Page 61

“He’s a monster, Oklahoma.” Oz said softly, trying to reach the woman with reason.

Mull waggled her hand in the air, unhappy with that term. “I’d go with ‘malignant narcissist.’”

“Yes.” Oklahoma agreed, sounding almost sad about that.

Mull wasn’t sure whether the woman was agreeing with him being a monster or him being a narcissist. Or both.

“He is.” She made a circle motion with her fingers, turning them around one another again.

“But ’gears within gears.’” She leaned forward.

“You’re a part of the machine now. Walking Mister Welles’ crooked mile, like the rest of us.

Just where that road is going and what role you’re playing is beyond my pay grade.

But I can tell you this: I will help you in any way that I can. I am on your side.”

Oz let out a tired sigh, seeing where this would end. “…Until Monty tells you not to be.” He finished for her.

“Obviously.” The woman shrugged again. “I’m an Irregular.

” Her phone rang and she answered it on the second ring.

“Speak.” Pause. “Excellent. Yes, I’ll tell him.

I’m sure he’ll appreciate that. Cherry is his favorite.

” Pause. “ Yes, I’ll tell him, I’ll tell him.

. .” She hung up, then pulled a gold pen from her pocket and wrote something down on a napkin for them.

“August and Anton Masterson can be found at this address.” She slid the paper across the table to them.

“They’re there now. If you change your mind and would like them dead, I can have it done in…

” she casually checked her watch, “…8 minutes.”

“I think the address will be sufficient.” Oz looked down at the napkin, obviously debating with himself about whether or not it was clean enough to touch.

Mull made the decision for him, and stuffed it into her pocket.

“I can get you a search warrant for the apartment, if that would be helpful.” Oklahoma volunteered.

Oz shook his head. “We’re not the police.”

“Mister Welles knows several judges who won’t get distracted by that technicality.” Oklahoma promised. “Did you need anything else from my organization?”

“I’m looking for Mercygiver.” Oz’s voice was hard, filled with hate.

That seemed to genuinely rattle the woman.

She leaned back in her seat. “Rondel has killed friends of every person in this establishment. Many of the people on that wall over there?” She pointed to a display of dozens of framed photos, apparently honoring deceased villains.

“ Butchered them. You won’t find a more unpopular or feared person in the industry at the moment. ”

“That’s why I’m going to kill him.” Mull promised.

“I’m sorry?” Oklahoma’s impossibly perfect face scrunched up in confusion. “Is that a joke?” She looked at Mull in amazement, evidently questioning how someone so innocent looking could ever stand up to a monster. “ You are trying to kill Mercygiver? That’s what this is about?”

Mull nodded.

The woman blinked at her for a second. Then two.

Then burst out laughing. She put her head back and roared.

“Oh, Champ, you always have the most interesting problems, don’t you?

” She pounded the table in mirth. “My mama warned me. ‘It’s never easy when a Welles is involved. They are lords of steam and steel, they aren’t our kind,’ she said, ‘They have empires on the brain.’ But I didn’t listen.

” She rearranged the hat on her head. “Sometimes I wish I could trade jobs with Higgins and let him deal with the crazy for a few days. I tell him stories, but I don’t think he believes them. ”

They continued silently staring at the woman, waiting for her to finish with her mocking laughter .

Oklahoma remembered that she was supposed to be working for them at the moment, and cleared her throat to return to her job. “I’m sorry. You’re going to kill Mercygiver.” She repeated. “Of course you are.”

“We don’t work together anymore.” Mull shook her head. “I hate him as much as any of you . He ruined my life and I’m going to make the bastard bleed .”

Oklahoma’s eyes narrowed, silently reminding Mull of all of the horrors she’d helped that man commit over the years. “Frankly, I’m having difficulty believing that.”

“I might not look it right now because my face is currently at the shop getting repaired,” Mull lowered her voice to a hard edge, “but I guarantee you , I am very good at my job and I will kill that bastard.”

“Again, you’ll have to forgive me if I remain skeptical.

” Oklahoma leaned further across the table, her voice low and vaguely threatening.

“Listen, you can put on your little show for this beautiful gentleman here,” she turned to look at Oz, “incidentally, please call me and I can find you lots of work in my industry,” she refocused on Mull, “but I know who you are and I know what you’ve done.

You are not an innocent and you will never be on the side of the angels.

You haven’t stopped. You’ll never stop.

Because you are fucking evil.” Her eyes narrowed.

“And if this meeting wasn’t for Mister Welles, I would spit in your goddamn face right here. ”

Oz’s voice took on a hard edge to match the woman’s.

“Whatever Miss Quentin did or didn’t do in her past is no one’s business but her own.

She’s moved on from her dealings with Mercygiver and has made a new life for herself.

All of that is behind her. And to be honest, are you really in any position to throw stones about making illegal business decisions in order to survive? ”

“Touché.” Oklahoma seemed to accept that. “No matter. As I said, I would gladly lay down my life for Mister Welles and the other Irregulars. If he wants me to help you, no matter how distasteful I may find it, I will help you.”

“Where does Rondel hide out these days?” Oz pressed, expecting it to be that easy.

“Mercygiver is obviously not a client.” Oklahoma shook her head.

“I would never do business with someone like that . So I honestly have no idea. But if you find the Agletarians, Mercygiver will find you . My advice would be to be ready.” She smiled at them again, once more the helpful waitress asking for their order.

Or, more accurately, the evil genie who was waiting for you to wish yourself into oblivion.

“Is that all you wanted or did Mister Welles need me to assist you in some other manner?” She paused for a beat. “Anything at all?”

Mull wasn’t entirely sure, but it kind of sounded like the woman had just asked them if Monty wanted her to sleep with them or not.

Oz seemed to come to a similar conclusion, and immediately shook his head. “No, I think we’re good, thanks.”

Oklahoma stared at them silently for a beat, recognizing their inference.

She took on a serious, but slightly amused tone.

“Sir, with all due respect, if you really think Mister Welles would whore me out to you, then you have vastly overestimated your importance to him.” She stood and started to leave, but then leaned down to whisper in Mull’s ear so that Oz didn’t hear.

“A piece of free advice? If I were you, I’d try to forget all about Mercygiver and just leave things as they are.

Trust me when I say this: you’ve got a nice thing here.

He’s a beautiful man. He doesn’t deserve what I think we both know is going to happen to him if you push this. ”

“I can keep Oz safe.” Mull told her flatly, trying to sound surer than she felt.

“Not from you.” Oklahoma stood up straight again. “But, as I said, it’s none of my concern.” She tipped her hat to them. “The happiest of Thanksgivings to you both.”

“Well, we’ll be sure to tell Monty you helped us like he asked.” Oz told her, apparently trying to be nice, because Oz’s dominant personality traits were rule-following, obsessive compulsions, and overt niceness to horrible people. It was sickening sometimes.

“Don’t bother. I’m an Irregular, Oswald.” Oklahoma Mike started towards the door. “He already knows I’ll help him.”