Page 111 of Scarlet Vows

“He just wants to make sure it’s all going well.”

Santo

Now’s the time to let me know if you need the special services from my girl.

His assassin. It’s fucking tempting, but…

Me

I’ll report from the other side.

Earlier, various cars pulled to the side of the road and let people out. Others arrived to pick them up. But now it’s after hours, and the traffic is on foot.

There’s one van, unmarked, and I watch it closely. If I were a betting man, I’d say it was important. The guns for the sale inside, perhaps.

It’s been dark for a number of hours and appears empty.

“Appears” is the operative word.

But other than that, since the gates went down, men have gone in and out of the building on foot. All of them oblivious to the hell that’s going to rain down on them.

I’m confident we’ll get the job done quickly and quietly. I’ve an army, one that Santo has boosted.

All I’m waiting for is the signal from Santo’s man on the inside. Now that’s a bastard who deserves a medal and a bottle of good vodka.

The back of the van suddenly rolls up. Someone jumps out in a suit and heads inside. The light in the back must have been turned off.

“I want that van.” Why would a suited man be in there? What else is inside? Yeah, I want it.

Melor grunts. “I’ll get someone on that.”

I put a hand on Melor’s arm and fit my earpiece so I can hear him and the men when I turn it on at the set time and they can hear us. “After.”

He nods.

A light flickers on in a room above the club.

On. Off. On. Off.

I nod at Melor and turn on my earpiece. Melor gives the order, getting out of the car with me. I give him a look. He motions ahead since he’ll wait outside in case we need extra backup.

I check my weapon and make sure my extra rounds are in reach.

“Ilya.”

I turn, Denis is there. After the meeting today he told me he would sit this out, and yet here he is. I put emotions on hold as best I can, fighting the fluttering elation at what looks like loyalty.

“Taking part?” I ask.

He nods. “Brought extra men. This feels too easy, like you mentioned to Melor after that meeting. I heard.”

“And?”

“Let’s do this.”

I nod and come up to Denis. “We send two scouts in and then us.”

“Yes,” he says. “What I was thinking.”