s not supposed to know what to make of it or me.My cellphone buzzes with a text and I pull it from my pocket to read a message from Kane:I’m trying to call you.What the fuck are you doing, Lilah?
He can’t call me because of the big steel box carrying his father to his death, but I type simply:Being a good wife,after which I return my phone to my pocket, a quirk to my lips.
“My son?”Roberto asks.
“Yes.He’s on his way.This little get-together seems like a good excuse to open one of his fine bottles of bourbon.”
“He’s pissed, isn’t he?”
He looks exceedingly pleased with himself.Good.I love it.It’s going to make washing the ground in his blood all the more pleasurable.The elevator dings, it’s a fast bitch, while I’m just a bitch, which my dear father-in-law is about to discover.I allow him to gloat, simply saying, “We’re here.”That’s all.I give him room to fill in the blanks.I let him build himself up and tear me down.
The doors open and I motion him forward, expecting him to decline—he’s stupid, but notthatstupid—only turns out his level of stupid with me has no limits.He exits ahead of me, the very act telling me he has zero fear of me.Isn’t he cute.I could kill him here and now and Kane and his team would clean it up, but it’s just cleaner once he’s in the apartment.I follow him out of the car and he’s waiting on me in the hallway.I point right and we fall into step, side by side, and I’m fairly certain hell freezes over.
Once we’re at our apartment, I key in my code for entry into our foyer and holding room, which is our destination, where we’ll stay.I finish the lengthy security process while he mutters an objection of, “Mother of Jesus.”
I crack the door and rotate to face him.“Did you kill her?”
“Who?”he asks, scowling at me.
Considering the list of those he’s slaughtered is as deep as the hole I’m going to put him in before this night is over, the puzzled question could easily be legit, but then he adds, “I thought it was a chopper crash?”He smirks and walks into the foyer.I follow and shut the door, and when I turn, he’s exactly where I want him—in my personal space, nice and close.I’ve drawn his weapon before he ever knows what’s hit him.He curses and holds up his hands.“Agent Love.Careful now.”
“Just ‘Lilah’ is fine.We’re family now, Roberto.”I back up and give him room, motioning him to the other side of the small space.
He doesn’t move, his eyes burning with uncontained rage.The kingpin himself, spinning out of control, his emotions far more dangerous to him than me.“Do you really want me as an enemy?”he demands.There’s a threat to his tone, as if he’s the one holding the weapon, not me, though I have no doubt he has at least one weapon stuffed away and within reach.
“Isn’t this how the Mendez family bonds with each other?”I ask.“If not, let’s start a new tradition.Let’s make a Glock our bonding tool, our gateway to conversation.I’ll tell you about me.You tell me about you.I’ll start.I like strawberry pie and stabbing people.And I’ve also decided I like you right where you stand, nice and close like this.I don’t have to prove I’m a good shot this way.I can’t miss.”
Whatever he reads in me in that moment is finally accurate I decide as he steps away like the scared little boy beneath an old man shell that he is, and with a couple feet between us, we face each other.“Your turn,” I say.“Tell me something about you.Like, for instance, why you hid away for years like a scared little bitch?”
He puffs up.“Enough.”It’s a command.He really is cute.
“Okay.Since you aren’t so good at conversation, I’ll fill in the empty space.I’ll go again.I also like Cheetos, sometimes with my pie, as crazy as some find that.Also, I’m trying to stop killing the assholes I’m supposed to arrest.It just keeps happening.And it’s getting a lot of attention.Now, your turn again.”
“You want to know about your mother,” he says, and he’s softened his voice, but it’s roughened up by cigarettes and age and sounds more like a mating call for a pack of Marlboros than an attempt at peace making.“Is that what this is?The Society did it.I know you know who they are.Your mother knew, too.They killed her to keep her quiet.”
“They hiredyouto kill her.”It’s not a question.“You’re nothing but the Society’s little bitch.I never would have thought you would let yourself become submissive to anyone.Kane isn’t, but then he was always a better man than you.”
This ruffles his feathers, and his shoulders roll back.“I’m not submissive to anyone.And stop fucking calling me a little bitch.”
“You said yes to working for the Society.Pocher’s smart.That one act made you his little bitch and, on some level, you know it.”
“I said, stopcalling me a little bitch.It’s disrespectful.”
“Do you prefer submissive?Or a Yes Man?And see, this is good.We’re getting to know each other.”
He studies me several calculating beats.“I know things about your father and your mother.Let’s have that drink, and I’ll tell you everything.”
He’s really trying to build a case for why he needs to be dead.My finger twitches on the trigger, but shooting him is noisy and messy.Stabbing him is cleaner and quieter.Then again, this dress leaves me no place for the gun, and I can’t leave it unattended.The world will cheer if an FBI agent ends the reign of a kingpin, even if he is my father-in-law.
Shooting him wins.
Chapter Nine
Damn it, I can’t shoot Roberto.