Page 123 of Savage Hearts

“I just want to retire. Let Declan deal with you. He lives for that shit.”

“Your boy Declan does a helluva lot more than deal with me, Diego. He’s got his fingers in a lot of pies.”

“Yeah, I know. He thinks he’s saving the world. I mean, I know it’s admirable, but as far as I can tell, it’s a total waste of fucking time. You kill this bad vato over here, another bad vato pops up over there. Your whole life’sGroundhog Day. What a headache.”

I study what I can see of his face. “So you know he’s a spy.”

“Tch. I don’t know anything. I’m just a thug who grew up on the streets. All this shit is over my head.”

“Somehow I doubt that.”

“If you’re thinkingI’ma spy, think again. Who wants to work for the fucking government? Fuck those guys. Bureaucrats are the worst. I’m just a homie who got promoted to a C-suite position who’s better suited to the mail room. I felt like I was being suffocated. There were too many expectations, too many eyeballs on me all the time. It’s very simple: I need my freedom. I want out.”

I think for a while, then admit, “I don’t really know what to say here, Diego. This is just about the strangest and stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

If I insulted him, he doesn’t show it. He simply sighs. “Honestly, man, you did me a favor. So I’m gonna do you a favor and keep mymouth shut. I know if everybody found out it was you who faked my death and started all this shit in the first place, you’d have mad problems on your hands. Am I right?”

“You’re not wrong.”

“Exactly. Mad problems. You’re welcome.”

“I could kill you right now if I wanted to ensure your silence.”

“Yeah, you could.”

He doesn’t sound like he cares one way or the other.

Strangely enough, I believe this idiot. He really does just want out.

“Tell you what. I’ll think about it.”

Through the bandages comes a dry chuckle. “You do that. If I don’t wake up, I’ll see you in hell,pendejo.”

“It’ll take a while for me to get there.”

“I’ll wait.”

He closes his eyes. When it becomes obvious he’s either fallen asleep or is too exhausted to continue, I rise from the chair.

Before I can climb back up into the HVAC duct, Diego stops me cold by saying, “One more thing. Your comrade Stavros. You can’t trust him.”

I turn and look down at him. His eyes are still closed. “Why not?”

“Let’s just say he’s not as loyal to you as he should be.”

The hair on the back of my neck prickles. When I don’t say anything, Diego opens his eyes and looks at me.

“Snitches are bitches who end up in ditches.”

“What the fuck does that gibberish mean?”

“It means put the screws to that little bitch and find out.”

I snort. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

He pauses, then says, “This place has turned into a confessional booth. People think you’ve got amnesia, all kinds of strange shit comes out of their mouths. Everybody wants to tell you a story. Just like you, when you dropped in.”

I get it instantly, and my blood starts to boil. “Stavros made a deal with Declan.”